Funky Colors

Evelyn: Several months ago, I got bold with my work and bought a canvas, one that I thought might stretch above the couch to replace a wonderful but violent piece Gary had done years ago. I ended up also needing to buy a second canvas to "extend" the work I had done at some point to match the length of the piece that once hung in that spot.  Regardless, my painting was inspired by Sophie (Scott & Sativa's girl) during their visit last April. Sophie did not let me procrastinate, prodding me with a pencil and suggesting, "Didn't you say you were at least going to just draw something to start," a tender morsel of encouragement that moved me into a full-blown color frenzy. Now I need Sophie to hand me that pencil again for the smaller extension so that my work spans the wall as it was intended. (It doesn't look like it, but this canvas is about 3½ feet long. Funny thing, taking pictures at an angle.)

Monica: This evening Michael and I walked back to the campground where the first session of Nature Day Camp is having its overnight camp. The kids were in their warm colorful pajamas headed toward the campfire for a bit of singing, storytelling, and marshmallow-roasting. I loved watching their glee as they raced toward the fire circle, marshmallow sticks poised, eager to get a seat close to the flames. I loved camping as a kid—the smell of campfire smoke and pine trees, playing games in the woods, swimming in the river, and falling asleep snuggled up to my sister in our very own tent. Camping is more work now as an adult (find the gear, pack the gear, set up the gear, take down the gear, clean the  gear...) but I still enjoy it. It's funny that we have one of the best campgrounds on the coast and we have yet to camp. One of these days....

Found

Monica: I went on a cleaning bender today, a frenzy that hits when I need to ground myself. Cleaning, organizing, and getting rid of things helps me to feel centered and clear. (I am also overcome with the urge to clean when I'm mad, so Michael was wondering what he did to set me off today.) While I was cleaning out the bedroom, I found a stack of handkerchiefs that my grandfather, Papito Antonio, hand painted and monogrammed as a gift to me when I was 11. Hand-painted handkerchiefs would normally be something that my minimalist self would toss in the Goodwill bag, but these have survived myriad cleaning frenzies, mainly because they were made with love and care by the grandfather I saw only a handful of times in my life. I remember him bringing me my favorite buñuelos (small deep-fried balls of bread) and taking me and my sister to the park for Colombian-style snow cones topped with sweet condensed milk. These handkerchiefs and my DNA are all that I have left of him.

Evelyn: The clock ticking sidled with the crunch of a fortune cookie. Fortune cookies are one of the most bland and fun desserts I could enjoy. I vivaciously broke mine, just before realizing how close I was to deadline, to find a synchronous little encouragement: "A fascinating project is in your future..." Go figure!

Signs of Something Coming Down the Pike

Evelyn: Transitions, decisions, taking a leap of faith, planning, purging, putting up signs and reading signs. Been waiting in line for this little roller coaster—my stomach all jumbled with pleasurable anxiousness and anticipation—uncertain but eager—because the ride means a new adventure, and this sign yet another detanglement in the process of taking a breath before the scream! Whoopie!

Monica: A busy day spent catching up and running errands. I finally caught on that the itching and congestion I've been fighting in my right ear all weekend might be the beginnings of an ear infection, so I've been taking supplements, drinking lots of water, and using natural antibiotic ear drops. As I was getting ready for bed at 11 p.m., I realized I hadn't taken any photos for the day, so I grabbed my camera and took a photo of the nightstand. 

Coming Home to Beauty

Monica: I came home this afternoon to cooler weather and grayer skies, but most importantly, to the open arms and smiling face of my husband. I love that he cheerfully takes on all the tasks of the Farm while I'm away, which is no small feat. There is plenty of work for the two of us, and when there's only one, it can be overwhelming. When I walked in the door, he was on the phone and there were guests in the office waiting to be checked in. I had a car-full of bags to unload, so our reunion was put off for a good half hour. When I walked into our home, I saw a pot of blooming orchids on the kitchen table with a note: "Welcome home, sweetheart! I missed you!" It's so good to be home.

Evelyn: Rain does such amazing things to the landscape—and there has been a modest monsoon season carrying on around here that had me staring at the world through panes of glass and behind wiper blades most late afternoons. Jumping in between the drizzle and torrents I got to capture brilliant dabbles of water hanging like spectators over the rest of the leaves below.

At the End of the Day

Evelyn:  I have been mesmerized by the delightful sunsets lately, most of which have been keeping me company through my drives home from all kinds of places. The storm clouds move in quickly late afternoon, and the sun, breaking through, has been stubborn about being seen. I love the sun's tenacity, despite ominous clouds and jarring colors shifting moment to moment. 

Monica:  Our final day included a stop at Arden Hills Spa for massages and lounging poolside in the afternoon. Then it was time to head back to Adriana's house. The weekend was a blast, with just the right mix of adventure, laughter, play, conversation, mischief and relaxation. Thank you April, Skye, Shannon, Karin, & Adriana for an unforgettable time!

Hold Hands

Monica: After a fabulous day of whitewater rafting on the North Fork of the American river (which was a blast), we headed to the Coloma Club for drinks and dancing. I volunteered to be the designated driver, and as I sipped my Shirley Temple, I set out on a mission to collect marital advice from random men and women for our lovely bachelorette. My sobriety didn't hinder my ability to sidle up to complete strangers to ask their marital status and their advice. I got a range of suggestions, from the cynical ("Don't do it!") to the sage ("Don't try to change him") to the raunchy ("Love his dick.") I had my interviewees write their advice on beer coasters (and if they weren't sober enough, I wrote it for them) and then I took their picture. My favorite bit of advice came from Jackie, a woman married 41 years to her high school sweetheart: "HOLD HANDS!"

Evelyn: Through the drone of activity that fills up a P3 weekend, it is always nice to decompress, my camera my excuse to detach for a few moments and look at the world through a different lens—one that pulls me deeply into visions I don't see without an extension tube or macro lens. As I rummaged through all the images Saturday, I was caught up by the way the withering little white flower perched on a sprig looked as if it was about to land, like a bee, in the center of a brilliant sun.

Celebrating Changes

Evelyn: My car piled with boxes, and plans ripping through my mind—a ginormous list of to-do's and the popping energy that lights me up in anticipation of a lot of change. It is time to shift life up yet again... and an eagerness to do something new feels a bit like a warm plate of brownies.

Monica: My dear friend Adriana is getting married on July 30th. To celebrate, her maid-of-honor planned a three-day bachelorette party camp-out extravaganza for six women. We drove to Coloma, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, where we set up camp, then headed out for some wine-tasting. Let me take a moment to toast Adriana, this precious friend who was my lifeline during the two years we spent as Peace Corps volunteers together in China. We had each other in stitches laughing and we had each other's backs from the first moment we met. It was that laughter and the shared hardships that bound us together as friends. Adriana is disciplined, committed, and loyal. She can be both wild and practical, and she has an unshakeable integrity. She has chosen a kind, generous, and thoughtful man to be her life partner and I'm so looking forward to the day they celebrate their union next month.

Delights

Monica: I took my sister-in-law to the airport early this morning and had several hours to kill before heading to my friend Adriana's house to kick off her bachelorette party weekend. On the way to Petaluma, I decided to stop at the Marin County Civic Center, which I'd heard about but had never seen. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and was one of his last projects, completed in the 1960's after his death. The building is long and narrow and distinctly his in its geometry and how it's integrated into the surrounding landscape. The main entrance was unimpressive, but when the elevator doors opened to the third floor, what I saw took my breath away: an arched ceiling of glass and different levels of open corridors with plants and trees growing in between them. I wandered through every level and took in every view with delighted eyes. The man knew how to create an impressive space.

Evelyn: A day full of questions and answers, friendships & connections, sunsets and beer... well, at least a beer shared among friends. I loved the warm glow of the evening sun landing on this California Amber Ale—which, for a beer, was spectacularly delicious.

Unknown

Evelyn: Tomorrow is unknown, all that I have is today. Regardless, I have hopes about tomorrow. I may never be the same tomorrow, neither might you! You may never see me the same tomorrow, I may not know myself the same way tomorrow. At the least, I got my hair cut today, and have a new page-boy mop to enjoy tomorrow! Wish me luck world—I have NO IDEA what is on my plate tomorrow!

Monica: It was our last day with my visiting sister-in-law, so we took her on one of our favorite hikes through Russian Gulch State Park. The days have been sunny and clear and beautiful, though chilly from the ocean breeze. I discovered a new blooming flower on the bluffs, one which I will have to look up and identify later.

Summer Solstice

Monica: We celebrated the first day of summer by attending a Solstice ceremony at Spirit House, a kiva-style structure in the redwoods. There was drumming and singing and ritual to honor this day of longest light and set an intention for the new season. Ron, one of the facilitators of the ceremony, asked me to bring my fisheye lens and climb up onto the roof to shoot some photos through the skylight down into the kiva, which made me feel like a pro.

Evelyn:  A trip to Downtown Disney—mesmerized by the way colors move and blend throughout the a park filled with characters and lights. The water itself helped cool the breeze on a humid night, keeping me entranced, reminding me to breathe.

Observe and Judge

Evelyn: In the early morning, while working on my cup of coffee and contemplating heading to my teaching job (don't get me wrong - I love teaching), the one that has me feeling angry and tired and unmotivated, I let Gizmo out for his morning bark and sun bathing. A few scratches at the door and he was letting me know it was time to let him back in, and curiously, he followed his scratches with a snort. Reaching for the handle I was stunned to find a long yellow snake wrapped around the sliding door handle just outside. Gizmo and I made quite a folly out of watching him decide which way he was headed (as long as it wasn't INSIDE). Morning adventures—totally beat my thoughts about my job.

Monica: It's a bit of an inside joke, really, but I had to post something vertically (on a horizontal day) because Evelyn's picture was just too cool. Michael's sister, Sandra Joy, is visiting and when the two of them get together, they spend hours discussing and analyzing and debating the deeper spiritual questions we all wonder about but just don't have the time or energy to think about too much. One thing they've discussed at length is how judgmental we humans are, and how that judgment reflects our deepest judgments of ourselves. Sandra Joy found a greeting card to give to Michael with a picture of a sour-faced old lady on the front and the inside read: "I'm just here to observe and judge." It was apropos and hilarious, so we took a couple of our own pictures to send to some friends who would get the joke, too. 

Father's Day 2011

Monica: I didn't get to spend Father's Day with either of my fathers today, but I called them both to tell them I love them.  In the afternoon, I took my visiting sister-in-law shopping in Mendocino. We stopped for coffee and as we left the coffee house, I notice this little table with its "For Sale" sign. A six-year-old boy sat on the wall with his dad, manning his yard sale while munching a slice of cheese pizza. I asked (with a wink) if he was saving up his money to buy his dad a Father's Day present. His dad explained he wanted to sell some of his things to raise money to help people. I bought a rock for $2.

Evelyn: "I don't know how to put this but... I'm kind of a Big Deal" is what my Dad's shirt said - and I can't help but smirk. Pito, you really are, especially to me and Gizmo who depend on you for so much. We enjoyed a Daddy-date to the Plymouth Woodshed—a greasy spoon cheap-date, sludgy coffee and biscuits-'n-gravy kinda place. Gizmo got most the grease and honeyed biscuit morsels out of Pito's beard.

Green Days

Evelyn: This little green orb dangles from a hummingbird wind chime in front of my "office window" and I stare at that thing almost daily when fussing at my computer. What is most fascinating is the way it transforms the world, reflecting the outside in a froggy sort of way. I love seeing things through spheres, orbs, water drops...

Monica:  Camping season has begun. We had a group of 20-somethings arrive on bikes; they're biking from Vancouver, Canada to San Diego. Another set of international travelers from Brazil, Belgium, and Germany showed up, too. It reminded me of my own 20-something years, traveling in different countries with the contents of my backpack my only possessions, staying in youth hostels, meeting other 20-something travelers, surviving on street food or bread and cheese. Seeing the new wave of travelers come through here in the summer inspires me and reminds me that I need to keep venturing beyond my comfort zone into new territories.

Happy Dance

Evelyn: Raindrops, glorious and coveted. We are dry, the lake is drying up quickly, and a sudden whirlwind of rain was so deeply needed that my soul did a little happy dance while I observed the bending trees, and the blocked out street at a distance, while thundering drums pounded through the sky. 

Monica: I saw the fox again today. I was bringing our compost down to the garden, and when I stepped inside the gate, I saw movement between the garden beds. There she was. I talked to her softly as I moved to empty the compost. She stood still and watched me, curious. Then I left quickly to run back home to get my camera. When I returned, she was devouring some of the shriveled grapes I had just added to the pile. She didn't mind me or the camera. It seemed like she hadn't eaten in days, the way she was eating those grapes. And when she had her fill, she was off again, disappearing through the fence into the tall meadow grasses just beyond.

Thursday Things

Evelyn: Shuffling through over a dozen images of the stunning flowers sent to me Wednesday, I was struck by this one image of a Peruvian Lily tucked tenderly under the lip of a rose, and couldn't help but to feel the caress between the two, as if one were supporting the other at the release of an embrace. Part of me wishes to feel that soft edge, that is without condition, or need, but only the enjoyment of connection.

Monica:  I've been getting bored with my photos, which is a sure sign I need to change how I see things. So today, I put my Lensbaby on my camera and wandered outside to see everything anew.

Addictions

Monica: Michael drove down to Oakland this morning to pick up his sister who is visiting for a week. When he got home, he plunked down a paper bag on the kitchen counter. I peered inside and saw this beautiful array of my favorite treat lining the bottom of the bag. I tell you, the man is worth his weight in gold.

Evelyn: This is the nose that prods me, early in the morning, to lift the sheet so he can curl up against my leg or back. The nose that nudges my hand for a tickle or scratch. The cold nose that pokes my face or leg when a walk is required, or makes it known that a treat is in order. This dear little nose... sometimes I don't recognize what a gift he is, such a bundle of unconditional love (other than when I haven't dispensed enough treats after a pee-pee break). This is the nose.

Basking

Evelyn:  Everything was bright today... the sun burst through early morning clouds on my drive to clients, then settled as a red hot orb in the sky towards dusk, the moon on its tail. Even the flowers were bursting with color as I walked to my car. Standard garden flowers, yet still round, like bright rays, leaving me basking and breathing them in.


Monica: The day was glorious, so we took a few hours off to bask in the sunshine and fresh air. We headed to Big River and walked along the beach where families were sunbathing, sandcastle-making, volleyball-playing, and generally enjoying this rare summer weather. I snapped these siblings refilling their cups to empty into the moat they were building around their sandcastle.

Between Life and Death

Monica: I woke up to a blanket of fog outside that lasted all day. It put me in a listless mood, so I spent much of the day shuffling around the house, reading, and curled up on the couch with Michael watching several hours of a fascinating courtroom docudrama (The Staircase). About an hour before sunset, the fog lifted and the sun emerged, casting its golden light on the tender new leaves emerging from the tips of the cherry tree up the hill.

Evelyn: Back to my Soulcare classes and a weekly visit to Dandelion Cafe for a vegan $5 dinner special. The base of the tree in their courtyard is in constant flux with added gifts, messages, tokens, poems, wishes, Buddhas, and pictures placed thoughtfully around and dangling from branches. A small poem caught my eye, titled "The Human Road," cradled between crystals and rocks and sprinkled with the residue of earthen matter. The poem quite simply whispered the truths about life and death. Amidst the loss last week of Cathleen, I couldn't help but be drawn to the words dancing between "life" and "death" and the sheer simplicity of how we come and go. It reminds me, yet again, how unpredictable life really is, and the need to really appreciate all the amazing people in my life while I am here, and conscious, and able to hold a hand, or speak a smile.

Golden Hues

Evelyn: Lizards are peculiar creatures, small dinosaurs, lavishly decorated with colorful spikes and armor, careful stances of observation or warning. His eyes curious as I walk by his cage. He warms himself in a dark room, under a heat lamp - a soft oasis behind glass, where I wonder how it would be to lay there quietly, under a heat lamp, with eyes and glares behind a sky of glass, moving randomly to observe. Would I also take a stance, make a warning, or hide behind rocks and plants?

Monica: I went for a walk along the Staircase trail in search of the orange sticky monkey flower that one of our Board members told me was growing on the other side of Jug Handle Creek. I found the cluster of flowers but they were all in shade. Instead I turned my camera to the light hitting a dandelion patch just so, highlighting the fine strands of spider webbing hanging between them like little suspension bridges.

In Profile

Monica: I walked into Caspar to get the mail and stopped to say hello to the horses. This one saw me coming and met me at the fence, hoping that I'd brought a treat. All I had for her was a tender rub on the nose and some compliments as I shot some photos of her majestic face.

Evelyn: Out with friends, dancing & listening to a live band, the soft sundry tones of a singer vocally dancing through old songs. Such a pleasure, swinging & Steak 'n Shake.

Reflections

Evelyn: Back to my walks at Crane's Roost, and the breeze has been remarkable (Thanks, Adam! You have been quite generous....) I climbed down the hillside to a small beach at the park to sneak up on the cranes and egrets having their evening meal. Quite peaceful, luminous, transfixing.

Monica: I've been so busy this past week that I haven't taken the time to venture out with my camera, which leaves me at the end of the day with no shots taken and a looming deadline. When all else fails, I can always fall back on taking self-portraits, which tonight meant making monkey faces in the bathroom mirror. If my sister were in this photo, she'd be sticking her tongue out.

Little Things

Monica: I was reorganizing my art desk when I looked down and saw my maiden initials in the little wood block stamps that my best friend gave me for my birthday. There was a moment of recognition; I've written those letters so many times in my life. Then I got married and the only thing that changed was a "v" appeared between the "m" and the "h." It's fitting that marriage only added to my identity, rather than changed it.

Evelyn: The warm light that evades every available space not hidden by shadow near dusk fills me with a sense of cozy encapsulation. It marks the close of a day, it highlights the world in a surreal sort of way, it feels warm, regardless of temperature. Sometimes I wish I could easily capture the sun in a jar to carry with me.

Wednesday Loves

 

Evelyn: Pancakes. I've decided I love them. I never make them but they satisfy some crazy need I have when I have been energized by activity for a long stint... the next morning I always crave pancakes. I especially love when I meet my own need for pancakes, with a trip for a breakfast I don't have to cook, and a tall glass of yum. Pancakes.

Monica: I took my first photo walk down to the beach since coming home and was amazed at how tall the grasses have grown and how many flowers have bloomed in my absence. I had a nice respite from allergies in Florida, but today I felt the unmistakeable onset of itchiness to my eyes and throat. I still love the puffy seed-heads of the grasses, in spite of the trouble they cause.
 

Where I'm At and Where I'm Going

Monica: Apparently it rained almost the entire time I was in Florida. As I drove home yesterday, I noted the overcast skies and braced myself for the gray. Instead, as I neared the coast, patches of blue sky appeared overhead. A perfect homecoming gift. Thankfully, today was sunny and warm. The little patch of calendula by the wood pile that grew under the shelter of Michael's wheelbarrow was all aglow, a cheerful burst of bright orange joy. 

Evelyn: Where are you going? That is the question that sits on my GPS when I am headed into unfamiliar territory. I often wonder about that, especially now. Why can't I just plug in "California" or "Stable, Happy, Fulfilling Job"? How I navigate things feels so uncertain, as any trip that is unfamiliar, but usually when I get there I am pleased about the journey.

What Awaits

Evelyn: What can't be said, what isn't spoken, what is held in, what wants release, what remains a secret, what tickles the nose, what brings on a sneeze, what keeps the world curious, what is bottled up, what remains contained.... and he watches me work at my computer, curious about the ways I gesture.

Monica: Finally, I arrived home to my husband, a clean house, freshly laundered sheets, some work to catch up on, and a nearly empty fridge containing the last hints of bachelor food (stick of summer sausage, cheese, and cream for coffee) and a few items left over from my last shopping trip (eggs, carrots, half a lemon). The man apparently survived for 11 days on Cap'n Crunch, chips and salsa, summer sausage, and McDonald's. Of course I asked him, "But did you eat ANY vegetables?" His response: "What for?" When the cat's away, the mice will pig out on junk food. He did admit that he was sick of it and looking forward to my cooking again. Tomorrow he's getting vegetables.

Artistry

Monica: The flight home included a stopover in Houston, an airport I don't recall ever visiting. It was a lovely airport, filled with light and open space and it wasn't too hectic at 8:00 a.m. There was a display in the center of the terminal of children's art, and this piece caught my attention, maybe because of the brilliant blue (my favorite color) and the great big happy face. The artist is a 10-year-old boy named Gabriel Frias. I learned that all the artists are patients in a Houston Children's Hospital for blood disorders. It broke my heart to think of these children with critical illnesses, and the courage and hope expressed in their art.

Evelyn: Wrapped up a day with both grief and joy - sadness over sending Monica back to California, then spending a part of the day catching up with a friend, swing classes, and art night with the girls (with lots of added chatty gossip about our own lives). By far, this has been one of my better breaks from the college - full of adventure and lightness of being. Gratitude for all the energy, the play, the frolic, the creativity, the dance, the sister kisses and giggles, despite our aging changing bodies, it is a wonderful attitude to carry.

What Goes & What Stays

Evelyn: My red shoes, sitting empty, in yet another place I can call home away from home. We drove back to Orlando from St. Petersburg today, only to unpack and repack Monica. Regardless, sad as I may be to wave my little sister off, knowing it will be another long stretch until we can play in each others company, there are always calls, and friends, and the planting of my feet on many places along the way that keep me connected, whether it be a thought, or a picture, or the sound of her voice. Meanwhile, my red shoes are busy moving through each day, on different adventures, on different planes, on different footing.

Monica: It's my last day in Florida and I'm dragging my feet, avoiding the inevitable need to pack my things and get ready for tomorrow's early morning flight home. There's a heaviness to leaving that I don't enjoy. I felt it when I left home, in spite of being excited to see my family; I feel it now as I leave my family, in spite of being excited to come home to Michael's open arms. There's a melancholy that overtakes me, reminding me that life is an ongoing series of departures and arrivals, goodbyes and hellos, endings and beginnings.

Turf & Surf

Monica: Bliss to me is swimming in warm tropical waters with fins on my feet and a mask on my face. Snorkeling or scuba diving is the closest I've come to the sensation of flying in dreams. There is a weightless soaringness to diving down into the depths and frolicking amidst schools of fish. I live by the sea in California, but the sea there is cold and violent and unwelcoming, unlike the calm balmy waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Today I went snorkeling for the first time in several years (!), and in spite of the poor visibility and unimpressive scenery, I relished it. I became a mermaid all over again, diving down into the depths, peering into crevices, chasing the fish. We had 45 minutes to snorkel, and after about 20, most of the other snorkelers made their way back to the boat to sunbathe on deck. I wasn't the first one in the water, but I was definitely the last one out.

Evelyn: Adventuring to Egmont Key on a Charter (with charming Captain Dennis) for a day of exploring, snorkeling, swimming, and sunning was a highlight of my mini-vacation with Monica. After a rough May, sitting with my feet in the ocean was the most relaxed I have been. A bit mortified of the currents (for snorkeling) I still hung content in the water, enjoying clouds, and diving sea birds, and the tender way in which sea water holds me up and moves me about, careless and warm.

Salvadorame!

Evelyn: The new Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg is stunning (arguably the blobs of windows, made of panes of triangles, are just blobs and not representative of his mustache) and I was delighted that one floor kept us busy for almost the entire day—filled with reminders about authentic self expression and capturing the dream-like images that float into consciousness from inspired niches of the mind. I caught Monica walking towards the windows, and found the reflections almost surreal, with Dali-like landscaping, puffy white clouds, and the bends of the glass. Lovely.

Monica: When Evelyn and I get together, we invariably revert to our childhood selves, feigning arguments over the last bite of chocolate or who is hogging more space in bed. When we bought our tickets to the Dali Museum, I noticed a little scavenger hunt sheet at the information desk and I snagged two. The instructions said to complete the hunt and return the sheet to the museum gift store for a prize. We wandered through the museum, our conversation alternating between our adult analytical and childish playful selves, being both reflective and goofy. When we had finished with the exhibits and handed our scavenger hunt forms to the lady at the gift shop desk, we were met with a scornful reprimand that the scavenger hunt was "for children ages 6-12." We gladly put on our "ages 6-12" faces and she relented, handing over the prizes: a Dali-esque mustache for each of us. We then promptly headed outside for a photoshoot. Take THAT, grumpy gift shop lady! 

Wining & Dining

Monica: Evelyn and I are in St. Petersburg, staying at friends Les & Delene's beautiful home in the historic part of town. While Delene prepared a delicious dinner of buffalo burgers, steamed broccoli, and salad, I scanned her wine rack and found some wines with fun labels. We savored pro⋅mis⋅Q⋅ous with our meal as we talked about our lives and relationships.

Evelyn: Something about edible adventures are even better when hanging with my sister (the sister I only get to see three times a year for a week, maybe two.) We stopped during our road trip to St. Pete in Ybor City, to fill our bellies, and I was blown away by the Greek yummies we encountered. I didn't order a salad, but Monica shared a bite of her slice of feta and one (count it... 1 of only 2... now that is a sister!) Kalamata olives on her greek salad. I love greek, tangy, black, seeded Kalamata olives. I suppose she did it to get me to stop staring at her salad, or maybe because I emerged from a potty break, clean hands and relieved smile, and pronounced, "Boy, I LOVE Kalamata Olives..."