Nature Walk & Art Time

After being cooped up on a rainy day, and while the parents had errands to run, my two oldest granddaughters and I went on a neighborhood explore.








We agreed that this Magnolia seed pod made for a wonderful watercolor painting (mine is above). "In the fall of the year after the flowers are long gone from a magnolia tree, the seed pods have an interesting surprise in store. Magnolia seed pods, which resemble exotic-looking cones, spread open to reveal bright red berries, and the tree comes to life with birds, squirrels, and other wildlife that relish these tasty fruits. Inside the berries, you'll find the magnolia seeds. And when conditions are just right, you may find a magnolia seedling growing under a magnolia tree."
There is something very magical about exploring through the eyes of children. This Nature walk was a treat and I love the memories we made.

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A Return to the 'Peanuts' Museum

One of my favorite places in Santa Rosa is the Charles M. Schulz Museum. I like it so much, I've been a member for the past two years. Today, we picked up my current membership packet and explored two of the current exhibits expected to conclude before I can return again.



I was most interested in Snoopy in Orbit. What's not to love? "The Beagle has landed… at the Schulz Museum! Into space with NASA in the 1960s, aboard the International Space Station, and now around the Moon as the zero-gravity indicator for the Artemis I mission—Snoopy has flown further than any human astronaut! See the historic Snoopys, now safely home on Earth, alongside other never-before-exhibited space-flown Peanuts artifacts!"

This 1969 Astronaut Snoopy Doll is the most special artifact in this exhibit. It has been loaned by Mike Massimino, former NASA Astronaut.
Like many children, Mike Massimino dreamed of going to space. He even received this special astronaut Snoopy toy from his older brother, Joe, to embody his high-flying ideas. For Massimino, the dream of going to space came true in 2002, aboard STS-109, a Columbia shuttle-based mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope, and on another similar mission on STS-125.
Astronaut Massimino brought his special Snoopy along in 2009, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. How very, very cool!
Snoopy, the zero-gravity indicator for NASA’s Artemis I mission (November-December 2022), was on view for the first time since returning to Earth.


This plush Astronaut Snoopy, made by Hallmark, flew aboard a Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply craft to the International Space Station in November 2019. The Cygnus are autonomous spacecraft that bring supplies and science experiments to the space station and can launch satellites.

This exhibit was totally out of this world!
Another changing exhibit, dear to my heart, is It’s Time for School, Charlie Brown! "Even if all you heard from the teacher was “wah, wah, wah,” school memories never fade away. At the bus stop, in class, lunchtime, classroom crushes, show and tell, homework—when it comes to the Peanuts gang, there’s a lot to learn! See original Peanuts art alongside vintage school-related products and relive the days of lunchboxes and learning—with plenty of laughs!"
For most of us, school memories never entirely fade away, and Charles M. Schulz certainly found much inspiration in his memories of school days while writing and drawing his daily comic strip. He was a reserved, rule-following kid who often felt invisible in school. Yet he also cherished fond memories of friends and the few supportive words he did receive from teachers. The school-related stories in Peanuts are a mix of encouragement and failure, such that nearly every reader can empathize.
The 'driver' of this bus is Mr. Schulz, himself, taped driving his five children to school. What a treasure.


Each part of the school day was discussed in this exhibit. I loved this about Lunch. "A brown bag lunch can be a home-packed oasis in the middle of the swirling school day. Maybe a parent wrote you a note of encouragement and dropped it in. Or perhaps all you find inside is your least-favorite sandwich. At least if you have a Peanuts lunch box, you will find some comfort in the friendly, familiar faces on it. Lunchtime reflections, squabbles, snubs, and joys are all found in Peanuts."




Who didn't love Joe Cool?  This character, came along when Charles⁠ Schulz overheard his son Craig talking with his⁠ friends and describe someone as, “a real Joe Cool.” Snoopy first appeared as Joe Cool on May 27,⁠ 1971. Many more “Joe” personas would follow, including Joe Preppy, Joe Blackjack, and another inspired by Craig: Joe Motocross. Who knew?

With photo opportunities, interesting history, and childhood nostalgia, the Charles M. Schulz Museum is definitely one of my favorite places... in any city.

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Children's Mass on Christmas Eve...

The last time Steve and I attended Mass was in Pisa, Italy in 2010. This current trek to church was due to the fact that our granddaughter's neighbor, Art, was to play Santa for his very last time (after 30 years) and we all wanted to be there for that milestone.

Another reason we wanted to be there was for the location, itself. St. Philip the Apostle Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Occidental. In the late 1800s, the Catholic population of this area was served by a church 15 miles away. With the influx of a large number of Italian and Irish immigrants, there was a growing movement to build a church in Occidental. When the Asti family donated a plot for a new place of worship, Shea and Shea, a firm of architects from San Francisco, were hired to draw the plans. Local workers were hired to do the work and the church was completed in December 1902.
St. Philip, a Victorian Gothic style church, has been restored and lovingly cared for. Today it retains most of the beautiful original woodwork and charming details.



The interior reminds me of the hull of a ship. It was gorgeous and the acoustics were exceptional.

The Nativity, starring the most adorable children, was worth the price of admission! So precious.


And then there was Art. This was the first (and last) time my daughter-in-law has seen this special man in his role of Santa. I'm so happy we were there to be a part of it. It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
The day ended beautifully. 

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A Detour to The Peña Adobe

Each time we travel west towards the Bay Area, we see a sign about California Historical Landmark #534. Today, we decided to detour and learn some local history.

The Peña Adobe was erected in 1842. The simple adobe with its dirt floors and four windows still has the original hand-hewn redwood timbers which were cut in the hills near Napa. The walls are two feet thick and made of 23x10x3 adobe mud bricks. Twenty-five Mission-trained Indians sun dried the adobe bricks and built both Vaca and Peña's adobes (the Vaca Adobe was built to the east of the Peña Adobe. It was destroyed by the earthquake of 1892).
The plaque reads, "This is the site of Rancho Los Putos of 10 square leagues, granted in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Juan Felipe Peña and Manuel Cabeza Vaca. The Peña Adobe, erected here in 1842, is still owned by descendants of the Peña-Vaca families. The town of Vacaville, nearby, was established in 1851 on land sold by Vaca to William McDaniel." [Plaque erected September 18, 1955, by Vacaville Parlor No. 293, Native Daughters of the Golden West, in cooperation with the California State Parks Commission].





Throughout the 1½ acre historical park are informational markers. This orange tree, believed planted by the Peñas is the second oldest in California.






When the families had satisfied various land grant requirements, the 44,384 acre site was officially granted to Vaca and Peña in 1845. The territory encompassed all of Lagoon Valley and stretched into Yolo County. Both families engaged in cattle ranching as hides and tallow were the principal source of trade and income. The last Peña remained here until 1957, eventually becoming a Vacaville City park in 1965.

“Life is a journey with almost limitless detours.”― Ken Poirot

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