Sally Dean

4th of July Fun

Alright, I admit it. I’m a sucker for the 4th of July. I simply love all of the excitement, energy and fun that surrounds the holiday. Sure I love America. But I don’t usually get all sappy about it. The 4th of July, however, brings out that sap in me.

And this year was no different.

I had an awesome time on the 4th enjoying the many things that Ojai has to offer. I wasn’t originally going to go to the Ojai Independence Day Parade, but my friends arrived in the morning and dragged me out of bed.  And I’m glad they did.  It was such a cute experience watching all of the various groups going down the main street from the Country Club Road to Park Road.  The theme this year was “Proud to be an American” and I definitely felt the spirit.

Then, after hanging out and relaxing for awhile, we went to the Nordhoff Community Stadium where there was a flag ceremony, food booths, games, rides and entertainment.  The fireworks were awesome as they lit up the night sky and got everyone “oohing” and “aaahing” and I definitely oohed along with them!

Happy 4th to Everyone! Until next year…

Bathed in Lavender at the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival

My brother has arrived…and so has the noise! Wow, I didn’t realize just how noisy two cute kids could be. Nevertheless, we are enjoying ourselves a great deal.

I have to laugh, since I created an air-tight schedule of events for the time that my brother is in town…but then so many interesting things have come up.

Take today for instance. Today, we stumbled upon the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival at Libbey Park. I had no idea what was going on as we went to the park for a walk, and stumbled into a sea of purple. Turns out that today marked the 8th year that they’ve had the festival.

The mission of the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival is to demonstrate and promote all of the possible uses of lavender. It’s also focused on broadening public awareness about lavender and educating potential growers and farmers about all of the benefits of this plant.

So, today Libbey Park was awash in all sorts of lavender products. There were lavender plants, gardens created just for the event, vendors who were selling all sorts of interesting foods and home items, talks by lavender growers and producers and more. Of course, there was awesome live music to go with it all.

The entire park was packed – they say that they usually get 5000 visitors and I could definitely tell that they were close to that number. I was ready to collapse by the end of the day, but it was certainly a fun experience and something unusual to enjoy!

Getting Down to Business for the Bro

My brother is coming for a visit to Ojai (I’ve been lobbying for this for quite awhile!) and I’m running around like a maniac trying to figure out what we should do.  He’s a successful lawyer in Arizona (don’t ask how he ended up there) with two adorable little kids.  So, I’m taking a week off of work and we are going to enjoy ourselves.

But, since I’m pretty new to Ojai, I’ve been trying to brush up on the scene and figure out what we should do while he’s here. Turns out there are an amazing amount of options!  Now, since the kids are quite young, I had to rule out a few of my best ideas.  I want to go Jeeping sometime.  Doesn’t that sound great?  But Jerry vetoed the idea for now.

So, we are going to take a day to visit Lake Casitas and go boating.  I’ve heard that Casitas Water Adventure is supposed to be great as well, so we might check that out while we are by the lake.

I think the kids both cycle, so I want to take them on a bicycle ride as well. I ride the Ojai Valley Trail by myself all the time, so I figure that they’ll enjoy that one.  And I’ve lined up a great hike for us on the Gridley Trail so that we can check out Ojai Valley from the top.  It shouldn’t be too strenuous a hike, and I’m hoping the kids will get into that.

Alright, I’m getting tired just thinking about entertaining the family for a week. Time for bed for me!  Gotta save up my energy for this adventure!

Art in the Park with Libbey

This weekend I had an amazing time at Libbey Park. And it wasn’t because I was dragging Bernie around as he checked out every female dog in the vicinity.  I actually left Bernie home this time, and went to Libbey to check out the art in the park scene.  This was, according to the flyers that I saw, the 31^st annual Art in the Park event for Ojai and for Libbey Park. That’s a long tradition!

It was really quite fun.  There is always a juried art show, which I enjoyed browsing through. Although I’ve got to say that I simply don’t understand modern art.  I don’t think I ever will – no matter how much people try to convince me that the empty canvas with one black dot on it as actually art.

But, anyway, it was fun to check out all of the art and to see the activity surrounding it. There was also live music which was really fun to listen to, great food stands and more.

I can home absolutely exhausted (whose idea was this dog that I had to walk anyway?) but the entire experience was really fun.  I’m hoping I’ll still be here for the 32^nd annual event – I don’t see any reason that I won’t!

Shopping with the Girls

I tend to stay in my tennis whites most of the time, and when I’m not wearing those, I’m most likely found in sweats and a big t-shirt.  This weekend, however, my friends got the crazy idea that it was time for some more grown-up clothing. (What’s grown-up about clothing anyway?)

So, against my better judgment, we went off on a shopping spree.  Now, mind you, I don’t have tons of money to throw around, but I did actually end up enjoying myself and buying a few cute things (yes, mom, you would approve).

We started at Rains, which I understand has actually been in the village for more than 100 years. That’s pretty cool.  I got a cute sundress there and a great beach hat.  Then, we jutted into Serendipity Toys because it was just too tempting not to.  I picked up a few small toys for my nieces and nephews and had a great time looking around.

Ok…back to shopping. We hit a few more of the hot spots around Ojai and then collapsed for a great cup of coffee and some pastries.

And, of course, no trip to town is complete without popping into Bart’s Books.  Have I mentioned how much I love Bart’s?  I happen to love bookstores, no matter what the ambiance is, but this place is amazing.  It’s a local hotspot (if a bookstore can be a hotspot!) and it’s got the most eclectic mix of books, people and activity that you’ll ever find.

So, all in all it was a successful day.  Now I just have to get my tan going so that I can look cute in the sundress!

Bernie Checks out Libbey

No, this is not a match-making site.  And no, mom, I haven’t yet met the man of my dreams.  Rather, this week I took Bernie, my beautiful new dog, to check out Libbey Park.

I love Libbey Park because it’s like an oasis right in the middle of the city. It has terrific playgrounds for kids, great grassy areas and tons of action.  I always feel like I’ve had a fun time when I come home from Libby, even if I’ve just hung out by myself there for a while.

So, I figured that it was time for Bernie to experience Libbey and to get his feet wet in the park.  He didn’t know what to do first. There was so much to smell and so much entertainment in the park; actually, I was the one who suffered as he dragged me every which way in the park and left me feeling a bit dazed and dizzy!

He did settle down after running like a madman for over an hour, and we enjoyed a cute little picnic together in the grassy area.  I think Bernie is smitten.  I’ll have to make sure to bring him back to Libbey, his new love, whenever I get the chance!

A Feast for the Eyes…and the Stomach

So, I went on a date last night.  It wasn’t earth shattering or anything amazing – but we had a nice time.  I’ll keep you posted on whether there will be another.

But, what was most memorable about the date (sorry Ted!) was the food.  Now, I don’t say that to put down my date, but I happen to be one of these people who loves eating at a good restaurant and loves sampling all sorts of delicious foods.

We ate at the Feast Bistro of Ojai, which is on East Ojai Avenue, and it was simply to die for.  It was a really cozy, down-to-earth atmosphere which made for a nice ambiance for a date.  I’ve had first dates at McDonalds, and this definitely take the cake over that.

So, this was a huge step above McDonalds.  I started with the chowder which was full of amazing vegetables and flexed with salmon.  Then, I had the open-faced roast turkey sandwich which had thick, delicious slices of turkey, ripe tomatoes, bacon and provolone.  It came with pomme frites and the entire thing was just delicious.

I didn’t see the bill since my date was gracious in that way, so I can’t say how much it all cost.  But, from the look on his face it wasn’t too expensive – so that was good.

It was definitely a yummy meal and a nice way to spend a first date.  Now, the question is just if there will be a second.

Bernie and I: A Love Begins

No, mom, I haven’t met the man of my dreams.  Sorry to disappoint.  Geez….

Rather, I’ve met…well…how shall I put this? The dog of my dreams!

So, one of my friends here in Ojai had to move back to the East Coast (have fun with those winters!) and she asked me if I wanted her dog.  I’ve always loved animals, but since I don’t see myself as the most stay-put person, I’ve never taken one on myself.

But there she was with those droopy eyes and that wagging tail and I just couldn’t resist.  She’s a Bernese Mountain Dog, which may very well be the most beautiful animal you’ve ever seen in your life.  I figure she will help me to stay active since I have to take her for walks everyday.

And…you never know.  Some cute guy just might stop me to ask me about my dog. Stranger things have happened.

The best part is that Bernie is already trained, so I don’t have to go through that whole mess.  He’s really adorable – he’s kind of like an overgrown carpet, and since I haven’t put much effort into decorating my apartment…I think he’s become the perfect decoration.

Gotta love those unexpected finds – and I’m definitely falling in love with Bernie!

Happy Trails To You

I’ve been trying to get myself to wake up early each morning and to enjoy the fresh air before work.  As you probably know already, I’m not a morning person, which makes it very difficult for me to confront the day before 10 or 11 in the morning.

But, as I can hear my mom saying in my head, I tend to waste some of the best hours of the day by sleeping so late.  So, the last few days I’ve managed to roll out of the covers by 7:30 and get on the Ojai Valley Trail.

The Trail is amazing.  It runs for more than nine miles and on any given day you’ll see bicyclists, walkers, joggers and even horses on the trail (yes, horses have a different trail nearby so we don’t step in their….).

Anyway, it’s been a great breath of fresh air. I’ve always been an exercise enthusiast, but I’ve usually gotten my work-out on the courts or in the gym.  It’s a bit of a switch-up for me to be exercising outdoors in the beautiful surroundings here on the Trail, and I’m really enjoying it.

Feeling a bit spoiled…and then feeling guilty that I’m only just NOW getting my act together to start appreciating the great ways to exercise outdoors. Where have I been all these years?

Can’t Get Over this Winter Weather

I’m a Minnesota girl at heart, so it’s still so hard for me to believe that it’s winter each year here in California.  I mean, come on! I’m still wearing shorts some days, and we are out on the courts playing tennis for hours at a time without frost bite.

It’s like a dream come true for someone from the Midwest.  This must be the best kept secret in the world – or I would think that everyone who lives in a freezing cold place would have flocked here already.

Yes, I miss those white Christmas dinners (sorry I’m not there mom!) but they simply can’t compare with getting a suntan on December 24^th here in Ojai, or walking around in flimsy skirts and shorts on a winter’s eve.

Gotta love this California thing. Just don’t tell too many people or our little slice of heaven will get too crowded!  Come to think of it…maybe I shouldn’t post this blog.  Hmmmm….