A Perfect Saturday

Yesterday was my idea of a perfect day: spent with friends and loved ones, surrounded by beauty and interesting things to look at, good food, wines, art, conversation that encouraged imagination and ideas and then, inspiration for artwork in the days to come. I am fascinated with the small towns that populate the hills and valleys of California, and want to explore more.

A group of us drove to Sonoma to pick up some organic wines (low sulfites) and spent time tasting, nibbling, talking, enjoying the beautiful surroundings, tasting more wine, olive oil, cheeses, chocolate.. (my tastebuds think I died and went to heaven). One friend from long ago, two new women that I will enjoy getting to know better, and a road trip. What a fun time, and I was able to be a passenger, so I had the opportunity to look at all the fascinating little places we passed through. Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Carneros: all these are filled with visually-rich turns and corners, and I want to get back there with paints and brushes someday.

Then, after returning home, my husband and I joined some other friends and strolled through a few galleries during the Sacramento 2nd Saturday art walk. One of our friends (Hilda Tonarely) is an artist, and had work in several of the galleries, so we viewed her work, and then stopped in a small restaurant for a late light supper.

Overall, I don't think I could have stuffed another good thing into the day, and I'm left with great memories, photographs for art inspiration, bottles of good wine and olive oil, and two new friends. Life is good.