A trip to Mammoth Lakes

Today I checked my box at Biola expecting to find a pile of paperwork. Instead, there was a bag of my favorite chocolate mints from Trader Joe's, along with a note from a colleague.

Then, I went to a workshop at my university about its new computer grading system, and instead of being one of 20 faculty members receiving training, I unexpectedly got one-on-one training. If you've ever sat next to me while I've tried to navigate computer technology, then you understand this is a fantastic and necessary turn of events, indeed.

And then I enjoyed a steaming cup of my favorite tea, and I talked to my grandma on my 30-minute break, and I laughed with my students while discussing Rogerian argument, and I made plans to meet a friend for a fall concert.

This day has been lovely. Actually, this whole fall has been lovely. It's been full of staggering grace and unexpected joy. Several weeks ago, my friends started praying that God would use this year to teach me his unbounded love and compassion for me. The results of their prayers often have me tingling with wonder-filled delight. Seriously: the goosebumps, you guys; the goosebumps.

One of my most favorite fall gifts is the trip some friends and I took to Mammoth Lakes last weekend. It was glorious. "The weather this weekend is the best it's been all summer and fall," a local told us. I believe him. Everyday the sun lazily stretched his rays across a banner of bluest sky, occasionally peering into the many looking glass lakes to admire his cheery reflection.

My friends, A and J, have a cabin on the edge of one of the Mammoth lakes. The cabin, built in the early 1900's, can't be accessed by road, so it is private and rustic.

The cabin is peeking through the trees on the left-hand side of this photo

From the cabin's deck we could see the fish jumping across the lake (and boy were they jumpy!). At night, the laughter of a nearby stream floated through the open windows. 

The lake on which the cabin is situated is stunning. I especially loved watching the lake's colors shift with the movement of the sun. It was mesmerizing. In some lights the water was cobalt blue; in others it rippled with ribbons of turquoise and jade.

We canoed daily

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." -Anne Shirley

When we weren't canoeing we were romping through glens dappled with sunshine and forests alight with flaming trees.

The fall colors were certainly at their peak!

My dear friend, A, is pregnant with her and J's first baby!

Just look at the aspen lining the lake! Aspen are my favorite tree. The way they quiver and whisper in the breeze, their slender white trunks, their electric tangerine leaves each autumn — they simultaneously soothe and stir up stuff in my soul. One day, when I grow up, I want to live on acreage with an aspen-lined brook.

A and her husband, J, are dear friends who go way back. I met A at a father/daughter camp, just weeks before I moved to California for school. She and I hit it off immediately, and then we discovered she was a sophomore at the college I'd be attending. Our friendship was destined to be! And now, 11 years later, she's married to a good man, pregnant with their first baby, and still my loyal friend. A and J are some of the most wise, generous, kind, compassionate and fun people you'll ever meet. What a special gift they will be to their baby.  

 

 

Most of my southern California friends are "beach people." The beach is their destination of choice. But you can't take the Washington out of a girl and the mountains are my favorite place in the world. They make me feel fully alive and awake. And the stars, oh the stars! They hang so thick and low at Mammoth you could reach up and grab them, which makes Mammoth the perfect place to bring star charts. Except, you guys: I FORGOT TO BRING MY STAR CHARTS! This means I have to go back again soon with star charts in hand. Hey, it ain't a bad situation, Jack.

If the evening star-gazing was glorious, then the mornings were glorious-er. Every morning I'd crawl out of bed, brew a cuppa tea, and walk around the lake taking pictures.

Goooood morning!

If my soul were a fiddle, then the mornings at Mammoth would be skilled hands coaxing the happiest jig-inducing folk music out of me. 

 

The time to pack our bags and close up the cabin came too soon. But you know, the beauty I returned to is pretty special, too:

What a wonderful world we live in.

I hope you have a joyful, beautiful day, my friends!

-Sarah

© by scj

An Arizona tour

This has been the fall of weekend getaways. It's been great fun traipsing about the west with the people I love — a truly delightful way to part with summer and welcome fall.

My favorite getaway last month was to my friend's family's house in Arizona. Their home was lovely and palatial, but their grounds were my absolute favorite. They were sprawling, verdant, and teeming with bougainvillea. Care to join me on a backyard tour?

(Note: all photos were taken by my friend, Laura).

The pool was the center of the grounds and featured an overflowing hot tub at one end. It also boasted a stunning view of Camelback Mountain.

Nearest the house, there was a covered sitting area. On one end of the covered area was an outdoor kitchen.

On the other side of the covered sitting area was a banquet table.

 

Just beyond the banquet table was another seating area (one covered and one uncovered), a grassy area, and a fountain. 

 

 

Surrounding the pool were several lounging areas. There was even a golf green, which wasn't captured on camera. I sure could get used plowing through piles of grading in these surroundings...

And that concludes my brief Arizona tour. Sweet heavens, it was a glorious place to rest!

I hope you have the loveliest October weekend, friends.

-Sarah

 

© by scj

The mother of all forts

When I was a freshman in college I printed and laminated star charts, hopeful that my friends and I could star-gaze one warm California night. I did this because I am a nerd. Also, I love stars. Also, I had never lived in Los Angeles before. Had I lived in Los Angeles before, I would have known that we have approximately six visible stars here.

Let me give you an idea of what that means for us: it takes seven stars to make the big dipper. There are no constellations to be found.

So we have to go elsewhere for our star gazing. A few weeks back, in honor of my 30th birthday, some of my friends and I planned a desert camping trip, complete with star charts, blankets, and lots of hot chocolate. But then a heat wave hit, and the desert temperatures soared over 100 degrees. So we decided we were okay with gazing at our six stars after all.

To make up for our cancelled camping trip, we planned a slumber party, complete with a BBQ, bonfire and...wait for it... FORT BUILDING! Because: happiness.

Building forts is a sure-fire way to bring out the kid in ya. And if there's one thing I wanted to do the weekend of my 30th, it was play like it was 1993. Thankfully, my friends were all about the fort building.

The boys spear-headed the building project.

Please excuse my poor photo quality. My iPhone is very old and almost dead.

And boy did they do a good job.

The delight, you guys; the.de.light.

A little building break

It was the mother of all forts. We couldn't wait to play in it.

Except we had to BBQ first.

And then eat.

And then we gathered around the fire to roast dessert. We made roasted fruit pockets. Have you tried these before? They're so easy and delicious. Just slice up your favorite fruit — we sliced pears, apples, and peaches. Then, put several slices of fruit on a square of tin foil, along with your choice of the following: chopped nuts; unsweetened, shredded coconut; cinnamon; nutmeg; honey; and maple syrup. Wrap the mixture up in the foil and then throw it on a bed of hot coals. After several minutes the fruit will be steaming, caramelized deliciousness. You can eat it right out of your foil pocket or on a bowl of vanilla ice cream. 

A campfire isn't a proper campfire without campfire tunes, is it?

Robert doing a little strumming before our sing-along

Robert and I got after it, energetically bellowing tunes from "Frozen" and "The Lion King" while our friends listened, with great pleasure, no doubt. 

And then, we moved inside to our fort where everyone joined in our singing.

"Under the Sea...darling it's better..."

Oh Disney, you are the gift that keeps on giving.

We closed the night watching "Frozen" and then the boys headed down the street to their house where they slept before joining us for breakfast the next morning.

It was truly the mother of all fort parties, complete with my friend Robert's trademark photo-bomb. And oh Robert, you may have forgotten, but, nobody photo bombs Sarah Jackson without some of those photos being posted for all the world to see. Wua ha ha ha ha!

Happy Tuesday, Friends!

-Sarah



© by scj