miss mcconkie comes to town

i think ambience of the above pictures (from the sea of galilee) typify the way i feel about my friend sara. our souls are knit, and i love her as my own soul (see 1 samuel 18:1). this girl is one of the finest humans i have ever come in contact with, and she has enriched my life so stinking much. we’ve been in 7 countries and 7 states together and have had so, so, so many laughs and adventures. there’s no one quite like miss mcconkie – she is one in a million.

and in a few weeks she won’t be miss mcconkie anymore – sara’s tying the knot on may 20. i am jumping-out-of-my-skin excited for her wedding, but insisted on a visit from her to have a few last days with my single lady. it didn’t look very promising for her to be able to get out here before the big day, but a few weeks ago she surprised me by emailing me a flight itinerary in and out of san francisco. ahhhhh i was thrilled. i planned quite the three days for her trip and we had such a great time.

on saturday night: we had a ike’s place picnic at treasure island and talked for hours

on easter sunday: (remembering 4 years ago in jerusalem) we went to a sunrise service at mt. davidson in the mist, the choral eucharist at grace cathedral and then to church – we had a picnic back at mt. davidson when we could actually see the view and then walked around the marina and along the bay to my favourite pier at sunset

    

on monday: we saw the new hearts in union square and took a walking tour in chinatown (and peeked in a fortune cookie factory!) – kelsey showed us a secret rooftop in north beach and we popped by lombard st – we walked down haight street to the park and the botanical gardens and sat in a field of wildflowers in the sun – that night we ate at yummy burma superstar

on tuesday: we biked across the golden gate bridge – meandered in the sunshine in sausalito – took the ferry back – freaked out at the glorious weather - loved the samples and lunch in the warmth at the ferry building – drove to the airport commenting on the perfection of the trip

once on a roadtrip i was asked “if you had to spend 24 hours in a locked room with someone, who would you choose?” and i said sara. i got about 70 hours with her this week and it was (to use a phrase we heard lots in india) soooooo super.

looslis in sf

 

my oldest sister saren and her family drove through my city on their epic spring break road trip. it was so fun to meet them in their van downtown and hear choruses of delighted greetings from my niece and nephews. it was fun showing them some of my favourite spots.

 

we went up and down the glass elevator at the westin st. francis about 5 times, learned some california history from the murals at coit tower (thanks for the facts, sar), enjoyed the market at the ferry building and drove across the golden gate bridge.

 

 

look at how much these kids love me! i love them too.

there are 16 years between saren and i, and for a lot of my life she has been like my second mom. she is one of the most incredible, amazing, caring human beings on earth and she has always taken care of me in every way. i could never thank her enough for the example she and her family have set for me.

p.o.m. is the bomb.com

one of my random job titles is “retreat manager” for an incredible growing world-changing organization called the power of moms. my oldest sister saren happens to be the co-founder/president. i have spent the last few months sorting registration, contacting caterers, renting chairs and microphones and contributing to one of the world’s largest spreadsheets of logistics. last weekend we hosted 100 women in a two-day event at my parents house in park city and it was such a success! i had a fantastic time meeting people and coordinating things and making something truly great happen. there were so many fun things about being a part of the retreat!

but the best part was that i got to see my sisters, my new baby nephew, and my parents. shawni flew in from arizona and saydi from boston to present at the retreat. to me there is really nothing better than being with my sisters.

as soon as i landed in san francisco i felt so sad that this big thing was over. but the great thing is that we are holding another retreat in may! although saydi and shawni won’t be coming out again, i am still excited to get to meet a whole new group of moms and try to make the event even better.

since my parents live down a very pot-holey dirt road and there’s not parking around their house, i got to coordinate a shuttle service. it was pretty awesome standing in the parking lot down the road with this big sign greeting moms who had come from as far as canada and new york! feeding that many people was a feat, but the lunch turned out great.

saren’s co-founder, april, is one amazing woman (there she is on the left presenting). i am always inspired when i am around her. when my dad (in the picture on the left) is around, he always makes these kind of things really exciting. listening to him and my mom speak reminded me of so many times as a kid being in the audience of their presentations. there were a few new stories this time! – usually i love mouthing the punch-line along with them.

it was heaven to meet new little peter james eyre shumway – in fact we were so enamored with him that we forgot to take any pictures of him until we were at the airport dropping saydi and shawni off. in addition to all the logistics of the retreat i got to be in charge of peter, too. it was good practice at doing things one handed with a baby on my shoulder. i love this boy.

i am outrageously blessed to have the example of my mom and my sisters in my life. the way that each of them embrace, promote and magnify motherhood is incredible. one day i’ll join the ranks – until then i’m happy to be the “retreat manager”!

p.s. thanks for the photos, rachelle and shawni!

book bash for little boy blue

cath is having a baby!! and caitlin and i decided to throw a celebratory party while i was in utah last weekend.

i came home that night and when my mom asked how the baby shower was, all i could say was “outrageously great” because it was – to be with so many of my dearest friends and especially with cath and her babe, who is has been dubbed “little boy blue” while in the womb. it was kinda ridiculous how fun and happy the evening was.

since catherine is a master of comparative literature (literally) and we wanted to do a gift theme that is a little different, we decided to help build a library for little boy blue.

cait decorated her adorable cozy place with books and blue, and we had blue rice krispie treats and blue cupcakes and blue jello and even blue drinks! isn’t it awesome how corny showers can be/have to be??
side note – caitlin connolly is devastatingly cool. read her blog. buy her art. vote for her husband’s band to be on the cover of rolling stone. sheesh i am legit to be friends with such a rad girl.

catherine got some real gems to put on little boy blue’s future bookcase. this pretty lady is going to be one heck of a mom. and oh! i love that baby already.

some of these friends i hadn’t seen in years. it was so fun to catch up. and to meet caitlin’s adorable and super-soft pup albus.

outrageously great indeed. we’re so excited to meet that little boy blue!

heart in san francisco

happy things for last week:

brunch in north beach outside in the sunshine

a cannoli as an appetizer and gelato for dessert

macy's incredible flower show

new hearts in union square

japantown cherry blossom festival

sunday picnic at duboce park

night walk at ocean beach - only a teeny bit of light left and sound of powerful waves

tea party with nikki and kaitlin

npr (i'm addicted)

going to a (outlandishly beautiful) ranch in petaluma with a family i nanny for

yoga in grace cathedral!!! (i love it - live mystic music, colorful mats on the cold stone ground, stained glass and the highest ceilings, walking to the top of nob hill, deep relaxation and feeling so rejuvenated and alive)

riding the glass elevators at the st. francis hotel (5 times in a row up to floor 32)

long walk in burlingame - spring blossoms

public transportation (i love it) to the airport for a weekend trip to utah

 

 

resplendent/sublime/lovely

10 days of fantastic weather around the bay -

wednesday:

long walk with the stroller in charming, sunny burlingame

sauntered through the ebullient botanical gardens with the kids i babysit

slanty light of golden hour

thursday:

drove over the golden gate bridge feeling euphoric

vermillion against blue blue sky

basked on the hot black sand at muir beach lulled by waves and teeny pebbles

slumber party with my brother and his family at my house!

friday:

rode a zebra on the carousel in golden gate park with my niece on my shoulders

thoroughly enjoyed it all at crowded baker beach with jo, aja and the kids

saturday:

general conference

spirited and scrumptious brunch in the mission

warmth in the corner bay window booth

general conference

walked from the ferry building to baker beach with dear friends

(9 miles along the edge of san fran and the bay)

the thrive and alive of our city

gauzy, dreamy views toward the golden gate bridge

wild calla lilies, free sourdough samples, stunning/unreal backdrops

on top of the cliffs and somehow between heaven and earth

sunday:

general conference

tons of rice-a-roni (the san francisco treat!) and friends

sunshine streaming thru the kitchen windows

general conference

walked to mt. davidson and sat in the long grass gazing at the rosy city

on that hilltop with good music and good conversation

monday:

ran past outrageously pretty houses and lush views in pacific heights

sat on a bench at buena vista park listening to "latika's theme"

feet dangling and eyes sipping in the view of hills of bathed buildings

tuesday:

laid on the grass of a cliff over the ocean

then relaxed on the deliciously warm sand at rodeo beach

then sat on a blanket at the most scenic scenic viewpoint (pictured above)

drove over the bridge and around the headlands with such good music

a to-die-for perfect effulgent windy morning with kelsey

wednesday:

walked down haight street in the evening sun with my two kids in tow

ran at kezar stadium in the breeze, which blew petals off the trees into my hair

thursday:

swooped on the park swing with one darling little girl on my lap

giggling in the sunshine, wispy hair glowing

friday: danced from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet

in a big, bright, sunny studio in the heart of my city

incapable of going underground to the train on such a glorious afternoon,

meandered up market street, people watching

took in the perfectly clear view from the visitor's center on temple hill

drove home across the bay bridge at orange/pink sunset

(general conference is on this list of resplendent/sublime/lovely things 4 times because there were 4 sessions and also because it's worth writing 4 times on any kind of positive list. every six months i get a vibrant surge of reassurance of my faith with general conference. it reminds me how real and big and wonderful the church is. i hear living prophets and apostles speak and the authenticity of my beliefs is carved deeper in me. i love love love the traditions of general conference, and i have so many good memories associated with it through the years.)

i am trying to live this:

"be patient towards all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. and the point is, to live everything. live the questions now. perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer. perhaps you do carry within yourself the possibility of shaping and forming as a particularly happy and pure way of living; train yourself to it -- but take whatever comes with great trust, and if only it comes out of your own will, out of some need of your inmost being, take it upon yourself and hate nothing."

-rainer maria rilke