San Francisco & Napa

Summer is quick. Life in a nutshell? It goes fast. This particular time changes and momentum are a rapid forward trajectory. A huge swell caught on a most perfect wave. Many situations and friends to thank for this splendid run, most importantly my husband.

Together we remain cognoscente life will not always be consumed with jet setting and flowers. We have friends with illness and witness the roadblocks needing to be jumped over and broken through.

No one said life was easy.

  * My Summer in France circa '04  

With all of that I will give you a snap shot of five days spent in San Francisco and Napa!

First of which was going directly to San Francisco’s flower district Friday morning and given a tour of the bounty California flowers have to offer. Mel’s lifetime of industry knowledge and frankness in sharing added such weight to the meager four years I have spent in the flower business.  Many thank yous deserved for such insight as I left in a blur of excited inspiration.

Our visit to Northern California was under more somber pretenses, but instead of burdening with all that... the unexpected jolts of excitement came from stumbling upon a festival in China Town. Banging drums! A sea of colo!r Dancing dragons shooting off firecrackers!

China Town Celebration San Francisco from Lea Ann Willett on Vimeo.

Followed in a direction with one word in mind wines. Our local Napa friends took us with carte blanche lead to the finest of tastings and food pairings. Being no more than a simpleton to wine knowledge, time was spent saying yes to what was placed in front of me and never pouring out the last bits of wines into the bowl.

Weekday champagne breakfast at Mum followed by a  blueberry macaroon will be a tough reminder on any given manic Monday.

With all of that I write to you from the Amtak dining car in the direction of Kingston R.I. to spend time in the wilderness with my dear friend April.

Enjoy your final month of summer! All this is fleeting.