This was a relatively quiet week with a busy weekend.  As we have started to settle more and more into our new life in Oakland, I am starting to really miss my friends.  We have had some lovely interactions with people here and everyone is so friendly that I know I will make friends here.  But at times I really miss just being able to sit down with someone who I know well and just chat.  Just catch up.  It takes time and energy to build those relationships – I realize I just need to be patient.  I also need to be proactive.  Not always easy for an introvert.  (I know I may not seem like an introvert.  I’m good at pretending to be an extrovert.  It makes me tired.)

Anyway!

I got two cookbooks from publishers this week, both from bakeries in Seattle.  Perhaps they contributed to my homesickness.  I’ve long been a fan of Macrina Bakery and love the first book.  There are about 100 things I want to make in here.

While Graham and I work on his homework, Spencer plays.  It often involves tape.  Why do my children love tape so much?  This is the, wait for it, pencil-vania bridge.  He kills me.  The best part is he wasn’t trying to be funny.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I often post photos of my shoes.  What can I say, I love shoes.  These are a recent purchase.  Cute and comfortable.

I repeated a dinner from last week so I could take pictures and tell you about it.  Also because my mom said I should definitely post about the salad.  So you can thank her.  Stay tuned.

I mean to include this last week.  October 20th marked the anniversary of the Oakland fire that destroyed over 3,000 homes.  Our house is in the area that was destroyed.  Our street is long and only two of the houses are original.  This plaque is at the end of our street and I just found out that the woman it honors lived in our house.  Or the house that was here before it burned.

The second book’s arrival.  Tea, new cookbook, sun.  Not a whole lot better than that.

We went to the Jack London Square area of Oakland on Sunday to check out the farmers’ market and get some lunch.  The place we chose had us wait so long for our food that we missed the market.  I had to take the boys walking around the block four times to distract them.

Our real estate agent kept telling us that this part of Oakland is poised for a great revival.  I was skeptical, especially after brunch, but then I saw Miette was there.  I think that is a good sign.

October 28th.  Open back door to cool off the house.  Pinch me.

Fancy.

This is blurry and dark but it is Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.  They were in town to celebrate the release of their new book, Jerusalem.  They did a very cool event at a local restaurant where they signed books and then the restaurant prepared a four course dinner based on recipes from the book.  The two of them were very charming and it was a wonderful night.  Toward the end, about half the room starting cheering and it turns out the San Francisco Giants had just won the World Series.  When the guys got up to say a few words, Yotam said, “I have to admit, I have no idea who the Giants are”.  Cute.

To all of my East coast loved ones, friends and family, please be safe.  We will be thinking of you.