You notice there were no pictures of the beignets...we dove into the plate of them before I could think to snap a picture! Katkin, thank you for the plant name. They were prolific and pretty. If you can get a ride to Orlando, I'm planning to go back to N.O. later this year. I drive the interstates the whole way and I do the speed limit. Barbcoleus, yes, the tent city is a sad reminder. I realize there are those affected by Katrina that worked hard to drag themselves out of the hole they were in and got back to work and back to living. But, there are some people that just fall through the cracks, don't know how to get help, or are not as competent or capable. Sometimes they do need a little push or extra helping hand. Obviously, ignoring them is not the thing to do. I'm not saying we should fork over all our tax dollars to support them fully, but our government, THEIR government, should come together and do something to help get them into shelters, food programs, work training programs, something. And, by something, I don't mean just chase them off with a big stick!

Yes, lists are key, but we go at different times of the year, (We're trying it out as a place to retire to) and for different lengths of time. A 3 day weekend, 5 days, 9 days. So the amount and kind of things we eat (I don't like chili in July or cold pasta salad in Jan.) and the types of clothes will differ. So I don't think one master list will do it. Maybe one clothes list for summer, one for winter, and one for spring/fall. Maybe 2 menu lists with supplements for longer stays. If we decide not to put it back on the rental market we'll be able to leave more stuff. I used to leave washing machine detergents and cleansers for the renters until one of them decided to bring them all home when they left. In the past we left towels and bedsheets in plastic tubs in the locked shed (renters provided their own linens) but it's nice to be able to leave them in the house. We also had to do a white glove cleanup, or pay for maid service every time we left, now we can leave the bed made, which is really nice when you're tired after traveling. We do have a shelf in the basement where we collect items to go down, or at least I do, DH brings his tool bucket back and forth, and collects other items the night before. You've got me thinking.

I like the double sconce above the nightstand, too. In my bedroom for reading, I have something like this. It's pretty unobtrusive, doesn't take up much room and could be used on the far side of the beds, so when there are couples in one bed, each could have their own light. I have mine on a dimmer cord that I hang on the headboard so I can dim or shut the light off from any sleeping position. All metal finishes are available and they do make some with shades that would be closer to the double sconce style.

I just realized there is a scheduled shuttle from San Jose airport to Monterey, which makes it feasible without a car rental. I really adore the Monterey area. I've been to a number of conferences at Asilomar Conference Grounds in adjacent Pacific Grove. It has a large campus with multiple buildings, a central social hall, and a central dining hall. It is separated from Asilomar State Beach by sand dunes that have a boardwalk. There are always deer and great birdwatching. The beach is not great for swimming, but is popular with surfers and for tidepooling. It's outside Monterey Bay on a promontory, so it is usually a bit cold and windy, so not a great beach for laying out. Lover's Point at the other end of Pacific Grove inside Monterey Bay has a sheltered cove that is better for swimming. Pacific Grove is a cute town with some really great restaurants (Passionfish and Red House are favorites). Monterey has a world-class aquarium, Cannery Row, an a state historic park.