My Hometown

The only way to get here is by bridge (High Street Bridge, Fruitvale Bridge, Park Street Bridge or Bay Farm Island Bridge) or going through the Posey/Webster Street Tube.  In the middle of the San Francisco bay area is a small island named Alameda, where I grew up.  Today I'd like to share a little bit about Spite House and Tregloan Ct., as I was just in Alameda and snapped some pictures of these places since I'd had a little free time.

At the turn of the 20th century, Charles Froling devised a plan to build his dream home on a plot of land he had gained through an inheritance.  The city of Alameda took a large chunk of his land to build a street.  To spite the city and his unsympathetic neighbor, Charles built a house 10 feet wide, 54 feet long and 20 feet tall on the narrow strip of land which remained his.  This house is standing and occupied.

Spite House in Alameda

Whoa, that's close!

So you can see that Spite House is inched up snugly next to the neighbor's home.

Here is a little information on Tregloan Court in Alameda.  I grew up thinking, as did many of my friends due to false rumors, that these homes were for the munchkins from the Wizard of Oz movie. The 124 little people that performed in the movie were housed at the Culver Hotel and the Adams Hotel in Culver City.

After a little bit of digging, I found that these homes were built in 1936 at 2/3 scale.  One rumor has it that the homes were built to entice smaller people to move in so they could work on ships in spaces that average-sized folks couldn't get into -- pipes and such.  Now, I really don't know if this is true because it says that this happened during WWII.  Conflicting evidence is that the homes were built in 1936 and WWII didn't officially begin until 1939 when Germany invaded Poland.  Until I find out more, all we know for certain is they were built in 1936 and are 2/3 scale and are as darling as can be.

Narrow Street

Cute

Super cute

No, I'm not a midget cat but I'm cute, too.

In need of some TLC, a lovely home

Adorable home on the corner

Bistro 29

We took off yesterday afternoon to stay at our friends house in Santa Rosa last night and this morning drove to Healdsburg to pick up our 5th wheel which is all repaired and now in good working order.  And we made it home safely with no mishaps or accidents along the way.  ;D

I'm excited to share with you where we had dinner!  Our friends, Andy and Donna, at whose home we were invited to spend the night, their son, Brian Anderson, is owner and chef at Bistro 29 in Santa Rosa.  Bistro 29 has an efficient, friendly and attentive staff, a modern yet elegant decor rich in red and black with romantic lighting and a relaxed ambiance. 

Bistro 29

Brian was gracious enough to allow me access in the kitchen for a few shots, during which he and his assistants were busily preparing orders, I did my best to stay out of their way as they were going to and fro stirring this or garnishing that.

Bistro 29 uses local and organic products in all the dishes.  The 29 in Bistro 29 comes from the department of Finistère which means 'End of the Earth' located in the upper tip of Northwest France. 
Brian uses old world techniques to create both traditional and untraditional dishes which are superb.  Chef creator, Brian, is totally unpretentious, he's down to earth and passionate about food and it shows.

I ordered the special Halibut dinner which came with an artichoke sauce that was delicious!  Michael ordered this: Steak Frites- bavette of Kobe beef with pommes frites, arugula, crispy shallots & maître d’hôtel butter, I had a bite of Michael's dish and it simply was melt in your mouth goodness bursting with hearty flavor.  The food is not airy and tiny nor flamboyant as are common with French cuisine, Brian's dishes are perfectly proportioned.

Brian Anderson; Owner Chef

For dessert Michael and I shared, Brown Sugar Crème Brûlée and Warm Valrhona Chocolate Fondant Cake with Salted Caramel Ice Cream.  Note: I was informed by Donna that Brian creates and churns all of the ice-cream on the menu.  By the way, I am a huge lover of Crème Brûlée.  I must confess, Michael couldn't prevent me from eating mostly all of BOTH of these delectable desserts, he had only a few bites while I ate the rest, leaving me with a too gorged tummy for the evening but totally worth every bite.  No guilt.

If you're looking for a special place to take that special someone or just need a night out, you will love the food at Bistro 29.  Brian makes everything from scratch and Tuesday thru Thursday night he has a special dinner you can order which is a three course meal for only $29.  That's such a great deal for such a fantastic meal which includes dessert and will leave you utterly satisfied and looking forward to your next visit with anticipation.  I know I am!

Very nice bar and wine selection!

620 5th Street, Santa Rosa, California 707-546-2929
Tell him Honey's Treasures sent you!  xo

Seth

This is my son, Seth, he's in a band called 'Six Weeks Sober.'  On their website, he's the one in the sunglasses.  Seth plays the keyboard and what a nice singing voice he has (he sang a little for me yesterday.)  When my children we're younger, they went to a television acting school in San Francisco called Kids On Camera taught by Judy Berlin.  I believe going to this performance school gave my children confidence and allowed them to be free to express themselves in a fun and creative way.  They sure loved to perform and all three of them played in Grease, the play.  My daughter, Shilah, was Sandy, my other son, Amon, was Danny, and Seth played three parts: Doody, The Teen Angel and Eugene.  What fun memories for me as I think back on those days and how cute my children were.

Not only is Seth a beautiful pianist and singer but he can draw amazingly well, in fact, I just learned he's doing the artwork for the band's CD and website.  From what I hear, Six Weeks Sober is very popular in the Midwestern states.  Find them on Facebook.  I look forward to his and their success as a band and wish them nothing but the best for a bright future.  Love you, Seth, and will miss you when you go on tour.  Stay safe. 

Last Day of Vacation

What a way to begin our vacation, with a flat tire in Oregon on our way up Interstate 5 on Sept. 3rd, and of course, nothing but the most exciting fun for us to end it with a broken Leaf Spring on our trailer.  Our 5th wheel is stuck in Geyserville for repairs, not sure when we'll have it back yet.  Thank goodness we didn't get in an accident on the freeway; smoke was flying out the rear end of our trailer along with a burning smelly mess.  We're very thankful it wasn't worse. 

I was wondering what would be our last picture to show off our gorgeous vacation, not even guessing it'd be something like this.  Seems as if every time we take our 5th wheel out for a trip that some unforeseen and exciting event follows.  What a thrilling life we lead, huh?  At least I didn't cry even though I felt like it and we didn't argue or fight, that's a plus.  Perhaps we're getting a little too comfortable with things going wrong?  Perhaps we're both secretly wondering what will happen this time?  Very grateful the owner (and his wife) of the repair shop had pulled up just as we were about to give up and not knowing where or what to do.  They were so very nice and helped us in a time of need and provided some solutions to our dilemma.  We were able to leave the camper at his shop and go home in our truck.  We'll be taking a day off work to pick it up when it's all ready to go, whenever that will be.

Hopland, CA

On our way home yesterday we stopped in Hopland for lunch.  There was a Mexican celebration going on and it was explained to me that the dress and the dances represented various geographical parts of Mexico.  What a great opportunity for some cool shots!