Sunday, November 17, 2013

Something Out of the Ordinary

It's not quite Groundhog's Day, but I do have a lot or repetition in my life.

Nearly every single morning of my life we begin the day with a walk on the beach - and that is pretty nice.


But, yesterday I entered my Medicare years and I wanted to do something totally out of the ordinary for my birthday.


I read about Brewbakers in the Auto Club Westways magazine and decided a day of brewing beer was  just what I wanted to do on my birthday.

Please forgive a ton of iPhone pics, but I didn't even think about taking a camera.


Kendra and I drove 2 hours to Huntington Beach to meet up with my sister to make beer.


I have never made beer.


I hate beer.


But, I had a blast with my daughter and my sister, who I rarely see because she works in London 3 weeks out of each month.


We made (and ate) pretzels and delicious bread from the grain residue of the beer.


We talked and laughed and worked hard.


It was so much fun to do something out of the ordinary.


Steve couldn't join us for the beer adventure, but he and Lulu were at home getting dinner ready.

After a delicious lobster dinner,  I opened presents.


A shell Christmas tree from my next door neighbor, Judy.


A bright pink jacket from KC to make me more stylish on our morning beach walks.


A polka dot Cath Kidston bag and pen from my sister.


One of my favorite shops is Lewis & Clark in Santa Barbara so I was excited to see this beautiful bag holding Steve's gift.


Inside were two lovely mercury glass candlesticks.


Today was back to normal with laundry and gardening, but the best part of our adventure is that there is still one more part.

In three weeks, Steve and I will drive to Huntington Beach to bottle 3 cases of beer and 2 cases of root beer.

KC and I need to get busy to name both our beer and our root beer and then design the labels.

What have you done out of the ordinary lately?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Art @ Home - My Happy List

50 comments:

  1. It looks like you had a wonderful birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! You and my daughter both have amazing spirits...that is our link! Your husband did very well with your gift! How gorgeous! And the jacket....C got the same Patagonia in grey!

    ReplyDelete
  2. A very happy birthday to you, sounds like you had a fabulous day, what a fun thing to do.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy Birthday to you sweet friend! And look at the sweet gifts you got! I LOVE those candlesticks...WOWZA! They are gorgeous! And all of the pretty things just for you AND a shell Christmas tree. Sounds like you had lots of fun, too. It keeps things fresh to do something out of the ordinary from time to time! Have a fun week...keep celebrating! Birthday hugs coming your way from Florida!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Birthday!!! What a fun way to celebrate ~ I can't wait to hear what you name yours!

    But we MUST have an update on Lulu and the lobsters!! Did she try to 'play' with them? Bark? Want to eat them after cooking??? Inquiring minds want to know!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy Birthday, Carol! What fun to do something totally our of the ordinary….. a real adventure. ;-)
    I don't like beer either, but the root beer would interest me. Glad your day was special. Enjoy the week!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy Birthday, Carol...you had a fantastic day! I do love beer but I'm not very adventurous when it comes to trying new ones. But yes, I'd love to make it! And the bread. Hurray for all those birthday goodies you received...you are well loved!

    XO,
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Birthday! What a fun post and what a fun day out with your daughter and sister. Sounds like the perfect birthday. I'm not a beer drinker either, but do think it would be an interesting process to participate in. Funny picture of Lulu and the lobsters...lol! I bet they were delish. What sweet and thoughtful gifts....I especially love those mercury glass candle holders. Steve has excellent taste...:) So glad you had a beautiful birthday! Have a blessed week....Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy Birthday to you!! Those candlesticks are gorgeous and what a fun day for you.
    My husband is a brewer and I do like beer and we have his and hers kegerators - lol! I have not heard of making bread from the spent grain, although the amount from his two-barrel system would probably be impossible to use up. He scoops it out into a wheelbarrow and discards it and it STINKS, just let me say. But the beer part is great!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy Birthday sweet friend!!!!! You all looked like you were having a blast! I am so glad you were able to spend time with your sister!!! And oh my do I LOVE that shell Christmas tree! It is out of this world cool! And I was laughing at sweet LuLu looking at those lobsters! All the best to you in this next year of life! And good for you for doing something out of the ordinary!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a fun birthday you sure know how to have a great time.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Whoa Carol!! I'm so glad I found my way back to the computer from Moving Land in time to hear about your birthday! Happy Birthday dear friend... your trip with Sis and your daughter sounds perfect. To me, there's nothing better than a cold beer on a hot day so I'm curious about this beer making process. The photos are so cute and I love your gifts. Hot pink is a fav color and the candlesticks are gorgeous. Steve really knows your taste doesn't he?
    I have to do a post shortly and share my recent days. I haven't been on the computer much because I've been so crazy-busy and I've missed my blogger pals.
    xo
    Leslie

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well, you are just living the life! Happy Birthday! Never heard that one before. What fun with your gals. You got some lovely things, and after all those beautiful dishes too. So glad you had a wonderful celebration!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happy birthday, Carol. :) How great to try new things to start a new year.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy Birthday dear Carol! You are just a few beers ahead of me!
    What a delightful post. Ohhhhh those candlesticks! You did good Mr Art and Sand!
    w/L

    ReplyDelete
  15. Happy Birthday. It looks like you all had fun. I grew up with a Grandfather that made moonshine behind his house, a Mother who made wine in the cellar, and no I do not make anything like that. It would be interesting to learn to make beer, even though Hubby and I do not drink anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy, Happy Birthday, Carol. We are of an age- you are just a few weeks older than I am. How the heck did we ever get this old? lol It souns like you had a wonderful day. I am so glad you were able to spend it with your sister and daughter. xo Diana ps. I hate beer, too- xo Diana

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a great birthday adventure! Happy belated birthday.

    No, nothing exciting going on here; just normal everyday work, work, work at something.

    Judith

    ReplyDelete
  18. Happy Birthday! That was quite the adventure. You totally got out of your rut. During prohibition my grandpa made beer and one batch exploded all over my grandma's kitchen. Kind of hard to explain the smell coming from the house. Mimi

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wishing you a very happy birthday! Sounds like a day for the record books. How wonderful to do something memorable with people you love!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Happy Birthday...it looks like you had a great one!! You asked what have we done out of the ordinary lately...I hiked down a mountain a 1/2 of a mile to a water fall and then 1/2 mile back up the mountain...and I walked over a suspension bridge that went over a river. Just posted about it on my blog.
    hugs,
    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  21. Belated birthday wishes Carol, it looks like you had a wonderful day with some great presents, I really love those gorgeous candlesticks.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I don't like beer either but I did like a raspberry beer of some sort out in Seattle years ago when I'd visited my oldest son there. Still I would have fun making it just as you did. What a fun day! And Happy Birthday...your gifts are wonderful :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS! Carol, first of all, happy birthday my dear friend! This is what I enjoy, is seeing each other step out and try something totally new. And you don't even like beer, and yet you enjoyed yourself! Huntington Beach is a two hour drive for you....yes, that sounds about right! What fun, and your lovely Kate K. bag is such a lovely color, and those candle sticks are perfect!

    I wish you a happy day, and like that silly bear in my post (with the flower in his toes!) lay back, smell the sweet scent of your life.

    Thank you as well for coming to visit frequently - what a high compliment my dear.

    ENJOY! Anita

    ReplyDelete
  24. looks like such fun. but i totally agree - i don't like beer either. ( :
    was that beer bread?
    Happy Birthday!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Happy birthday, Carol!!! Congrats on your Medicare :) It looks like you had a blast with KC and your sis (can she bring us all something from Cath Kidston on her next trip .... um please?) Well now I can't wait to see how you incorporate the awesome candle holders into your decor. Oh and the jacket is my fave color so I'm sure you'll look awesome on your beach walks :)

    Mary

    ReplyDelete
  26. What a fun way to spend your special day. Happy Birthday, Carol!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Carol..Happy Birthday!
    Looks like you had a fun one full of adventure and beautiful gifts. Love your seashell Christmas tree, gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  28. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I am about 18 mos from the Medicare birthday and I think I'll plan something really fun to do. You've inspired me. What a fun adventure with you sister and daughter! It really looks like a blast! Love all your gifts also. Sounds like a pretty perfect birthday to me!

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a fun birthday adventure! Happy, happy birthday, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Happy Birthday! Sounds like you had a super fun one! The beer brewing place sure looks like fun. How interesting that they make bread with the leftover grain. What wonderful gifts you received too. Such a great weekend! We brewed some beer at home this weekend...a raspberry stout. We'll be bottling in three weeks. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  31. My niece lives in Huntington Beach. We never brewed our own beer; that IS very out of the ordinary. A Big {Happy Birthday} to you. I loved seeing all your unique gifts. I looked around this past weekend for a new Christmas Tree and found one oddly enough at a big box hardware store called....Menards; don't know if you have those around you.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Belated Happy birthday wishes that looks a great way of spending your birthday!
    Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  33. I hope you are still celebrating so that I can still wish you Happy Birthday! Obviously it was an extraordinary day, although ten your ordinary days sound pretty darn nice with a beach walk in the morning with your daughter. It's easy to see that your family and neighbor know you well, what with those thoughtful gifts, and they could not have gone to a nicer person.

    I have done nothing out of the ordinary lately but may have to put my thinking cap on after reading about your day!

    ReplyDelete
  34. What an awesome birthday! Glad you ere able to do something new and fun!

    ReplyDelete
  35. That is about the most unusual birthday that I've heard of and good for you to plan something so fun! Much better than sitting around and eating cake! And happy birthday, by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  36. How neat to do something so totally different for your birthday! AND you get to design and name your beer and root beer. Sounds like a good day all the way around. Happy Birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Happy birthday! So glad you and your girls went out and did something different and had fun doing it too! We have a few places around here where you can purchase supplies for beer or wine making but I don't think they do on-site brewing. That is very cool!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Happy birthday, Carol! What an exciting adventure you had for your special day. I don't like beer either, but looks like fun making it! You got some beautiful gifts...lucky girl! Glad you had such a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I noticed on a comment about pound cake that you were looking for a recipe using sour cream from Better Home and Gardens magazine ~ I don't know if this is the one, but here's the link to their recipe
    http://www.bhg.com/recipe/sour-cream-pound-cake/

    Liz

    ReplyDelete
  40. Happy birthday Carol
    I cannot believe you came on the idea of brewing BEER
    not. even living beer yourself
    I used to love drinking a beer once and a while
    You asked what I did .... Out of the box
    Well you know
    I am living my new life with my new hip
    Doing my exercises three times a day
    Feeling happy

    ReplyDelete
  41. Ahhh....Happy Birthday! What a great way to spend your day! xo Jen

    ReplyDelete
  42. Happy birthday! I don't like bear either, but that bread looked good! I hope what you made turns out well!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Sound like so much fun. No I have never made my own beer. My brother in law lives in Oregon and grows his own hops and makes his own beer. Hope you had a lovely birthday, your gifts were beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Hey, you were right down the way from me! I took a Brownie group there to make root beer many years ago when they were in downtown Huntington Beach. Sounds like a fun day with family!

    ReplyDelete
  45. Happy birthday, dear Carol! What an adventurous bunch you are. Love the photo of Lulu and those candlesticks are gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Happy Belated Birthday!!! You had a great day! I bet the bread tasted wonderful. I love beer bread! Great presents. I love Cath Kidston. I know you cherish the time you spend with your sister since you rarely see her.

    Did Lulu bark at the lobsters? She's so cute! She always makes me smile.

    No adventures around here lately...truly more like Groundhog's Day!

    Thanks for linking-up!

    xo,
    RJ

    ReplyDelete
  47. It sounds like it was a fun day.Steve has perfect taste, the candlesticks are great!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Happy happy birthday, Carol! What a fun way to celebrate, doing something completely new and extraordinary! I'm sure your labels will be very creative and whimsical, too! Your gifts are lovely and I'm sure will all be very useful in your new adventures in the upcoming year! All the very best!

    xo
    Poppy
    PS: Your beach is divine!



    ReplyDelete
  49. Well, I am with you about hating the beer. But that sounded like such a fun day for you, your daughter and sister. I do love root beer. Looks like a wonderful birthday with very nice gifts. Happy Birthday to you. :)

    ReplyDelete
  50. Happy Belated Birthday Carol!!! What an extraordinary way to spend your birthday and how fun!! You also received some very nice gifts.

    ReplyDelete