Greetings! Today, and each month going forward, I'm joining in with some other fab bloggers to share how we spent our month in just one sentence per day.
Turns out that the theme for November was creating new routines as we branched out and really starting exploring our new community. We discovered new hiking trails, new restaurants, new entertainment venues, new lecture series, and made several new friends. The month also included a visit from our East Coast daughter and family meaning we also got lots of granddaughter time!
(P.S. - Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to see who else is participating,
and to visit their blogs for additional September In A Sentence A Day inspiration!)
November In A Sentence A Day
- Another home project kicked off, as cabinets arrived and started going in for my husband's home office, plus, my Pottery Barn home office furniture finally arrived in good form, plus we attended our first monthly dining event with a group attached to our Lifelong Learning program.
- Spent pretty much all day hauling boxes up to my finally-furnished office, purging as I went along, plus hubby's home office installation continued, plus our downstairs powder room got a complete makeover.
Before . . . 
After!
We had already changed out everything but the builder grade cabinets, which got refaced today in a rich brown maple.
- Hubby's home office completed, yeah,
plus I did the grocery shopping, ran four miles, worked a shift at the Ocean Institute, and prepped a big pan of pumpkin lasagna for a dinner party we're having tomorrow night.
- Busy, busy day cooking and cleaning for a dinner party, working a tide pool docent shift, then having said dinner party!
This carrot cake from The Barefoot Contessa cookbook
was a massive hit with my guests. - Postcard perfect day doing a five mile walk along the San Clemente Beach trail, lunch at Ellie's Table, then another sightseeing walk at The Strands, which culminated in a free funicular ride!
We detoured off the trail to walk to the end of the San Clemente Pier.
- A rare go-nowhere day (yeah!), then a darned good I-made-it-myself dinner of grilled salmon with a mustard horshradish sauce over brown rice before heading off to an evening couples-fellowship event.
- My final home office decor items arrived: a bright cheery red rug, and a white leather and shiny chrome office chair!
My office is also our second guest bedroom,
utilized when we have VIP's like granddaughters staying over!
- Took my girlfriend hiking on the spectacular Dana Point Headlands trail
followed by lunch afterward at one of my favorite little cafe's, PDM.
- Took my husband on yesterday's walk, his first time, though we started at the harbor to add in some hill work,
had lunch afterward at Andrea at beautiful Pelican Hill Resort, then an evening lecture about our local seal and sea lion rescue society.
- A fascinating lecture on our First Amendment by a law professor in the morning, and our first dinner outing with two new couples, which culminated in a stop in at the notorious, slightly touristy Swallows Inn in San Juan Capistrano, bra-strewn ceiling and all.
So not my scene, but it was fun to do once!
- Made this gorgeous Barefoot Contessa chocolate cake to take to an evening potluck dinner and Cabernet Sauvignon wine tasting event . . . it was delicious!
The cake was easy-peasy, the frosting not so much -
four full steps from start to finish.
- Walked along the harbor and came across this begging pelican midway.
- Enjoyed a hike in the San Juan Capistrano hills with a fun new-to-us hiking group, and got invited to join them in upcoming biking and kayaking events, yes please!
- As-big-as-you-can-make-them $5 yogurt bowls at Yogurtland . . . we did our best!
- A second hike with my new hiking group, this time high atop the ridges of Trabuco Canyon, where we enjoyed fabulous views of Catalina Island out in the distance. . . loved it!
- Worked a tidepool shift where this interesting Giant Key Hole Limpet we spotted clinging to a rock got everyone all excited . . . first sighting of one in over a year, indicating that the tidepools are healthy and doing well.
- Spanish class, followed by a volunteer shift at the harbor, then a wonderful late day walk with my hubby prior to enjoying a fun and delicious Happy Hour medley of apps and cocktails at Jimmy's Famous American Tavern directly across from the harbor, thus providing us with these festive views as we dined.
- My little 2003 BMW convertible appeared to give up the ghost, but after a stressful morning waiting to hear what in the world was going on with it, learned it was a simple computer malfunction that the mechanic charged me $0 (!!!) to repair.
- Attended a fun dinner and game night event with congregational friends featuring an amazing pumpkin soup with lamb kebobs, baklava and the new-to-us-game, Quiddler.
- A frustrating day of cancelling a kayaking event in order to wait for a roofer and a landscaper, both of whom cancelled last minute, grrrr.
- Our girl arrived with her mama and papa, and solemnly informed me that "Mama has a baby in her belly" . . . !!!!!!!
- Took the granddaughters to the beach, which they both looooved,
followed by an afternoon at our community pool, then an evening of pizza and Hello Kitty cafe cookies at the Irvine Spectrum . . . they both fell fast asleep before we even got back to the house!
- Happy Thanksgiving!
- Spent our #optoutside day doing a six mile hike along the beach while our girl visited her papa's side of the family in Los Angeles.
- Explored the Dana Point Headlands, then spent the afternoon climbing rocks at the harbor with our girl as we watched the fog roll in.
- After months of anticipation, and of reading the loooong book, the day finally arrived, and we headed to Hollywood to see Hamilton!!!
- Took everyone to San Clemente in the AM for breakfast at Ellie's Table and a walk to the pier and back, then down to Dana Point Harbor after dinner to ooh and aah over the Christmas lights.
- Our girl left for home with her mama and papa so we spent the day (sadly) cleaning up, but did finally finish decorating the Christmas Tree!
- An interesting lecture on the Shackleton expedition to Antartica at our Lifelong Learning program, which we attended in preparation for a visit to the Bowers Museum in December to view the Shackleton traveling exhibit.
- Haircut in the AM, a lecture on evolving Japanese/Korean relations at our Lifelong Learning program, then a night of food and Latin Jazz in nearby San Clemente . . . so fun/good!
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And so ended November! It really was a terrific month that blended home improvements, outside exploration, family and fun. In looking ahead to December, it's going to be an insane month of holiday concerts, festivals, family and fun, and I can't wait to get started.
Make it a great day wherever you are!
