The Sideboard at Rancho del Cielo

Most houses have it - that catch-all place just inside the main door which is the dumping ground for the mail, keys and whatever else we have in hand when we get home. In our house this snapshot of our lives is just inside our kitchen door and it’s a long white sideboard. Just like the Rancho itself, this is not an antique, and it is rarely elegant. But it does sum up who we are.

Which is why this page is called The Sideboard. We hope it will be to the website what the real sideboard is to our house - a place to see at a glance what is going on with us, with our guests, visitors, animals, gardens and lives. And we hope that you’ll return to check us out from time to time...

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The February sideboard holds lemons from our garden, early spring flowers and a postcard from a friend who was in India and had just been to the Taj Mahal -- the most beautiful and enduring monument to love in the world. February is St. Valentine’s month so we see many couples who are beginning to plan their weddings. It’s always nice to have visitors but there is something especially restorative about lovers. We are lucky enough to be around people who have just made a momentous and exciting decision together and their joy and happiness are highly infectious. It spills over into the families who sometimes visit with their sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, moms and dads. All the clichés apply, love is what makes the world go round and seeing it fresh and new with so many faces is a lovely thing.

We also hear some great stories about who asked who The Question and how they did it. Was your proposal a standout? We’d love to know.

A wedding proposal tagged on a wall in Venice California, a proposal drawn out over days of special dinners, and many other magic moments.
They’re all so good, we’re going to give them their own page. Check back soon!

Above: The lemon
tree does it again.
These are some of the
best tasting lemons
I know and they make
gorgeous table decorations.
I draw the line at making
marmalade or lemon curd,
though. Life’s just too short.
Left: I used to
think succulents were
nice enough, sort of sculptural but
a bit monochromatic.
Looks like I was really wrong,
our succulent garden
thrives on tiny amounts of water
and puts the roses to shame.


	Is this cat spoiled or what? Please note the tail -- he didn’t get under that favorite sweatshirt by himself either.

sideboards past
Fall 2005
Holidays 2005

Weddings - Events - Retreats - Locations

Website design by JillyP - Website creation by Imagine Website Designs