First Hike of the Year – Simi Peak and China Flats

January 9, 2015 by 2 Comments

IMG_7494China Flats, on the way up to Simi Peak

Thanks to a standing arrangement with my friend Deb, I take a hike about once a week, and usually somewhere that is new to me. Deb is an important part of this because without a person who will expect me to go somewhere, I will stay in my house sitting at my desk and basically just atrophying while the kids are at school. Also, she knows all the trails and she usually drives.

This week it was Simi Peak and a short jaunt through a mountaintop meadow called China Flats. Technical expertise on this hike can be found here at Nobody Hikes in LA. I’m just here to show you how amazeballs it is at the top:

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The first mile is a very do-able climb up. We were passed by a dog (and its owner).

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We stopped at a lower peak to get a geocache, because that is how we roll.

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Then the trail snakes around the back of the mountain and goes through these beautiful oak groves and meadows.

IMG_7479If you look closer you can see a hobbit.

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And here is the view from the top. That road that heads south off to the other mountains is Lindero Canyon.

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To the west you can see the ocean. Well, I guess you had to be there.

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Just hanging out. In that metal drum below me is a log book you can sign to show you reached the peak.

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Then we turned around and went back down the way we came up. It only took us about 3 hours, with a few breaks. I recommend!

 

Filed Under: Around Town, Excursions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Halloween in the Bubble

November 12, 2014 by 27 Comments

Most people in these parts go trick-or-treating in one of three areas: Hempstead Street, Three Springs in Westlake Village, and Deerhill in Oak Park. When I say “most people” I mean most trick-or-treating aged kids and their parents that we know in Agoura Hills.

For our first Halloween as Agoura residents we went along with the popular trend and ventured off to Hempstead. I was impressed with the organization of the event – the streets into the neighborhood are closed off the car traffic, and emergency response teams and police are on hand just in case. Many of the houses are over-the-top tricked out in decorations and even operate as haunted houses. Of course everyone wants to go there.

But.

That year my kids were 5 and 3, and my husband did not come with us. They each took off in different directions, which is one thing when you’re walking along a normal street, but treacherous and nervewracking when that street is as crowded as Disneyland’s Main Street just after the fireworks.

Dude. It’s just too crowded for me. Plus because there were so many kids, they all had to stand in line at each house for their one piece of candy.

Every year since then, we’ve trick or treated here in our own neighborhood. Only every third house has a light on, and we only see a rare band of other kids out reveling, but it’s much easier for me to keep track of mine, and there’s no waiting in line. There’s no need for me to drive, find a unicorn parking space in the crowded streets around the target neighborhood, and chase my children through the crowds.

Also, it makes our neighbors feel good. There are some houses around here whose owners decorate like crazy, rigging up zombie mannequins that talk to you as you walk by, or full-on mock graveyards with things crawling out of the ground. But hardly anyone comes. Every time they open the door to my children’s cries of “Trick or treeeeeeeat!” each adult has joy on his or her face. “Wow, great to have you!” they say, or “We didn’t think we’d see any kids tonight!” And then they dump half their candy supply into my kids’ bags. After 45 minutes of this, my children are tired and their bags are full.

I know I am in the minority among parents in this town, but I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Take a chance, I encourage you, and try trick or treating in your own neighborhood. Take back Halloween!

Sadly, this might be the last year I get away with this little family scenario. My boys were asking to go off with their friends this year, and I firmly denied. There were only a few tears, and in the end we had just as much fun as ever. But I’m not sure that will work next year. Sad trombone.

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Filed Under: Around Town, Fun, Holidays Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Nurturing the Soul of Your Family [Review and Giveaway]

March 15, 2013 by 27 Comments

I’m always interested in improving my family’s life, and so both the title and the subtitle of this book, Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways To Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday Life spoke to me. I almost felt like challenging the author, Renée Peterson Trudeau, by saying “Bring it on. Impress me. Let me see if your tips really work.”

But after reading the book I must say I can’t recall off the top of my head what the ten ways are, because I got lost in the message. From the very first paragraph, I felt like Trudeau was writing the things I have been thinking over the last year or so.

You crave a slower, simpler, more spacious life. You long to feel more connected to your family and to experience more peace and harmony in the everyday. But it feels like too much work, too impossible. You’re not even sure where to begin.

I begin all the time. Just this week alone I started a daily meditation practice and a 2-week workout challenge. I grasp at the shiny things that float before me, promising to calm and center me, make me a better, more effective parent and spouse. I try on a new role, “Calm Mom,” for example, and wear it until the shell cracks and the pieces fall all around me. I know that fad ways of being are not sustainable for me or my family.

Nurturing the Soul of Your Family is a guidebook, not a fad. It’s an invitation to start from within. For me, the book is filled with messages that address where I am – doing things about it, not just stuck. In fact, when I read the chapter about spending more time in nature, I was planning a hike on the Wistful Vista trail in Oak Park. Trudeau’s words were in my head every time my son and I reached the top of another hill and looked around at our breathtaking surroundings. We both felt lucky, and I took a mental snapshot of each moment to save as long as possible.

I am practicing slowing down. I am learning to say “no” more often – that is hard, because I’m a very busy person, and I feel uncomfortable when I am not being productive. Trudeau’s reminders to live with those moments are meaningful to me, and they allow me to even try meditation. It’s only been four days, but I look forward to those early morning sessions…as long as my coffee is by my side.

Renée Trudeau is a life coach from Austin who used to be a corporate ladder climber, but changed directions when she realized she wanted more out of life. This latest book engages the reader with personal stories from Trudeau’s own upbringing and personal journey, and anecdotes from friends and her personal coaching clients about their struggles with family and personal peace. Each section starts with a centering exercise and ends with journaling prompts, and is filled with usable tips and suggestions about how to implement these nurturing ideas into your life.

My biggest takeaway from the book at this moment is that I should cherish my family. It’s obvious right? Of course we cherish our families. But Trudeau suggests that the souls that make up your family came together for a reason, and your little collection of souls is the most important connection in your life. When I choose to think of my children that way, I am less impatient with them. That line of thinking helped me not lose my temper completely when my boys were driving me crazy yesterday. Hey, whatever works.

I’m giving away a copy of the book so you can have a chance to see for yourself this if you win. Just leave a comment here by 11:59 PM PDT on Thursday, March 21, and I will choose a winner at random and contact you directly. Open to US residents for the hard copy of the book, or a PDF for an international winner.

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