Manchester - The Best Kept Secret

Where do I start? I love living here, it is just that simple.

Bought my Manchester view home in December of 1992, my first house all by myself, with 2 small children - what in the world was I thinking? Looked for 8 months for a view home that was in the right price range, and that was actually livable. Now, it wasn't that gorgeous...nice multi-brown shag carpet, brown vinyl flooring, and of course, my favorite item: decorative mushroom tiles in the kitchen. Over the years (and after bucket loads of money) I eventually turned it into the view cottage that was home.

My home has been on the market for nearly a year, this week after chopping the price to smithereens, finally have an offer that I do think will work. So why the tears? Why the heartbreak? Gee whiz - had plenty of time to prepare for this! Kids are moving on, and I can't take the wet and cold anymore, especially can't stand the dark, grey, dreary weather that starts in October and does not let up until May. (not really great at the hibernation thing...) Know in my heart that this is absolutely the right thing to do, but it is still so difficult to make the leap and move on to the next adventure.

Went for a long walk this morning down to my little Manchester beach, desperately trying to sort out all of my feelings . Wow, and more wow. Sun at 7:00 am, streaking across the bay from Seattle, with the skyline just a little bit hazy off to the east, then to look south, Mount Rainer looms above Vashon Island, Colvos Passage and the Southworth ferry dock. How lucky am I? I live here, and have appreciated every single second of the last 16 years.

This morning was so quiet, so peaceful with only the hum of the ferries and sharp callings from the sand pipers to break up the morning calm. As always, I fill my pockets with seaglass, my zen-like activity to try and take my mind off what it is really is working on. Found some great pieces caught and lodged on a small sandspit right near the waters' edge! Always amazed to be the only one on the beach enjoying something so simple, but yet so undeniably perfect.

Manchester is a quiet sleepy community, where everyone knows everyone else. Sometimes, not so good, but most of the time, the best feeling ever. We eat breakfast at the Manchester Family Inn at least twice a month and Donna always knows my order. Donna and my kids make plenty of jokes about my love of chicken fried steak! We have a Post Office, a great Kitsap County Regional Library, a boat ramp, a small park, a tiny mini-mart, a pub and the Manchester Inn. Have spent many nights dancing and drinking red wine with friends, to live music at the Tumblehome room - and then walked home! How perfect is that?

As I am still processing the next steps in my journey, just wanted to declare my undying love for my little town, and am really hoping that who ever ends up in my house will love it and will love living here just like I have.

Half-Moon Bay California

Love this quick drive across the coastal mountains in the Bay Area of California... hwy 92, then drop down to the Pacific Ocean on Hwy 1. Winding, lazy drive past flower nurseries, and wine tasting rooms. There is just something about seeing the surf, sun and sand that makes me instantly happy and experience inner calm.

A few of our favorite beach restaurants!

1. The Miramar Beach Restaurant, located minutes away from where Hwy 92 meets Hwy 1, headed north. Love the history of this place - and the absolutely gorgeous views of Pacific Ocean crashing waves. My favorite memory is of a windy, but incredibly beautiful day this

past spring when we sat outside in the sun (protected from the wind by the glass enclosure). Enjoying the views, and the yummy "Seafood Margarita" - ceviche style dungeness crab, shrimp, scallops and true cod in a lime-flavored tomato relish with chilies, cilantro and just a touch of tequila, we met new friends also doing the same thing. The girls that sat in front of us were having way too much fun sharing some chardonnay, and kept offering to take our picture - made me blush... told Tom he was so lucky to have such a beautiful girl with him...I think they were fooled by too much wine.

2. Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, North on Hwy 1 at Princeton by the Sea, at the Pillar Point Marina. Another great place for casual dining and a terrific choice of hand-crafted beers. Our

favorite is always the Mahi Mahi fish and chips, tried the

"Fresh Ahi Poke" (pictured) the last time we were there. Delicious!! Very fun to sit outside under the propane heaters, watch sea life and happily swimming sea lions at the marina, while watching the setting sun disappear into the Pacific. Something is always happening at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, make sure to check their website for scheduled events, and for live music nights.

Here's Tom enjoying one of their special brews! Hmmm... maybe he left his sunglasses there on purpose?

Lunch at Duke's - Alki Beach Seattle

Another great day to live in Seattle! Tom and I took the the Southworth - Fauntleroy ferry over to West Seattle for a lazy sunny afternoon on Alki Beach. (Will have to post some photos from the ferry one day..) Starving for lunch before we even got there! So many choices for dining on Alki, but Duke's on Alki is always a favorite and can be counted on for yummy seafood and great views.

Tom started out with a bloody mary, it was really an appetizer in a drink! Gorgeous prawns, asparagus and of course green olives - he was a happy man. (Can you tell from the picture?) I ordered my favorite - blueberry lemondrop...yum. For our appetizer; salmon wrapped in phyllo dough with a Dijon mustard dip, then the seafood chop-chop salad. Had so much fun eating, drinking and watching everyone play on Alki beach! Duke's deck also has aweseome views of ferries and all of the marine traffic flowing into Seattle, I never get tired of that.

Beach walk after lunch, part of the way on the paved walk and then down to the beach for sea glass hunting. Fun to see all the little kids running on the sand and building sandcastles. (MUST watch out for bicycles and roller-bladers!) So romantic...holding hands while waves crash on the shore, seashells to pick up and of course sea glass to hunt for. Tom is such a good sport and happily indulges me on these journeys.

Found some small pieces of really worn glass on Alki to add to my collection...