Mountain View’s Water Wise Gardens

Mountain View’s Water Wise Gardens

Sometimes you learn something while you are on your way to something else. Like the water-wise garden in front of the Mountain View Library. This is a relatively new addition to the Pioneer Memorial Park, which borders the Center for Performing Arts and the Library.

There are examples of water-wise plants.example of a water-wise plant

If you are interested in water-wise gardening the city of Mountain View recognizes businesses and homes that have landscapes that conserve water. They call this the Green Garden Showcase and provide a map to go check them out. Please be respectful of the privacy of the owners. Enjoy a great garden tour.

Do you have an idea for frugal sightseeing in the Bay Area?

Green Planet Yarn store

Knit it!

When the days get shorter and colder I like to either knit or crochet. It makes me feel warm and busy at the same time. If you like to do your craft in a group there are a few places around.

The Los Altos Library as a Knit & Crocket circle that meets every first and third Tuesday. In Saratoga the Knitspiration of Silicon Valley holds regular meetings and has guest speaker.

November is also a month of giving  back and be thankful. If you are looking for places to donate your handiwork look into Halos of Hope. They distribute caps and hats to cancer patients. I learned about it while I discovered Purlescence Yarns a wool store in Sunnyvale. They also do classes  at the store if you are not sure of your skills or want to learn something new, like spinning or weaving.

Stitching up Spirits is a charity knitting group that meets every Wednesday at Red Rock Café in Mountain View. This group knits for HomeFirst a project to end homelessness. The Green Planet Yarn in San Jose has an impressive list of projects they support. I think I will get the bear pattern for the Mother Bear Project as my christmas gift for someone in need.

What about you, do you like to knit or crochet? Would you consider to support one of these projects?

Downtown

Downtown

2014-10-23 16.28.53

Actually, to call Silicon Valley suburbia does most cities here injustice.

A lot of towns in the Bay Area have nice, revived downtown areas, with interesting shops and restaurants.

Mountain View’s Castro Street, Sunnyvale’s Murphy’s Street and Palo Alto’s University are great examples.. They all have their own vibe and I invite you to stroll and explore all of them. Los Altos has a few streets where you sure find something for the holidays for everyone, from the Lego store to upscale gift stores. To make a festive entrance Los Altos celebrates the Festival of Lights on 11/29 at 6 p.m.

Downtown Redwood City advertises itself as the Anti Mall. A good place to discover treats and gifts.

What is your favorite downtown in the Bay Area?

 

Friends of the Mountain View Library Book Sale

This Saturday and Sunday (November 14th and 15th 2015) the Friends of the Mountain View Library Book Sale is going on behind the Library.

The general sale will be Saturday from 10 to 4 and Sunday 11 to 2. From 2 to 4 on Sunday they will do a bag sale. Yes, that’s right you can fill your bags full of books for a steal!

This is a great way of hunting bargains and giving back at the same time. Please go and support reading and sharing.

welcome

Thank you for finding me. This is my first post and I hope there will be many more to come.

This blog is about what to do outside the big city: San Francisco. We live in Silicon Valley, and I find there is a lot of interesting things to do here that I’d love to share with you.

If you have ideas, please use the comment field for now. I want to hear about it!

 

until suburbia!

Silvia