As fittingly the Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special begins. Christmas in Oakley means that it is time to harvest citrus — namely our first Meyer Lemons. Days are chilly and we have even had to turn on the heat (Tony’s family in Canada and my sister in Michigan have probably had theirs on for months by now). In what a strange place we live.
Tony has the day off from writing the blog as it is his birthday week. Thank God we celebrated early. I have been working a lot and had a dental emergency that caused me to take my first sick day in years.
But back to Oakley. When I found that I was being transferred back to the Bay Area, after being away for 10 years, we knew that we did not want to live in San Francisco. Transit doesn’t work there, rents are exorbitantly high and there is no greenery to be found. We had no desire to EVER live in SF again. I was originally thinking that we would buy a cool loft in Oakland — close to transit and walking distance to all things urban. I knew that we wouldn’t get much for our money, but it had been a long time since we lived in the city.
And then I started doing research and came across the little town of Oakley. Oakley has approximately 30,000 residents and had been an agricultural hub. Years ago it was known for its groves of almond trees. East Contra Costa County had been hit hard by the housing bust, and the Oakley/Brentwood/Antioch area saw housing prices fall dramatically and foreclosures rise.
The day after we arrived in the Bay Area we met with our realtor, Kevin, to look at houses. We saw 14 houses in one day, amazed at what we could get for slightly more than what we sold our tiny place for in Seattle. We made an offer on a house that was different than any other house we’d seen … master bedroom on the first floor, huge loft on the second and it was actually being painted by the bank. Kevin laughed and said, “Knowing the two of you, the first offer you make will be accepted.” And it was. I never thought I would have a house like this in my life. It only could have happened in Oakley.
We love this little town. Everything we need is here, and where else could we see a wild turkey (!) perching on our back fence, or hear the old school neighbors’ roosters in the morning. Where could we see the giant pomegranate tree down the street or the Cooper’s hawk flying above? We hear trains in the distance and can drive on top of levee roads that protect the areas at sea level. It is the perfect blend of agriculture and urbanism. And it is great to hear that our new e-mail friend, Kevin Romick, has just been made mayor. Congratulations, Sir!
So, this weekend we stayed close to home. No adventures to Napa or Sonoma. No road trips to Livermore or Lodi. No oysters or whiskey or wine. Just lentil soup in the crockpot and sourdough bread rising on the counter. Oh, and a Tandoori marinated turkey in the oven, but that is another story (who could pass up 79 cents a pound?).
Days like today are perfect for Web sites like Lot 18. Months ago we were sent an invite through the site Snooth.com — a site I had used extensively in my Oakley-wine-connection research. The invite included a substantial $$ off with the first purchase. I kept my eyes open for interesting wines and jumped at the chance to order on one of their free-shipping Fridays.
Like many of the ‘flash’ sites, Lot 18 will offer specials on wine for a day or so. Quantities are limited and can sell out. Membership is by invitation only (you can join at my invite using this link: https://www.lot18.com/i/Kathleen251098 ). So far we have purchased Rieslings and Red from Washington State, Syrah made by our friends at Mutt Lynch, Petite Syrah and Cabs from producers in Sonoma, Cremant from France and a Pinot whose producers give back 50% of the profits to charities. The wines I have purchased are good values and priced less than any dealer I can find online. Even if you don’t find wines to purchase you can learn a great deal about wine on their blog: http://blog.lot18.com/ .
So, find a nice warm blanket, a kitty to nestle in your lap and a Pinot to sip. It’s good to be home.
Thanks for the recognition
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