Sniffles and Sneezes

What a wonderful time we had in California. It all came together with a wonderful 3 under par round for Jim on Sunday. What more could you want for your first Father's Day...playing in the U.S. Open at a beautiful venue, a great round of golf, a marvelous place to stay (thanks to David & Patti), and most of your family and friends on hand to witness the whole thing! We would like to send a big Thank You to all who joined us during our exciting week. It wouldn't have been the same without each and every one of you there. Thank You also to those of you who watched the coverage and followed along with Jim's progress.

What wasn't great was the ugly bug we all caught along the way. For the last week mom, myself, Jim and Abby have all been stricken with a terrible cold. Fortunately and unfortunately it's Abby's first experience at being sick. She has been doing remarkably well considering. To top it all off she is teething badly. Somehow, my dad has escaped our family's plight and is NOT sick. What was supposed to be a great opportunity to catch up with friends and family at home and relax has turned into a bit of suffering for all. Hopefully we can clear out the sniffles and sneezes before the 4th of July holiday!

All The Earth's Beauty

Wednesday was a busy but fun day! The boys headed to the golf course for a morning practice round while mom and I were off on an adventure with the US Open wives! Jim H., Dad, Ashley, Jim M., Danny, and Peter all enjoyed a 9am practice round with Jim Furyk, J.J. Henry, and someone else (ha, I can't remember). They had a beautiful day as there was no fog this morning. The girls enjoyed breakfast, dropped Abby off at daycare, and then headed for the bus. The wives were being treated to a hike at Point Lobos St. Park and lunch at Earth Bound Organic Farms. Emily Summerhays went today as well, so it was nice to have a friend along. Mom was thrilled to go, as this was right up her alley! I was surprised that so few wives/girlfriends decided to go. I think there were only 5 of us. How pathetic! The Nationwide Tour wives events get more turnout than that! My only thought is that some ladies may not have been interested in "hiking". Point Lobos was about a 30 minute bus ride south of the golf course. When we arrived we split into four groups of 4. We each had a docent (or tour guide). Our lady was so old and sweet. Her name was Deion. We saw so many interesting plants, wildflowers, mosses, trees, etc. We also were fortunate enough to see some harbor seals, sea lions, and sea otters. The views were just magnificent due to the clear skies. You could actually look north from the point and see the golf course! The point was purchased for preservation as the 400 acres it encompasses are one of only two places in which Cyprus trees grow, there and Pebble Beach! One of the most interesting sights was this orange stuff growing on many Cyprus branches. It looked like a moss, but indeed it is an algae, trentapolia! How cool. After our guided hike was over we got back on the bus and headed towards Carmel, to the Earth Bound Organic Farm stand. This is a pretty well-off farm stand as they market their organic produce to over 80% of US grocery stores. They primarily grow baby greens and salads, but the business began with raspberries. The owner met us and signed copies of her beautiful cook book, while a local vineyard, Talbot (yes, just like the store...same guy) gave us a private wine tasting! We got a tour of the on-site farm land. It was small production but certainly not lacking. Lunch was made of beautiful baby greens salad, whole grain salads and orzo, chicken breast, sliced sirloin steak, a myriad of grilled veggies, and fabulous cookies. EVERYTHING was organic. Even the silverware was made from potatoes. I was in heaven!!!!!! We enjoyed socializing and then it was back to the course to get the boys. Dinner tonight was, again, amazing! We were treated to a reservation at Roy's at Spanish Bay (another golf course on the peninsula). The meal was wonderful and then we headed out on their terrace for a view of the sunset and a bagpipe serenade! I currently sit waiting for my sister, Lisa, to arrive. Then it's off to bed, unless I fall asleep here first!........Till tomorrow

From The Inside Looking Out

So yesterday was an amazing day! One of the benefits of being at a major event such as the US Open is the player guest armbands. Jim received two armbands for all of his practice rounds, which allow anyone wearing them to walk INSIDE the ropes along with him and the others in his group. Mom and I were the fortunate recipients on Tuesday. All I can say is what an experience. I have never and am sure I will never experience anything like that again in my life. I hope that similar scenarios occur in the future, but I believe the first time IS the best.What an amazing location as well. Pebble Beach! My life has in essence, come full circle. See, for those that don't know, this is where my Dad was the day I was born. July 17th, 1980 he was on a golf trip with some buddies. They stayed in a condo on the 18th green (which are still there by the way), a round of golf cost $35 and the room for the night cost $90. Today a round of golf costs upward of $400 and the rooms cost upward of $700 a night! Dad is getting a gift this week too. He will have both his daughters, his "son" (one he never had), and his newest Granddaughter with him on Father's Day. The best part I'm sure is the cute little scooter he has been given for the week. He might mow some people over in the next few days, but he'll see Jim play a complete round of golf for the very first time! It is very hard for me to describe to you all of the emotions I had while walking inside the ropes with Jim. One of the most amazing sights was actually what you see as you look out. I imagine this is how zoo critters feel as we stare at them through windows and fences. Thousands of people stood behind a rope as I walked inside it. They took pictures, not of me, but with me in them. They were watching my husband play golf. Something that most of us have seen many times. These few were excited to see Jim for the first time. One person asked me if I was with Jim...well, we played our practice round with Jim Furyk on Tuesday, so I simply said "yes, the OTHER Jim". I got a smile and a chuckle, but now that person knows our Jim too! The house is getting more crowded as we've had two additions...Ashley Cooper and Jim Mahoney, both members and friends from Trump National in Bedminster, NJ. We enjoyed a wonderful meal together, along with Jim's agent Peter Webb, and went to bed with dreams of what the next day would bring.

Day 1- The Good and The Bad

To begin, I would like to tell you all that our travels yesterday went so well. Abby did great in the air and the pressure changes didn't even phase her. I was amazed and just knew that SOMETHING had to go wrong. Well, it was the baggage. Mine and Abby's bags were "delayed".

Today started off not so good. First of all, we were all up and awake at 5am local time. Good thing Jim had a 7:30 tee time- so the timing was just perfect! As soon as I had a cup of coffee I was on the phone with Delta Bag Claim service trying to get some idea of when my bags were coming. To my dismay the new story was not till Tuesday at some point. Well, I wasn't interested in hearing that answer - finally someone was able to tell me the bags would be here between 11am and 2pm today. Wonderful! The bags arrived at 10:50, before the scheduled time, yay!

Then, it was off to the course to see Jim and caddie Danny. The weather was cool and overcast. Somewhat similar to a March or April day in the northeast. We arrived at the hospitality tent and enjoyed some time with our Nationwide Tour friends the Summerhays, The Putnams, and the Gates. Lunch was FABULOUS! They had sushi, a steak salad, and lamb lolipops, yum! Abby and I met the daycare lady, Susan, who was so nice and can't wait to play.

We also had sightings of Aaron Baddeley, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Tiger Woods, Alvaro Quiros, Angel Cabrera, Vijay Singh, and many others. What a surreal atmosphere. To be side by side and in the midst of the best players in the world. I am truly humbled by this experience and feel very lucky to be here.

Later, we enjoyed the comforts of our rented home for the week. It is located in a very remote area about 10 minutes from the course. We see deer on a daily basis, hawks, lots of interesting birds and of course flowers and greenery. We enjoyed the hot tub and will be enjoying the deck and grill a little later on.

I have also begun the first steps to my Stella & Dot career. My sample jewelry arrived just in time to pack for this trip. I am so excited, the product is amazing and much more so in person than in the catalog! Our launch party is planned for June 26th. My mom is hosting a summer brunch and it should be a blast.

There will be more to come tomorrow as I plan on writing every day. In the meantime please check out the new link at the bottom of the page in the 'Our Favorite Sites' section that will take you to the US Open page, a new link to the right in the 'Fun Stuff to Check Out' section that will give you video highlights of the qualifier last Monday. Please click on Canoe Brook video highlights twice to see an overview of the qualifier and some interviews. Jim's interview is seen in full on that link! There is also a link to an article from the Cincinnati Enquirer last week. It covers a wide range of topics including the media day that Jim was present for last Thursday at the TPC River's Bend in Cincinnati. The article is fabulous and one of the best that's ever been written about him.

US Open Bound

Life just keeps getting more exciting and much more busy. After two months of traveling and moving for the summer we just can't stop! Today was supposed to be the first day of an entire month off for myself and Abigail. Jim changed all of that with more exciting golf news. After 36 holes of golf at Canoe Brook in Summit, NJ., his 3 under par would be good enough for third place. Four spots were available to qualify and move on to the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach. Needless to say, our time "off" has been very short and very sweet. We are all so excited to have such an opportunity and will do a better job of keeping everyone informed.

On some other notes...we have embarked on a remarkable journey...since we can no longer enjoy going to the movies, we have decided to bring the movies home. Last month we signed up for Netflix, which we love so far. Ever since this year's Oscar's, Jim and I have been talking about our favorite Academy Award Winning Films. We made a pact to watch all of them together from beginning to present time. So far, the movie watching has been painful and slow. Cimarron has been our favorite so far, actually having a plot! Keep up with our progress in the new Academy Award Winners section on the right. Our next endeavor will be the AFI's top 100 films list (probably more up our alley)!

I have also begun a journey of sorts by signing on to be a

Stylist with the jewelry company Stella & Dot. I was recently invited to a "trunk show" and fell in love with the product they offer. Since having a job on the road is nearly impossible, this is as close as I can imagine coming at the present time. I am really excited to be able to sell a product which I love and hope you will all fall in love with it too. Parties are just my thing and I am confident that pairing them with jewelry will get most of you (men excluded) excited too! You can find a link to my Stylist Page at the bottom of the blog. Take a peek and see what we have to offer.