Rome and Lilly (with some contr$bution from the parents) got me this fabulous solar powered bird feeder with a motion detecting camera. Rome came over on Saturday to “help me” put it together. I’m so excited to catch my first bird!
Marsha and I went to the movies. We saw a ho-hummer Marty Supreme, ok story but soo much screaming.
After the movie we stopped off at Marija’s to celebrate Croatian New Year with a glass of slivovitz direct from ‘back home’ brought by Christopher who visited recently. Marija was less than thrilled by some of her gifts, a reminder as they represent what the kids are thinking.
Then we went back to Marsha’s hoping to watch Hamnet but it wasn’t streaming yet so we saw another ho-hummer that was so meh I don’t even remember it’s name.
And then we ate a ham dinner feast!
We went to Mitsuwa to pick up some tasty food to eat there if it was raining and to take to the park if it was dry. It was not dry, so we ate in and then went back to Lilly’s house to watch the first half of one of her shows that I had missed. It was a lovely afternoon. I was feeling quite well but for some other reason that I can’t guess, I took not one picture.
.
After lunch at Maxine’s I joined Ken for a Happy Hour at his favorite Happy Hour place, the Yard House in Northridge. Since the wind was blowing like crazy and since I’ve been losing hair by the fist full, I got AI to put this hat on my head. You’re welcome!
Here’s the first Happy New Year of the season with Muriel, and Jo Ann and Alan who prepared a healthy, delicious dinner
and a healthy, delightful fruit salad for dessert…aiming for a healthy and happy 2026.
My across-the-street neighbors and more neighborhood friends. Thanks you guys!
I heard their sweet little voices at 6:02 AM “Good morning good morning Granny, it’s Christmas!”. I had gone to bed by about 9, was asleep by about 10, and didn’t at all mind getting up at 6. It was great, first coffee, Santa gifts, breakfast, under-the-tree tree gifts, games, some afternoon snacks, and then I went home.
Wait ’till you see what I got! It’s a bird feeder with a solar powered motion detecting camera! How fun is this going to be?!
Tony, Birdie, Rick, Eivor, Ingalill, Jim, Nancy, Daniel, Brian
Tony’s picture below, the lamb isn’t out yet.
Lill and Tony put on another massively festive early Christmas Eve feast. We of course watched Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul (Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas) but I wasn’t paying as much attention as usual because I was looking through Rick and Jim’s album of their recent trip to Scotland.
Sophie has lived here for a 5 month contract at UCLA Santa Monica and is now moving on to a contract in San Diego. We went over to Kanpai for our traditional Happy Hour Bon Voyage when our traveling nurses move on. Sophie is one of Olivia’s favorites and we will both miss her!
Earlier in the day Rome and I went to the Century City Mall where the parking lot was as crowded as it could possibly be but the mall itself wasn’t so bad and it was nice to see it so busy.
I had a third PET scan and the results were good news, better than the second one which was better than the first, all moving in a positive direction so happy happy joy joy. I did ask ‘does this mean I’m going to survive the Trump administration?’ and the doctor just wouldn’t commit, but I’m getting it by now, no one is going to commit about survivability in the long run. I have heard “We’re on a marathon, not a sprint” a -tedious- number of times.
Thankfully I feel good, ready I hope to go back to PT.
I’m not going to write again for a while about all these doctor’s appointments and regular testing etc. unless something changes – so for the time being no news will be good news.
.
Me, Marsha, Ljubica, Alicia, Marija, Ann, Lourdes, Maxine, Becky
It’s our annual Holiday Extravaganza with thanks to Alicia for making it happen.
We eat, we drink, and make merry, we have Secret Santa and gifts abound, and a grand time is had by all.
Alicia=turkey, dressing, gravy; Maxine=appetizers; Lourdes=cranberry sauce; Ann=sweet potato casserole; Marsha=green beans; Becky=mashed potatoes; Marija=pies; Ljubicia=ice cream; Me=sparkling beverages
I came down to Long Beach to wish Alex Happy Birthday and sleep over on the boat, and also to visit Merlyn (No Falling!).
We enjoyed a very delicious Thai dinner at a nearby restaurant…
…and breakfast onboard.
Lilly and I had a lovely visit to my favorite park in the South Bay. Unfortunately they close at 4:30 and school lets out at 3:30 but we had a great time anyway, eating our sweet treat among the trees and then having a walk along the stream.
The bakery has been reopened a year ago and Angela and I had planned to have a look. Finally we were able to choose a date and lo, what happened, they decided to close 5 days later. So at least we did get to have our look although it did feel bare and lost, like a place that was going to close in 5 days. Many articles are still available on the internet.
Say you remember the delivery trucks and you are telling your age!
Today I visited a friend in a rehab hospital, then a friend recovering from a chemo treatment, and talked on the phone to a friend in the hospital, and another friend in a rehab hospital. The two folks in rehab got there because they Fell Down. NO FALLING!
Lilly taking the Crew Bow.
Lilly’s theater group at Redondo Union High School did a most impressive version of Women of Lockerbie. Lilly was on the lighting crew and in charge of the smoke/steam machine that puffed away throughout the show and did not set off the smoke alarm!
Angela’s selfie – Angela, Darryl, me, Windy, Rome, Rome’s roommate Bel.
One of Rome’s friends took these pictures. Check out those new glasses.
The above is one of Jo Ann’s photographs and reminds me of the dessert we all shared at lunch, at Meet in Paris (in Culver City).
First we went to Joanne Jaffe’s open house to admire her wonderful pottery. The portrait is off the internet.
Below, Muriel, Alan, Jo Ann, Mavis
I did tell the doctor, Hack Hack Hack, but she didn’t seem too concerned. Maybe I wasn’t urgent enough? We’ll see. I’m slightly better this morning so of course I’ve leapt to the obvious conclusion that all is well. I will be keeping myself out of your face until I can control this COUGH.
A few weeks before I left for Uzbekistan (October 2-October 23), so lets say beginning in mid-September I was coughing and thought it was seasonal allergies, then in Uzbekistan my cough got worse but the air quality was so bad and the humidity so low, more coughing and a tender nose followed. Once I got home the cough continued, yikes, such that I had a very slow November, a busy Thanksgiving Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat and then from Sunday for four days I didn’t leave the house. Today is December 8 and the light glows bright at the end of the tunnel. So that’s going on three months for heaven’s sake!
And I had better be perfectly fine in one week because I’ve got another PET scan scheduled and they won’t do it if you’re not basically ok, or rather, perfectly fine.
For many years now I go out to Steve and Celina’s on the Friday after Thanksgiving and eat Chef Celina’s leftovers, with Gideon and Sam and now baby Dean. Then I sleep over out there in Camarillo and eat more leftovers for breakfast. On the way home I stop off at Tom and Marsha’s and eat Their leftovers. It’s an orgy of delights. And then I eat Tom’s legendary turkey soup for breakfast on Sunday. SO much to be thankful for.
And so few pictures. Why? I do not know!
Breakfast.
Darryl, Rome’s friend Vittorio, from the co-op where they both live, here only two months from Italy and finishing up his degree at UCLA, then Angela, Rome, me, Lilly.
Lilly got to dye her hair purple because she has no missing assignments, and I forgot the parsley so the kids went out to get some at Vons.
Missing is the mashed potatoes and gravy, everyone’s favorite, and all the desserts, and the counter full of delicious appetizers.
I took home one of the desserts Angela made and ate it all for breakfast on Friday.
A couple days before Thanksgiving I bought myself this pumpkin pie just to see if it was good. It Was Good. Surprisingly so, the choice of spices and the spice level hit the spot. The crust was only ok, so over the course of 3 days I ate the entire inside of the pie. I did do that.
Angela’s photo – Dude spent the holiday weekend with his half-brother Oliver, which is always so adorable.
Addison, Kim, Stef, William, Ross, Kim (the sister/aunt), Bill, Mindy
Bill and crew came out to spend Thanksgiving with very long time good friends Bill (another Bill!) and family including his daughter Stef and her three kids. That’s right, five kids having quite the sleepover. Stef volunteered to do a photo shoot for Ross, Kim, Addison, and William out here in Santa Monica and I got to join in, lucky me!
Stef, Ross, Addison, William, Kim
Jo Ann got tickets for an Enrique Martínez Celaya interview at the Wende in Culver City where his latest piece is on display.
Here’s an internet picture of the main part of the Wende exhibition.
.
Then we went for an early dinner at a nearby ramen place. What a good day, entertaining, educational, and delicious!
A perfect dinner for a dark and stormy night, and float the crackers in the hot soup, obvi.
My long long-time friend Les, living in Boston for many decades, passed away last week from Parkinson’s, Congestive Heart Failure, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Everyone knew it was coming, and as Elizabeth wrote “Be comforted by the knowledge that Les parted this world exactly as he wanted to.” What a blessing for me that we got to have an excellent zoom visit the week before he passed.
Then, I had decided before going to Uzbekistan that I wanted to find a woman oncologist whose entire practice was breast cancer. My Physical Therapist knew of and recommended such a woman at the Saint John’s Cancer Institute, so I had an appointment on Monday and transferred my care to her.
These two events sent me on a googling frenzy re metastatic breast cancer life expectancy. I’ve been dealing with this cancer for more than a year and as yet I’d never focused on this question because I understand there are so many variables, no one knows the number. But actually, there is a number, statistically, and that number is five years. The internet reports from many sources that 30%+/- of women with metastatic breast cancer are alive at five years past their diagnosis.
So, the last six months of a cancer journey is not so great, and I’m already one year in, and that leaves three and a half years feeling good if I make it to the 30%. WOW, now that’s a reality check! Honestly, this is the first time I’ve absorbed the math. On the bright side I have the most treatable kind of breast cancer, the scans are showing improvement, I’m generally in good health, and oddly, being post-menopausal is a benefit for survival.
After a day of making lists, I’m back to just me, adept at one-day-at-a-time thinking, and it comes naturally to me to do-what-I-can-do and not dwell on the rest. And I’m re-reading what is so far an excellent book even the second time around: How to Be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci. Finally, a philosophical worldview that suits me.
So that’s it, one-day-at-a-time, and I want to be the best person I can be every day, kind, attentive, and looking ahead. And I’m springing for those business class tickets!
Merlyn and Hilda hosted another delicious dinner and evening of looking at trip pictures, a slide show, like in the olden days. My trip was the longest and I did go on and on, but everyone (Merlyn, Hilda, Alex, Carol, Mo, Debbie) hung in there and were kind and attentive. Merlyn and Hilda had spent a week in Butan and that was so interesting to learn about.
You can see the Queen Mary on the middle horizon. It was a dark and stormy night…
Above, a lovely mani-pedi with Sharon and then we bought a nice picnic to eat at her house.
Below, Sunday Brunch at Clementine. Lilly, me, Angela, Darryl, Bel (Rome’s roommate), Rome
Happy anniversary Windy and Jeff❤️ (from Windy)
I picked up Lilly at school and we had fun – a tasty sweet treat and then she showed me the projects she’d done for her photography class. It was great, they had already covered the three elements of exposure and were moving on to more complex projects.
And here’s Bob and Desda on their 50th Anniversary.
Moorpark College has an Animal Care and Training Program. Their motto: To inspire conservation action by providing engaging connections with wildlife and those who care for them. All student run, above, the small show of how they train and care for the animals. Below, a view of the college grounds from the zoo.
All the animals were behind chain link and nets, and you couldn’t get close enough to have a clear photo.
pss pss pss here kitty kitty. Nope, wouldn’t turn around.
There were a few others of these too, fun, right?!
Woody, their North American beaver.
Clarence, a 102 year old Galapagos tortoise.
Char, Burt, me, Arlene, Terry who all live nearby.
Jo Ann’s dearly loved Meriellen is visiting from Chicago, and Jo Ann and Alan treated us all including the indomitable Mavis, nearly-100 and going strong, to a Happy Hour dinner at our favorite, Forma. At the last minute I remembered, oh No, we have to get a Photo. So here it is…not much hope for the lighting…
Outside my front door this morning, it was foggy.
I was just about good date-and-time wise after returning from Uzbekistan, and then it was time for the once-every-3-months infusion that has, the past two times, made me feel pretty sick for several days – extra weak and a slog through the dates I had made. This time I made no plans at all for 3 days and in those 3 days I slept no less than 40 hours. And now I feel ok!
Wow, I slept through all the hard parts! Let’s try that again next time!!
We stumbled upon Muck Rock’s studio yesterday during Lilly’s birthday, just off Abbot Kinney. I had never heard of Muck Rock before and it seems there are so many murals peppered throughout the westside. The above is a couple blocks east of Lincoln. You can click around her website: Jules Muck for more of her work.
Here’s another one, California poppies.
Angela found this one on PCH, I think in the South Bay.
I went out on Thursday, the 30th, to see Lilly’s Haunted House. The Theater Arts Department really goes all out.
Lilly runs the lighting.
But I didn’t go out there for Trick ‘r Treating – these are Angela’s pictures.
We always love a good massage and I still was cranky over my very (super) difficult flight home the details of which I will not bore you.
I was home for a few days already, enough time wake up and have some idea if it was day or night. I haven’t really felt entirely settled in yet and I had the infusion that makes me Super-tired for a few days. But I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m so glad I didn’t miss Maxine’s party.
Rome invited me for breakfast at the Co-op and I was so happy! The selection was quite good, everything I chose was tasty, and everyone we ran into was delightful. In the stairwell at the Co-op. Thanks sweetie!
.
Another day Sharon and I went to a place I’d never been, Lunetta, and we enjoyed good food and a good visit.
A couple of the dozens of Sharon’s mom’s Hummel figurines
Dudamel Launches His Final Season
I could hardly breath through the first piece, it was the premiere of a composition by Ellen Reid, Earth Between Oceans, commissioned by the LA Philharmonic. There isn’t a recording yet and I doubt that a recording would give the same smack-in-the-face glory of this live performance, the stage shoulder to shoulder with musicians and the LA Master Chorale making me shiver. Marsha wasn’t over the moon for it, there was rarely a melody to be found, but she did like being there to experience it live.
The second half was a Richard Strauss composition An Alpine Symphony, a wonderful piece that rocked the rafters too. The wiki article is particularly interesting I think and you can click the link to read about it.
Marsha and Becky sing in this choir and I enjoyed a lovely performance held at the First United Methodist Church in Pasadena. It was a splendid venue and a good crowd. My favorite piece was Bach’s Mass in F major, BWV 233, including soloists and a small orchestra. Nice!
Hail hail the gang’s all here! Chris, Jordan, Kelly, Jenn, John
Luna, me, Judy, Susan, Marzieh, Victoria, Maniya, Hilda
My poetry group, although we’re reading a book now and that’s fun too!
I went out for a yummy bagel lunch with Rome.
These bags were all over the oncology office.
I wanted to give my right arm a rest but the left arm just wouldn’t deliver.
.
NOT A PG IMAGE! One of Marsha’s sisters, Mindy, made this for me back at the beginning and it has found a home here on the kitchen counter. I smile every time it catches my eye.
YES🤗, from yesterday’s PET scan report: “IMPRESSION: Overall Improved Appearance.” This is excellent news for my long-term well-being since the doctor said it means the current treatment plan is providing a positive outcome, and the longer I don’t have to change treatment plans, the better.
When people ask me how I am I’ve been saying “I don’t know, sometimes better, or worse, or the same. I’ll wait for the test and let science say.” Science says better so YAY. And even when I feel worse or the same, still, the answer is I’m Better!
Continuing complaints which pale in light of “Overall Improved Appearance” include lack of stamina but now that I know the medication is working I hope I can generate the will-power to do more PT On The Regular. The lack of stamina in my legs also impacts flexibility, which, after strength, will be a focus of PT. Very secondarily, the medication does have some chemo in it and my already very few hairs are dropping at a visibly unfortunate rate. And I still need to be prepared to do nothing for several days after the infusion, but that’s not bad since it happens only once every three months. Also of interest, the only time I feel unwell at all is after the infusion and if I’ve done too much. Fortunately aggravation from the infusion and doing too much are both easily remedied by taking a rest.
Here’s SO many thanks to all who have sent blessings my way, you did it! (And as we used to say…back in the olden days…better living through chemistry.)
.
It looks like I never shared this image here, it was for my Reading Group who did an amazing meditation for my recovery. They also created deeply heartfelt gifts I appreciate beyond measure. I’m making a place for them all on my wall and will include a picture when it’s done. Below is the first PET scan and a picture of how I want to feel that inspired the meditation and the art projects.
.
The Report – unless you’re a big fan of minutia and want to google all these medi-words, please just roll on by!
| NECK AND CHEST: Mildly FDG avid left neck lymph node with an SUV max of 2.1, previously demonstrating an SUV max of 2.4. Left supraclavicular lymph node with an SUV max of 1.3, previously demonstrating an SUV max of 2.9. No new FDG uptake in the neck. Mildly FDG avid left axillary lymph nodes with an SUV max of 1.9, overall stable to slightly decreased in FDG avidity since the prior study. FDG uptake in the left breast with an SUV max of 2.1, previously demonstrating an SUV max of 3.1. Mildly FDG avid mediastinal lymph nodes with an SUV max of 2.8, not substantially changed since the prior study. No other abnormal FDG uptake in the chest. Coronary artery calcifications. Several noncalcified pulmonary nodules scattered throughout the lungs with no abnormal FDG uptake, unchanged since the prior study. ABDOMEN, PELVIS, AND THIGHS: FDG uptake in the left adrenal gland with an SUV max of 4.8, previously demonstrating an SUV max of 2.9, which is nonspecific. No other abnormal FDG uptake in the abdomen, pelvis, or proximal thighs. Surgical absence of the gallbladder. BONES: Multiple FDG avid bone marrow metastases, all of which demonstrate varying degrees of decreased FDG uptake compared to the prior study. For instance, a lesion in the T1 vertebral body with an SUV max of 2.6 previously demonstrated an SUV max of 7.1 and a lesion in the right iliac wing with an SUV max of 6.3 previously demonstrating an SUV max of 7.8. No new bone marrow lesion. Interval sclerosis of many of the bone marrow lesions, likely a healing response. |
| IMPRESSION: Overall improved appearance of the previously seen metastatic disease, as detailed above. |
Result History
PET CT Skull Base To Mid Thigh 9/23/2025 COMPARISON CT of the chest from 7/17/2025 and PET/CT from 3/21/2025
Darryl, Angela, me, Rome, Gary, Liz, Lilly
Lona took the picture above, and a grand time was had by all!
Jo Ann and I set off to enjoy an exhibit at Japan House in the Dolby Theater complex, next to the Chinese Theater, and across from El Capitan. I forgot that Jimmy Kimmel films right there too. It was so satisfying to see the demonstrators were still out.
The exhibit was prepared in the back of a store: Looks Delicious! | Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture
Not only were there a ton of items to admire, there were information posters and demonstrations too.
Nice!
Children’s bento boxes you buy at the train stations.
Looks Delicious!
Rome was over and we took the opportunity for a stroll around Douglas Park which is .3 miles from my house so it’s barely a walk, but lovely nonetheless. It’s always Duck Town over there, so much poo the water is almost always green.
For some unknowable reason my hearing has improved slightly from November 2023 until now. I have no idea why. In both cases the audiologist said my hearing loss was not so bad that I couldn’t put off getting hearing aids if I wanted.
Even though the entire habitable space in the two studio rental, combined, is less than 600 square feet, still there are two kitchens and two bathrooms and a bunch of windows and everything else one needs to live, so there is a lot that can go wrong. Whenever something does go wrong and then that something gets fixed, I remind myself how it could be worse.
And for the first time in memory, here are some plumbers I would call again, which makes me happy!
So many birthdays between Windy on the 10th and Rome on the 21st. Windy shares a birthday with Lynn and Fred, then comes Tony, then Hilda, then Lilly shares a birthday with Carol, then Caleb, and then Rome. Happy Birthday One and All!
This day we are celebrating Lilly’s Sweet Sixteen, and never was there a sweeter sixteen. She had a big party for her friends last night and I’m so looking forward to the pictures!
I met up with the gang on Abbot Kinney where everyone enjoyed first fancy beverages, then a tasty lunch, then the richest fanciest most odd-uniquely-flavored ice cream around. We also looked in some shops and had a little tour of the Muck Rock Open Studio home for the work of the artist Jules Muck.
Rome’s picture of the bunny at the studio.
This isn’t Jules Muck but who could resist?
…Susan Meiselas
I was about to punk out entirely because I’m just too lazy and I thought I’d have to stand in a long line. Then Jo Ann said “come, we’ll save you a seat so you can come later” which I did do and am so glad I did!
There’s a lot to be said about Susan Meiselas. I googled her name and after 14 pages of citations I stopped.
Alan, Muriel, me, Jo Ann
Two birthdays in a row! I and Jo Ann and Alan took Muriel out to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner and then to a Persian ice cream palace for a tasty birthday sweet treat.
Yesterday I went to Lona’s because Trevor was in town and got to enjoy the always wonderful experience of sitting on Lona’s balcony to watch comings and goings on the Venice channel.
Rome joined us during a school break, and then there’s Windy, Lona, and me. What fun we had – Lona and I brought a tasty lunch of Windy’s favorite ingredients, and then we watched an excellent BBC documentary about the Silk Road. I didn’t make them watch a BBC documentary, it was Windy’s idea and it was quite entertaining and informative.
Travis came from Texas over the weekend to surprise his mom so she got to be with both her sons. They went to the Getty Villa in celebration of Windy’s birthday. Lucas took the selfie.
We did some chores and had a tasty dinner. Food and List Ticking, just the way we like it.
I went downtown with Ingalill for a tour of the LA Central Library. Actually we just wanted to eat lunch and take some pictures. It was entirely fun, as always.
Notice the pyramid on top of the library building.
Another picture from the same spot below. What my new phone, the pixel 10 pro, can do with its telephoto, not that it always works this well … the subject has to be completely still, and the phone has to be completely stable, and it doesn’t really work on people since it’s all AI processing. And sometimes it’s so sharp I have to soften the results.
I always liked the Bonaventure.
I remember the long-ago olden days when I could crouch like that.
Those are Rome’s blue eyes, and a pano from the Hermosa Pier, and Lilly’s party box preparing for her Neon 16th Birthday Party.
A clip out of the pano above.
The LA Philharmonic and the LA Master Chorale put on a show, wow, ending our season in glory. And these might be our best seats ever.
Nope, we’re not walking down there and back up, but it is a lovely view. I came down here to have a nice lunch with Sharon at the Water Grill, a place I hadn’t been to since Water Grill took over from Ocean Avenue Seafood. It was good, it was expensive, and I miss Ocean Avenue.
How cute are we?!
Then Marsha came down to escape the 107 degrees out in the valley, and we had a lovely walk. After the walk we both drove back to the valley to eat Tom’s Beef Stew, perhaps the very best of his always legendary Beef Stew. We watched Draft Day on TV and I’d watch it again tomorrow.
My trip to Uzbekistan is coming together and no one needs to worry. The local Uzbekistani Travel Agent who makes all the arrangements for the staff and family of the US Embassy in Tashkent is doing all the work – all the transportation, transfers, hotels, guides, a car and driver when warranted. It’s turning into a private tour and someone will know where I am (or supposed to be…) at virtually every moment and I’ll have a local English speaking connection who answers WhatsApp 24/7. Not what I had in mind but as she kept adding services and I kept saying oh yes, that sounds good.
Here is the outline: Turkish Air LAX to Urgench, taxi and train from Urgench to Nukus, from Nukus there’s a long drive through the ancient fortresses to Khiva, then I’ll have a Khiva flight to Bukhara, take the train from Bukhara to Samarkand and later a train to Tashkent. Next comes the Fergana Valley by train from Tashkent and then by car to the three different hotels around Fergana. This is a 3 week trip in October that feels, despite all the help, like such an adventure. Just what the doctor ordered.
Finally my 100+ year old house has got a new roof. They had to take off 4 layers of old roof and replace a lot of wood but it’s done and I feel good about that, not having to wonder during every rain if the roof was going to hold. As everyone who’s ever done it knows, getting a new roof creates quite the mess but it’s ok now. Next comes a big tree trimming project, then the power wash and a touch-up on the painting.
I’ve had walks and lunches and visitors and a doctor’s appointment and waiting every morning, Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday for the roof inspector. My roofers have been unfortunately lax in letting me know when either they or the inspector cancel so I wait… Now I have to wait again tomorrow, Thursday, too. But I’m feeling pretty good, so YAY for that, although still I hope for more stamina, but pretty good is Good.
Mindy is out visiting so we met up with Ken for Happy Hour. Thanks you guys!
I got to enjoy another gorgeous evening at the Hollywood Bowl as a guest of Alan and Jo Ann. Muriel got covid so Mavis took her place, 96 year old Mavis who is an inspiration to us all!
The program was all Rachmaninoff all night long. Most impressive was Daniil Trifonov playing Piano Concerto #3 in D minor, Op 30, a monumental effort completely memorized. Most of these soloists memorize their concerts and it is always a mystery to me how that works. I also enjoyed the conductor, Daniel Harding who didn’t just keep time but cued for the important entrances and felt to be part of the orchestra.
Below find Daniil Trifonov playing an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert.
And since I wasn’t driving, here’s a picture out the car window.
Lilly starts her Sophomore year at Redondo Union High School, home of the RUHS Sea Hawks. It’s a huge campus with so many extracurricular facilities including extensive theater (Lilly’s pick), music, and arts programs, an aquatic center featuring swimming competitions and water polo, track and field sports, and more.
I took a swing by Tony and Ingalill’s to meet Birdie.
These guys are dog people. There were at least 3 dogs before this sweet girl, Birdie. The last one, dearly beloved Marty, passed not that long ago and they weren’t ready for another dog, “no not yet, it’s too early, but maybe we can stop off here at the shelter and just have a look, not because we’re going to get another dog yet, no, but you know, just have a look.”
We went for a tour of the University Cooperative Housing Association facilities at UCLA. They accept 20% of their residents from colleges other than UCLA and Rome was accepted for this coming school year. It’s very exciting!
I’ve been twice. She’s wonderful. Will I improve my strength and stamina? Let’s hope!
We were due to see Dudamel conducting his ‘home orchestra’ the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela however the orchestra members were refused visas due to Trump’s travel ban. So much winning.
The show was replaced with an interesting program led by Gemma New and including a trumpet concerto played by Pacho Flores, and fireworks, the fireworks above enjoying a little hit of photoshop and a completely made-up view of the orchestra.
We were in the 4th box up from the Founder’s Circle, so close that it was kind of cool for seeing the show but not at all cool for the fireworks. That fireworks picture below is from the internet.
Our view.
Hollywood Bowl Rimsky-Korsakov, Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34; Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto; Tchaikovsky Symphony No 4 in F minor, Op 36
Lilly, Rome, and I had a tasty lunch at North Italia at the mall, the most popular treat being the White Truffle Garlic Bread with Whipped Ricotta pictured below ($18.50!). Above is Kenzie, the first of the friends to arrive. Later would come Isaias, Izayah (The Boyfriend), and Sierra. I hope to get a picture next time!
(But first I had a morning coffee and breakfast burrito with Susie! It was a tasty day.)
Rome is celebrating one year clean from self-harm.
YAY CONGRATULATIONS
Let’s Eat Cake!
.
(ps Of COURSE I asked Rome if using the picture was ok and what they would like me to say!)
Going for a walk, above is a back patio of a little cafe I’d never been to before. It was very nice and I’d go again.
Below is Happy Birthday Becky where we all enjoyed Alicia’s famous Fabulous Fresh Peach Pie.
Windy got us tickets to see the Kentwood Players’ production of She Kills Monsters. It was fun!
Above is Windy’s newest passion – the autoharp. She is quite obsessed and even went to Seattle to see an old guy play. First she went to Portland to hook up with Cali and Andre, and Cali drove them both up to Seattle. What a good time they had!
Our Charis about to bring a new family member into the world, and a new snuggle bunny for me!
My new tenant Sophie and her boyfriend Mike who is heading back to Tuscon today.
Rome drove us to lunch!
There’s a nest in the kumquat tree and this bird has been aggressively guarding it, even dive-bombing my Head.
More nature. Oh no.
I should be turning the corner on my hardest week yet, August 2-8, the 17th week since starting treatment. I’m sure it was a combination of circumstances. I got home from Kansas on Saturday feeling another uti coming on but since I had an appointment on Monday for the second infusion and a blood draw, and it was the weekend, I decided to let it go until then.
So Monday I got the infusion and left blood and urine. By Tuesday afternoon there were no results from the tests and I was running a low-grade fever, so I went back to the oncology office. Oh, they forgot to send off the urine and it was too old now, and the blood had curdled, or some such thing, making it unusable. So I left another urine sample and went straight to the lab for them to draw blood again.
The rest of the story is a couple days of more of the same, too tiresome to write, but finally by Friday everyone was ‘on the same page’ as they say.
The circumstances I’d been working through include – tired from the journey home, tired from the side effects of the infusion, tired from carrying an untreated uti, tired from running a fever, and tired from trying to get this all straightened out. On top of which I had an appointment with my GP, an appointment with my PT, lunch dates, and the Hollywood Bowl, all in four days. And for heaven’s sake, both my tenants have situations that require my attention.
My body feels quiet now and I’m expecting the New Normal for the next several weeks and am hopeful that the excellent and cancer-experienced PT will result in measurable improvement. That’s what we want.
I must not forget, do not make any plans for at least three days after the next infusion which isn’t until November. Get the infusion, go to bed. Before that though, in the last week of September I get to have a PET scan again to figure if this is a successful treatment plan. That’ll be exciting!
This was a killer concert at the Hollywood Bowl, just killer. One of those overwhelming experiences that makes you gasp and melt and feel grateful for life. I’m going to copy the program here.
“With his First Symphony, “Titan,” Gustav Mahler set down an audacious artistic statement. From its early echoes of nature and birdsong to the heaven-storming finale, it contemplates life and death, tragedy and triumph over one exhilarating ride. In the fall of 2009, Gustavo Dudamel also made his own audacious statement in his debut as Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducting a monumental performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. He comes full circle, revisiting this cherished work.
“The stunning Vilde Frang joins in the first half for Korngold’s sublimely cinematic Violin Concerto. A child prodigy, the 9-year-old Erich Korngold was deemed a “musical genius” by Mahler in 1906. Nearly four decades later, Korngold, living in Los Angeles as a successful composer of Golden-Age Hollywood scores, would dedicate his achingly beautiful Violin Concerto to Gustav’s widow, Alma.”
(Dudamel wasn’t there btw, Leonard Slatkin was conducting.)
Marsha asked our neighbors if they knew why the flag was at half-mast and one of them replied “our democracy?”. Yes friends, our democracy.
Marsha called the office a few days before the show and asked if there was an upgrade available. There was, and we got to move down a section for about $20. What a deal. We hoped we wouldn’t like it, that we would like our regular section better. Nope, this was better.
It was a particularly easy-to-like program. Leonard’s son Daniel’s piece had blockbuster cinematic flare, a favorite, the concertmaster Martin Chalifour was delightful, and The Planets was a joy. Burt and his family was there too.
Marsha’s selfie.
On July 15 I wrote about how, in the previous two days, three new ‘situations’ involving three different medical professions had presented themselves. There was 1) 3 weeks of pain in my “cancer arm” requiring a CT scan and an ultrasound 2) red blood cells in my urine requiring a cystoscopy and 3) the dentist popped off a crown while cleaning my teeth.
I am so very pleased to be able to report that as of today all three ‘situations’ proved to be benign and everything related to these three ‘situations’ is resolved. What a relief!
(p.s. if you can avoid getting a cystoscopy I would recommend it…)
And a massage! Betsy, our family physical therapist, gave me a most welcome full on neck and shoulder massage. What a treat! Then we went to The Huntington where I got another treat of a tasty dinner at the restaurant there. And then we walked. I’ve been saying that I can do anything I want, but that’s not entirely true in that I walked 5k steps with only a few minutes break, not too bad, but not enough. 5k steps doesn’t get you far at The Huntington!
I’m still carrying my camera as well as the phone so I can try for the occasional bird.
I thought they put up the rainbow steps just for Pride Month in June but here it is July and the steps shine on as well as the photography exhibit called Queer Lens and $3 Bill: Evidence of Queer Lives. Queer Lens and $3 Bill are going to be up until late September.
Welcome to the Getty Center.
Interestingly, all the building materials are basically the same color and the differences we see are all about the lighting.
The photography exhibit was very good, mostly portraits and scenes of family life.
Shadows of the setting sun.
Look at the AWEsome picnic Lill brought! We sat here for a long time, eating and watching people and the setting sun.
I’ve always called this guy “Mr Stuck Bug” (he’s been here since 2000, exhibited in 2 or 3 different venues). Notice the door in the lower right to get an idea of the scale. What google has to say: “John Baldessari’s “Specimen (After Durer)” features a giant enlargement of Albrecht Durer’s famous “Stag Beetle” drawing, mounted on the wall with a large metal T-pin. Baldessari’s work reimagines Dürer’s original drawing by scaling it up and adding the oversized pin, creating a striking visual impact.” You can look down on him from one of the balconies in the Entrance Hall.
Our de rigueur outing reflect-o. This one, on the tram, was Lill’s clever idea!
Liz, Gary, Lilly, Rome
And below is Rome showing us their Paris trip diary, which is a joy, and Lilly with her friend Kalyn.
Lilly and I tried out a new ramen place where they had two different kinds of vegetarian ramen, and all my favorite condiments without asking. We liked it and look forward to taking Rome soon.
I put this picture here to remind me of all the fun I’ve had over the years going shopping with the kids.
A plant along 22nd Street representing my seemingly daily walk to various medical appointments. So far so good🤗
.
My cancer arm, charting all the ins and outs, red blood cells in my urine, and the last straw, while cleaning my teeth the dentist popped off a crown.
.
Since I wrote last, I’ve still been splashing around in pee-world. Remember the three courses of antibiotics it took to clear a UTI? Added to the medications to stave off UTIs, recently the urologist had me measuring my pee and keeping a log of when and how much I peed and when and how much fluid I drank. It’s annoying, but interesting since I would have guessed wrong on every metric.
What is much more annoying is that my last urine test pointed up too many red blood cells, not enough to see with your eyes but enough to warrant a cystoscopy since red blood cells in urine can be an indication of bladder cancer. And when can the urologist do this test? In three weeks. The PA says three weeks out isn’t bad to schedule a procedure, but I just kept calling around and got an appointment at Cedars instead of St John’s for one week out which is a major relief, having the test before I go to Kansas.
I found out about the cystoscopy while I was waiting to see the oncology PA because my ‘cancer arm’, the one with lymph node involvement, has been bothering me. He feels 99.9% sure it’s muscular, from when I tried to get back to exercising with weights, but under the circumstances of me being anxious about it I think, he wants me to get this “93971 (CPT®) – PR DUP-SCAN XTR VEINS UNILATERAL/LIMITED STUDY” and this “71250 (CPT®) – CHG DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY THORAX W/O CNTRST”, tests I was able to schedule for the 17th.
All this happened yesterday. And then could it be over? No it could not be over. I went to the dentist today and while cleaning my teeth with the pointy tool he popped off a crown. Bam. I’m hypersensitive about getting infections, so I’ll be back to the dentist tomorrow, but a different one because this one didn’t handle the situation very well.
I’m writing this having calmed myself, mostly because why not, nothing to be gained by feeling anxious, say I to me, deep breaths.
I’m enamored of this walk and thanks to my friends who will go with me, and walk slowly as I am so very very slow these days. But I get to start physical therapy in August and I’m very excited for that!
Anya’s in town for a while so Lucas and Anya came to Windy’s as did Angela, Rome, and Lilly, as did I, and we had a delightful time.
On the right is a puzzle that no one could do, and on the left is a charm from the bead store where Rome and I stopped off to browse.
Here’s one of many. With one click Photoshop will apply its “Distraction Removal” to Reflections. A lot of times I like the reflections but this is a crazy touch of one-click-magic alright.
Dean, Celina, Sam, Steven, Gideon
I had a lovely overnight with Steve and Celina. We had dinner at a Chinese place, entirely full, we being the only white people there. It was fun, lots of things we’d never had before. Then in the morning we met up with Gideon, Sam, and Dean for brunch at a local airport restaurant. Thanks guys for coming out!
.
Here are some pictures of Celina in her community garden plot overflowing with yummy groceries warm from the vine.
From LAist: “After traveling more than 5,000 miles across the United States, the Great Elephant Migration is ending its journey in Beverly Hills.
“The 100 elephant sculptures — signifying a peaceful coexistence between animals and humans — were hauled in on pickup trucks along Santa Monica Boulevard. The last three elephants crossed a ceremonial finish line outside the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Friday.
“The project is intended to inspire others to care more for nature.
““It’s meant to show communities in the U.S. what it’s like to live with wildlife, how to coexist with it, in a way where we are able to have a relationship, as opposed to seeing it as something distant,” said Feh Tarty, chairperson of Elephant Family USA, the nonprofit behind the exhibit. “We want people to start to think of the wildlife in their own communities and have a different perspective on what is their purpose here.””
Ben and Bonnie met me there and we enjoyed a nice visit and some breakfast.
Everything in Jo Ann’s house is an art project.
And thanks to everyone who has joined me for lunch in recent days and I didn’t take a picture. I am grateful:)
Happy Birthday to me and Ann! I’m going to write the sentiments from my cards this year:
.
Some People take Birthdays very seriously but not ME … I think the fact that you’re another year older is funny as hell. (Maxine)
Happy 29th Birthday … from your 110 lb. friend. (Ann)
You have a better chance of seeing Pigs Fly … than getting money in this card. (Becky)
You’re more than a friend … today you’re a friend with cake! (Marija)
Getting old is Awesome … said no one ever. (Alicia)
Birthday Tip #811 After extensive research, we have a recommendation to enhance your birthday celebration … Avoid scheduling procedures that end in “oscopy” or “ectomy”. (Maxine)
Oh, wow. Like, happy birthday, man. … Thought you’d like a little weed on your birthday. (Marsha)
On your birthday I’m wishing you peace, love, and happiness. … In other words, good wine, great food, and more good wine. (Ljubica)
Burt and Char came out from Simi, and Terry and Arlene came out from Thousand Oaks. Thanks you guys for making the drive! Fortunately the weather was cool and fresh, and BCT&A were happy. We had a tasty and oh-so-comfortable brunch at The Cloverfield in the old Santa Monica airport and then we enjoyed an easy stroll and a cool visit to the Museum of Flying.
There was a big event going on across the street but it’s just as well I missed it since it was airplane hangers full of food, all sorts of restaurants showing off their cuisines.
Jo Ann had a lovely packed-to-the-rafters opening for a new show at Rose Gallery and the publication of her latest book, Dish Tricks.
.
And then later in the afternoon it was time for Tony and Lill’s annual Nordic Summer Solstice, also called Midsummer, also spelled midsommar in Swedish.
LACMA is having previews of the new building before any art installations and I really wanted to see that. It’ll never look like this again, and the way it looks now, one can only wonder how is this going to work?! Concrete walls, ceilings, floors, and sooo much glass. Let’s see how ‘they’ do it!
For three nights as well as a preview of the building, they had a mind-boggling concert of a piece by Kamasi Washington and 100+ musicians in 9 ensembles spread throughout the one large undulating space of concrete and glass, all playing, amplified, at the same time. At the same time, and not together, oh no, it was LOUD, so So Very Loud.
Rick and Jim met me and we experienced this event together. Here are some pictures:
Below find 3 of the 9 ensembles that included a large choir without a picture.
A view to the La Brea Tar Pits.
The Japanese Pavilion stays the same and is reflected below.
There were many interior spaces done up for a handball court.
.
And what’s a visit to LACMA without a swing by Levitated Mass.
Lucky Penny, it’s a real store!
Rome will be leaving Saturday for 10 days in Paris with a school group. Aubrie will be leaving at the end of summer for college in New York New York, and Lilly got a 4.1+ gpa. Let’s Celebrate!
We met up in Long Beach for lunch and a stroll and then Aubrie went to work and the rest of us went back to Redondo Beach to make dinner. What a treat!
Rome’s pictures from lunch and the sweet bookstore we enjoyed.
Where we bought a yummy baguette and French cheese.
More from outside the cheese shop and the bookstore. Roller skates in the bookstore? I probably have that wrong…
Lilly’s pictures of some of our food.
A cool plant store along the way.
Black faux-leather purses belonging to Aubrie, Rome, and Lilly, in that order. I think it ‘just happened’ unplanned!
(from their website)
On the Santa Monica beach, I always enjoy spending time here and especially with kind and generous, beautiful friends. Thank you!
Ken came out to Santa Monica in his new (to him) car. It is so perfectly Ken, I’m very happy for him. We had a nice afternoon walk in Palisades Park and a fun and tasty Happy Hour at Michael’s. I took the picture below of Ken and his car in a parking garage so I stuck it here at the pier. I’m quite sure AI would do a much better job!
Not me, I didn’t clean, Cecilia cleaned! Both my sisters are out of town so I got the family housekeeper for a day and what a treat that is. I spent the whole afternoon at the Korean Spa and came home to a house were every room was clean at the same time. 78 is mighty great. (In honor of my mother, I say this.)
Lilly’s theater group had their end-of-year banquet and everyone wore outfits inspired by a theatrical production. Isn’t Lilly’s great! I stopped by on the way home from Long Beach so we could enjoy our favorite treat, Yogurtland!
Finally, a visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific, a place I haven’t been to in so long I remembered nothing.
There is a very large enclosure with maybe 100 of these lorikeets. For $5 you can buy a cup of some liquid that they love and I assume is good for them?
Puffins!
This Monday we were at Ann’s and she made a cheesecake. It’s surprising we’re not featured on True Crime because it was To Die For.
But I didn’t take any pictures so here’s a picture from some other Monday when I picked up Marija to take her to wherever it was we were meeting. She had four of her five grandsons over! I got to hang out for a while with them and I had the best time. They all participated equally and I heard about the books they were reading, what they were looking forward to for summer, their most favorite and least favorite classes, and more – it was DeeeeLightful.
And btw, some years ago I taught Marija how to make grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (dead simple…grill peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) in case the boys would like it because every kid I ever made it for liked it…and now she has to make grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every time they’re over!
Rome, Liz, Lilly, me, Darryl, Angela, Gary
We met up in Riverside for brunch, a stroll around the Mission Inn, and a visit to the Cheech Marin Museum of Chicano Art & Culture. What a treat!
It might be worth going down there just to see this work. “Einar and Jamex De La Torre’s two-story lenticular installation projects an animated image of the burly Aztec Earth goddess Coatlicue, who shape-shifts into a transformer-like machine made out of lowrider Chevy Impalas. Credit…Carlos Jaramillo for The New York Times”
.
Arrest of the Paleteros, Frank Romero, 1996.
It’s a picture of the paleteros (ice-cream vendors) being arrested in Echo Park for not having vendor permits.
It was a beautiful day, a sunny, breezy, 70 degrees. There were thousands of participants, and once the mostly ignored program was finished, wherever you stood crowds were passing in both directions with the signs we have come to expect. The experience reminded me of a hug and a pat on the head “it’s ok honey, you’re going to be fine…” which certainly felt good at the time.
Susie took us for a Happy Birthday Me outing today and it was right up our alley. The calligraphy exhibit at LACMA was fantastic. The show was called Line, Form, Qi: Calligraphic Art from the Fondation INK Collection and was mostly highlighting classic and modern interpretations of kanji. Susie used to do wonderful calligraphy and I hold a deep fondness for kanji so we were both very happy.
In another exhibit, these fabrics are hand-dyed in Nigeria and now I want to go to Nigeria.
Can’t leave without a little hit of Levitated Mass.
And then a yummy lunch at a place I’d never been, Granville in West Hollywood.
.
Who is following Jackie and Shadow and Sunny and Gizmo? Everyone! And Check This OUT, Susie Named Sunny!! WOW!!!
Adam Melchor is one of Aubrie’s favorite entertainers and (a while ago!) they went to see him at the Troubadour. His style is Indie Folk, the Troubadour holding true to its deepest roots.
