’06 October

October 7

Click here for Seattle! f.u.n. where I spent the last of September and the beginning of October.

October 30

Since Ruth’s birthday is in fact on Halloween night she always gets Maxine’s Halloween extravaganza for her birthday. BOO!

October 28 and 29

I’m out with the cousins again and this time we buzzed up to Santa Barbara for a quick overnighter.

We stopped in at our Motel 6 to drop off our stuff and to scarf on the picnic Sharon brought.

Then we went to the Santa Barbara Zoo which was totally delightful. This is maybe as good as a zoo could get. The enclosures are wonderfully done and the setting is quite gorgeous.

We saw this! It was our favorite thing! I stole the photo off the internet, but it looked just like this, really!

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After the zoo we went to the Santa Barbara Museum. It was also a pretty small-scale operation. I don’t think they are in possession of The Great Works but they do a nice job presenting what they do have.

I especially liked a section they did of nudes with statues and many styles of work on paper all collected against one wall. I don’t think you could face that wall and not smile.

Sunset from the pier where we enjoyed a lovely cocktail hour. So nice, after which we stuffed ourselves beyond all reason at La Super Rica, with freshly made tortillas and huge quantities of goopy cheese dripping off every dish.

Then a little tv and nighty-night.

Good Morning! It’s the 29th here at the Motel 6. Maybe you can buy this bedspread on the internet? It’s a classic.

We had breakfast at Sambo’s and then walked over to the Sunday morning war memorial put up by volunteers every week.

The art show along the highway was on and the skate park was active. What a location. Wow on Santa Barbara.

We buzzed by the Mission and then visited the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.

This willow house has been up for about a year and a half now and is a featured highlight of any visit. It looks like just a shell from a distance but is actually made of many connecting rooms.

We tried to take a tour but the guide was so wigged out we were worried for her well being and decided to move on, leaving her with a smaller group.

Sharon’s picture of me, in the willow window.

sp.

The walks through the Botanical Gardens are easy-easy and very lovely.

We had lunch on State Street where it was a Halloween Happening, the streets filled with dressed-up kids and all the merchants offering treats to the trick or treaters (and me, who ate a goodly share of peanut butter cups and Baby Ruths.)

I bought a pair of pants and some flips! Then we drove home, and a grand time was had by all.

October 27

What a great day! Lastly I went with Ben and Bonnie and Jeanne to their temple for Friday night services and then we went out to dinner.

They were all very surprised by the service since it was packed with rare events – a baby naming ceremony, a naming ceremony for an 8 year old who had not previously received his Jewish name, and then rarest of all there was a double conversion ceremony.

At lunchtime I met old work friends at a Beverly Hills Italian place I always enjoyed and hadn’t been to in two years.

And early in the morning…

Gymboree! If you’re thinking to yourself ‘ahh so cute, hmm, I wonder if there are ten thousand more pictures of those adorable children?’ the answer would be, why, yes, there are.

We were all taking pictures because I got plenty of deeelightful turns with Rome – d=Darryl, a=Angela.

Angela in her Halloween orange socks and Rome in her turtle costume. (ps Rome was totally not crazy about the goggly eyed hood so I didn’t get a shot with the full effect.)

Rome, early in the morning at Gymboree. Oh man, her eyes are Blue.

a.

It’s Gymboree! Here come Rome and her friend Nora and all the other kidlets. You can see the guy in the back dressed up like a McShake who is leading the group with his own toddler-sized doll.

There’s a lot of free play and also two or three times they gather for some quick and lively activities. Fun for sure! Since it was Halloween-costume-day many adults showed up for the fabulous PhotoPhoto op.

Oh these costumes.

Bubble Time at Gymboree! We had two of the cutest ever Minnie Mouse girls.

d.

More.

More.

d/a?

Rome and Nora and their Grandmothers! Are we a couple of lucky gals or what.

d.

October 26

My next door neighbor. And you had trouble with your kitchen remodel? She has been at this construction project for more than a year.

Last month she fired her general contractor and hired another one. And the first thing the new crowd is doing? Un-installing the windows and doors. I don’t know what else will be undone. Pity! The new contractor said she’d be moved in by mid-March. The Ides of March. We’ll see. I hope so.

October 24

We finally got to celebrate Bill’s birthday. Week after week after week one of us was always out of town.

It was a great party. For a few hours we just laughed our heads off. Our little waitress-cutie was so into the ‘Birthday’ Game we voted to include her in the pictures.

October 22

An evening out at the Adventurers Club gala. This is a men only group who once every few months have a Ladies Night at their weekly meetings. This is the once-a-year Big Event. I got all dressed up in my cruise-wear finery and it was a kick in the pants for sure. It was actually both fun and interesting.

Here’s Margaret who invited me and Steve who invited her and who treated us both.

I’ll add photos of the event tomorrow but I had to get these two done Becaaause…

…O!M!G! it’s my old friend Yosh! And his new wife Ledonna! It’s been maybe 6 years since I’ve seen Yosh (who became Yosh 15 or so years ago prior to which he went by a different name.) Wow.

Ledonna is part of a women’s group of adventure travelers and she just got back from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Really. Yosh didn’t go.

The invitation specified the dress code as black-tie, military uniform, or ethnic costumes for gentlemen (cocktail dresses for the ladies.) That Masai warrior knocking back a Heineken cracked me up.

They carry their flag on their Big Adventures and then bring the flag back for hanging at the clubhouse. I don’t know what makes an adventure big enough to warrant a flag but maybe it’s just a personal thing.

The program was really very entertaining. There was a speaker from JPL talking about comets (an enthusiastic professional), a guy from Lockheed-Martin talking about testing jets (not too well prepared but the crowd loved the topic), a woman who had done a survey of all the statues on Easter Island (knowledgeable presentation but a little flat on the charisma scale), and a guy who talked about Polynesian sailing (had done his slideshow many a time). It was good. I’d go again.

October 22

Here we are, lunch at Mel’s Diner. Rome was happy enough with her lunch but what she reeeeally wanted was to play with her down-the-bench neighbor. So neighbor, thanks for the good cheer. Here they are doing that cute-as-pie Sistine Chapel thing. Awww.

(t-J, f-W, s-S-S-M)

October 18

‘MMmmmm that hand tastes gooood.

October 17

Trevor and Beth and the kids were in Europe visiting friends in Belgium and Lucas and Betsy in Germany. On coming home they were delayed in London for a day due to fog which brought them to LA just in time for all the flights to Honolulu to be cancelled due to the earthquake.

So, much to the delight of my sister and brother-in-law, they got to have the family around for a couple days until they could get another flight. And then that flight was delayed. Can you imagine? Five people keeping up good spirits spending 4 days trying to get home!

We are here making the Mommy-Motion. She is the center of the universe and we merely rotate in her orbit.

October 15

Nancy Artz made a delightful Autumn brunch in celebration of one entire smoke-free month. Hurray for Nancy! Clapping and Cheers!

From the top: me, Nancy D, Sharon, Sandy, Lisa, Nancy A.

October 11

Tomorrow I leave, and if because of connection issues I can’t get Sequoia pictures posted I’ll be very sorry!

Today is Rome day! Hi Sweetie!! Let’s get cleaned-up and refreshed from nap-time…

Rome is a real snuggle bear these days and two of her particular favorites are the frog princess, and Raggedy Ann from Roger and Sandy.

Hug hug kiss kiss. She hugs her people too and that’s enough to take out your knees.

Is this not a purposeful expression and posture. She is about to issue an important proclamation. We will accept.

ps That little guitar plays tunes from Sesame Street. Ohhh Mannn. I got to watch Seasame Street again. I am far too lucky.

There’s a small tasty cookie in her hand. And whatever she has to eat she always shares equally with xo.

Hi dear heart!

October 9

From Angela. Oh Yeah! I’ll catch a few dozen pictures on Wednesday so we can all have a catch-up on Rome’s very very soon to be toddling self.

(For the book: s&n, mvv etc., vgirls, a&c, mom, w)

a.

October 8

What’s next? Sequoia on Thursday! So until then I should get busy and unpack from Seattle, get the mail, take out the trash, see my mom and Rome, and etc and etc. To start I should probably get up and get dressed.

from www.NPS.com ‘Moon over Moro Rock.’

Following are 3 random shots of Lona and Hartley’s Six Little Houses in Venice just off Abbot Kinney.

This yellow one will be vacant in a few days so I did up an ad for them on Craigslist. The flood of applicants convinced them they had gone waaay to low on the rent.

Built in 1914. Phew.

They’ve kept the houses the same colors as when they bought them. It took months of serious work and money to get them all spiffed up to L&H standards but it turned out to be a great investment.

Lona and Hartley are much better landlords than I am. They want their tenants to tell them any house problem so they can fix it properly. I hope my two lovely ladies will just deal.