’08 February

The kids grew up in the San Fernando Valley and for the last more than twenty years this group of women, originally having daughters in the same class as Cynthia but expanding high and wide, have met on Monday nights for a potluck dinner and gabfest.

Even though I’ve moved over-the-hill to Santa Monica I still try and get back for Monday Night whenever possible. Once a year they all come out west to celebrate my birthday! Here they are at a very fun birthday party.

December 2006

more February 23

It’s Cynthia’s birthday tomorrow and tonight we had f.u.n. We went out to dinner and then saw The Merry Wives of Windsor at The Topanga Globe Theater in Topanga Canyon. The theater is newly opened and it was Great – a sweet intimate venue and the play was very well performed. Really, fun!

Then Cynthia slept over on my floor and we got to have breakfast together. Oh yeah, lucky lucky me.

February 18/from February 16

Click here for PAR-Teee

February 29

Nancy and I walked up to Inspiration Point today. It was a beautiful California February day – warm but cool enough, bright and blue.

Down by the Will Rogers house and parking area, a dog walker Walkin’.

Check out the thickness of those leashes, and all the poop bags in his pockets!

February 27

Brigitte and I hiked ourselves up to Escondido Falls today. Because of the recent rains the water was just pouring down.

Brigitte was a gazelle, leaping as she did from stone to stone during our many fordings of the stream. I on the other hand took off my shoes and oh so carefully slogged right through. You know my motto – No Falling.

Another one.

We just had to do Something to take advantage of these flowers. Thanks Brigitte!

February 24

Yes, Les is sixty, out in LA with Elizabeth to celebrate the occasion with pals from his Youth. Ole!

Lynn, Ben, Bonnie, Les, Bob, Frank Perelman, Renee Engel, and Harvey Myman

Richard, Carl, Lynn, Bonnie, Susie, Ken.

David Axelrod and Raelynn and Steve Gross and Zaide.

Ben, Bob, Richard, Richard, Emilia, Bonnie, Elizabeth, Steve Youra, Irene Clark, Aimee

February 23

Moving Day for Darryl and Angela! Darryl and Jed did all the heavy lifting. Whoo.

Rome and Nora hooting it up.

Cushions are back! Let’s climb! So so so cute. You can not help yourself. You will say awwww.

It’s Cynthia’s birthday tomorrow and Gary’s birthday yesterday. Darryl and Angela got them each their favorite cake. Hurray!! Happy Birthday!

Too funny here! You go Gary.

February 21

I just read Blood and Thunder by Hampton Sides, subtitled “The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West”.

It was quite informative and well-constructed and I’ll forget it all so very soon. Like John K Polk. Go ahead, ask me about Polk…quick though.

I really really wish I had read this book before I did that big road trip into the American Southwest where it all took place, including Santa Fe, Taos, and the prominently featured (click here to see the pictures…) Canyon de Chelly.

February 19

For Little Miss Sticker Girl there can not be too many stickers. When I was on the phone for a few minutes she stickered up my b*tt.

February 18

Marija and Ljubica’s birthday celebration for which Marsha made a lovely party. Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to YOUs!

tvv.

February 17

Brigitte was johnny-on-the-spot to get us free tickets on opening weekend to see the new BCAM at LACMA.

The entry is very cool. It’s all these street lamps that light up at night and not one person could walk by without engaging – walking around one of the posts, posing for a picture, chasing the kids. I like it.

Wow, such controversy. I can see the pluses from Eli’s point of view, and the minuses from lacma’s point of view, and I don’t have much of a point of view Except I’m going to write to our Eli and Edythe Broad.

Dear Eli and Edythe Broad,

Sincerely,

I suspect this was an opening weekend extravaganza. There were stilt walkers and music too.

Thanks so much for the brunch, the tickets, the ride, the visit and etc and etc. It was great!

Across the street neighbor Lill, Knut, Brigitte.

Here’s a collage of a few of Brigitte’s shots. You’ll want to go check out the scene at BCAM very soon!

bb.

February 13

Book ’em, Danno!

I’m in a very bizarre phase these days since I discovered tv on the computer. Sooo much tv. In the last few days I’ve watched hours of the first season, 1968, of Hawaii Five-O. On the computer there are less than half as many commercials as on the broadcasts too., Hmm, I wonder if those writers are going to get residuals on my viewing…

It’s a good show, really. And especially entertaining for the very early and often awkward attempts at political correctness. I respect the effort.

February 12

She be stylin’ in her new shades.

The family is moving into another unit in the same complex, this one having three bedrooms. I got to take a tour and it’s going to be great!

February 11

Happy Birthday Alicia! She wears the crown so regally…

February 10

It’s my own nephew Texas Travis Black and his own brand new Baby Jack Weston, takin’ a snooze. Aren’t your eyes getting all scratchy and red and aren’t you suppressing a yawn?

lb

February 9

This place is just a few blocks from my house, on the corner of 26th and California. Sharon and I went walking here on a little field trip to take some pics.

A man was sitting on the patio putting on his shoes so we had a little chat of course. Com’on up he said, no problem. His parents, who still live here, did all this Themselves and welcome photos.

The entire outside of their home, even through the alley and around into the back yard, is Entirely Covered with these amazing mosaics.

The large piece here says ‘Light up your work with love.’ Isn’t that wonderful!

February 8

Bob came down for a few days and we met up with Richard and Emilia for dinner at Ciudad downtown. It was fantastic, really. The food was delicious, the setting was aces, great company, and…

…great live music. I totally enjoyed these guys. They were playing, among other things, both Gypsy Kings and Buena Vista Social Club. A world of Latin Music. The volume was exactly right too. How can that Be?!

Then we did a nice amble through some of downtown, groaning from the weight of the astounding quantity of food consumed.

We stood around at the Biltmore for a few minutes to hear these guys playing – very nice rhythms and a waay big (b.i.g.) sound.

It’s the next day around 2pm now and I’m still digesting.

February 6

I haven’t seen Michael for more than 20-25 years, I don’t remember how long, but we’ve kept in e-touch all this time, and he recently sent this picture.

It’s called ‘Laissez les bons temps rouler!’ and it cracks me up.

(ls)

February 5

I’m sitting here listening to the election returns and messing around with Courtney’s pictures from her recent trip to Africa(!). She was doing some volunteer work in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania, in a village called Bambi. SOO Exotic.

Here is the children’s school and volunteer living area, with Courtney’s bedroom and her roommates, and some students in the background. I think in this same building is the dining hall and the other bedrooms too.

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Work!

The volunteers are filling in the floor of some foundation walls of what they hope will be a vocational center. Courtney’s comments about the work: HotHotHot and HARD.

The gang is resting under a giant mango tree. And on the right side of the picture…the shower room=a bucket with a hole in the floor…the toilet=just the hole.

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Play!

There were weekend trips to the beach and a soccer game of volunteers against the local team. Courtney’s comments about the soccer game: here are the teams before they kicked our *ss.

That’s Colm, Mr Ireland sitting in the sun in his bare-*ss-white-boy skin. He got cooked. He looks like such an appealing guy too, but pleeeze, Colm, where is your Common Sense?!? Think of your Mother?!?

The group of volunteers was incredibly international. Almost like the program won’t take more than two from any one country. Courtney and a guy from Canada were the only North Americans.

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Hail Hail the Gang’s All Here! What a FanTAStic experience. There she is near the bottom, in the blue top and white skirt. Hurray Courtney! Good for You!!

(cr)

February 3

I went with Ken to the Granada Hills Pavilion Saturday Night Dance where we tried to raise from the dead the West Coast Swing we learned together about 8 years ago and hadn’t done since.

It was Mighty big fun. Live music, and a huge floor full of dancers, and we were Not the oldest (nor the youngest I should add). Mighty big fun.

February 2

I snagged all these individual shots off Emily’s KodakGallery, Emily being the mother of Zoe and a great source of playgroup parties and photos. (I did crop and assemble and etc – the originals are big and pretty!)

What we’ve got here is Ballet Class for 2 year olds. Fun! top: Rome, Marquez, Zoe. bottom: Ellie, Nora

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Oh you Rome, what a charmer! Plié! Relevé!

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Zoe and Ellie Big Hugs. Nice toe pointing Zoe.

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February 1

What have I been doing the last few days? Looove that walkin’ on the boardwalk…

…and then there were the 12 consecutive episodes of ‘entourage’ that I watched on my computer. That should do it. Ask me anything.

I’m almost through the New Yorkers, and I played the ukulele several times each day. Now my wrist is killing me so I better be checking with a teacher to see what I’m doing wrong. I did a very little bit of Japanese.

I did a few batches of kitchen sink laundry, and Sharon took me shopping at my favorite favorite clothes store Eileen Fisher (that’s the stylin’ Eileen with the gray hair!) where I got a top and a pair of pants at Seventy Five Percent Off! meaning I spent only a small fortune instead of a huge one. And not to forget yakking on the phone.

Lovely.