’09 July

July 29

Brigitte and I went to Forest Lawn today to check out the art. It was pretty cool and didn’t seem quite as goofy as I remember from back in the days of The Loved One when I was soo much younger.

Maybe not quite as goofy, but still seriously unique with copies of classic works (Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” recreated giant, in stained glass; Michelangelo’s David big as ever he was; many many others), a really decent museum, many original pieces, and it’s all Free for your viewing enjoyment.

This is one of the originals…

…as is this.

You can find list after list of the celebrities buried here but I can’t find a website to tell me about the statuary! I was assuming I’d just find everything online and didn’t take any brochures. The brochures didn’t look so informative either! Hmmm.

I have to go back anyway because I’ve started a chapter of these pictures (oh yes, I’ve got more) but it isn’t enough to tell a whole story yet. Here’s a peek at more Forest Lawn.

Surely there’ll be more to come!

I’ve only put a couple picutres here. You can click on this link to see more of the photos from the Self-Realization Center.

July 24

Today was a great time with Burt and Charlene. Our outing just fell right into place.

First, a stroll along the lake at the Self-Realization Center.

July 31

My little sister came over for lunch today and we talked about this picture. An old friend of hers from the olden days sent it.

My little sister in her late teens, in the late sixties, deep into The Tribe!

??

And then I went to a movie and dinner with Nancy A.

She took this picture of the truck loads of stuff she is passing along. Truck loads I tell you. The garage is empty! All items not destined for NYNY are assigned a new owner! The time is neigh!

na.

July 30

I went over to Nancy A’s for a nice lunch out and to admire all the progress she has made on her moving project. Oh yea, NYNY, it’s a hell of a town!

July 26

I went with Nancy D on one of her new favorite walks on a great trail, steep I might add, along a crest of Mulholland Drive. But it was H.O.T. and we turned back before getting the full benefit.

Then we ate at a vegan restaurant in Santa Monica that was dang tasty. They can make Anything out of tofu.

July 25

Darryl’s band Melic Sub Rosa, Rockin’ OUT. It was a lot of fun!

You can use this link to get to their facebook site and click around in there to hear some music: Melic Sub Rosa.

The Getty Villa!

The rest of the pictures are added into my collection of photos from the Getty Villa.

We had a virtually private Orientation Tour. Burt and Charlene had not been before so it’s always good to get the tour.

Endlessly entertaining. Thanks Burt!

bw.

July 23

It’s playgroup day at Angela’s and I got to go! We had four of the New Kids, siblings of Rome’s friends.

The Twins! It’s so cool when the twins come because I can hold a baby Whenever I Want! Sure!! Katie says, Take One!!

Here’s Kayla’s little sister Myah. Hi sweetie…We had some fun!

JoJo! JoJo is Sydne’s brother and the oldest of the second flight, I think. He’s old enough now to act like he kind’a recognizes me anyway.

July 21

Tuesday – Rome! After dinner, when it’s shady out back Rome can enjoy her swimming pool. Take special note of the Chalk Stonehenge she created.

What a charmer!

Here we are practicing looking through one eye. I was taking these pictures with hardly any idea what I was seeing because the ^%#$@*!^ cataract in my right eye is getting seriously b.a.d. and driving me seriously N.U.T.S.

But still it’s not bad enough to qualify for surgery. You have to be prevented from doing your necessary duties (like driving) for the insurance companies to approve surgery and why do you have to wait until you can’t see? Then start the process of getting it off? Oh well. You know.

Then I decided to close my right eye and look through the camera with my left. OMG! It was that old Night-And-Day thing. Now I’m wondering if I can train myself to use my left eye on the camera and if that is even a good idea. We’ll see.

July 20

Chores today, all piled up and all done now! I just walk down Wilshire and acomplish one block after another – drug store, Staples, bank, camera store, post office, market, and then the Beach!

Late this afternoon I attended a memorial for a friend’s mother who died very unexpectedly. She was perfectly fine, she had plans, then she fell down the stairs and died. One of the speakers noted an old Yiddish expression: ‘Man plans, God laughs’. Oh that God, what a kidder.

July 19

Whooo, what a TREAT! Ben and Bonnie’s friends couldn’t use their tickets to the American Ballet Theater’s Romeo and Juliet and I Got to Go!

It’s an amazing marvelous thing, these big productions of ballet, opera, and the like. Such passion, hundreds of people having devoted their lives to bring themselves up to this standard of performance.

Especially the dancers, who are in a separate class. They are literally starving themselves, crippling themselves, suffering pain every day, to rise to the demands of classical ballet. On the one hand I’m ambivalent about encouraging such a sacrifice and on the other hand what they do, when it’s good, it’s breathtakingly gorgeous.

July 17

Goodness, I’ve missed photos from a big Monday Night, a lovely afternoon with Brigitte, a packing day with Lucas and Betsy, a week of work on the back cottage for the new tenant, what else… because I’ve been obsessed with A Very Senior Year Abroad! THANKS D!

July 15

And ANOTHER birthday celebration in the middle of July. Wow. Tooo much fun.

July 14

Happy Birthday to ME! I got a dinner out, Yummy Birthday Mix pickles AND some hand painted Hello Kitty AND a card with my picture on it.

Yes, that’s ME as drawn by Rome. Oh yes I am a cutie.

July 12

We walked over to the Galleria early in the moring before it got too hot…which was too early for the fountains to be on. Too Bad, but we had fun anyway, no surprise there!

July 11

Rome and I had a sleepover while Darryl and Angela went downtown to Stay In A Hotel(!).

Oh we did have soo much fun! Among many other very cool activities, we made ourselves some fancy necklaces and then went out to dinner.

July 6

We’re off to the GRAND Canyon! And there’s no internet at the cabin (whoo, yikes.). But there’s a Starbucks down the road a couple miles, so photos will be forthcoming, I just don’t know when. KIT!

July 10 We’re BAAACK…check it Out, The GRAND Canyon!

July 5

Lucas and Betsy had a bon voyage party. They’re off to Seattle by the 20th and we are going to miss them plenty!

Charis, Rome, Anya, Xander, Caleb (who is now just one thin hair shorter than Betsy!).

July 4

Nancy’s forging ahead on her project – retired now, she means to be ready to move anywhere she fancies. Today’s effort was a Yard Sale for Cooks where she put out several boxes of gorgeous cook books, serving trays and bowls, cookware, and many decorative items. This was a majorly appealing yard sale.

Everything except the books flew away – great stuff at a great price. But even for a dollar… or a quarter… people were not going for the books. They flipped through them, exclaiming, and enjoyed holding them, but no money would appear. A sign of the times?

UPDATE: Nancy told me that the next day she put the books out ‘Free!’ and still no one took them.

Then I met up with Steven and . . TA DA! Celina Shutman, High School Graduate!! Celina never went past elementary school in her native San Salvador so getting her GED here as an adult is a huge and most commendable accomplishment.

Now Celina is asking herself ‘hmm, what should I do next?’. You go girl!

July 2

I took Rome to her playgroup today at her friend’s club where they have a big pool and a cool restaurant (thanks to Emily and Zoe, and Heidi and Syndey!). The place is up up up Resdea Blvd. with great high views looking toward the valley, and of the golf course and tennis courts. Lovely!

Zoe and Rome…

…and…herding cats?

Sydney, Zoe, Rome, Synde

July 1

Yesterday Xander stapled his thumbs together. One staple, two thumbs, through the nails, out the flesh. He had to go to urgent care to get the staple removed. What an ordeal!

We agreed though, it was pretty awful at the time but now it’s a Really good story.

I went with Bob to the Huntington and despite being there in the middle of a screaming hot day I still got some pictures I liked.