Can it be possible?
September 15
Recently Rome and I have been watching a lot of Beatles videos on youtube and then, just fiddling around with raisin boxes Rome produced this configuration.
‘This one is Ringo’ she announced, pointing to the box in back. ‘Hey Rome, where does John stand’ I asked, and she got it right, of course. Ahhhh, another generation.
Lilly looks fabulous and Angela is doing amazingly well too. Twenty-four hours after the c-section Angela was entirely disconnected, getting up and about, and standing up – standing up straight too I might add!
Kent took this one – me and Lilly, from yesterday.
kk.
Born today to Angela and Darryl, little sister to Rome, and welcomed by one and all.
Oh yes, welcome to the world dear Lilly Grace! You lucked out sweet child with the most faabulous parents and as excellent a big sister as ever there was.
September 10
Celebrating my little sister’s last year of her 50s. And she looks 25! (As you might remember my friend Ken calls her ‘the cute one’.)
From before I went up north, Rome made this with her mommy. The cuteness of this construction is overwhelming, really.
September 8-9
I got back from Cambria, Big Sur, and The Ranch late on the 7th. Fun!
This is the last Tuesday before Baby Time! We are all just so dang excited.
Then at dinner I joined Ann and Cath for sushi. We always eat sushi together when Cath is in town. These are my very own Southern Belles. They were college classmates down south, a year ahead of me, and they look so YOUNG!
August 31
Awww, Bill. He’s got so much on his mind he put the money in the wrong meter. Ticket cost: Fifty Bucks. Bum-mmer Dude!
Dinner was nice though, and we had a good visit…
August 30
Bob and Desda are down from Marin for some socializing and mostly to visit Bob’s mom, soon to be 90 years old. Ninty. We should all be so hale and handsome and together. We can aspire!
In the evening I met Steve and Celina and Gideon for Gideon’s choice of a birthday meal…at the sushi bar!
Darryl and Cynthia both would choose sushi for their birthday meal too. It was great fun, and then I got a beautiful honkin’ jar of Celina’s legendary homemade fig jam. YUM.
August 27
My Monday Nighters on Thursday night to enjoy a delightful and might I add surprisngly beyond our expectationsly delicious dinner followed by a performance of A Mid-Summer’s Night Dream at the Theatricum Botanicum. I had a Wonderful time!
(Marsha wasn’t here yet and Maxine couldn’t come buy Windy my little sister could.)
The Forest Fairies were flittig around during dinner.
Very fun. I can’t find a picture of the actual theater even on the internet to steal…next time I must remember!
August 26
This is a photo of Carl and Lynn at the Iguazu Falls, this magnificent series of waterfalls that lie on the border between Argentina and Brazil.
Last night I enjoyed a lovely evening’s entertainment with a slide show and commentary of their latest adventure through Chile and Argentina. That Iguazu is a-may-zing. If I ever find myself down there again I’d go very far out of my way to see the Iguazu Falls.
(the guide)
August 25
What’s in that vial is magic that is going to save the world. That is exactly what Rome told me. That this was the magic to save the world. Excellent!
August 22
Hi y’all! It’s the Black family in Texas. I guess Travis took this picture…I copied it off Lainee’s facebook site. I haven’t even met the littlest one yet. Little Jack Black. One of these days soon I reeeally hope they’ll make it out here, or I there.
tb.
August 23
I was in the mood for some photos today and what better than to have a walk down to the beach?! A nice summer weekend at the pier.
Everyone else seemed to think it was a mighty good idea too.
August 21
Rome was a little under the weather today so although we had a good time anyway I didn’t do any photos, and it seems I’m still distracted by my new website of travels (Thanks D!) and I’m just not keeping up with photos from Daily Life.
So here’s an oldie that Cynthia put on her facebook page. Excellent! It’s her ‘Self-Portrait with San Fernando Valley’ from around 1999. I reeeally like this picture!
cc.
August 19
You won’t be sorry if you read this book written in 1995 by a young man just out of law school, first black president of the Harvard Law Review, who could not be thinking that he would be president of America. No way. Remember when Bill Clinton had to avow that he never inhaled? Not here…Here he is, he thinks, he reads, he speaks carefully, and he listens attentively.
How did he get to be president again?
August 18
This is about the fifth time I got to have a bon voyage festivity with Nancy. As I write this on the 19th she is settling in with her daughter in NYNY!
Before the party I dropped my car off in hopes of getting the a/c fixed. I’ve been driving around for a year with no a/c, when leaving Santa Monica it’s like driving in a third world country I repeat.
So I’m back on the bus! And remembering how pretty dang easy it is. It’s almost impossible to get a decent shot of this arch from the ground and one of these days I’ll be on the bus at a good time.
August 14
It’s just too easy. I’ve been watching this entire series on my computer one right after the other in every spare moment.
On netflix you have to rent the first one and then all the others are on ‘watch immediate’. Wow. I’ll be first in line when 56 Up comes out which I think should be along shortly.
Now I want to do a photo project of pictures of myself, one per year. I could be doing that instead of spending 20+ hours watching tv.
August 13
Susie and I had some good fun today! First we went to the Weisman house tour.
Click here to see my collection from The Fredrick R Weisman Art Foundation. It’s very very cool.
And then we went to the Getty Villa for a yummy lunch. The cafe there is really lovely. And then did a quick look around. Good stuff.
Click here to see my collection from The Getty Villa.
And outside their dining room window …hummingbirds, many a day coming to delight and charm.
August 11
Here’s Rome’s HBD Happy Birthday to cousin ANYA! Happy Birthday Anya!!
We went for a walk first to see the sunflowers and then, since we were so close, why not continue on to the water fountains? So we Did and met Kayla also playing around at the fountains.
Rome, who had never met Kayla before, took complete charge of her, just like the big sister she is about to become!
Then we celebrated Bill’s Birthday at the historic and meaty Sherman Room on Sherman Way, in Van Nuys eventhough it Should be in Sherman Oaks.
Yes my eyes are completely closed and yes I can’t do that ‘am I not so cute?’ thing At All. But the boys look great.
It was a lot of fun and then after SWS played Darryl played again, this time with Melic Sub Rosa.
MSR wasn’t going to start until after 11 and, you know, it’s not that I’m reeeally too old to stay up past 11, but, you know…
August 7
Look who’s home! Jonathon from Israel and Michael from Berkeley. Michael agreed to this photo because he loves his mother.
I visited Jonathon in Korea a few years ago and now I am hoping to be able to visit him in Israel. Now there’s a reason to go.
The Fam! We have a deal, Boban and I, I won’t take his picture if he’ll send me a picture of the fam, and here they are!
Boban, MaryJo, Jordan, and Cheyenne, all Dragojlovic. Makes ‘Kanouse’ look easy don’t you think.
August 6
I went to lunch with Boban today. He was very very happy because I picked a normal place with normal food. I’d never been here before and as it turns out, it was FAB…a great place with great food.
You just can’t find it without trying very hard. It’s called Nook Bistro and you can look it up.
…to The Odyssey!
What a lovely time we had eating at the buffet for a Few HOURS. Thank you Marija!
August 5
Marija took me out to eat today in appreciation of some rides and maybe a hand here and there…
OK folks, is this not icanhascheezburger.com or WHAT?! Copy-Paste and Caption away!
Credit Cynthia Kanouse – it’s the cat she has been trying to find a home for…for a few weeks now…but oowww, that cat is Dangerously cute!
cc.
August 4
Rome’s little sister will be here in less than 6 weeks. Wow. Can you even imagine. Another such marvelous child in the world?!
Rome always wants to visit April across the courtyard. Rome’s ALways wanting to go over there. We try to keep it down to once a day.
This time we weren’t going to knock on the door because we knew April was gone, we were just going to take a picture of their new tree.
But then John opened the door and we got to take a picture of their dogs!
The dogs, one second after the shot above. Surely there’s some amusing caption for this shot?!
Here’s a shot of one of the motels on Washington Blvd. I was oddly taken with the trim that matches the coke machine.
Then we stopped off at the Indian Market to get some dinner to bring home to eat with Roger. Cheers!
First we had tea and sandwich towers, then Angela opened her fabulous gifts, and then we had more tea and Sprinkle’s Cupcakes. Liz brought the decorations and Angela made the parting gift boxes. Too much Fun!
August 1
A Baby Sprinkle for Angela, a Ladies Tea Party at the Tudor House, and a grand time was had by all!
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 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!
Forest Lawn Glendale… I need another visit before this collection becomes a story because I forgot to take any brochures and I’ve forgetten the interesting stories!
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.
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.
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.
The Self-Realization Center
This gorgeous place is in Malibu, also know as the Lake Shrine Temple.
Dedicated in 1950, Undreamed-of Possibilities is the title of the Center’s online introduction to the Self-Realization Fellowship and the teachings of Parmahansa Yogananda.
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!!
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.
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 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 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 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…
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.
We pretty much stuck to Asia on this visit. We even ate lunch at a Chinese restaurant.
June 28
I had a nice walk and lunch with Sandy today.
And then did I read, or work in the garden, or do any language study, or pictures or…what? Nothing. I watched the Entire first season of Weeds. Every episode, one right after the other.
It’s ok, but really, it’s not that great considering all the Emmys.
