’10 March and April

April 15

Mer-hah-bah (that’s hello in Turkish!) I’m leaving in 10 days now LA-Istanbul-Jerusalem-Rome-LA. I’m getting reeally excited.

No more work to do really except continue to study up on the sites and the languages. I can say hello; please; thank you; excuse me; great!; here please (pointing); I am from America; delicious!; how much?; goodbye (there are two expressions, one for the person leaving and one for the person staying) – in Turkish. Just two more languages to go, or three if I decided to add Arabic.

I’ve got reservations now for the first few days in each city so upon arrival I know where I’m going (I like that), and then I’ve got some go-with-the-flow time too. It’s not such high season that I risk too much in terms of finding accommodation. It’s just that for places both highly regarded and cheap, and to get a private room, you do need to plan ahead.

April 24

An outing to the Page Museum with the kids. Are they so way too cute or What?

I don’t think I’m going to have time to do up the rest of the photos since in twelve short hours I’ll be winging my way to Istanbul. And I still have to pack, and sleep.

Rome, Angela, Darryl, Lilly

April 21

I got to see Brigitte today. She is gone more than I’m gone and our here-time is rarely overlapping these days.

Brigitte recently took this picture of their home. And the back is equally as gorgeous. A garden doesn’t get this lovely without loving and careful attention. My garden doesn’t look like this but Brigitte is always helping and encouraging me in my meager efforts.

I hope that this summer I’ll actually do a little more of what she advises. I hope.

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Here we are, Ladies Who Lunch.

Nancy D has moved to Santa Barbara, Sandy has moved to San Francisco, Nancy A moved to NYNY but has returned(!) and we all gathered for Lunch. It’s very noticeable when your good friends move away, by empty calendar squares and long distance phone calls, and really it’s not so easy to find new ones.

April 19

AirFrance, due to be back in the air tomorrow. Should give them plenty of time to catch up before my departure on Sunday. Oh yea!

April 18

The Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City. 1) free to get in 2) free parking in the mall 3) great shows. Go ahead, you won’t be sorry.

The current show was based on the ‘Water’ issue of National Geographic and was very cool to see. There was the HEY-we’re-killing-ourselves-here element of course, but those National Geo photos are always so wonderful.

Look what Celina made for Steven’s birthday. Hurray Celina! And you can EAT those rose petals, and I certainly did.

Happy Birthday Steven!

April 16

Eyjafjallajokull.

My flight to Istanbul on the 25th connects through Charles de Gaulle, an airport that at the moment is closed. I’m not stressing really, although it is 3:38 in the morning and I’m awake. Maybe I’m awake trying to pronounce the name of that volcano.

Eyjafjallajokull as told by some guy on the internet: ay-yah-FYAH-plah-yer-kuh-duhl, or according to another guy it’s EYE-a-fyat-la-jo-kutl.

Or here’s a guy who went to a lot of trouble “”AY-yah-fyaht-lah-yook-kutl” with a /t/ sound in the third syllable, a secondary stress in the third syllable, and the fifth syllable rhyming, sort of, with “book”. Double L in Icelandic is pronounced /tl/.”

I’m not going to Iceland this trip. Catching a break on the languages anyway.

(photo from the NYTimes, walk with the cousins, happy bday hb, movie w/marsha)

April 14

Can you guess how long it takes to go through everything that’s for sale on craigslist? Hours and HOURS. I was curious to see what all there was and there is sooo much.

And I only got through the ‘furniture – by owner’ part…there is sooo much MORE.

April 13

Little Lilly Feeds Herself.

Lilly is laughing her head off watching Rome do some jumping twisty silly tricks. Just pretty darn too cute.

April 12

Ann and I got to have a great sushi lunch today…Yum, and then we walked a couple fast miles, and then we went to our Monday Night potluck where we ate a huge and scrumptious dinner…Yum …Again!

April 11

At Hilda and Merlyn’s fabulous house, eating more of their delicious food, visiting with Alex and Carol here for some shoretime. Excellent!

Me, there.

April 10

The day began with Sharon – we went to Samy’s so she could buy a camera followed by Sharon’s first visit to Canter’s, for breakfast.

Then I joined Ben and Bonnie at a USC production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods. It was an excellent show and jolly good fun. We ate dinner at a near-by campus joint that served eXcellent food.

It was a day that makes you glad to be alive…and without a toothache.

April 9

Done.

April 8

It’s been a busy few days and tomorrow I get to go have a root canal. At least my face will stop hurting.

Tuesday: We went for a walk, took this picture, and stopped off at the drugstore to make a print. Like magic.

Wednesday: I worked on L&H’s bookkeeping and then had dinner with Bill who was just back from an African safari. This is one of his pictures.

Now I simply must go on an African safari.

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Thursday: I watched the kids for a couple hours while Angela interviewed the local public school. She actually rather liked it. That’s cool.

Then more L&H and then a visit to Saint Marc, my dentist, he saying so-sorry root canal for you, and then a nice dinner with Nancy.

April 6

Katie and the girls didn’t make it to the Easter Egg party so to keep track of them I’ve taken these pictures off Katie’s facebook. It looks like a lot of people there doesn’t it.

Katie, Nora, Anya, Lila.

April 5

Big D! Happy Birthday to YOU! Darryl requested vegi sushi rolls for his birthday dinner and Angela and I made vegi sushi rolls!

April 3

Oh goodie, it’s Easter tomorrow so I get to use this again. Cracks me up every time.

April 2

Rome’s playgroup and Rome and Angela’s 3nd Annual Easter Egg Extravaganza…lunch, egg coloring, dessert, Easter egg hunting. What a Party! What Fun! Lucky Me!

(grrr…I took this picture while Angela and Rome were putting Lilly down. Bad Granny…)

The participants included: Andrea-Sam and David; Charlean-Sydne and JoJo; Liza-Marquez and Paloma; Amy-Sydney and Charlotte; Angela-Rome and Lilly; Heidi-Sydney; Emily-Zoe and Zack; Ann-Claudia and Sarah. Regulars who are missing: Katie-Nora and Anya and Lila; Susie-Ellie and Brandon.

Some lunching here…

…and here.

A few of the adorably sugar-sweet moms.

Let’s all line up for the Easter Egg Hunt! Let’s be silly while we’re at it!

Waaay tooo much fun.

The following three are collages I made from Heidi’s pictures. Heidi is GOOD at this!

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More.

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and More!

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March 31

Breakfast at the Browns! I left Kauai last night, enjoyed some deeelightful family time in Honolulu, and then today it’s back to home sweet home.

Check here for all three fabulous weeks of ALOHA.

March 5

I’m off at dawn tomorrow for KAUAI! AH-LOOOOO-HA!!

Which means a break from my Boston Legal obsession. I’ve been going through them from Netflix. One after the other after the other after the other as fast as Netflix will send them. I’ve finished Season 2. And when I get back…I hope there will be episodes of Boston Legal waiting.

March 4

Let’s go to the Beach! Sandy’s down from SF for some visiting in LA and a grand time was had by all.

Sandy, Nancy

The boardwalk in Venice was feeling it for Spring.

Palm trees and sand, and a life guard station, and Birds of Paradise. Ahh, the beach.

March 2

Hello Girls! Busy day.

“Yes Granny? I’m a little tied up here watering my Farmville…”

March 1

Big Birthday party tonight! Happy Birthday Alicia! Happy Birthday Ljubica! Happy Birthday Marija!

Me, Ljubica, Alicia, Marsha, Becky, Marija, Lourdes, Maxine, Maryanne. (see Ann…we missed you!)