Home again home again! from a fabulous few weeks Down South in the USofA.
If you’re interested in a re-run of any parts of this last trip:
Seattle and Vancouver Island with Sharon at The Jewel Box. Florida with Ken in Fort Myers for Kim’s wedding and then with Leigh and her mom in Mount Dora. New Orleans with a Couch Surfing host. Colonial Virginia with Alex and Carol aboard Nepenthe. Washington DC with Paul and Gretchen, a quick visit with Dan and Shelly, a week at Kyle’s, and Jon and Stephen of course.
November 30
Lilly loves to pace around the house back and forth around and around talking on the phone. She always positions the phone just right on her ear and chatters away. TOO cute.
November 29
Nancy and I had a last chance outing with Sandy before her return to San Francisco. Ahh, the sea…
…and sea birds! Small, medium, and large.
I need more practice with wildlife in preparation for my trip to Africa in summer. And I’m lusting over a new camera with better low light handling. Yup, Africa. I am reeeally getting excited.
I should practice naming as much as possible too. Nancy got the little guys: “The small peeping bird is indeed a sandpiper. If my investigation is correct it is a Sanderling which is form of sandpiper. There are about 50 different types of sandpipers unfortunately (or fortunately). I identified the bird as a sanderling because of its behavior running at the edge of the water and also its size and coloration. I would not swear to this however.”
This is near the Malibu pier where parking is easy and there are always plenty of birds to enjoy.
Sandy collected a handful of perfect little shells. Sandy, who can find treasures on a barren beach.
From the Adamson House at the Malibu pier. You have to make reservations to see the inside but you are free to stoll around the grounds. Some of the historic Malibu Tile promonent here.
November 27
Welcome to town Sandy! We went with Nancy to a movie and a lingering chat-filled afternoon at the Persian restaurant. Then Nancy took Sandy back to her house and they will be having a slumber party for the next couple nights. What fun!
(Why is the picture fuzzy? Grrr.)
November 26
Steve and Celina invited me for a left-over Thanksgiving lunch (or did I invite myself?). It was fab of course. Celina has always had The Touch, and now she’s in Culinary School. YUM!
This is an apple pie of her own design: dEElish.
November 25
A Thanksgiving turn around the block on this bright and beautiful day.
Angela, Rome, Lilly, and next door friend Jack, enjoying.
(Our menu, for future reference: acorn squash with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, spinach and cheese quiche, broccoli casserole, baked carrots, baked beets, endive and apple salad, pumpkin pie.)
(The gap from the 22nd to the 25th was me putting drops in my eye from the cataract surgery that went just fine.)
November 22
Hilda and Jake in Merlyn’s office. When Merlyn retired Hilda moved her office into another much smaller room and now Merlyn has this whole giant space to ‘spread out’.
November 21
I went with Hana today to my new favorite local restaurant. It’s The Dining Room at the newly remodeled Shangri-La hotel on Ocean near Wilshire – tasty food, comfy decor, and a great location.
November 20
Here are the first two movies I’ve seen in months, starting the countdown to Oscar Season. These were both very good movies but I really hope I see a better one, that one of these is not the best movie of the year.
127 Hours: tense, scenic, well done, minutes on end of hands pressed against face and ears.
The Social Network: a lively tale of our times told by Aaron Sorkin so you know we’re talking lots of (bambambam) words.
My new favorite seat, worth booking early, the row behind the row behind the walkway between the tiers of seats. Feet Up. .Oh YES!
We ate a delicious Indian buffet for lunch and then enjoyed the show. What a great afternoon!
November 19
That’s right, Merlyn is Retired, and we had a lovely, leisurely, delicious, Peruvian lunch in celebration. Merlyn is going to have to retire this photo too.
(resume picture)
November 18
Last visit before cataract surgery on Tuesday then a couple weeks later I get to do this whole exam again for glasses. I’m SO excited to be done fussing around with my eyes!
November 17
This work by Richard Deacon, North Tree and Rock, is at the LA Louver gallery, just off the Venice boardwalk on Venice Blvd.. It’s free to visit here so stop on by next time you’re walking at the beach.
I met Brigitte at the LA Louver and then we enjoyed a nice cuppa tea and a chin wag at James Beach Restaurant across the street. Lovely.
Speaking of which, this is what Rome gave me as a Welcome Home card last week. Awww!
November 15
I got the appointment for my second cataract surgery – November 23rd. Then I’ll get new glasses, and then I’ll know what the world is going to look like for the next many years.
When I had the first surgery they just kept pumping up the drugs because I just kept laughing over the psych-o-DELIC views I was being treated to as they sliced open my eye. The last thing I heard before it all went dark was the doctor whisper to the anesthesiologist ‘make her stop…’.
November 13
Ben and Bonnie in their back garden lounge chairs and the view from those very same chairs. Nice!
November 10
Bill and I went to dinner at the newly reopened Shangri-La. They have a fantastic Happy Hour, a stylish dining room, and a rooftop bar. I’ll be back!
November 9
It’s Home Sweeet Home now and I plan to be around at least through the end of the year.
First things first: see Rome and Lilly!
A shot of myself at GaGaVille, the American Visionary Art Museum.
What they say: “The essential difference between (visionary art and folk art), though both may at times use similar materials and methods, is that visionary artists don’t listen to anyone else’s traditions. They invent their own.”
It’s really wild in there!
