’11 September

September 1

If you want to check into anything you might have missed from my visit in Africa just click on these links for a full-sized chance to buzz through the pictures even if you don’t want to read Allll those words.

July 3-July 12 Johannesburg to Clarens and the Drakensbergs, guest farm stays, Durban, the St Lucia area including Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and iSimangaliso Wetland Park. South Africa, mostly KwaZulu Natal.

July 13-July 31 17 days on Safari in Botswana. Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Maun, Okavango Delta, Maun, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Victoria Fall, and sooo many wild animals. Botswana Safari.

August 1-August 21 Victoria Falls (that was amazing), Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and many obscure small and dusty towns, and don’t miss the walk with the chimps at the end! Zambia with the Peace Corps.

August 22-August 31 Everyone loooves Cape Town, Wine Country tour, Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, Robben Island, Table Mountain. South Africa, mostly Cape Town.

September 29

Liz and I spent the day at the LA Arobretum.

We want these.

More of what we want.

The orchid house looked faaabulous in that over the top thing that orchids do.

This is an in-the-lake reflect-o turned upside down. Why? Why not.

What I always remembered most about the LA Arboretum was the hundreds of peacocks that roamed the lawns. Something must have happened because they are down to a much more managable number now, or so it seemed today.

September 28

Sharon was last at the San Juan Capistrano Mission when she was seven years old and there is a picture floating around of seven year old Sharon in exactly this position but back then her arms were full of swallows. I am urging her to find that picture and scan it as a companion piece to this one.

And btw…I’ve got my camera body back from the shop and am using a borrowed lens. I added an anvil back into my bag and am glad to do it!

From my memory the Mission has never looked better.

More.

All the landscaping was in such excellent shape.

You know, the swallows don’t so much come back to Capistrano anymore. The wetlands are gone, the housing developments are in – the swallows have moved on.

We enjoyed many butterflies and tons of these hummingbirds darting about, and bees aplenty.

The Bells of San Juan Capistrano. We had a nice day and then rode the speedy Car Pool lane home.

September 25

The Happy Birthday Rome Peace-Love-and-Dolphins party. This one’s from my PHONE, for the rest I was using Angela’s camera.

Happy Birthday Rome! The party was at the Annenberg Community Beach House where they’ve got everything you need for a fabulous party – tables to rent, huge canopies for shade, a kids play area with swings and climbing structures, bathrooms and showers, a cafe, and the ocean. Perfect.

Don’t miss Rome’s little Just Like Me American Girl doll in the lower left.

Awwww, Girlfriends.

I loved the weather. It was a bit overcast in the morning, cool and bright from noon. Here are most of the guests making their way to the shore and enjoying an outing at the beach.

It’s like we had the whole Pacific Ocean to ourselves.

Makes you wann’a sing, doesn’t it.

The fam.

Happy Birthday Rome and her Just Like Me American Girl Doll. Rome…what a cutie-pie big-girl sweetheart.

September 24

I had dinner tonight with the gang from my last Hawaii trip with many alohas all around.

A reality of life in LA – if you want to work in any kitchen, from top flight to lunch truck and on down, you’re best off if you learn to speak Spanish.

And walking back to the car…look what you can get in Santa Monica now! Musubi!! The Hawaiian CLASSIC.

(I went back there a month or so later and yes they have musubi but no they don’t make it with spam so no they do not have the Hawaiian version. In Hawaii when you say Musubi you Mean SPAM musubi, plain and simple.)

September 21

These pictures are Angela’s from Nora’s actual birthday and from Rome’s party at school.

ak.

And then on Rome’s actual birthday Zoe came over. It was Zoe’s actual birthday too.

It’s the playgroup crowd all born within a couple months of each other clogging up the September birthday party calendar!

September 17 (out of order)

Taken with my phone, indoors, at night. I really Really need to get my camera back. The body should be ready in a few days but the lens needs a new motor and will take 2-3 more weeks.

Ken and Susie hosted me and Ben and Bonnie to a great evening. It had been so long…Thank you!

September 18

Welcome to Lilly’s Cat in The Hat birthday party – our little girl is TWO Years Old!

(Another day with Angela’s camera – tomorrow I should hear what it’s going to take to fix mine.)

Ta Daaaah!

The girls.

Liz and Angela. Angela got a Cat in The Hat clip for all of us and we were simply too too cute.

Liz and her posse.

Some old family friends.

Lila, Jed, Katie, Anya
Olivia, Emily, Zac, Mitch
Tracy, Isla, Jason, Aidan

Party Hearty!

Claudia, Ann, Sarah
Carter
Gary, Kaylin
Carter, Emily, Olivia

Happy Birthday dear Lilly, Happy Birthday to Youuuu.

Nora, Aiden, Sarah, Lilly

Tasty treats.

Awww.

September 13 and 14, pictures mixed in

Birthday Girl Lilly and her Daddy! Happy Birthday Lilly!! (I used Angela’s camera these last two days.)

Created by Rome and Lilly, the Potato Heads join in.

Rome and her new teacher, Mrs. Le Vantine.

The Class Rules, written by the class and signed by one and all.

Rome’s square for rug time.

Lilly is TWO today. She is quite the little chatter-box, full of opinions on about every topic but especially those as regards food and what it is she wants you to do about it.

I was taking video for the cake and singing so maybe I’ll be able to pick off a frame or two later.

September 11 and 12

Two days, two events, two cousins!

Nancy and I went to the 9/11 performance by the Angeles Chorale at the fabulous Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels downtown. It started at 4:30, the venue provided excellent acoustics for the huge sound of 100 voices with the Angeles Chorale and the LA Cathedral Choir singing together, it was really big music, and it was free (3 yays: for the time, the music, and the welcoming price).

The only downside was my general opinion of memorials (not to mention church), but 3 to 1 so I went anyway.

On Monday Sharon and I did a beach walk heading north instead of south. It was a little disorienting…where are we? how far have we walked? but very fun for a change of pace.

September 10

Here I am, down to taking photos with my PHONE. I won’t know what’s next with my camera until I get it to a shop where I know they will tell me I have to send it to the factory and pay buckets ‘o bucks just to clean it.

Our little sister’s birthday! We went to the Huntington first for a flower arranging class…

…then lunch at the Tea Room followed by some enjoyment of the gardens. Happy Birthday Sister!

September 9

My camera I fear has not made it through the dust storms, smoke, and sooo many rattling African truck trips unscathed. It works ok only in bright light it seems. Guess I’ve got a trip to the fix-it shop in my future.

While I was in South Africa the most accessible English language news station was Al Jazeera and with my eyes closed I wouldn’t be able to tell it from the BBC. I mention this now because I forgot when I was writing the South Africa story, and with 9/11 right around the corner I remembered, ahh, I wonder how Al Jazeera is going to cover the stories.

September 6

Since I got back all those days ago I’ve enjoyed the company of many of my dear family and friends – Thank You all for everything!

It’s Tuesday, my day with the girls, and Lucky ME. Lucky me indeed.