Daddy’s coming home Daddy’s…
Daddy’s coming home Daddy’s coming home! Watching the street .. there he is There He IS!
When you live close to work you can leave work and then be home at a predictable time later. How good is THAT?!
Daily Life 2012
I got home-sweet-home, and…
July 22
I got home-sweet-home, and yes I left the door open, and I immediately plopped down on the bed just to close my eyes for two minutes. And then I opened my eyes.
No, I’m not keeping him.
I got to take…
June 30
I got to take the kids to the movies today. We ate popcorn, lemonade, gummy bears, and peanut M’nMs at the movie, and after the movie, Ice Cream!
We walked. That’s something memorable about their current neighborhood and entirely unlike when I lived in the valley. From their house you could walk to anything you needed or wanted to do or buy or just look at. I liked that!
That’s me in Muriel’s…
July 1
That’s me in Muriel’s studio in front of her latest work-in-progress. Wow! is right!
Off tomorrow for Seattle, then Bozeman-Yellowstone-Grand Tetons-Salt Lake City-Steamboat Springs. Keep In Touch!
Birthday dinner with The…
June 25-27 .. a few more to come later
Birthday dinner with The Boys! Thanks guys, it was yummy good fun.
Merlyn made us a…
Merlyn made us a lunch of fresh and fabulous bbq pizza. Hilda was back-and-forth working but joined us to share the ummm-ummm pizza.
The ones on the left are Merlyn’s two Crown of Thorns plants and my one is on the right. So I asked Ms Wiki about these guys because Merlyn wants another one with the bigger blooms. Turns out there are so many varieties it’s not surprising we have three different kinds here.
Since Rome and Lilly…
Since Rome and Lilly will be leaving this neighborhood in just about a week we went around and took pictures of a few of our favorite spots, more to come.
Mozza! with Celina! …
June 24
Mozza! with Celina! This fellow is a waiter at Celina’s restaurant and he works at Mozza too. It’s a small world out there in the universe of upscale dining.
We sat at the counter and shared dish after dish after dish of deliciou$ness.
And then they brought…
And then they brought us a complimentary dessert but that’s not why this picture is here.
That’s Nancy Silverton in the background. She was working the counter the whole time we were there and it was especially entertaining to share a meal with a certified Celebrity Chef and to watch the symphonic dance that is a busy high end restaurant in action.
Ingalill and Tony’s annual…
June 23
Ingalill and Tony’s annual Midsummer Night BBQ and Eating and Drinking Dart Party Extravaganza.
That’s Tony. Thanks for inviting me. I am here for myself of course and representing Knut and Brigitte in absentia.
Yes, driving on the…
June 20
Yes, driving on the 405 is an experience of a rift in the space-time continuum. It takes forever to get nowhere. For me the greater misery is just getting out of Santa Monica any time after 3pm. It takes 30-90 minutes to go the 3 miles to even Reach the 405.
And NOW, for the next YEAR, there is going to be rolling closures of the on and off ramps at Wilshire. I can Not even IMAGINE. For the next year for Santa Monica the rest of LA is going to be in another state.
The Expo Line will open out here about the same time this construction is over and then we’ll be able to go out again.
My sandwich bag, from…
June 22
My sandwich bag, from Angela, how adorable! We went with tape measures to see the house they are renting in Redondo Beach from July 6th.
WOW, Yes, no more of the 405 for Darryl. His commute will be reduced by two hours per day. That’s a lot of life to get back!
We had lunch at…
We had lunch at Darryl’s work in El Segundo, in the beautifully landscaped patio in the perfect weather that is about guaranteed around these parts.
ak.
Granny! Granny! …
June 19
Granny! Granny! BEEEEEEE!!
(btw-Lilly never misses on agapanthus, bougainvillea, roses, and jasmine. Today we practiced pansies. Too Fun!)
Marija had the Monday…
June 18 part 3 of 3
Marija had the Monday Night Potluck at her place and I got there early enough to play with BEN. F.U.N!
The cousins Sharon and…
June 18 part 2 of 3
The cousins Sharon and Nancy treated me to Tea At The Huntington meaning that you can drink all the lovely tea and eat all the tasty tea sandwiches and all the sweet treats and all the fruit and cheese that you can manage. And I can manage A Lot.
A collection of Photos from The Huntington over the years.
In April the refurbished…
In April the refurbished Japanese Garden opened including the iconic Japanese House which was almost entirely rebuilt as was this bridge but they look just the same, only fresher (and up to modern building code).
Then each class returned…
Then each class returned to their respective classroom for a chance at a group shot.
Freddie, Madalin, Michael, Aiden, Ms Lavantien, Daniel, Lillian, Dylan, Josiah.
Rome, Josie, Austin, Lor, Tyas, Ella, Hannah, Charlie.
Amanda, Chloe, Marchello, Harry, Zac, Valentino, Brooklyn.
Rome’s Kindergarten Culmination. …
June 18 part 1 of 3
Rome’s Kindergarten Culmination. They had six kindergarten classes at Sherman Oaks Elementary and they did a really wonderful program of songs and poems.
They started on time, the kids did their routines with precision and enthusiasm, they kept everything moving by calling the names by classroom and just having the kids stand .. but then ..
(Rome, Josie, Josiah)
.. oh NO?!…
.. oh NO?! What does this MEAN?! Rome and the girl sitting next to her, their names are not called! Their class is finished! Everyone sits down! Oh NO! All the parents who know the two girls start calling out their names.
Rome! Josie! Rome! Josie!
The teacher comes back to the microphone, she is horrified ..
The teacher called up…
The teacher called up each child at which time they got their diploma, said a few words, and got a flower ..
My sisters and I…
June 16
My sisters and I went for a little walk this evening and then they and their respective spice took me out for my birthday. It was just what I had hoped for! a walk and 10,000 calories of dessert.
I must be much…
June 15
I must be much better since I was well enough to go out with Steve, Celina, and Gideon to their local, and scrumptious, sushi joint. We ordered ‘omakase’ otherwise known as ‘bring it ON’ and I ate myself into a fabulously decadent coma.
The place is called ‘King Burger and Sushi’ specializing in Burgers, some Mexican fare, pastrami sandwiches, and shockingly good sushi.
I must be better…
June 14
I must be better because unless some new pictures turn up (which they very well might), finally, I’m done!
CLICK HERE! for The Wedding (or you can click on the link to the left). There are so many new ones I added today, so if you wanted more, there’s MORE.
I’m sick, messing around…
June 10
I’m sick, messing around on the internet and making some travel calls when not sleeping.
Come to find out TripAdvisor has acquired the masterpiece website SeatGuru and the professional 800 numbers for the airlines all consult SeatGuru when you have a question about a particlar plane. I did have that SeatGuru idea first, like before the internet, but then (of course) I didn’t do squat about it.
I’m taking my sickness…
June 13
I’m taking my sickness report out of the wedding section and putting it here because who wants to hear about my allergies and etc along with Wedded Bliss?!
Yes, still not 100%, and Sunday-Monday as well as today my gut has been in a roil. Better tomorrow? BETTER be better tomorrow!
An allergy update:
2012 June first in MN on into LA (and later some intestinal upset)
2011 March in MN; November after W’s wedding
2010 February; June (both mild)
2009 December at home
2007 November during the fires
2006 March just back from Hawaii
2005 April; June; October; (now that was a bad year!)
I had a nice…
June 9
I had a nice outing today with Anya. First we stopped by at her school in Boyle Heights, she Loves her school, and then we went on to Little Tokyo for the origami show and lunch.
A nice LA view…
A nice LA view of downtown from one of the bridges crossing the LA River. It was a lovely clear day.
My sister’s new house,…
June 5
My sister’s new house, a mile from my house, getting all painted up and ready for a happy life. Hurray!
This place has really…
June 6
This place has really good food. Many thanks to Nancy and Muriel for the birthday fete.
…and walking with Rome…
…and walking with Rome when she gets home.
Lucky-dog me except for the unfortunate fact that I am still not 100% well.
Lilly told me a…
May 22
Lilly told me a long enthusiastic story about how she had stomped on a bug (stomp) and the bug was red (stomp) and she stomped on it two times (stomp stomp). I had to ask her to tell the story again so I could get this shot, not too shaky I hope from all my laughing.
A nice tryptic day:First…
May 21
A nice tryptic day:
First a trip to the California State Administration Building downtown for some paperwork.
Second, lunch and a…
Second, lunch and a great visit with Burt, Charlene, John, and Bradley in Simi Valley.
Third, a Monday Nighter…
Third, a Monday Nighter Double Birthday Extravaganza for Maxine and Marsha, and then Dancing with the STARS.
National Mother-of-the-Bride…
May 20 National Mother-of-the-Bride Day!
In honor of National Mother-of-the-Bride Day my sisters took me to the Korean Spa where we luxuriated in hot water from a great number of delivery systems, and enjoyed a fantastic scrub and a massage.
AHHH. And then we had some nice soup for dinner. .a near perfect day, the only thing needed to make it absolutely perfect would be the Bride, but she was a couple of thousand miles away.
I moved some furniture…
May 18
I moved some furniture around so I could put this handsome bunch of stalk from the flower market, from Susie, from yesterday, here by the window. They look so lovely and smell so spicy sweet.
I had So Much…
May 17
I had So Much Fun today and Susie treated all day long! Thank you Susie for a perfect Medicare Year Birthday Fete.
We got going crazy early to check out the flower markets downtown where you find huge warehouses packed with blooms of every description.
From the flower markets…
From the flower markets we walked to the hip and trendy The Standard Hotel for breakfast. This is their crazy cool dining room…
…and this is their…
…and this is their crazy cool restroom, ladies to the right, gentlemen to the left.
Don’t miss the punchline of this photo. You’ll know it when you see it.
Then we walked to…
Then we walked to the Central Library and saw a most entertaining display of old maps of LA…
…followed by a stop-off…
…followed by a stop-off at the Japanese American Museum so Susie could see the origami exhibit, and then we had a late afternoon tea at their Tea Room, Chado, which we totally enjoyed.
Wow, so much fun!
I asked Lilly if…
I asked Lilly if she wanted to get a book for us to read and she went directly to the floor of her closet and retrieved the vegan cupcake cookbook she had stashed there and wanted me to read her this recipe. Really.
So I asked her if she would like it if we made those cupcakes. Whooo, NOW, she would like it if we made those cupcakes NOW.
On a side note, I didn’t have my little flash and used the built-in instead this picture being a nice reminder of how much better the other one is with the nasty shadows.
Some Mother’s Day FUN…
May 13
Some Mother’s Day FUN at the Japanese Garden/Sewage Reclamation Plant in Balboa Park.
Angela, her mom Liz, and the grandgirls Rome and Lilly…
Too bad Windy didn’t…
Too bad Windy didn’t make it because then we three sisters could have done picture-picture in a silly pose, making a spectacle of ourselves in public in honor of our mother. It’s only fun when we’re all together.
The garden here is…
The garden here is a great field trip – you are strolling, enjoying, admiring, and then you think, hmmm, I wonder, what’s that smell? So you can easily walk just over the bridge to be amazed at the ‘reclamation’ facility which generates all this water and more.
I went with Muriel…
I went with Muriel for a walk down there with the volleyballers and then we strolled around the Farmer’s Market.
Sharon and I walked…
May 11
Sharon and I walked eight times around the big track on the outside lanes at Pepperdine. Next time we’re going to do ten…
Then we had a good lunch at the Reel Inn on PCH. It’s no bargain here, but fun and tasty.
A view from the…
May 10
A view from the parking lot of the Empress Pavilion where I went with Marsha for dim sum.
Another one….
Another one.
That’s right, my valley girl friend Marsha who doesn’t eat onions, doesn’t eat food with ‘too many colors’, doesn’t eat food with ‘too many ingredients’ chose for us to go to dim sum. Where they serve chicken feet.
I could see why from what she ordered – there are several plain things and she knew all of them.
I don’t know why…
May 9
I don’t know why this came into my mind but I got the idea to study up on Eisenhower. In my childhood I thought my father was like him for no reason but looks, and that my father was both bossy and bland. I was young and they were old.
I’ve watched an Eisenhower biopic and WWII fiction and an interesting documentary from 1945 put out by the War Department that has that newsreel-propaganda feel.
Oh you crowd of…
May 8
Oh you crowd of adorableness.
from the left around: Chloe, Lillian, Melanie, Dalila, Finn, Sophie, Rome, Lilly
L&H apartment vacancy photo…
May 7
L&H apartment vacancy photo day. We got a lot done and ate lunch in the car at the jetty watching the pelicans dive for fish.
I went with the…
May 6
I went with the cousins today to the Japanese American Museum in Little Tokyo to see their big origami show. The origami was amazing, awesome, we were gaga.
Ole! I had…
May 5
Ole! I had the gang over this afternoon for tacos in the back yard and then a walk to the park. We had FUN!
I was on the…
I was on the other side here teetering and tottering while Angela took this great shot.
ak.
Home from a fanTASTic…
May 1
Home from a fanTASTic month in the land of aloha.
If you’re of a mind to catch up here’s: magnificent Kauai at The House, with a break for some Maui WOWie and a weekend with the fam in Honolulu.
Even though I was…
May 2
Even though I was a little travel-buzzed I quick took the chance to stop by to see the kids for a few hours and have you eVer seen a more wonderful Welcome Home banner? or two more precious children? I have not!
ak.
…and out for a…
…and out for a walk where we ran into some other neighborhood kids also out for a walk.
Joshua, Lilly, Nico, Rome, Joey
It’s our last day…oh…
April 29
It’s our last day…oh noooo. So let’s have a nice picture of the house.
We went across the river to the Wailua Restaurant for lunch and a photo-op.
Yay, Brigitte took a…
Yay, Brigitte took a couple of pictures of me that I can actually stand. (One from far away, one from high above, both wearning my glasses to hide my droopy eye. Both eyes are droopy but one is virtually closed now. Yikes.)
bb.
Since I’m going to…
April 1
Since I’m going to be in Hawaii for April Rome and I have been working an hour or so every Tuesday for several weeks on putting together a joint Birthday Party for Darryl and Easter Party for Fun.
We had SO many great plans we decided we needed…
…some Guests!…
…some Guests!
Our schedule: yummmy Lunch; dyeing and decorating eggs; a Hot and Cold Birthday Treasure Game; Pin the Tail on the Bunny; birthday cake and singing; Easter Egg Hunt.
We all had such a good time followed by…
…a flat tire ON…
…a flat tire ON the FOUR-OHHHMG-FIVE.
I was on the phone with roadside assistance from my American Express card when the city Highway Department rolled up and the guy said he’d do it right now for free, and he did, and I was off.
Cool. Now I just have to add ‘get a new tire’ to my list for tomorrow since I’m leaving the following morning at dawn for The Land of Aloha.
…Happy Birthday Louise! …
…Happy Birthday Louise! who, this very day, is eighty years old.
Louise was my next door neighbor when I lived in Northridge and here she is as delightful and charming and dear as ever.
Other people’s Grandboys. …
March 30
Other people’s Grandboys. Grandgirls are all sweet and pink and American Girl Doll, not like grandboys at all.
Ollie and Max; Alex and Ben; Charlie, Henry, and Milton
(from the Grandmas)