’14 July

July 30

Gales of squeals brought me to see what was going on out here. What was going on was roly-poly races.

Yes. They made a track, dug up some bugs, and cheered them on. You go roly-poly!

Lilly’s new bath-time regalia.

July 29

Hello sweetie, it’s been a while. Mass that you are, the sight of you always lightens my spirit and brings a smile to my face…Levitates we could even say…

Susie took me to LACMA for my birthday. We saw the Van Gogh to Kandinsky show and ate a feast at Ray’s.

I have taken up a fancy for Max Pechstein…

…and I snagged this with my phone, me with one of Picasso’s Ladies, which turned out to be in the no-photo zone but that wasn’t clear at the time.

Head Of A Woman In Profile (Jacqueline)

July 28

Look what Ingalill found on her trip home to Sweden. It’s a really good one!

lg.

July 26

Happy Birthday Liz! All Liz wanted for her birthday, she said, was a picture with her dear son and daughter, and here they are!

Angela, Liz, Dev

Sweet Cynth with her two faaabulous nieces.

Lilly, Cynthia, Rome

Hello boys! Gary, and Dev. Oh Darryl, you managed to escape the photo-ops yet again.

July 25

Beach walk!

The internet seems to say that this park is still in Santa Monica, not in Venice (which is part of LA) as I had thought, and called ‘Captains Of The Ship: South Beach Park Playground’. I’ll have to double-check this next time I walk by.

Lunch at Figtree, our favorite beach walk turn-around spot. The singers who get this location in the entertainer’s lottery (I think that’s how it works?) are usually surprisingly good.

July 24

Kieran is off to camp and Cynthia is here in Cali, settled into my little studio out back, to stick around for a few weeks and I’m so excited!

ch.

July 22

Remember the wedding in Kauai last year? Here they are, the happy couple, Camas and Curt, enjoying their first ever visit to Yosemite and then…

c/c

…out for lunch with me and Sharon in Santa Monica.

July 21

From an early morning walk in Solstice Canyon. Now that the track at Pepperdine is torn up for the summer we are looking for a few alternate routes.

July 20

I had a great walk and lunch with Muriel, we were both happy with our food at Art’s Table on Montana, and then…

…I had another great walk with my sister Lona at the jetty.

I got home on the 1st and here it is the morning of the 21st and I’m just now actually feeling rather normal. So that’s three weeks to full recovery from a six week trip. I’m old!

July 18

Ken and me and Bill, out for food and fun.

July 16

The kids and I went out for a walking adventure to get pizza. It’s a schlep and they all held up like troupers. Everyone got just what she wanted. Then because our feet were hot from walking we stopped off at the park to wiggle our toes in the cool soft grass.

Bailey was with us for lunch and then…

ak.

…we had dinner guests too, Loni and Kai from across the street. Loni and Kai’s parents spent their first five years together living in Hawaii on Lonikai Beach. Isn’t that a great story.

S’MOREs!

Today Cynthia sent this picture of Kieran out in the back yard (in Saint Paul MN so the kids don’t have a chance to get together too often). Don’t you wish you had one of those swings.

ch.

July 15

Trevor has been here for a couple of weeks now to help his parents and Christa came a few days ago too.

Christa and other young volunteers spent the last two months with a missionary group in Guatemala. As well as missionary activities she was working in a hospital and in village medical clinics where she learned how to do the type of procedures that would have required a skilled nursing degree here.

What an awesome experience for her break between sophomore and junior year at Liberty College. And yes indeed she can habla some mighty fine español. This is her home-stay family.

Trevor and Christa both went back to Hawaii today. We will miss you!

??

July 13

Ingalill and I went out for a little photo-photo and a Chinese Foot Massage. Good plan!

These are all taken around the office buildings at the place near where Jefferson and Centinela intersect, in the Playa Vista area.

Shadows and…

…light.

What you get on a Sunday morning .. no people!

Photo Photo Ingalill.

You can see the very cool garden on the other side of the grassy knoll reflected in the building.

July 12

Hartley had a stroke back in March, he was improving in April, he had evened out in May, and taken a turn for the worse in June. He’s in the hospital now while they try to figure out what to do next.

Lona is soooo tired. She asked me ‘quick, quick, what’s the name of that dictator in Cuba?’ ‘Castro’ I replied. ‘Castro! Castro!’ she called out. After a couple of call-outs this fellow turned around. Can you see his name tag? Fidel. He took it in such good spirit. ‘It happens all the time’ he said.

Then I swung by Cantor’s to pick up some sandwiches for…

…another lawn chair outing with Ben and Bonnie. We did it last Saturday night too. This time we saw the dance troupe Invertigo and then Twelfth Night by the Independent Shakespeare Company.

The dancers were fun to watch and the Shakespeare group of actors was particularly excellent.

July 11

The cousins Nancy and Sharon took me out for a birthday lunch at C&O in Venice. Thank you ladies, it was lovely!

Then Nancy and I went for a short walk on the canals. It wasn’t very long because I punked out from the sun. Here’s Nancy all glam in her sunglasses and hat.

July 10

David (and JoAnn) filled up the studio with David’s work from over the years. There were books of photographs, charming ink drawings and watercolors, and these…

…cool pottery pieces.

I haven’t known David for very long but this wonderful collection makes me think we’ve been friends for forever. A niece helped curate the collection and do the hanging. Nice!

July 9

Why do I look like a sheepdog? We had fun anyway.

July 8

I had dinner with Steve and Celina tonight who recently had dinner with Wolfgang Puck and Nancy Silverton. We had a good time too…

??

July 7

Look what Nancy sent.

July 6

Windy is with Travis, Lainee, Cali, and Jack at a house they rented in Las Cruses, New Mexico. They’re having a ton of fun!

July 5

Happy Birthday to Me from DAK&L! Breakfast out and then a visit to Darryl’s officeat ActiVision (my choice!) , home of the Call of Duty franchise, Guitar Hero, and others but what the kids looove is Skylanders.

It’s a playground in there. Everyone has to play the games. It’s part of their job.

In the evening I went with Ben and Bonnie to a get-together organized by Richard to see a totally entertaining free show at the Levitt Pavilion.

Vaud and the Villains: they bill themselves as a 19 piece 1930s New Orleans Orchestra and Cabaret Show. And that they were!

July 1-4

Welcome Home! I’ve been enjoying the welcome home hugs and kisses of family and friends. I missed you!

Summer swimming lessons! You go Rome and…

…Lilly!

The gang – Lilly, Avery, Rome, Finley.

America the Beautiful.