Daily Life 2015

June 30

Hello girls, nice day!

Rome, Lilly, Roxi

June 29

We were a small group this Monday night at Maryanne’s but Marija was there. Remember when I was in the Philippines and Marija’s son Andrew’s fiancée and her aunty took me out for a day of Manila highlights…well, here they are, Married!

Lilly’s pals from Sand Tots pre-school: Iggy and Bailey.

Hi Rome!

Lookin’ good.

June 28 afternoon

It’s Lilly’s gymnastic performance. The school called this season Strike a Pose, made for Lilly I would say.

They had four groups moving through four routines, beam, bars, floor, and vault. Each group had about eight to ten kids. It took an hour total and they were admirably well organized. Lilly’s section started at 4:30. There were three other sections during the day. Oh my those teachers were plenty tired by the end.

Lilly’s bff Roxi and her mom Lauretta came much to Lilly’s delight.

Then we had a belated Father’s Day and belated birthday party with a delicious dinner prepared by Angela and cards and gifts and FUN.

Sunset from the 405.

June 28 morning

POLO! at Will Rogers State Park.

They play on Saturday and Sunday during the summer and it is a delight to bring a little picnic and enjoy the sport as the fabulous horses thunder past your face.

You can check on the website. It’s always good but it’s great when they are playing a real tournament and not just having practice chuckers. We saw both this morning and could really appreciate the difference.

Thanks Sharon and Windy for coming along!

June 26

I was walking around doing chores today and thought to see how far it really was to walk to the new metro extension of the Expo Line that should be open at least by the beginning of 2016. I used to think they might be opening station by station but no, the whole Phase 2 has to finish and it all opens at once.

Crazy, it’s .8 miles from my house to the 26th and Olympic station, and .8 miles from my house to the 17th and Colorado station. Not around the corner, but that’s 15-20 minutes walking, and perfectly doable, and quite safe enough I believe.

Except for about 70 spots at Santa Monica College (17th and Colorado) there is no parking for me.

Considering our need for parking around here at least at this time to make public transportation a reliable commuter choice (like for example if it ever rains again), and with the inevitable demands for housing, I imagine our wonderful low-density crumbling yet classy Bergamot Station Art Center that fronts the 26th and Olympic station won’t be with us for too much longer.

There’s a facebook page called Hello-Expo that is a real kick full of pictures and contagious enthusiasm.

This is what Darryl said: “Wire, day 72. When my daughter wants to be in the picture, she will be in the picture.”

dj.

June 25

Susie! Susie! Why did I forget to take a picture again?! And we’re so cute! We had a great outing walking in Abalone Cove Shoreline Park. Gorgeous. And then lunch at Terranea. Delicious. THANK YOU!

And since I was nearly there I got to enjoy a homemade dinner and a good walk with Liz and Gary in Long Beach. Lucky dog me.

June 24

I went with the cousins to a movie at the Landmark and a lovely luncheon for ladies who lunch at Nordstrom’s. It’s good to be Sixty-EIGHT.

Here they are, Sharon and Nancy, in 2006 singing me the Happy Birthday song. Then I was fifty-nine. So young.

June 23

This is Rome’s idea for a collage of today’s adventures. We had a totally fun day start to finish and being our first Tuesday of summer vacation we had time. I even got my own Redondo Beach library card!

June 22

Chris and Dave, Happy Anniversary! 1968-2015. Adorable as ever.

June 21

Just a little stroll…

…down Wilshire.

Look at that sweet shiny new thing. I’d need a whole room to hold all its gifts. It’s a phone, and all my books and magazines and newspapers. It’s got a shelf full of puzzles and correspondence, and a radio and a record player. It’s got my calendar and address book and to-do lists. And it has a crazy good camera and video recorder. I only have to go to the bank if I really want cash money. More, so much more. You know all this. I don’t need to go on.

June 20

My father! That’s me in his arms, my older sister Lona, and my mother. The matching outfits…that’s all Mom. Little Windy wasn’t born yet. Daddy was born in 1904 and died in 1973. I used to think he looked like DDE and had a bit of his personality too…buttoned down military with a twinkle in his eye.

Little sister Windy, three years younger so do the math, took me out for lunch today for my birthday. Me=SIXTY-EIGHT. Just wanted to write it down again because it makes me L!O!L!

June 19

Awww, Nancy and Sharon came over and brought ice cream and cookies and Champagne! When they left there was half a box of cookies. As I write this there are no longer any cookies. Of course not.

June 18

Me at the dentist. I can walk here. And she’s very sweet and only does what I ask her to do and says comforting and encouraging words.

June 17

Sold! It went to a cutie young Italian guy who has been in the US for six days getting himself set up for graduate school at UCLA. Study well my young friend!

June 15

I went with Rome to Wilderness Park in search of a Letterbox, a project that she had done on Sunday with her Girl Scout Troup. It was very cool fun and we found what we were looking for mostly because Rome knew exactly where it was.

One of the lakes was full of this which I could not identify.

June 14

Ann went on a Disney Cruise with her two granddaughters, her son, her daughter-in-law, and her d-i-l’s mother.

Were those little girls not Over The Moon for the complete Disney Princess Experience?! Yes they were. And I couldn’t resist sharing these pictures.

ad.

June 13

It was damp out this morning and further up the coast, where we were going to walk in Solstice Canyon it was even a little muddy so hey let’s give the Getty Villa a shot.

Yes! If you get there early enough the guards might still have tickets that they give away first come first served.

And lunch too!

June 12

I’ve been enjoying lunch dates for the last three days and lazy bum that I’ve been lately, no pictures, but here’s Hilda and Merlyn that I got off their facebook, celebrating their anniversary in Kauai.

June 9

It was Play Date City around the Kanouse house on Tuesday. This is Deacon, one of Lilly’s good friends. We like to make a picnic and have lunch at the park. Later we brought Rome and her friend sweet Finley home from their school. You know I had fun!

The cutie-pie girls.

Here are a few more of my highlights. The last time I put six in he was through day 40 or so.

Lucky me I get to see them in person! You can check out his site at djk.io for more. And more, more wonderfulness Every Day. SO impressive, yes.

dj.

June 8

This is me pointing the camera at full telephoto into a blank sky.

Look, no spots! You probably, I hope, haven’t noticed the spots because I photoshoped them out of every picture for months now. But $65 and two hours later the sensor is cleaned and voila, no more spots. Thank you Steve!

And thanks to Marsha for coming out to lunch while I waited.

June 7

Muriel made us dinner tonight before she leaves tomorrow to enjoy 10 or so days back home in North Carolina.

This is not the dinner she made for us, although our dinner was so delicious, but rather the dinner a friend of hers made for them. Muriel who cooks like an angel knows people who cook.

mm.

June 5

I got my ears pierced a few weeks ago and now I’m looking at earrings. I just want one pair that doesn’t poke and that a person such as myself could wear 24/7. This kind of hoop is called a huggie.

June 6

Sharon and I had another walk today, this time strolling around Tongva Park. The drought tolerant landscaping was in full flower.

A view from the park.

June 4

YAY! I got some pictures from Cynthia! The two on the left are at the wonderful Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in the Walker Art Center complex. Kieran made his selfie (he’s on the lower right) at a recent MN Twins game. Thank you!

June 3

CONGRATULATIONS Caleb Brown, High School Graduate! And doesn’t Hartley look great.

Christa, Trevor, Caleb, Beth, Charis; Janice, Lona, Hartley

(a friend of theirs in Hawaii took this picture)

I went with Nancy and Sharon for lunch at the Reel Inn and a stroll around Topanga State Park. It was a great day – a little rain in the morning and a cool and lovely afternoon.

June 2

Yes, the Rock ‘n Roll Car Wash in Hermosa Beach.

Before and After.

Out D&A’s dining room windows, a bright orange moon tonight!