’16 January

January 31

Lill and I went to a photo show where JoAnn had some pictures on display and then I went to JoAnn’s for dinner with David and Muriel. Too good.

(from the gallery website)

January 30

The LensCrafters eye exam group have gone digital now. The process was so very much less annoying than I expected and when they’re done you get this totally cool 3D picture of your eyeball that they can rotate any which way.

Despite having it be a big chain operation and despite having to wait, I left there surprisingly satisfied mostly because the ‘is this better…or this?’ portion is not so bad with their new digital machine, and because I got to see my eyeballs in 3D.

January 29

This is fun, pictures from other people. Honolulu vs New York City. Charis’s 15th Birthday wrapped in swaying palms and warm sweet breezes. Paul and Gretchen grateful for Building Staff to clear the sidewalk.

January 27

Sharon and I were walking at Pepperdine today and we were convinced that Catalina was so close we could snag a rowboat and make our way out there. Every time this happens we ask ourselves “but could it be?”.

January 26

The girls love them some selfies, piled into the backseat for Daisy pick-up.

Lilly, Rome, Roxi

January 24 too

In between Angela’s run and lunch and CUPCAKES I buzzed over to Westwood to check out the current group reading Proust.

It was awesome. Look at all those people reading Proust! Most of then are on their second and third go-round and all of them are Happy to there.

Yes, look at all those men in a book club of sorts. It’s actually mostly in seminar format where the main guy is always cutting off any chit-chat…Focus People! is his mantra. And yes, mostly the men talk but the women are entirely welcome to chime in and mostly they don’t have to raise their voices to be heard. Everyone is actually very courteous and anyone who wants to talk can take the initiative to do so.

It was good fun and I’ll love to check in again in a few months. I’m more glad that it’s happening than I am able/willing to attend…if that makes any sense.

January 24

Angela is, well, I won’t tell you but it’s a decade birthday that starts with a 4, and in celebration she ran a half marathon! YES, YOU GO!

The girls got to the finish line early to sell Girl Scout cookies and there were plenty of takers.

CONGRATULATIONS!

The fam, enjoying a snuggle on the couch except for me bossing them around. Look at me! Look at ME!

January 23

Trevor was in town so I got to join them all for dinner. It was so dark I’m happy this turned out at all.

I got to visit with Windy, my other sister, too in the morning – a double-sister fun-fest.

January 21

Susie and I went to the Autry Museum of the American West today and it was entirely entertaining.

Here’s a quote from the artist Bill Schenck, 2014, about this painting called A River Runs Through It:

“This painting is a made-up landscape with the front mesas being from Monument Valley and the back mesas from Canyonlands. There is obviously no river that is running through there, but I like the idea of a river running through it. All the trout are more than 15 inches long in that river.”

January 20

Sharon and I had a good walk around Playa Vista today. Playa Vista has gotten big and it is getting way Way bigger. I didn’t imagine there was so much land left upon which to build.

There are small parks dotted around Playa Vista and here we find a most handsome white heron.

Then dinner with the boys, YAY, I know, we’re so cute.

Bill, me, Ken

January 19

Pauli and I took Lilly and Roxi for lunch at our favorite, Akbar, then did some homework, and then went back to the school to get the older kids.

What a precious crew.

Lilly and Roxi in front, then Zander, Rome, Lola, Pauli

January 17

I got to look at Lynn’s pictures of Cuba but before I could grab one she got called out on an emergency…so here’s one of mine (stories in the Mexico and Caribbean Islands section)!

January 16

Walk and a lunch with Muriel today. Muriel just got back from Cuba and had a wonderful time. Tomorrow I’m going to see Lynn who got back from Cuba a few months ago. Let’s all go to Cuba!

Lona and Hartley, under the weather sitting in their spots looking out their faaabulous window. You can move the chairs 180 degrees and see these boats settling into the marina at Marina del Rey.

Not only is it gorgeous but you can also hear the water lapping on the rocks, the birds and the fog horns, and the laughs and cheers of the party boats.

I made fried matzos for Lona just like our mom used to make. Feeling so much pain with her shoulder, her elbow, her hips, and her knees, she hadn’t eaten much in several days. She ate a mountain of fried matzos and was so happy,

January 15

Nancy and Sharon and I went to the Annenberg Space for Photography today and saw a fabulous fabulous show of a Frans Lanting project called “LIFE: A Journey Through Time”. Those Annenberg shows are so well done I feel like I know him.

Lanting is a National Geographic photographer and if you’ve ever seen a National Geo photo that made you want to tear it out and put it on the wall it likely was his.

This show closes March 20 so you have plenty of time. I took a picture of one of his Galapagos shots right off the wall.

January 14

For the first time in more than a month Sharon and I got to do a beach walk. We both made it without complaint so yay for us.

Birds of Paradise. I need to get me some of these cool guys!

January 13

Yesterday I had the perfect chance to take a picture of Lilly and her bff Roxi and I should have because I knew I was going to see Roxi’s grandma Pauli today.

The two girls are always talking to me about Pauli and they love it when Pauli and I have a play date.

(a guy at Canter’s took the picture)

We had lunch at Canter’s, walked up to Samy’s camera – this is their distort-o mirror (I’m thinking about an underwater camera for the Galapagos), and then we had pie at Du-Par’s in the Farmer’s Market before returning to our cars at Canter’s. What a lovely day.

I got to hear about Pauli’s recent trips to run with the gorillas in Uganda and hang with hill tribes in Papua New Guinea. Let me add that Pauli is 12 years my senior. She’s an inspiration and a roll model!

January 11

I went out to Simi Valley to visit with Burt and Charlene and to admire their new landscaping. Wow, good job guys!

I had planned to pass through the SF Valley at dinner-time but the Monday Nighters weren’t having the Monday Potluck so Ann took me out for my gift exchange GIFT and what a gift it was! It is pretty crazy how this old Benihana-style restaurant across the street from the Northridge Mall has such wonderful sushi.

Hiro has been here for decades so that probably has something to do with it! It was a Monday night and from 6:30 every seat at the sushi bar was full.

January 9 and 10

Happy Birthday KEN…we went to Cirque du Soleil and had a birthday dinner extravaganza at Lawry’s, Ken’s favorite restaurant in all the world.

Then the next day I went with Sharon for a nice and surprisingly ‘lite’ lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and to see Star Wars! (Are you humming the theme just from reading the name? I do.)

January 8

This is how they left it after running the new gas line. I’ve been in touch with Edgar asking him to get those guys back! But I’ve been trying for 6 weeks now to get them back…

I can not believe I didn’t take a picture at Marsha’s where we were 10 people gathered around their dining room table for a completely delightful (and delicious!) evening including sister Nancy and her husband Henry who I haven’t seen in ages. So annoying to forget the picture but not as annoying as my dug up yard.

From Cynthia in Saint Paul – that’s Mike on the far right with his new band Red Sky Night playing to the cheers of the crowd.

The amazing view as always.

Christmas trees really are cool and so personal too.

Then Liz and Gary and Dev had me over for a yummy dinner. Thanks guys!

These pictures are from L&G’s facebook showing a couple of their many action-packed activities.

January 5

Oh my goodness, Cynthia and Mike gave the girls a karaoke machine that they are NUTS for. And speaking of Cynthia and Mike…

…here’s Cynthia and happy Kieran with his new guitar…

…and Kieran and Mike with the family’s new drone(!) getting it into the air and taking a few pictures too.

January 3

I’m pleased to report that my condition is on the upswing and I went to Chinatown for…

…dim sum with Ronald, Celina, Gideon, and Steven. Five is a good number and we got to taste many delicious dishes. We ate at Ocean Seafood and it was a recommendable experience but for a Sunday, and maybe Saturday too, be sure to get there before 11:30 or the wait could be daunting.

January 1

Thanks to Marsha and Tom for a New Year’s Eve festivity including the best chili ever.

I’ve been a bit under the weather with a strange dry cough and no other symptoms at all, so not an allergy attack and not a cold…so what? I’m laying low and very much hoping it will run its course without morphing into something bad. Crossing all my fingers and toes!

FOR ME (you don’t want to look! trust me!)!
2016 January same as Jan 2014&2015, lax on the meds since Thanksgiving (cough and subsequent sore throat)
2015 January not allergy, same as Jan 2014
2014 January not allergy, got meds after this DR’s visit
2013 July Kauai/Honolulu; August&September UK SOO BAD
2012 June in MN; November baaad at home
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!)

December 31 2015

…and a Happy New Year!

Sharon, Marija, Marsha, Mindy