’17 June

June 8

Sisters! Lona, me, Windy…

…off for a Tea Party at the Getty Villa. They do it in Mediterranean style up in the ‘Founder’s Dining Room’ and it’s a lot of fun.

Included with the tea is a tour of the gardens telling about some of the herbs and spices that went into our tea.

This guy was a wonderful guide. THANK YOU sisters!

June 7

Lilly and Roxi creating Interesting Food. That’s what they wanted to do and that’s what they did, entirely by themselves. I didn’t even peek into the kitchen while this adventure was afoot.

Tomato cups with blueberry; Peach and cheese delights; Lime chip quesadilla. Interesting Food, and tasty too.

Here’s Rome learning calligraphy. Look how well she’s doing after only one hour.

June 6

I got this off Cynthia’s facebook!

What Cynthia wrote: “Feeling grateful to be on this journey with Michael Holden, who killed it planning an awesome 5th anniversary surprise weekend getaway. :)”

What Mike wrote: “Celebrating our 5 year anniversary with a weekend downtown. #boomislandpark #wildecafe #renaissancehotel #stonearchbridge #guthrietheater”

AWWWW!

June 5

Marsha’s willow has developed into willow perfection and she’s a tree-happy gal. It was totally dark so the camera had to just ‘figure it out’.

Tonight was my last Monday Night Potluck for ages and one of the most trying drives – almost, but not, two hours. I wish I knew why all that years-long work on the 405 and the Westside on and off ramps produced no noticable benefit.

June 4

Happy Birthday David! Also present was the coven of David devotees of which I include myself as well as JoAnn, Nancy, Muriel, and another of David’s friends, a wonderful young woman I just met named Jessa.

June 3

From the Observatory’s website:

“Free public star parties are held monthly at Griffith Observatory from 2:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. with the assistance of volunteers from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Los Angeles Sidewalk Astronomers, and The Planetary Society.

“They are a chance for the whole family to look at the Sun, Moon, visible planets and other objects, to try out a variety of telescopes, and to talk to knowledgeable amateur astronomers about the sky and their equipment.”

Darryl, Angela, Rome, and Lilly met me up here for this occasion that I’ve never been to before.

Here’s more from the Observatory’s website:

“Colonel Griffith J. Griffith left funds in his will to build a public observatory in Los Angeles because he believed in the transformative power of observation. After looking through the research telescope at Mt. Wilson he said: “If all mankind could look through that telescope, it would change the world!”

“Since opening in 1935, the Griffith Observatory has fulfilled his vision by offering public telescope viewing through the historic Zeiss telescope, historic coelostat (solar telescope), and portable telescopes on the lawn. More people have looked through the Zeiss telescope than any telescope in human history. More people have viewed the filtered disk of the Sun on the Observatory coelostat than any solar telescope on Earth.”

For this once-a-month event the whole lawn is full of amazing telescopes and the aficionados who attend them with such loving enthusiasm.

DAK&L brought a wonderful Very Full Service picnic and these guys both gave us and protected their table until we were all ready to eat.

We’re at our table eating and chatting while…

…the sun sets behind the Hollywood Hills.

I had a wonderful time inside the Observatory too.

And Gifts!

Darryl wrote this poem and I’m copying it here so I can always find it. I mean, really, he rhymed Australia and paraphernalia.

With 70 years, it’s a time to be reflective,
Maybe see things with a new perspective?

Reflective, and open to introspection,
Without the unfortunate reflection:

“My view of the world, my contemplative demeanor,
Would be a lot better if those windows were cleaner.”

Let’s make it so! without leaving your seat…
We’ve summoned window cleaners to 22nd Street.

Cleaning and cleaning and not missing a spot,
They’ll get every window on the lot.

With their window washing paraphernalia,
They’ll arrive once you’re back from Australia.

So, this year we hope you’re enjoying the view,
Clean windows – and a Happy Birthday – to You!!!

June 2

The original Scottish Rite Masonic Temple and just now reopened as The Marciano Art Foundation, and thanks to Carol for having her ear to the rail she, Alex, and I went to check it out.

You should go (if you don’t have an allergic reaction to…

…contemporary art. Experiencing the building just by itself is worth the price of admission. It’s free btw but you have to make a reservation.

You’ll want to read all the art-blah-blah signs around the main exhibition on the lower level. It’s nonsense, that’s what I thought, until I saw the show and had such a great A-HAAA. I love those moments!

Making art out of art?

This backlit sign is, just a shot in the dark, 8 feet tall and 30 feet long, something like that, HUGE.

I liked it A Lot, especially the first level with all these concept pieces that are thematically connected but you have to read the words and wander through I think to feel it for the connections.

Modern ruins.

They also have a small museum of relics found during the museum refurbishment. That fez sent me on a memory-trip-flash of a picture of my Grandpa, my mother’s father, in a hat that looked just like this.

But he’s Jewish. Do the Masons let Jews join? They might now but back then it looks like they had an entire Jewish Lodge as evidenced by these names.

So that might be it. Also was he a Shriner or a Mason, the hats are the same? I looked it up – you have to be a Mason first before you can be a Shriner so he could have been both.

June 1

Ann and I like to celebrate our June birthdays at the sushi bar where Hero, who has been making me sushi for 30 years still plies his trade.

Happy Birthday Ann, it was GOOD!