’20 December

The last post from 2020, from outside my house on Christmas Eve. Wow, the tree lights fill the house. I hadn’t noticed it before!

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There is a world out there beyond my door and with the exception of the drive to the desert, and a couple of walks to the store, and a trip to the Garden Center, and the valley deliveries, I haven’t been out of the house for so long I don’t even know how long. It feels safe and comfy here inside my little house.

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My next-door neighbor to the north, her garden facing the street. Her front windows are safe from the view of the cars, but also shaded from the light.

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I was and remain a little uncertain about this bush (so much dead-heading required, so much dead-heading not done) but awww so sweet.

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I got this delivery a week+ ago and now there are no delivery slots available. That’s a lot of groceries, and yet now I need more.

Windy and I drove out to Yucca Valley to deliver gifts and pick up gifts and have a very distant visit with Liz, Gary, and Dev. That’s the yucca tree in front of their house. Wow, right?!

We saw the mammoth sculpture from the highway and tried to stop for a nice roadside attraction. But no, closed for the covid. We’ll check back another time. We did spend 10 minutes just watching the little yellow bird (full-on telephoto in the camera And in the computer..”there it is, oh wait no, there it is…). It was a delight!

Every December we Monday Nighters have our favorite event of the year. Alicia hosts and makes a perfect turkey, dressing, and gravy, we all bring our assigned contribution for a perfect Thanksgiving meal. We dress up, we exchange a mountain of gifts, and it is So Much Fun not the least because it’s a night that is always the same and has been since the beginning of time.

Except now, in the time of covid. We did our best and everyone had FUN.

Marsha, me, Ann, Alicia, Marija with Ljubica on the phone, Lourdes, Becky (due to technology constraints Ljubica and Maxine couldn’t make it)

Every year I keep adding a few birds and pretty soon I’m going to have a Bird Tree. If I was a better person I’d stage these pictures more carefully and figure out the lighting. Apparently I’m ok with the way it is…

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Here are some Holiday funnies.

My holiday angels are protected by a face guard…and this is how I look these days. Lordy.

The dog is four years old but new to Muriel, and a delight. They come here so Maggie can have some time off-leash to RUN. You can tell she’s been playing in the grass.

The pictures were a last minute thought, Maggie is leashed-up and ready to go, and please don’t worry, these are telephoto grab shots, we stayed apart and totally wore masks except for two minutes to snap the pictures.

Recently Steve and Celina moved up to Ventura from the San Fernando Valley and are doing a massive remodel of their new downsized home. They took me on a zoom-tour of the project and it was so much fun! The outside is finished including adding a new room and spiffing up the patio. January 3rd they are moving into a nearby Residence Inn to get the work on the inside done. It’s so exciting (and stressful for them..) and in four months it’ll all be over, and it’s going to be great!

Aren’t we all watching SO Much Television?!

The above picture is from a wonderful program. The first 3 seasons are called Midnight Diner and the next 2 seasons are called Midnight Diner – Tokyo Stories. The Tokyo Stories I think are the best maybe because they got into the swing of the format. You meet all the characters in the first set though. However you see them, each episode is a jewel you rotate in your hand, admiring every facet.

Here are some more shows I’ve enjoyed in the time of Covid. Of course I’ve seen many many more, and there are more that I would note but just can’t remember.

Rake; The Crown; Father Brown; Death in Paradise; High Fidelity (tv series); Perry Mason (the new one); Tin Star; Catastrophe; Mystery Road; Sanditon; Better Things; Barry; Pen15; Insecure; Chernobyl; Schitts Creek; Travels with My Father; Hap and Leonard; Russian Doll; The Good Place; Good Omens; Delhi Crime; Prime Suspect (w/Helen Mirren); I May Destroy You; Midnight Diner and Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories; Endeavour; Bosch; New Tricks; Boston Legal (I watched it for the third time); The Closer; Red Oaks; Fleabag; Wolf Hall; Justified; Rizzoli and Isles; Episodes; Jeopardy (reruns); The Mentalist; River; and So many more.

Now I’m watching another Japanese subtitled show called Giri/Haji that’s pretty good too.

Looking at this list I know I’ve seen a number of recommendable documentaries that are missing .. I’ll add them when they come to mind.

This happens SO often. I’ve contacted the city asking for red paint on the curb of my driveway to highlight when someone is illegally parked. Would I be fussing over this in busier more normal times? Yes. I think yes. Who wants to drive over a curb to get in or out of the driveway? No one! I also think there have been more problems because the hospital is busier, and since the day care school opened on the corner.

Parking enforcement came by, wrote a ticket and called the owner, and then the owner moved the car. No big deal to that guy. “You can’t park here.” “Sure I can, it just costs $75.” An example of why fixed fines (and cash bail) are an unfair form of justice.

For years now – 4-5-6 – Lilly has done matching for the Monday Nighters Secret Santa. This time she told everyone who they got on zoom’s private chat so I don’t even know who has who. Good job Lilly (everyone is clapping!).

Marsha, me, Ann, Alicia, Marija, Becky, Lourdes, Lilly

Arrow through three pictures below (the arrow isn’t so obvious):

It’s the persimmon tree that’s making the color. The wisteria drop their leaves too but they just turn brown and fall off. Everything is going to go dormant soon so I’m extra-appreciating all the colors and blooms now before they’re gone.

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Also as an aside here are Olivia’s plantings in the back from the first week in December:

Pot – cilantro, chives, collard greens

Kitchen plot – purple needlegrass; sedum (in shallow pot); yarrow, rue, lavender

Plot by B – Cedros Island verbena; calendula (flowers)

The grocery stores are open and the shelves are full, so far. To keep the distancing Whole Foods is opening very few cashiers, one per aisle instead of two, and one on the express lane instead of up to four. There are lineups inside and outside too. I didn’t see anyone buying ten of anything so that’s good, no panic shopping, so far. I surely hope it stays that way.