’20 July

Jo Ann’s photo (I goofed with it, sorry Jo Ann) is called ‘Old Fashioned’ and is in the photography collection of the Getty Museum.

She had her studio refurbished taking everything out and now it’s time to put it all back. Oh my goodness, so many things! We worked for a few hours on her collection of fabrics. So beautiful as evidenced by the photo above. We started with 7 huge bags and armloads of rolls. We Marie Kondo-ed those bags and got down to the amount that made Jo Ann happy. You can’t see it all in this picture because of the boxes on the floor…I’m happy too!

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The hair salons closed in March and then, I don’t know exactly, but they were open for maybe one week in July, and then closed again. Lynn told me about her cutter who ‘has salon will travel’ and she was glad to come to my place. I’m happy!

btw, all that smooth skin, the phone did it by itself!

Windy, Cali, and I went for a lunch-time outing at Malibu Creek State Park. We had a wonderful time starting with a yummy picnic under that awesome tree.

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They were holding rock climbing classes. Cali climbed up too!

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And a couple more views from the trail. I think these grand trees are California/Coast Live Oak. There were plenty of people there. It felt safe enough for us because we never stood next to anyone else but there were groups of young folk, 6-8-10 people together not wearing masks, whooping it up, which made me think, every time, “You are going to make your grandma sick!”.

5 seconds to snap this shot of me and Lynn out for a stroll along the Venice Boardwalk and right back to 6 feet apart.

I hadn’t been in the area for months(!) although I used to walk down here all the time. There’s a homeless encampment now that lines the Venice boardwalk from the Venice pier to Ocean Park Ave., half a mile maybe, tent after tent, cardboard structures and tarps, whole living rooms set up. I didn’t take any pictures, you can google it if you want. What will happen next? At the moment I am suffering from a lack of imagination.

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Another place I haven’t seen for so long, Santa Monica’s Main Street. The Main Street of my very small town and I haven’t been around for months. The city is letting the restaurants take over a lane of traffic to distance the tables in a hope to keep some of these places in business.

So Windy, Cali, and I got her some groceries. Trevor and Beth are coming with her so her transition back home will be more gentle.

Cynthia sent this for Mother’s Day and it’s still going strong.

I am superstitious of using a handicapped placard when no one in the car needs it because I think that’s just asking for trouble, not because it’s illegal, not that kind of trouble, but because it’s bad karma. The universe says “So, you want to use a handicapped placard do you?!”.

I find myself feeling similarly about the current situation with covid tests. From what I understand now, from my doctor, and from the clinic that gives the tests, I’d have to lie (since I have no symptoms, I’ve not hung out with anyone who has tested positive, and my work does not put me in danger) not that I don’t lie, but I like to save my lies, and not tempt fate.

So no covid test for me yet. But if this keeps up I’m thinking that at some point I’m going to decide this might be one of those times that’s going to warrant a lie.

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Ben and Bonnie came around, we’re here not exactly 6′ but then we spent far less then 15 minutes inside, just to use the restroom. We walked to the park for a picnic lunch and then went shopping at Tehran Market.

Seven different herbs here for that SO delicious Persian dish with feta and flat bread. I should ask Hilda to name them.

Nancy in Santa Barbara made these and they remind me so much of Celina’s. I make them too from Celina’s recipe. Pickled onions. Everything tastes delicious with pickled onions!

Celina's Recipe:

Shallots or white, yellow, or red onions
Apple cider vinegar 
Sugar
Salt
And last but very important the 
Black pepper corns 
Place them in cheese cloth so it's easy to remove them 
Let sit overnight and it's ready the next day

My Hair. This is day two after a wash and straight from the bed. It’s the most entertaining thing about me.

How lovely to get a walk in. I’m really hoping we can stay at at least this level of going out but it could get worse fast. I wonder if we’d see another run on supplies? We also took the opportunity to eat restaurant food and it was delicious.

OUCH! It really hurts. A nice fresh pair of Birkenstocks are winging their way to my door, everyone’s favorite treatment for Plantar Fasciitis.

Now we’re not going in the house at all, visitors walk down the outside path and bring their own meal, and we separate even more than 6′. Thanks for coming around Nancy despite the new ‘scheme’!

A fuzzy twilight shot, lookin’ might girly from the street.

Yup.

Jeff is 99% a Corvette guy but now he’s rebuilding the engine on a classic 95% original 1957 Rocket 88 Oldsmobile for his own collection.

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Three blocks from my house, a fine, friendly, family park with a few tennis courts and a very fun children’s playground.

And ducks. Sometimes more and sometimes less, they’re always generating a big mess. The kids get a kick out of feeding, and chasing, the ducks but I personally could do without them.

Douglas Park is a whole city block. I don’t have a picture of the meeting rooms or the large and beautifully maintained Lawn Bowling court, always a very popular activity with the Senior Set, which would be me these days, although I haven’t yet taken up Lawn Bowling. I haven’t seen anyone out there since the lock-down which, like so very many things, is too bad.

I have a neighbor who walks around the block every day with a 3-ish year old kid who Loves to hang out in front of my house. They can be there 5-10 minutes straight with the kid pointing at my wind chimes and swaying side to side to the sounds. They walk back and forth admiring the flowers.

I asked the kid one time if he wanted to jump on my paving stones and now that’s his favorite thing to do. Today I knew they were out there but the front door was closed so I let it go. A few minutes later the dad was showing the kid how to ring my bell and they put this adorable card on the mat.

You can see, as the dad told me when I pointed it out, they on the sidewalk me at the doorway, all the story elements are present in the drawing.

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Because we REALLY need it!

I walked with Sharon in the morning and with Marsha in the evening, eating delicious and classic July 4th food All Day Long. YUM!

And I got to see Hamilton at Marsha and Tom’s! What a perfect entertainment for this most disrupted July 4th.

Two walks, food, 3 hours of good tv, what a luxury .. so what about The Corona?!

I’ve been thinking about Contract Tracing, what kind of contact is risky, and if I had an onset of symptoms tomorrow how many people would I have to contact? I thought being outside, everyone wearing masks, staying apart, would count for something, which it does of course, in ones likelihood to convey or contract the virus, yet current Contact Tracing protocols says you have to list everyone with whom you’ve been within 6′ for 15 minutes, from two days before the onset of symptoms. (I don’t know if you’re asymptomatic.) I feel a little calmer having counted the exact number – 0 or 1, maybe 2, 3 max depending on the day, and I’m going to be more attentive to the 6′ when walking if at all possible to keep that number at 0.

Nancy came around for garden lunch today and shared these pictures of Chloe. Oh how they Grow!

Pictures from Nancy!

The Monday Potluck turned out in good numbers for tonight’s call. We check in for just an hour on Mondays and Thursdays and it’s cool to keep in touch. No way to set the colors on this one.

Becky, Alicia, Marija, Lourdes, Marsha, Ann, me (missing Maxine, Ljubica)

Windy’s son Travis’s daughter Cali is here from Texas for a few weeks staying with her Grandma and Jeff and having a grand ol’ time. I look forward to having her around in my back yard for many a socially distanced lunch! She’s making some money digging up weeds in my back lawn. Good for her, good for me.

On the way out the door, hey, quick, let’s catch a shot.