neither here nor there

April 29

Ben and Bonnie celebrating the very last of their very very late fifties. Aging so gracefully, don’t you think.

Max The Dog, beloved companion of Howard and Susan.

Candles and singing, cake, fruit salad, and beverages, and a jolly good time was had by all.

Mary, Carolyn, and Mika.

…a dead snake. The nature walk was conducted by a representative of Children’s Nature Institute. Bonnie is on their board of directors so let’s give ’em a pitch. Click here for Children’s Nature Institute!

This is Nancy Berk, also on the board, and she has been leading walks for children for 10 years.

Tony Schultz and Susan Merson and Audry the Dog. Ben went to Jr High School with Tony and they also attend temple with B&B.

Barbara Rubin and Tierre Sauvage. Tierre made a documentary film, Lessons of the Spirit, the story of a French village that saved 5,000 Jews, Tierre’s parents among them. Barbara went to law school with Bonnie and they belong to the same temple.

Mike Johnson, Dyan Hastel-Johnson, and Noah. Dyan is a phychologyst who also uses hypnosis and, like Ben, is part of the Hypnosis Society.

Nancy Rosenburg, in profile in the red hat, is Bonnie’s long time friend from college. You’ll meet the others later.

Before the walk the nature guide had a big tub of show-and-tell including a dead bat, bird nests, a deer’s antler, and…

B&B held their birthday festivo here including a guided nature walk and an opportunity to visit with old friends and to enjoy those of their friends I don’t know as well.

And Nancy had treats too. Here she passed out some seeds from a local plant. She also carried spritz bottles with water. So you take those seeds, a little spritz of water, rubrubrub, and you can get some lather up like soap. These girls are all like Ewwww.

From Nancy the guide: “The plant that we washed our hands with is called Ceonothus. It’s sometimes referred to as Mountain Lilac or California Lilac. There are about 7 varieties that grow in our area. They bloom from March through April (give or take). The colors of the bloom range from a really beautiful, dark purple/blue to white.”

Mika and Sydney-Grace Niesen. Their parents, also in attendance, are Chuck and Alice. Chuck is a pediatric neurologyst working on a NIH grant application with Ben for hypnosis work with children.

The guide was lovely and entertaining. She passed out magnifying glasses for everyone to wear around their neck and all along the way pointed out interesting facts. Just what you’d hope for in a guided walk.

Here is the back of David Gordon in the plaid and his son Steven. David is a psychologist and Ben got to know him through their work in hypnosis.

Carl, on the left, looking waaay up is one of Ben’s old Jr High School friends.

As you can see the park is quite wonderful. She is calling your name…

Al Huber again and his daughter Mary.

I was amazed at the brush here – all the diversity and colors and design. You’d almost think it was planted that way on purpose. And then come to find out that it was!

They are trying to get more native plans to grow back but it’s a struggle against the invaders such as mustard plant. Mustard plant just loooves it here.

Making our way across the stream on slippery rocks. This was the type of crossing that children turn into dance theater. We carefully check our footing.

Peggy Sharp and her daughter Carolyn and Al Huber. Peggy is Bonnie’s law suite mate.

A milling crowd.

Jessica Schairer, front and center, is a psychologist Ben met thorough work.

Steve and Harriot Mandell. Bonnie went to high-school with Harriot and met Steve after college and because of Steve Bonnie decided to study The Law.

Rich and Kay Yang. Rich and Bonnie were colleagues at the California Attorney’s Office in the late 1970s and Rich and Ben have been sports buddies for a bunch of years.

Bob and Carol Ginsburg. Bob is B&B’s faithful accountant since their return to LA in the ’70s.

Howard Newman and Susan Brown. B&B met Howard in a discussion group maybe 30 years ago, back in the olden days, when we discussed..

This place is just a few miles up PCH from Malibu. Strolling and yakking away as we were, we didn’t make it all the way to the waterfall but I hope to be back before summer. The wildflowers are bright and plentiful and the setting is a total delight.