It's White Shoulders

I keep the White Shoulders perfume bottle with the tiniest bit of oily liquid spread across the bottom. It sits for years, unnoticed, until some unexpected movement knocks it from the night stand.

I'll think to myself -"Self, it's time to toss that out."

It's more than 20 years old. White Shoulders can't possibly be popular anymore. And it must be rancid. "Throw it out, it's of no use. You don't need it anymore." But I'll need to check, to convince myself that it's useless now.

I'll unscrew the top and wave the small bottle in figure eights under my nose.

Before I can think, the smell of my mother grabs hold and she's bending towards me to say good night as she and my dad leave for their evening out. And she kisses me on the lips and I wipe away the red lipstick before I can taste it, and I say, "Mmmm, you smell good" and she says, like every time before, and every time after, "It's White Shoulders."

Coney Island amusement parks in the winter

Today I had to take a 2-hour subway ride to get to a school where I was teaching.

My 'ukulele and I went all the way out to Coney Island.

I snapped this photo of the deserted park from the train--outdoors & elevated at this point.

Romantic.

Scary.

Cool.

Ashy Trash

Seen at a rest stop in Escondido, CA

My Living Room Wall

Sometimes, to stop and notice, I don't have to go any further than my living room. How can it be that  I can pass by this, day after day, week after week - months go by - and I have forgotten, during all that time, to simply stop and notice.

Attack of the thrift shop mannequins

Upon entering a thrift shop today,

I was confronted by this angry gang of female mannequins.

I didn't stay very long.

Dusk

Tonight I walked to the grocery store.

I looked up and this is what I saw.

It kind of took my breath away.

(And I was amazed at how much the branches looked like veins.)

How To Enjoy Los Angeles

1) Adopt a Golden Retriever from the Pasadena Humane Society.
2) Climb a hill in northeast Los Angeles.
3) Sit on the trail, lean back against the tall grass on the hillside.
4) Call your dog over.
5) Listen to the hundreds of song birds.
6) Watch the pair of redtailed hawks.
7) Wonder why everyone doesn't do this.

Lending Library

In a corner of a Mexican restaurant, that my family and I often frequent, is this little area with a tall book shelf, that houses primarily mystery novels, which serves as a sort of lending library where customers (or as I like to think, friends) can trade, donate, or borrow books. Our family has celebrated many occasions there and is so comfortable in the surroundings that it feels like we are having dinner at a friend’s house. We have come to think of the owner and staff as a strange sort of extended family. This added feature makes it all the more friendly for me.

Inspiration station

A few years ago, my buddy, Wendy, made me a gift.

It used to be a jewelry box that someone had discarded.

She plucked it from the trash and transformed it.

Painting it. Covering it with inspiring & evocative words.

Building a dinosaur diorama where a drawer had once lived.

A feast for the eyes and the imagination.

It inspires me to create.

I dubbed it my "Inspiration Station."

At the Getty

 "Don't touch the art work!"

I took this picture many months ago. But it was with my old Pentax K1000 35mm film camera (still my favorite way to take pictures) and I just now had a chance to get into the photo lab to develop and print.  Love the process. Love the result.

Morning Moon

Somehow just doesn't seem right to be leaving for work while the moon is still out; beautiful morning greeting though.

My favorite new book

Don't let appearances fool you.

This ain't no ordinary notebook. No, sir.

Lynda Barry showed me how to make it MAGICAL.

Now it sings songs of days gone by.

Can't argue with that.

Hopeful symbol

Pushing through the earth, these first flowers of spring reminded me of a time when I surprisingly received an anonymous gift of daffodils as a symbol of hope. Nearly 2 years later, I remain hopeful.                                               

Coyotes in Los Angeles

On a nearby hillside I've found this coyote. I think he is lovely. I see him in my mind's eye all shiny and golden, with bright white teeth fixed in a smile. I lean in closer and closer and my heart begins to pound. That's when I remember, and I take a step back. With my heart still pounding hard, standing on a poorly maintained road on a lonely hillside, I remember that to everyone else - this is roadkill. And I sadly leave it be. But I'll check on it again, next time I walk that way, and it never looks like roadkill to me.

Lisa's pāʻū

On Monday nights, I sing and strum for a hula class in NYC.

No, really. I do.

Yes. We have hula in NYC.

And the women wear traditional hula pāʻū. Hula skirts.

I love the pattern on my friend's pāʻū.

She was wearing it tonight.

No, really. She was.

Uninspired

A typical 10 hour work day view

Amber

Masterpiece or Monstrosity?

I pass by this car several times a day. It's a masterpiece/It's a monstrosity. It's raw power/It's a total waste of raw materials. I'm drawn to it/I'm repelled by it. I stand and stare. I circle around. I peer inside. I take one last long look at that incredible grill. Then I continue on my smiling-muttering-head-shaking way, hoping that it will still be there tomorrow when I can stand in awe all over again.

Anticipation

Early spring blossoms on the trees located in the Ralph's grocery store parking lot; made grocery shopping a nice experience.

I Don't Believe in Rain

In Los Angeles, with long hot summers and autumn with the constant threat of wild fires then winters like this one with week and after week of clear blue skies, it becomes difficult to believe that there will ever be anything but sun.
The forecast is for rain on Tuesday. But today, I choose not to believe it.