Toast

As I was making dinner tonight, after a hectic and technology frustrating day, I noticed that the toast I intended on having for breakfast was still sitting in the toaster; no wonder by 1pm I was hungry!

Family Camping

I can't wait for our family camping vacation this summer. Maybe this is where I get my love of camping from . . .

Buds

The buds are growing!!! It won't be long until it's guacamole and margarita time.

Coyote Skull

The coyote skull is soaking in water. Looks kind of prehistoric, doesn't it?

Prayer card

Attended a cousin's rosary tonight; this is in her memory.

Hummingbird in My Studio

For some reason, hummingbirds sometimes fly into my studio. Today it happened again. They've always found their way out again. This one didn't.

Sculpture

Saw this sculpture on Lake Blvd in Pasadena but it was too dark to see what it represented.

Candy machine

Prop candy machine on the new Buena Vista Street at California Adventure.

Shapes and Light and Color

I started a new painting in a series today. All very serious, everything intentional, nothing just for fun.

I took a break and sat in the backyard eating lunch, staring off through the trees, thinking about nothing in particular, only noticing shape and color.

And I thought, "That's what I want to paint. Just shapes and light and color."  But that's not how I paint - at least, not usually. Although it might be how I will paint tomorrow.

34,000 Feet

JFK => LAX

Somewhere over the middle of the country

34,000 Feet

Virgin Atlantic

Surprise Mystery Squash

A few weeks ago I planted a few garlic to see what might happen. I used some dirt from the yard, some bagged garden soil from the store, and some compost from our kitchen waste. We don't really "take care of" our kitchen-waste compost. We don't have a fancy recepticle - just a trash can with air holes drilled in the sides. It rarely gets turned or mixed. We don't harvest worms. We just let the scraps do their own thing and pretty soon it looks good enough to mix in with the other dirt. I'm so glad we don't do it "right" because what we get is just too much fun to miss. Yes, the garlic that I planted seems to be growing just fine, but I've also got about eight mystery vines growing among the garlic. Two, I think, are pumpkin, which is surpising because we almost never have pumpkin in our kitchen. Maybe they're acron squash - that would make more sense. Another, I'm pretty sure, is butternut squash. I love butternut squash. Then there's this one which appears to be turning into spaghetti squash. We eat lots of spaghetti squash. Wonderful to have so much food growing in our back yard. But what's really best is the fun of going out to water the garden and finding so many, many surprises.

Video games

It amazes me how kids as young as 2 know what video games are; he hasn't quite gotten the concept but "plays" with his mom and has a blast. Give me an old fashioned board game anyday....

Fashion of the Fly

I've never been very interested in fashion. And I hated the Home Ec class that I was forced to take in 7th grade. But . . . give me some old curtains, a pair of scissors, and a stapler, and apparently I suddenly love all that! Took a class today -  "Fashion on the Fly" - and this is what I got to take home! (Plus a new pair of scissors and a stapler.) Can't wait to go through the linen closet and start hacking up those old table cloths and stapling away.

Monorail

I noticed the Monorail at Disneyland now has a face; I thought it looked like Dori but my daughter says no.

Washington Square Park, NYC

Washington Square Park

NYC

6.23.12

430p

Duckling

Yes, I am your mother.

Summer Window

I love summer. Love it. Love it. When I wake up early in the morning and see blue skies already out to greet me, all I can do is smile.

Love bugs

Came across these roly poly's that my husband swore were doing the bug deed yet when they separated there were 3! Menage Trios?

Hidden Birdbath

While walking along an out-of-the-way trail today

we came upon this birdbath

hidden in the bushes

I guess birds like a little privacy when they bathe, too.

Favorite Flower

These were always my mother's favorite. Now they're mine. Nothing brings back memories of my mom as strongly as the smell of gardenias.

coconut mail

My husband, the letter carrier, had once told me how the post office will deliver pretty much anything that had the proper postage on it and told me a story of a kindergarten class that mailed a banana to prove the point but it wasn't until I saw this coconut with the proper postage on it that was mailed to a restaurant of a friend of ours; pretty cool.

Construction workers

Even though I'm approaching middle age

in a fast and furious way,

a part of me is still a young boy.

I think the youth in me loves this image

construction workers, carving thru the earth.

Cool.

Lamps in a Stairwell

Who got to pick the lamps in this apartment building stairwell? (And when?) I don't know, but I'm so glad they did. I hope they never remodel. Or if they do, I hope someone will save these before they go in the rubbish heap.

Binky

Saw this lost binky on the ground and wondered who lost it and how upset they were and if the parents searched for it or if they had a back up.

Pennsylvania Barn

This past weekend, James and I went to Pennsylvania

to visit with my parents.

We were greeted by scenes like this one all along the 

quiet country roads.

Love it.

Patriotic Car

Ready for Independence Day...

Bees

That's what I like to see - bees in my flowering vegies. I tried to point him in the direction of the other squash plants. I'm not sure he noticed.

They say the bee population is in trouble. But we always seem to have tons of them. If you stand under our carob tree when it's flowering, the buzzing from the bees is surreal.

Pop Quiz in Hula Class

In tonight's hula class,

the dancers were given a pop quiz.

Yup. 

Awesome.

Lucky Hammock

This makes it look like I was in the hammock all day . . .  but I only got a few minutes. Still, it was enough to stop and remember how lucky I am.

Street Cat

Saw this man and his cat kicking back along Colorado Blvd in Pasadena on a busy Saturday and was amazed that the cat just sat as people walked by and didn't flinch and his companion even got up to throw something away and told the cat stay there and the cat stayed; only saw the cat get a little fussy and hissy when a pit bull walked by but who could blame him.

Waiting

Waiting for the poetry reading to start.

CLOSED!

I love the character/sculpture standing outside of an art gallery

in Reading, PA.

Like she's saying, "Wait!  The place is closed!  Don't even try to come in."

It cracks me up.

Label

While standing in line, to go on Astro Blaster at Disneyland, I noticed this label on the back of the shirt of the kid standing in line in front of me.

Drawing & Comp Room

Otis Drawing & Composition Room

I am very lucky. On Saturdays I get to spend my day in this room - surrounded by fun objects and amazing students.

tree pods

I found these tree pods interesting.

circus mural

Spent the entire day yesterday away from the computer so to make up for it, I will post 2 photos today; this small mural is delicately painted in back of a register in Disney's CA Adventure and had me wanting a closer look.

Naming Streets

What would you name the streets in your pretend city?

I would not have a street that reminds me of "The Birds."

But I might have a street called "Crazy Mockingbird Dr."

And maybe "Good Morning Rd."

Oh! How about "This Way"

Now . . . what shall I name my pretend city . . . .

Driving to the Airport

I have always liked driving to the airport at night.

2 Leftover Streamers

2 leftover streamers

just blowing in the morning breeze

greenwich village, nyc

counter top

Wow- came home to find my counter top cleared and reorganized; sweet!

Discarded book wreath

This photo doesn't do this wreath justice; I noticed this wreath on an office door across the hall at work and it is made from pages of a discarded book; I loved it and had to share it but was disappointed when I saw that my photo doesn't capture the true beauty of the printed pages but it is still a wonderful conversation piece.

Cosco at Costco

How does something like this end up alone in a parking lot at Costco? And the brand name - Cosco.

New York's Bravest

Some of New York's Bravest

So thankful for them 

and all that they do.

Mahalo for that!

Pajama Walk

Saw this couple out for an evening perhaps pre-bedtime walk; I figured they wanted to save time with their bed preparation ritual since he was walking in his pajama bottoms (sadly the lightening doesn't show the plaid printed flannel bottoms) and she was wearing her housecoat (as my grandma would say) but I say a robe by any other name......I admired the confidence and apparent who gives a hoot what anyone thinks attitude.

Making Dinner Fun

Making dinner is a lot more fun when someone is coming to enjoy it with you. Even if it's only your grown up son, and you're only making tacos.

Trash and Vespa

walkway

Came home from work to notice the ivy was trimmed off of the stairs; it's the little things that bring us joy.

A relic from my past life...

Rolling Along...

Rabbits

Attended a baby shower and at the hostesses house they had pet (I think they are pets but was given the impression they also end up as dinner "guests") rabbits and most of them were in a  hutch except for these two rabbits who were hanging from a nearby tree. I found that rather odd especially since they also had some birds who weren't in cages in the trees but in a neighboring rabbit hutch....