Notice a Family Resemblance?

These are my relatives.

Notice a family resemblance? I do.

That's my nose over there, and my chin over there, and my hair right there.

Nuts!

was walking along in union square park today

and came across this little fella

balanced (perfectly!) on one of the railing's posts

gnoshing on a nut

a good day to be a squirrel

Mystery Machine

Didn't see Shaggy or Scooby but thought it was cool to see the Mystery Machine. And to think if it wasn't for this blog I probably wouldn't have had my camera handy and would have missed sharing this.

Disneyland Picture Spot

I like Disneyland. (I understand people who don't like it. But me? I love it.) Living in So Cal, I've been to Disneyland a lot, experienced it all. But one day, I noticed something new. There are posted signs letting people know that "this is a good spot to stop and take a picture." Seemed a funny, unnecessary thing to me. One of things I love about Disneyland is that they have transformed everything - they have cut you off from real life - and if you are willing to give yourself up to it (which I am), they will not disappoint. Disneyland will surround you and protect you and love you. I certainly don't need a sign to tell me to stop and notice that life here is beautiful and perfect (perfectly unreal), or to tell me to take a picture so that we will always remember that we were always happy at Disneyland.

England? NYC?

tudor-style apartment buildings 

in washington heights

manhattan, nyc

goth-cool

Inspirational walk sign

Participated in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk; inspirational day.

Tile

Took notice of this dated tile flooring.

Missing a trip with Lily

My camera is refusing to work again. This time around, I really am going to go buy a new one. But in the meantime, I've got a photo a day to post. Looking through my photos, I noticed that I miss my niece . . . .

Last May, my niece asked me to drive across the country with her. The previous September, I had driven with her from California to Massachusetts where she was going to spend a year in college. We had such an amazing trip, what we both thought we would only be experiencing together once. After her school year in Massachusetts, she was planning on driving back home to California with a friend, but those plans fell apart at the last minute. So she called me. And I was sooo glad she did. I have never had so much fun driving for hours and hours each day. On both trips we camped most of the way, and stopped off at as many places of interest that we could jam into the few days we had.

She stayed in-state this year so I didn't have the opportunity to take a cross-country trip with her this year, and gosh darn it, I missed it! I wonder if I can somehow figure a way to get her to move back and forth across the country every year, just so that I get to take that trip with her.

Welcoming Steps

Lincoln Center, NYC

Steps with a cool digital display

Welcoming guests from many nations.

Neat.

Asparagus

A rose is a rose

Was in awe by this two toned rose; I have never seen a rose like this before-gorgeous.

Spy Car

Saw this funny little car and it reminder me of something from Get Smart; not sure what kind of car this is but found it amusing.

Ugly Business of Life

I try my best to notice the pretty things, the interesting things, the inspiring things. But some days all I can notice is the business of life not yet taken care of.

'nuff said (in 2 languages)

Mushroom

Rarely see wild mushrooms and if I wasn't paying attention might have trampled over this one.

GET OVER HERE!

I went into the library to return a book. On the shelf near the entrance was a sign that read:

"Free. Please Take."

Uh, oh. I knew I was in trouble.

It might as well have yelled out:

"HEY JEANIE! GET OVER HERE!"

Apparently, the slide library was being tossed. Sigh.

And of course, I took a big box home with me.

You can only see one layer of slides. There's more underneath.

Flower Power

Stairwell Guy

Found this guy in the stairwell at Otis.

May Day is Lei Day

Celebrating May Day/Lei Day here in NYC with beautiful lei--

gifts from lovely friends who are also lovely hula dancers. 

Feeling blessed.

Squirrel

This squirrel seemed to be welcoming me went I wen for a walk in his park. Quite the greeter.

Poor Donkey

Donkey's been walking around with a 3 inch deep hole in chest. What?! I know!

I don't know how long he's been like that. Only noticed it because he was licking it, and licking it, and licking it.

This is a dog that hardly leaves my side. When did he have a chance to impale himself? And on what? 

Don't know what's worse, from a dog's point of view - mysteriously impaling yourself, having to go the vet for a little minor surgery, or having to wear a ridiculous "Elizabethan Collar" and your owners laughing at you while they take your picture for the web.

Quail

When I was growing up, I would stand on our balcony facing our back yard and in the early morning hours I could see quails running across the yard and it always delighted me so when I saw this lone quail in the drive way at my mom's house in the central coast, I was taken back to a time long gone yet just as delighted.

Kite festival

Kite festival; Mary Poppins would've had a wonderful time.

Sweat Peas, Finally!

Can you see it? There's a sweat pea growing up right in the middle of my jasmine! For a couple years I've been picking seeds from the wild sweat peas on the hill. I just toss them around in my yard. I figure, if they can grow wild, they should be able to figure out what to do in my backyard. Finally!

tree

Found this piece from an old fallen tree fascinating.

Homework Assignment

As much as I wanted to quit my life drawing class six weeks ago, that's how much I now DO NOT want the class to end.

Phone Center

While picking up my son for his 10 day liberty, I noticed this abandoned Public Telephone Center; it now houses one pay phone booth although I didn't go inside to check if there was still a working phone inside the booth; As I looked at it, I was taken back in time when I could imagine Marines holding their coins, standing in line possibly talking and smoking to pass time while they waited for their turn to use the phone to connect with a loved one. I imagined this was a hot spot and crowded most times and that there might have been multiple booths. They must have had limited conversational time as well as privacy and might have had to choose which loved one would receive a phone call. I had a new sense of appreciation for cell phones and how easily we can connect at any time with our loved one and not be rushed or over heard (depending on where we are I suppose). I appreciated how my son when deployed will be able to communicate with me to let me know he's doing well and that I don't need to wait near my phone on pins and needles hoping to receive a call and then beat myself up over having missed a call if I was away from home; my phone and I will be available anytime anywhere.

Guacamole dreaming

So excited to see multiple buds on our avocado tree; images of guacamole, turkey & avocado sandwiches, avocado omelets...so many possibilities to anticipate.....smiles

Gutter Flower Box

A few weeks ago, I planted two rows of sunflowers in my yard. Only two seedlings came up; one of those got munched to oblivion by a grasshopper. One lone sunflower remains. I worked pretty hard for one flower.

Today, I looked up at the rainy sky and saw this growing from the rain gutter above my neighbor's garage. With no work at all, they got an instant flower box. Jealous.

What a great idea for a flower box! I hope they never clean their gutters. Ever.

Glass Tile at the Trash Heap

I've noticed this glass and stone tile several times at the trash heap. Today I decided it really did need to come home with me. I think there might be more buried under the rubble, but I had all I could carry for today.

Loquats

I think the birds, squirrels and possums enjoy our loquat tree more than we do.

Nemo found

Left behind after bath time.

The Pleasures of Dusting

I used to really hate dusting. But then, they came out with those nifty Swiffer Dusters. And although I do feel wasteful, throwing those things in the garbage, I also find that I now thoroughly enjoy a thorough dusting.

I've even come to appreciate the dust.

Seems that dust was invented as a way to get us to notice.

Until the dust settles, I never take the time to look at the sweet photos of family, the Mother's Day gifts of long ago, all the little things that we once thought were worthwhile and worthy of a spot on top of the piano.

The pleasures of dusting

Inside Books

The inside of some more great and discarded books.

Lonely

Missing my grandson who is spending the night at his father's house.

Colorful Sheers

From the hotel room  in Puerto Rico.

Earth Day

Earth Rocks

Dumped Books

More books being tossed from yet another library.

I took as many as I could, but there's just too many

 of them being dumped. . . I can't save them all.

Front Yard Sculpture

I'm pretty sure this old truck started out just being parked in the front yard for one day, awaiting that spare part or new carburetor, and there it stayed, month after month, year after year, until now, when it's become more of a sculpture than an eyesore.

cheers

James got a new job.

Some of his (now-former)coworkers gave him bottles 

as "going away" gifts.

Cheers to a new venture.

Biker Memorial

Came across this touching road side memorial. Different than any others I've ever seen. Left me a bit melancholy.

Killing Time

Scene from my van window while parked at San Onofre waiting for my son to go on weekend liberty.

No Fat Pigeons Allowed

Here are all the things you can not do.

But not feeding the pigeons appears to be the most important. 

Fat pigeons are ok by me.

Remember what happened in Mary Poppins

when they wouldn't let the little boy feed the birds.

Guys on a scaffold

We went downtown to wander around. I stood on Bunker Hill (at least I think that's where I was) and looked out at a high rise building across the way. I noticed these guys on a scaffold. Except there's no scaffold. And the guys aren't real.

Bike lane

Author Talk

Dyan Cannon was the guest speaker at our annual library breakfast. She wrote a book about her life with Cary Grant. Very charismatic woman.

No More Toys

I haven't stepped foot in this store in years. There was a time when it felt like I was shopping here more often than the grocery store.

Bumblebee

Came home to find this bumblebee enjoying my sweet peas.

Staircase

Walking up the stairs in my apartment building.

Snapping photos here and there.

I loved the angles and the colors and way the light plays in this one.

(P.S. This doesn't represent the colors of the stairway at all... It's actually kind of pink!)