It has been two years since Chuck passed away. I've been a little weepy thinking about him and all of the things that he has missed. The grandchildren are growing well and are becoming more interesting every day. Alec's architecture firm has had it's second anniversary and they are still busy. The new Pauley Pavilion is great and we all know how happy he would have been with the victory over USC.
He would have loved the changes to the house. He wouldn't have been as happy with the process. We would have had to go away and not return until it was finished with the furniture back in place. (He didn't deal well with upset to his life.).
You may have noticed that we didn't make Thanksgiving! We are so close, but the cabinets are holding us up. Once they are in, the counter tops and appliances arrive, the floors get the final coat and I can move back in. Now, Alec is saying by Christmas.
My housing situation is nothing short of miraculous. Since October, I have slept in beds #17 and 18, with a short sojourn with Alec and Jef. Today, I move back in with them until the 14th and then I can go back to bed # 11. I can stay there until the 28th - or moving in day, whichever comes first. Branwen and Calder keep reminding me that I NEED to sleep there on Christmas Eve so we can wear our matching jammies. (The three of us may have outgrown our jammies.)
My words of wisdom are: Cherish each day
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Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Sunday, Oct 7, the house cont.
My house is still moving along. They keep saying that I will be in by Thanksgiving. I was a little worried when I ordered the bathroom tiles and instead of being a 5-6 week turn around time, it was 10-12 weeks. But luck was with me and the tiles came in 5 weeks so now they are being laid. They started with the original bathroom.
Alec and Brooks put up their sign
Alec and Brooks put up their sign
Sunday Oct 7, Beds # 16 & 1
September was a busy month. The birthday celebrations continued. A bridge group that I substitute with had a group birthday party for 5 of us that turned/will turn 70 this year. We went to a house in Big Bear that a relative of one of the group owns. This was a really big house. It slept 10 of us really comfortably. This was bed #16
This was the view from our window of Big Bear Lake
We all signed up to be responsible for a meal. Susan O. and I collaborated on a Mexican themed Saturday lunch. We had tostados and margaritas. To make it more fun we wore costumes while we served.
We hiked, talked, laughed, drank and ate.
The day after our weekend, I moved back to bed #1. This is my friend Marie and she and her husband are in Paris for a month, so I can really relax and enjoy being in one place for awhile.
Ursula makes friends with the animals that come for food in her backyard.
Big excitement at Alec's house. The house next door is finally finished and now is being used as the exterior of the main character's house in Ben and Kate. They filmed the Halloween episode and decorated several houses on the street. This is the stuff on Alec's lawn.
The best part is that they hired the neighborhood kids to be extras and Trick or Treat in their own Halloween costumes. They were hired for a one day shoot from 3 pm until 10 pm. Everyone was fed by Craft Services and then did their work. Branwen squeezed herself into her Princess Cobra costume and Calder was a crypt keeper. Calder said that it was "good, boring and they paid me $150!" They had a good time and now want to watch the program whenever it is on. (Tuesday nights at 8:30 on channel 11 Fox.) I don't think it is very good, but we want it to continue because every time they film, they pay Alec for running a cable through his yard.
I went to the L. A. County Fair with some of the Aerobics group. We went on Free Senior Wednesday and also had a free Ferris wheel ride. Here is Margie at the top.
We saw all of our favorite things and also ate "Fair Food" which this year consisted of: Funnel Cake, home made potato chips, deep fried zucchini, and baked potatoes with the works. We wanted bacon dipped in chocolate, but were too stuffed to eat it, so bought some to bring home for the next day when we exercised in the pool. (Really we have reduced it to talking while moving gently through the water. But the weather has been sooooooo hot that the pool feels great.)
Brandi and I went on a Historical Cemetery tour at a really old cemetery in the West Adams district. The tour goes around to about 8 grave-sites where the deceased tell their stories. This year's theme was that they were all related to the entertainment field. This guy was an escape artist who mentored Houdini. He also was a spy for the Union army during the Civil War.
We hiked, talked, laughed, drank and ate.
The day after our weekend, I moved back to bed #1. This is my friend Marie and she and her husband are in Paris for a month, so I can really relax and enjoy being in one place for awhile.
Ursula makes friends with the animals that come for food in her backyard.
Big excitement at Alec's house. The house next door is finally finished and now is being used as the exterior of the main character's house in Ben and Kate. They filmed the Halloween episode and decorated several houses on the street. This is the stuff on Alec's lawn.
I went to the L. A. County Fair with some of the Aerobics group. We went on Free Senior Wednesday and also had a free Ferris wheel ride. Here is Margie at the top.
Brandi and I went on a Historical Cemetery tour at a really old cemetery in the West Adams district. The tour goes around to about 8 grave-sites where the deceased tell their stories. This year's theme was that they were all related to the entertainment field. This guy was an escape artist who mentored Houdini. He also was a spy for the Union army during the Civil War.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Sunday, Sept. 9th, continued
Alec and Jef's street had their annual Labor Day block party complete with water slide
Bean bag toss for a trophy and bragging rights for the year
This year Jef and her partner (assigned by lot) made it to the round of eight. The contest starts in daylight and finishes in the dark.
Alec made his specialty, frito pie. Last year people were almost afraid to try, this year they were asking him days ahead of time if he was going to make it.
I moved into bed #15. Grandma Choy went back to Rhode Island and I moved into her house with Jef's brother Karlton. It is harder, because I really like living alone.
The kids started school.
The aerobics group celebrated my birthday
My house now has new wood floors in the bedroom and kitchen and the windows and sliding doors have been installed.
The window that will run the whole length of the counter.
The first watermelon was delicious.
Life is still good. I am still sane. What more could I ask.
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Bean bag toss for a trophy and bragging rights for the year
This year Jef and her partner (assigned by lot) made it to the round of eight. The contest starts in daylight and finishes in the dark.
Alec made his specialty, frito pie. Last year people were almost afraid to try, this year they were asking him days ahead of time if he was going to make it.
I moved into bed #15. Grandma Choy went back to Rhode Island and I moved into her house with Jef's brother Karlton. It is harder, because I really like living alone.
The kids started school.
The aerobics group celebrated my birthday
My house now has new wood floors in the bedroom and kitchen and the windows and sliding doors have been installed.
The window that will run the whole length of the counter.
The first watermelon was delicious.
Life is still good. I am still sane. What more could I ask.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, September 9th, beds #13, 14, and 15
The saga continues... I am still scheduled to be back home by Thanksgiving.
Bed 12 was delightful. The kids showed how much they had paid attention during the Olympics. For diving competition they wiped themselves down with the little towel (actually the removable skirt to Branwen's bathing suit.). They tossed it into the hot tub and carefully put it aside for the "dive". Dives were scored by degree of difficulty and size of the splash. (feet first and from the kneeling position were lesser difficulty.). For races, they first splashed water on their chests and then did the arm flap thing.
The last two weeks of August had no organized activities, so we did some field trips of our own. We took the new Expo light rail line to the Science Museum. Since our party had 7 kids and 5 adults, buying tickets got to,be very complicated. The woman who was there to help ended up just giving us cards for day passes. We were told to keep it because we could reload it in the future. After exploring the museum and having lunch, we broke into two groups. Our group decided to really use our pass and go to Chinatown via the Expo line to the Red line and then the Gold line. A good time was had by all.
The next day we went to the zoo. LAIR, the new reptile house was finally finished and Branwen has been wanting to see it. We took a friend of Calder's. Unfortunately, his favorite must see animal was the lion, which took us to the far end of the zoo on a very hot day.
I had a very exciting 70th birthday. We spent 2 days at LEGOLAND! (bed #13) It was such a fun time. We drove down a day early and enjoyed a swim and dunk in the hot tub. We found a good pizza place and then went to bed early all in the same room. There was some gas passing in the other bed which caused giggles and then Branwen, in a very adult tone, announced that it was impossible to sleep with all the laughing going on. That set us all off. Then every time we stopped gasping, she would question in a snotty voice - " Well, are you finished?" which would set us off again.
We went to the water park for the first time. I did everything - the slides, the big raft slide and the lazy river tubing. It is a good thing that the tube in my ear had fallen out or I would have water inside my brain.
On my actual birthday, Branwen decided that I could pick the first 3 rides, and both kids were very careful to take turns riding with me. I wore the Birthday button, so people kept wishing me Happy Birthday all day long.
Here we are as Princess Leia, Yoda and an Ewok.
This was the first time that Branwen was tall enough to ride the biggest roller coaster. She and Calder rode it 3 times in a row, because the wasn't any line. ( It was like the park in Denmark, where you didn't have to wait to get on the rides.)
We are always aware that building memories is tremendously important and I think that this one will stick with both kids.
We went home to my "fall back" bed (#15). This is the first time since May 15 that I have really had to stay there. The next night grandma Choy babysat and Alec, Jef and I went out for a really good birthday dinner. So here are the requisite food pics:
And dessert
We had one serving of the 13 accompanying wines which we shared. (A good thing or we would have had to crawl home.)
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Bed 12 was delightful. The kids showed how much they had paid attention during the Olympics. For diving competition they wiped themselves down with the little towel (actually the removable skirt to Branwen's bathing suit.). They tossed it into the hot tub and carefully put it aside for the "dive". Dives were scored by degree of difficulty and size of the splash. (feet first and from the kneeling position were lesser difficulty.). For races, they first splashed water on their chests and then did the arm flap thing.
The last two weeks of August had no organized activities, so we did some field trips of our own. We took the new Expo light rail line to the Science Museum. Since our party had 7 kids and 5 adults, buying tickets got to,be very complicated. The woman who was there to help ended up just giving us cards for day passes. We were told to keep it because we could reload it in the future. After exploring the museum and having lunch, we broke into two groups. Our group decided to really use our pass and go to Chinatown via the Expo line to the Red line and then the Gold line. A good time was had by all.
The next day we went to the zoo. LAIR, the new reptile house was finally finished and Branwen has been wanting to see it. We took a friend of Calder's. Unfortunately, his favorite must see animal was the lion, which took us to the far end of the zoo on a very hot day.
I had a very exciting 70th birthday. We spent 2 days at LEGOLAND! (bed #13) It was such a fun time. We drove down a day early and enjoyed a swim and dunk in the hot tub. We found a good pizza place and then went to bed early all in the same room. There was some gas passing in the other bed which caused giggles and then Branwen, in a very adult tone, announced that it was impossible to sleep with all the laughing going on. That set us all off. Then every time we stopped gasping, she would question in a snotty voice - " Well, are you finished?" which would set us off again.
We went to the water park for the first time. I did everything - the slides, the big raft slide and the lazy river tubing. It is a good thing that the tube in my ear had fallen out or I would have water inside my brain.
On my actual birthday, Branwen decided that I could pick the first 3 rides, and both kids were very careful to take turns riding with me. I wore the Birthday button, so people kept wishing me Happy Birthday all day long.
Here we are as Princess Leia, Yoda and an Ewok.
This was the first time that Branwen was tall enough to ride the biggest roller coaster. She and Calder rode it 3 times in a row, because the wasn't any line. ( It was like the park in Denmark, where you didn't have to wait to get on the rides.)
We are always aware that building memories is tremendously important and I think that this one will stick with both kids.
We went home to my "fall back" bed (#15). This is the first time since May 15 that I have really had to stay there. The next night grandma Choy babysat and Alec, Jef and I went out for a really good birthday dinner. So here are the requisite food pics:
And dessert
We had one serving of the 13 accompanying wines which we shared. (A good thing or we would have had to crawl home.)
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, August 24, 2012
Sunday, August 12, bed # 12
It has been awhile, but I have been busy. (watching the Olympics!!!) I went back to bed #10 for one night. My eye doctor is on the UCLA campus and I usually take the bus (thus saving $11.) I was thinking that I would have to get up really early in order to make it, when I realized that if I went back to Westwood, I could just walk over. I was so pleased with myself!
The weather here has been really hot so I moved early to my next home. It has a lovely pool, which the kids have been taking full advantage of.
Then, when we finish swimming, we walk down the street to the Brentwood Country Mart for dinner.
Branwen has been wanting an American Girl doll. It turns out that she never seemed to spend any money, so had a LARGE hoard in her piggy bank...enough for a doll and some extras. I have really liked this company for a long time. 1. The dolls look like girls, not women. 2. The stories that go along with the dolls always show strong girls who solve their own problems and try to help people. 3. You can have a doll who looks "just like you", or pretty damned close. The downside to the dolls is that they are expensive and have lots of stuff that you can buy to go with them.
Branwen, Jef and I had a lovely time. It took quite a while to pick the right one. Branwen was matching them to her hair and skin. Jef was trying to find one that also had the right color eyes. The one that matched all three had freckles and that wouldn't do. It turned out that since Branwen doesn't really see her eyes, she wasn't as concerned about the eye color. She picked the right one, and counted out the money from her wallet into the lady's hand.
We went to the cafe for lunch. The doll gets a "treat seat" so that she can sit at the table also. I was very impressed by the fact that if you didn't have a doll, you could have a loaner, so that you weren't left out of the fun.
The pink bows in mini-B's hair were the special napkin rings.
Mini-B sitting in her seat.
In the lady's room, there were special holders for the dolls
Mini-B trying it out
At the next table, the adults had taken advantage of the loaners. We didn't do this because we didn't want to take any attention away from Branwen's new friend.
A fun time was had by all.
A lot of things have been ordered for the house- bathroom tile, sliding doors for the bathroom and closet, window and doors for the master and a wallbed for the guest room. The wallbed is a little premature, but they were available at Costco for a reduced price that I couldn't refuse.
using BlogPress from my iPad
The weather here has been really hot so I moved early to my next home. It has a lovely pool, which the kids have been taking full advantage of.
Then, when we finish swimming, we walk down the street to the Brentwood Country Mart for dinner.
Branwen has been wanting an American Girl doll. It turns out that she never seemed to spend any money, so had a LARGE hoard in her piggy bank...enough for a doll and some extras. I have really liked this company for a long time. 1. The dolls look like girls, not women. 2. The stories that go along with the dolls always show strong girls who solve their own problems and try to help people. 3. You can have a doll who looks "just like you", or pretty damned close. The downside to the dolls is that they are expensive and have lots of stuff that you can buy to go with them.
Branwen, Jef and I had a lovely time. It took quite a while to pick the right one. Branwen was matching them to her hair and skin. Jef was trying to find one that also had the right color eyes. The one that matched all three had freckles and that wouldn't do. It turned out that since Branwen doesn't really see her eyes, she wasn't as concerned about the eye color. She picked the right one, and counted out the money from her wallet into the lady's hand.
We went to the cafe for lunch. The doll gets a "treat seat" so that she can sit at the table also. I was very impressed by the fact that if you didn't have a doll, you could have a loaner, so that you weren't left out of the fun.
The pink bows in mini-B's hair were the special napkin rings.
Mini-B sitting in her seat.
In the lady's room, there were special holders for the dolls
Mini-B trying it out
At the next table, the adults had taken advantage of the loaners. We didn't do this because we didn't want to take any attention away from Branwen's new friend.
A fun time was had by all.
A lot of things have been ordered for the house- bathroom tile, sliding doors for the bathroom and closet, window and doors for the master and a wallbed for the guest room. The wallbed is a little premature, but they were available at Costco for a reduced price that I couldn't refuse.
using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Sunday August 5, bed #11
I told you that Westwood was only for a few days! Now I am in a house a few blocks from Alec and Jef's. We have known this family since Alec was in junior high and he has played many a game of Dungeons and Dragons around their table. In this place I just have to be careful and not water the fake plants when I am doing the live ones.
The drywallers finished and things are looking interesting.
These boxes will contain Indian pottery and are on the wall between the living and dining rooms.
The fireplace is being redone and will also have Indian potter displayed.
My little watermelons are getting bigger
Yesterday was yard sale day. Here are the 3 Jennifers
FUN FUN FUN, yah right.
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The drywallers finished and things are looking interesting.
These boxes will contain Indian pottery and are on the wall between the living and dining rooms.
The fireplace is being redone and will also have Indian potter displayed.
My little watermelons are getting bigger
Yesterday was yard sale day. Here are the 3 Jennifers
FUN FUN FUN, yah right.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, August 1, bed #10
Rolling, I keep rolling...I've moved again into a faculty condo in Westwood. This just for a few days, but I do have to change the water and feed a Beta fish. I'm not too worried about this one - if it doesn't make it, I can always buy a new one. Did have a little trouble figuring out how to return it to its bowl, but managed.
My only problem is keeping up with my Olympics watching - none of these people have recording capability.
Westwood is fun for me. I can take a walk around the village before dinner (and decide if I want to eat anything that I see.)
The kids have been really doing well in swimming. They both can do all of the strokes. Here is Branwen being rescued by a teammate on "safety day."
Considering that they only wanted to doggy paddle when they started, they have come a long way.
My house is still coming along. The heat and air conditioning are in
This pipe is going to be aimed to splash on the window if there is a leak (a code requirement that makes a lot of,sense.
The drywall guys are mudding while wearing stilts.
I have little bitty watermelons.
My only problem is keeping up with my Olympics watching - none of these people have recording capability.
Westwood is fun for me. I can take a walk around the village before dinner (and decide if I want to eat anything that I see.)
The kids have been really doing well in swimming. They both can do all of the strokes. Here is Branwen being rescued by a teammate on "safety day."
Considering that they only wanted to doggy paddle when they started, they have come a long way.
My house is still coming along. The heat and air conditioning are in
This pipe is going to be aimed to splash on the window if there is a leak (a code requirement that makes a lot of,sense.
The drywall guys are mudding while wearing stilts.
I have little bitty watermelons.
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