Author Archives: cherethomas

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Above – The OB Christmas Tree Friday, a day after we saw all the kids from OB Elementary School walking down Newport with their hand made ornaments. We drove by and they were all lined up to sit on Santa’s lap.

Below – Sparty in the car seat Thursday ready for music class.

What are they up to now? OB lifeguards at the arch practicing more lifeguarding maneuvers.

Oh, and how beautiful is this!!! From the top of the stairs looking south past Garbage Beach and the Coronado Islands. The lump on the horizon to the right of the islands is a huge cruise ship.

Friday night GNO with Boys at our good friends Kim & Dennis’ Escondido home. L-R (back row) Bruce, Me, Kim, Dennis, Vickie, Don. L-R (bottom row) Gail (peeking around the corner), John & Sean (our cook). We hired Sean to fix us a delicious Asian meal.

After dinner and after our wine & ornament exchange that Bruce said took us two hours. We had a lot of fun doing this, but I think the guys were falling asleep …

Photos from up North – Kando at 4 months old, and look at that, he’s already working on his first 100 words!

Kando’s first library story telling. According to Akuch, Alo is in there somewhere too …

Another one of those reasons to reflect on how fortunate we are – Just after the sunset Friday. In the foreground are the Christmas trees lit up across the street. Have I mentioned I don’t ever tire of November sunsets? Oh waitaminit… It’s December!! I love December sunsets!

Bill was moved to the VA Hospice Unit Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday he was resting comfortably and peacefully but Friday and Saturday he had pain and discomfort. We will see him again today and are hopeful they’ve got his medication squared away so he can rest in peace again. Robb and Akuch are driving down today to see Bill. They’ll only be here a couple days, but it will be good to see them and the kids. A reunion of cousins and enjoying the baby should be fun.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

Have you …

… changed the page on your calendar??

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone with LOVE!

Green Flash or No Green Flash. That is the Question!

Above – Yesterday the ocean was really clear looking down at No Surf.

Below – another view I never tire of. This photo is cool because of the rays of sun and pelican flying through one of them.

Looking north from the foot of Hill Street.

Same spot looking toward No Surf, and there really was no surf.

Another shot zoomed in looking north.

Last night was the perfect night for a green flash, or was it? I took a burst of 63 photos from just before the sun disappeared to several seconds afterwards. Here are the before, during and after shots. Looks to me like a yellow flash, and it isn’t even a flash because as you can see it was a yellow burst throughout the entire sun-going-down process. Never a green flash. I have seen a million sunsets like this one, looking closely for a green flash, and have never seen a hint of green. Yellow, yes. Green, no. I therefore believe there is no such thing as a green flash OR I am color blind from looking at the sun too long!

I picked Ron, Jen, Maya and Sparty up from the airport this morning so they’re all home safe and sound.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

Walnut Creek – Day 3

Above – Group photo on Angel Island with Belvedere and Tiburon across the bay.

Below – on the ferry ride from Tiburon to Angel Island.

From the dock looking across to Tiburon.

On the tram. It was cold!

One of many deer sightings.

Panorama from a lookout to the northwest looking at Sausalito to the south and Tiburon to the north.

From another lookout, in this panorama you can see Oakland to the far left, Treasure Island, Bay Bridge, San Francisco with Alcatraz in the forefront, Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito. With the sun above in the center of the photo, it casts a beautiful light behind the tree. The day was beautifully clear, crisp and cold.

Robb and Alo from the same lookout.

One more closeup of the Bay Bridge, the city and Alcatraz.

Alo on the tram.

At the dock – waiting for the ferry to come pick us up.

Back at the house we decorated the tree and took some photos.

Yesterday morning in “our living room” aka the hotel lobby. We had the place all to ourselves as we waited to leave for the airport.

Robb and Akuch followed us to the car rental return where Alo joined us for a ride on the shuttle to the airport. He looks very serious, but he took some time out to sing the Wheels on the Bus song.

Back at the fort we were welcomed by another beautiful November sunset.

We will miss our Northern California family, but look forward to seeing them here at Christmas time. I can’t wait!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE and thanks for being blessed with a beautiful family!

Walnut Creek – Day 2 (Pt 2) – The Gathering

Above – Robb worked practically all day in the kitchen preparing our meal.

Below, Kando sports his “My First Thanksgiving” bib.

Friends Sandra and Lilli …

Twins Shvonne (I know this is spelled wrong, but that’s how it sounds) and Isabelle with mom, Elisabeth …

Having dinner …

Papa with twin Shvonne who held a death grip on Alo’s toy phone the entire night. Notice in every photo in this post – she’s got the phone!

What would Thanksgiving be without a group photo? L-R Robb, Pappa, Alo, Akuch, Kando, Great Grandma, Shvonne, Elizabeth, Sandra with Lilli and Mike. Bottom row R-L Me, Andy and Isabelle. There are four nations represented in this group – US, Sudan, Mexico (Mexico City) & Austria.

Attempting to capture a photo with the grandkids if I can get Alo to sit still for 5 seconds.

Happiness is group book reading …

… and checking out Kando (note the phone in Shvonne’s hand).

We had a great day!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

Walnut Creek – Day 2 (Part 1)

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Below – photos shared from Grandma JoJo, Maya and Sparty’s Ohio Grandma

Sparty’s deciding what he wants Santa to bring while Maya enjoys her chocolate milk and Passi.

Maya has craft time with her cousins.

Soccer!

Meanwhile, back in Walnut Creek

We had a lot of fun yesterday watching all three football games, going to the park, enjoying the grandkids, Robb & Akuch and a houseful of their friends which included a total of nine adults, four two year olds and sweet baby Kando, AND a fantastic Thanksgiving spread. Robb spent all day in the kitchen cooking! I took lots of photos, so for today I am only sharing the first half of the day.

Selfie while watching football.

At Larkey Park before the big meal.

It was cold …

Somehow the trees got the hint that winter’s coming …

Back at the house, Kando has some tummy time.

This is what happens when you drink your yogurt.

Here’s a selfie video, a test to see how long I could make my arm. A very active Kando…

Now that Thanksgiving’s over, here’s a little preview of the up and coming season, one of my favorites!

http://youtu.be/b_ReMi7tVWA

Today we’re taking a ferry to Angel Island. According to Wikipedia …

“Angel Island is an island in San Francisco Bay offering expansive 360° views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin County Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. The entire island is included within Angel Island State Park and is administered by California State Parks. The island, a California Historical Landmark,^[1] has been used for a variety of purposes, including military forts, a US Public Health Service Quarantine Station, and a US Bureau of Immigration inspection and detention facility. The Angel Island Immigration Station on the northeast corner of the island, where officials detained, inspected, and examined approximately one million immigrants, has been designated a National Historic Landmark.”

It should be a fun day!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

Walnut Creek – Day 1

Happy Thanksgiving everybody (assuming anyone ever reads my blog)… 🙂

Love at first sight …

Airport reunion selfies with the boys.

Later at the house Alo has a snack wearing his antlers.

While Kando enjoys a little down time.

At lunch, Alo keeps busy coloring.

While Kando sleeps.

Finally the food arrives!

While Kando sleeps …

Back at the house Alo and Great Grandma read the pop-up dinosaur book.

At the end of the day …

This morning when I showed this photo to Alo, he said “Alo’s pooping reading the train book.”

We’re now kicking back watching the Eagles v. Lions game and planning on making it a day of staying warm, food, staying warm, football, staying warm, and enjoying the kids. Top priority is staying warm!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

Goodbye Moon

Above – Moonset this morning from the house.

Below (L-R) Barbie Kramer, Cheryl Odell, Mary-Louise McPhee, Chris (Cheney) Bayley, Gretchen Church & to the left of me is Linda Haselton Burke. I’ve known Linda since before I can remember, Cheryl and Gretchen from elementary school, and the rest from jr. high and high school. Linda and I reconnected at the 2015 OB Street Fair and have stayed in touch. Monday night Linda held a little get together at her beautiful University Heights home to celebrate my birthday, even though it was really an excuse to get together with long-time friends.

I do believe this was my Girls Scout troop 393!

Joanne, Jen’s mom, sent me these photos of the Ohio Thanksgiving vacation. Maya and Sparty have a lot of cousins there.

Fun times yesterday waiting in line (outside the door) at the DMV. I realized around noon when I had to show my ID to have my signature notarized that I totally flaked on renewing my drivers license which expires Saturday! Already a bit on the stressed out side working in the office, trying to get to see Bill, teaching yoga at both lunch and in the evening and not being anywhere near packed and ready to go. So, I packed up my stuff, went to the hospital to see Bill only to find out he was in dialysis and they wouldn’t let me go in to see him, and waited in the sitting room for the doctor to respond to a page so I could talk to her (which she never responded to). So I left the hospital, drove to the DMV (now about 3pm) to find no parking places in the lot. I had to park a block away on the street and then wait in this line just to get to the information desk. By the time I was issued a number, there were 45 people in front of me. I got that mission accomplished, but failed the vision test so I’m now required to wear my glasses while driving. Whew! Hmmm … do you think that was too much information?

Finally, rest at last. At least for my students. I could have used those restorative poses myself!

After class we drove back up to the hospital to see Bill (9pm) only to find him sleeping. Another missed opportunity. He looked very peaceful an content and that was good to see.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

Lifeguards – Hard at … Play

Above – waiting for that perfect wave.

We often see the lifeguards practicing their life saving maneuvers along Sunset Cliffs (on the ground), but yesterday we were fortunate to see them practicing their “other” skills, which included having some lifeguard fun.

The three in the photo below swam all the way from near Ladera Street where we saw them later drying off by their car.

It was a beautiful day and fun to see them out playing a bit in the surf.

We also checked in on Bill yesterday and still waiting to hear from the doctor regarding test results. He was awake and talking to us in the afternoon. The nurses at the VA Hospital are taking great care of him!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

Maya gets a haircut

Above – the place where Bruce and I met 45 years ago.

Ron stopped by yesterday to change a lightbulb too high for Bruce to handle. What we found out after it got dark … it was the wrong light. Please come back!!