Category Archives: Family

This is Major Tom to Ground Control

“Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles
I’m feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much she knows
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you “Here am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do.”

 David Bowie – RIP

Breakfast yesterday at Shades with Maya and Sparty.

  

Poor Micky lost all his parts …

Trying to get them to sit still to get a photo …

Bolsters and blankets and Maya pretending to be asleep.

Sparty sleeping for reals. He was so tired. It didn’t take too long to get him to sleep.

Selfie.

After the rain Thursday we drove down Cape May to see how the properties were holding up. The water came up to the curb, but didn’t seem to bother anything else.

The corner of Cape May and Sunset Cliffs.

The entrance to North Beach (Dog Beach) well above curb level.

The apartment/condo at Abbott and Saratoga. This is after crews cleaned out the property from the rains two days before. The driveway has turned into a beach.

You can see how the utility door next to the stairs couldn’t withstand the water pressure.

Nice try, but I don’t think these sandbags helped much. Just sayin’ …
  

  

Bruce wanted me to get photos of this transformer box where the dirt washed out from under it. This has already been re-poured, hopefully correctly.

Rebel Rebel, you’ve torn your dress, Rebel Rebel, your face is a mess, Rebel Rebel, how could they know? Hot tramp, I love you so! 

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

No LA for Me

Above – Alo wanted Kando (& Ernie, of course) to nap with him. It doesn’t look like they’re getting much sleep, but isn’t this the cutest thing ever??

I’ve been fighting another cold and yesterday it started kicking into my chest. Later yesterday sinuses were achy and congestion thickening. I’m staying home and laying low today so I’ll hopefully feel better tomorrow for the “Big Day” with Maya and Sparty.

Out for a ride. 

After the storm – towing the cars away that got twisted up in the garage like a washing machine. News 8 was there to document this.

Wednesday with Maya at ‘nastics.

Getting her foot tattooed after class. 

 

It was rainy and cold so we decided to have hot chocolate and popcorn. Silliness abounds.
  

  
  
  
  

The shipment arrived!! Pedro Ximenez Gran Reserve cooking vinegar. Oh, the possibilities are endless, but we bought it for brussel sprouts. After checking online for other cooking options, there are a lot of good ideas. This stuff is the real deal!

Here’s a photo to show the final cooked brussel sprouts. They were delicious. It was an eclectic meal alongside a taco with left over grilled salmon and left over risotto. Yum!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook from BED with LOVE!

Clarity

Above –  Looking out off Ladera Street yesterday. Surfers were enjoying small, slow swells in a perfectly calm ocean.

Below – A closer view of how clear the ocean was yesterday. If we were to use the ocean on the first day of 2016 as a gauge to determine how the new year will be, we could perhaps say it will be a year of peace, stillness and clarity. Wouldn’t that be nice? 

Calmness looking down at No Surf.
  

Oh no! What’s this? More photos from Jamie. A chilling contrast …

Holding true to Jamie’s words, there is a sun up there in her neck of the woods.

At Stone Brewery for dinner last night …
  

Akuch’s new boots … 

Selfie – Bear cuddling with me and keeping me warm.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!

Family Jewels

Above – Brothers sharing a swing on the last day of 2015 (courtesy of Robb).

Below – Breakfast at Rancho’s on the last day of 2015. You know you’re going to have a good year when Sweet Baby Jesus is looking down on you … 

FaceTiming Jamie (in her robe …) on her 44th birthday.
  

This is what it looks like outside Jamie’s window. She claims the sun comes out there …

What the … ??? What ARE those things hanging outside the window?

I broke out the family jewels for the last dinner of the year. They will now be tucked away in the safe where they will remain (you guessed it) safe until another opportunity arises for me to wear them.

Are you a “Resolutionary?” That’s what I call people who make new years resolutions. It started when I belonged to the Escondido Athletic Club back in my racquetball days. For the first couple weeks of every year, getting a court or a swim lane, let alone a parking place, was nearly impossible. I couldn’t wait for February to roll around so things could begin to get back to “normal.” I always figured if something is important enough to a person, they shouldn’t have to wait for a new year to implement it. But that’s me.

Here’s something important to me – not wearing shoes in the house. I have absolutely never allowed shoes in the yoga studio out of respect and cleanliness, but we more recently, with the addition of grandkids, implemented a no-shoes-in-the-house policy.

When I went to India the first time in 2013, I realized no one wears shoes in their house. Shoes there are either kept on the porch or on a rack just inside the front door. Even most establishments require patrons to remove their shoes before entering. I got used to it and by the time I left, I enjoyed walking barefoot on tile floors and the cleanliness that goes along with it.

Come to find out, not wearing shoes in the house is the custom in many countries – Canada, Japan, Southeast Asia, Thailand, China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, to name a few.

Why is this, and why are more and more Americans implementing this policy? I checked into it and found out some astonishing reasons why you should remove your shoes before entering the home, especially if you have small children or grandchildren. Here’s an interesting article I think everyone should read:  http://healthywildandfree.com/this-is-why-you-absolutely-need-to-stop-wearing-shoes-in-your-house/

I’ll leave you with that thought and a great big HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope 2016 brings good cheer, laughter, love, friendships new and old, happiness, good health and fuzzy socks.

Cheers to another year of blogging on Amma’s iPhone, MacBook, iPad and/or iMac with LOVE!

Goodbye to 2015

Above – (courtesy of Akuch) Kando and Alo watching Polar Express. You can tell already these two boys are their own individual selves.

These two, on the other hand are both trying to squeeze into the very small wagon. 

Daddy’s kids. But that’s only because Mommy’s not around …

Sparty kicking back…

Yesterday on our walk at the cliffs the ocean was beautiful and the surf was high. Here the spray was washing up over the arch! 

And look …  you can see the water rushing over the arch like a waterfall. I’ve never seen this happen.

Happy Birthday to Jamie and a safe New Years Eve to all!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with best wishes to everyone for a peaceful and healthy 2016!

Cousins

Above – Alo playing in snow in Lebec on the way back to Walnut Creek. I got a text from Akuch they made it home safely around 10pm.

Below – Cousins Sparty, Maya & Alo “so happy together” on Christmas Day. They were playing and I said “Hey, how about coming over and sitting on the stairs so I can get a picture of you together.” They stopped what they were doing (very important stuff) and did exactly what I asked. Impressive!

Yesterday morning Ron texted this photo to us and wrote “Silas woke up early this morning and got into Jens purse.” I think Elmo made him do it …

Meanwhile, back at the house Kando waited patiently while his mom and dad packed up to go home.

Brothers – I will miss them (and their parents too). Kando is a really good baby although he still wakes up every couple hours to eat and only breast feeds so Akuch stays pretty busy with him. Alo is bigger every time we see him, and so smart. He’s always talking, singing and getting into everything – very inquisitive.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook.

Goodbye

Above – Unfolding of the flag.

Below – Taps. Thanks to the Marines Honor Guard and Bugles Across America. It was a beautiful service. Jen discretely captures these photos. It was a beautiful service and tribute to a good man.

Afterwards – At Pizza Nova. There was a group of about 30 people. Here’re some of them.

Daughters-in-law Jen & Akuch with Sparty and Kando.  

Then last night dinner at our house. Soup, salad, Oso Bucco & rissoto. That was Robb’s food. I had soup & salad!

Papa with Alo and Kando

Blogged with lasting memories on Amma’s iPhone/iMac!

5 Days – The Countdown

Above – Poor baby. Sick.

Below – It’s all about Bearzie preparing for our morning walk. The ritual is I get her leash, she runs to the stairs and sits (im)patiently, I put on my socks and put on her leash, the whole time I’m getting slathered with smelly kisses. Getting her to sit still for this selfie was a challenge.

At the turnaround (Ladera Street), we saw this cute little squirrel sitting in the middle of this bush.

It was hiding in plain sight …

Things that Fly

There was some sort of activity… This helicopter was circling a small section of the coast.

Pelicans in formation, or slightly out of formation …

This is the same photo I posted yesterday but I decided to see what it would look like as a panorama. Downtown San Diego from Coasterra on Harbor Island. Beautiful!

Five more days before Christmas. We’re done shopping and ready for the grandkids!

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone/MacBook with LOVE!