Finding Ways to Say Goodbye - Friday 12/8/2006

I'd be willing to bet that Aunt Muriel had this mischevious look in her eye at some point during each of her 95 years. Did she just recite one of those Cockney hand-me-down rhymes she learned as a kid?

This photo was taken last Christmas. She's wearing the crown that came out of her Christmas cracker.

Aunt Muriel passed away very early Friday morning, in her sleep.

She had a great sense of humor and uncommon common sense. She was a voracious reader and a wonderful storyteller and conversationalist. She was an LPN. She took care of her sister and both brothers in their last days.

I will always feel grateful to have known her, and to have felt her love. Lucky to have gotten her in the bargain when I married Hydra.

We spent part of the morning in this park with family. The memorial will be next week.

We'll all miss Aunt Grandma sharply for a long, long time.

Tea Kettle - Thursday 12/7/2006

Today I felt well enough to get up and make some tea. This is progress.

Thanks in no small part, I am sure, to the Thai hot and sour soup Hydra picked up on the way home last night.

My Pillow, My Friend - Wednesday 12/6/2006

Ugh. Spent the whole day in bed. Some kind of weird cold. Puffy eyes, dizzy, very sleepy.

Magical Mystery Tour - Tuesday 12/5/2006

Tammy took me for a mystery hike. She thought I'd like this place, and I did. We went looking for a hot springs that she'd seen Huell Howser do a story on in California's Gold, a wonderful local travel show. We couldn't find it. Neither could the six women we talked to at The Trails Cafe later.


View of the Griffith Observatory from the trail we were on. You can hike up to the observatory from this side, but we didn't go that far.


Part of the menu at the Trails Cafe, which looks like a hamburger shack and has only picnic tables around it. The tomato tart was fabulous. Like, "I have to go back" fabulous. You know, we'll also give finding the spring another shot.

A picturesque basket of lemons behind the cafe. It was a great break. We were gone from work for about an hour and a half, but it felt like three.

Modeling Woes - Monday 12/4/2006

Is it just me, or does Luna seem a little embarrassed?

A Mighty Wind - Sunday 12/3/2006

It's been so windy for the past few days! Gusts up to 70 miles per hour, they said.

There's no good way to show the wind. It sure does scrub the sky clean.

It sure does bring a lot of branches down from the willow tree. Hydra gathered them up and put them in the garbage.

Night Music - Saturday 12/2/2006

Before he began to play, Chet told us that he'd dreamed of visiting Greece when he was a child in New York City in the 1930s. But it was so expensive and so far away, he never thought he'd make it. Well, he did make it in 1975, and he stood in front of the Acropolis, just as he'd always hoped he would. And he played us some tunes from the land of his parents' birth. He's a good man and an amzing player, and I suppose all of envisioned the day he was remembering.

Hydra and I recently resigned from the board of the acoustic music club that brings people like Chet, and us, and many many others together. We'd done it for a few years, and helped to deal with a big censorship issue that came up a couple of years ago. But then I found myself very uncomfortable with some of the political songs Hydra likes to do. Like I didn't want him to upset people and we were on the board and that made a difference. So we quit the board, but not the club. And I will stop with the nervous behavior and not make Hydra feel like he shouldn't do whatever songs he wants. It still makes me nervous to do something that might make people not like him or us, but that's my personal issue.

I'm not proud of wanting to conform. I just like the mostly apolitical nature of these gatherings, and I would rather not hear American love it or leave it songs. The price for that might just be not doing songs from the other end of the political spectrum. The problem came when songs about peace were labeled anti-war and there was some talk of banning them.

Hydra did a Steve Earle song about peace in Jerusalem on Saturday night, and it was beautful and I was proud of him. At least three men, including Chet, came over and shook his hand and complimented the song.

It's often hard for me to remember to not try to be likable to everyone. Hydra sets a good example of being true to one's convictions.