More Neighbors ~

Here is a shot my cousin took when she was visiting (over jordyns bday weekend)....we were having dinner out on our patio, when up from the island wandered our neighbor! He has been bedding down there, and usually around dusk he pays us a visit. He likes to chase our cat Princess and steal yummies from my garden! doh! Im missing a few lilies because of him, but his visits are worth it. He seems to enjoy our company and finds us intriguing as well. I love living in the mountains :)
Well....back to Harry Potter.....im on Chapter 20 and loving every minute of it!

Dont Feed The Bears~

We had a guest this morning for breakfast......around 10:30am, yogi stopped by to check out our waste management facility! He did a very thorough inspection, and was quite impressed! Hung out for about 1/2 an hour munching and ransacking plastic bags...then he headed off to our backyard, no doubt to take a nap in the shady trees! Well.....back to my Harry Potter book!

San Pedro loungin'

another Cali adventure.....

Sunday was spent loungin around with the family in pj's...playing in the pool....water balloon fights....and take-out food! :) A perfect ending to a perfect trip! Here is another shot of Jordyn with her cousins....she really enjoyed hanging out with them so i guess we will have to come back again soon! We miss you guys already!

Love Lisa and Jordyn :)
xoxoxo

San Diego

More tales from our trip to Cali.........

On Saturday we had a family reunion in San Diego. My Great Uncle Frank and Great Aunt Charlotte were turning 90 and their kids decided to have a family luncheon on a boat in the San Diego harbor. San Diego is about a 2 hour drive from Los Angeles, so at 9:30, Denise, the kids and i loaded up one vehicle, while Mom, Teresa and her family piled in another, and off we went. It was decided the night before that we should travel with walkie-talkies in the cars so we could entertain ourselves. The kids played with them for a few minutes, but somehow the adults ended up with them and needless to say the kids didnt get them back for the entire rest of the trip :) My family are all big movie buffs, so for several hours in the car we did movie trivia.....first we did most of the lines from Trading Places.....then on to Its a Wonderful Life.....then some Ghostbusters lines.....and then the Godfather (I and II)......then we just threw random lines at each other to see if they could figure them out. At some point we realized we werent nearly as close to San Diego as we should have been....we had been traveling very slowly in ridiculous traffic for what seemed forever....and now it was quite possible we werent going to get there in time. This would be a problem since it was a boat excursion that left the dock promptly at 12:30, so there would be no way for us to join our party. Denise and i were trying to decide who was more panicked in the other car....Mom or TJ. At that moment they called us on the cell phone and said they were just going to try and weave in and out of traffic to see if they could make it. Denise and i laughed, as we had decided there was no way we were going to make it in time. It was already noon and we werent even in the Heart of San Diego yet. We lost site of them in the traffic and continued on at a normal and safe pace. After a few minutes the phone rang again and we were informed that the traffic was beginning to dissipate and they were making some good time....Denise and i were still convinced that we werent going to make it, but we kept going, and sure enough the traffic was no longer traffic. Why was there traffic in the first place, and why was it gone now? Didnt matter, we were hauling ass and gaining miles! We pulled into the harbor and saw the boat we were supposed to be getting on....mom hopped out and flagged some of the family down to let them know we were coming. The captain said he would stall as long as he could but when the last person got on the boat he would have to set sail. Denise pulled into a parking lot and the kids and i got out and headed towards the boat while Denise parked. We jay-walked across a busy street and ran down the gangway.....I CANT BELIEVE WE MADE IT! When we had jumped out of the car, Denises clock read 12:28..........Doh! Teresas family made it too.....and then we were off! Whew! It took us three hours to get there! Ugh! Once the rush of racing to the boat settled we were greeted by all the family.....folks i hadnt seen since Denise's wedding some 15 years ago! It was great to see everyone and catch up....and Jordyn had a wonderful time! This was her first experience with the ocean and she loved it! All she wanted to do was look out at the water. She was also quite a hit with all the cousins....who took turns carrying her all around the boat. In fact, i hardly held her at all....so it was a nice break for me :) There were two choices for lunch...Salmon or Chicken......Jordyn and i shared the Salmon (which she devoured) and then we were off to socialize more! There was an unfortunate incident with one of the kids....got his finger slammed in the door and it damn near took the top of it off....we had to dock early to so that he could go to the hospital....havent heard from his family yet, so i hope he is doing okay! The captain decided to let us round the harbor for an additional hour since we had our trip cut short, so this allowed us to have more visiting time! I am so glad we made the boat....it was a great time and the boat ride was cool! We even saw some sea lions as we were cruising around....Jordyn liked them! As the trip ended, emails were exchanged, many photos taken and hugs abound...the next generation of cousins has decided to step up to continue these fine family get-togethers, so im sure i will see them all again soon! Once again, i raided another gift shop...this time getting a onsie with pirate on it that said San Diego for Jordyn...and a couple of tye-dye t-shirts for Christy and i. Christy, who always makes time in her life to take me to and from the airport every time i travel....i figure she deserves a prize! :) Once on the highway, the walkie-talkie trivia continued..... "is this the man who wrecked the buffet at the Haro club?"......."this was no boating accident!"........."oh sure, like HE went to Harvard"............

The Getty

Our trip to the Getty was great! We arrived in the afternoon, however it was a Friday, and they are open late on Fridays, so it worked out perfect! The kids did well at the museum, and i think they all had a wonderful time! There was a mishap with jordyns bottle spilling in one of the galleries, but the Aunts were to blame, and i was in another gallery room, so it was all good! Jordyn really enjoyed the family room, which had activities for the little ones as well as neat displays :) There were a couple of really great exhibits there...but the one i thought most exciting was to view the Manet painting "Bar at the Folies-Bergère" and of course i enjoyed the Illuminated Manuscripts "medieval beasts" exhibit. The kids seemed to like the zoopsia works by Tim Hawkinson and the giant rhinoceros "clara" by Oudry...but can you blame them....the painting was gigantic!!! We splurged and had a very pricey lunch complete with...hot dogs...salads...tortilla wraps...and a meatball sandwich....oh yeah...and beer! (its California...i forget you can get a drink almost anywhere out there!) As we were leaving the museum we had the opportunity to hear the Uberorgan...an installation piece in the main gallery entrance.....i dont think James cared for it much but the rest of the gang thought it was fun. It was sort of like a giant player piano, only it looked like a bunch of paper intestines hanging from the ceiling :) Naturally we had to hit the gift shop, where Justin scored a cool "beasts" t-shirt, Jordyn got a red dragon finger puppet and i got a new illuminated letters book! A wonderful day indeed!
More on our California adventures coming soon!

Goin Back to Cali, Cali, Cali....

Well, Jordyn and i are in California right now visiting family. Here she is with grandma and all of the cousins....together for the first time! She is having a blast....she follows them all around, watches them play video games, and they make her laugh! We had an uneventful plane ride, which she slept most of the trip (whew!). She has turned out to be quite a fun travel companion...and even enjoyed the drive to San Diego for a boat cruise. (photos coming soon). All the kids are out for summer, so the timing was perfect! Each visit, i try to make it out to an art museum and drag all the kids along with me :) This year we went to the Getty and spent an entire day there! I love that museum, though i have one complaint....not enough restrooms, nor are they easy to find...but the gardens are beautiful (designed by Robert Irwin) and it was a gorgeous day! Today we are lounging around the house in PJ's, eating, drinking, and watching the kids play....Goin back to Cali for a fabulous time with family and friends!

Lifes Wonderful Colors ~

Summer has finally arrived up here in the mountains...for a while i thought it would never get here! We were still having below freezing nights up until about a week ago....but its absolutely gorgeous up here now. My garden has splashes of color everywhere, and it really seems to be thriving this year (probably has something to do with Justins cool solar designs that water my garden every 15 minutes....very cool indeed)! I have some black irises that havent bloomed in a few years (ant issues), however, this year they are back, and with many buds. Im heading out of town and was sad that i might miss its bloom, but when i looked outside....there they were...bright and beautiful! My poppies, which are two years old and have yet to bloom, also decided to give me a colorful farewell! (or maybe they know its my birthday) Thats right....the big 39! I am officially PUSHING 40 :) Making a big deal out of my birthday has never been my thing, so i think i will quietly sneak out of town :)
Well, im off to fly to LA with an 11 month old....what was i thinking :) Wish me luck!
As an artist once told me........."Enjoy lifes many Wonderful Colors"!!!!