The Walk

All the grandchildren want to walk Bandido and you would think he would love an opportunity to go for a walk. Not so. Kelsi thinks if Jimmy will just let Bandido go, she will be on her way...

"How do you make this dog go?" "What am I going to do?"

"Hey, now I have it, piece of cake." "I am really good at this. Bandido will follow me anywhere." The secret? Grandma Janet just has to walk in front and Bandido will come...

I am going to miss Kelsi's knock on my door each morning and her big hugs. She is a sweetheart who likes listening and dancing to music almost as much as I do.

The Big House

At my son James' home the children talk about the "Big House"--this is a little of the Big House-- This is the Master Closet just for James!!! I wonder if he has his own closet if it means he will have to keep it picked up himself? I hope so... This is marvelous. Each of the children have their own computer/homework station with lockers for their backpacks. And it is right off the kitchen so Mom can keep an eye. What a great idea.

All around the interior patio is this breezeway with beautiful walnut stained ceilings...

This is the interior patio...Meagan may have her wedding here December 30! Which means there is a lot of work to do in the next four months...

Windows from dining room looking into living room--

Living Room fireplace is started and look at those huge doors-- Here are the beams in the living room--not stained yet and part of the side ceiling also not stained yet...

This is part of the huge kitchen And this is the fireplace in the kitchen/family room.

And this is the big pool and jacuzzi--since there is a huge Club pool, I am not exactly sure why this is needed but... it is all going to be very lovely...

Marjorie and I Go to Lake Tahoe

 

Jimmy at the Zoo

Jimmy's Day at the Zoo with Grandma Janet started out with a Bus ride--which are not as good as the old days when the bears would perform and there wasn't so much greenery hiding the animals...

Always fun to climb on the metal animals located everywhere.

And investigating what the goats are doing in the Children's Zoo. And the gorillas were up close and personal today--good for Jimmy.

Lunch time is always a fun time. Besides seeing three shows and the hippos swimming close, and the polar bear performing with his toy for a long time, and riding the skyfari, we also managed to munch a bunch and saved the funnest part for last...Riding on the Merry Go Round. Next time we will try for the brass ring. The time from 9 to 5 went fast...what a day!

Thanks, Jimmy, for a fun day, you are a delight.

Meagan's Shower at Crosby Club

Meagan, her mom Jennifer, and sister Makayla.

Camber and Kristi tending the babies Kelsi and Kate while friends chat...

Meagan's sisters Marissa, Mahlini, and Maya

Meagan and Aunt Suzanne and Aunt Nancy

Three of Meagan's friends plus Aunt Linda, Maria, Camber, and cousin Lea and cousin Kelly.

Mom, sisters and Aunt Linda and Aunt Maria...

It was a lovely day in Rancho Santa Fe...thanks to James and Camber for providing the lunch and place and Linda the cake and game gifts...it was all lovely.

Meagan and her friend Ann...

Sweet Eighteen

Beautiful Melissa is off to college at Shasta College. Maria and I dropped her there on our way to San Diego for Meagan's Shower. It will be fun to see what she does with that room with all the things she brought!

Sweet Sixteen

Kelly with her boyfriend Matt (17)--what a darling couple!

Kristi's Wedding Revisted

Keeping Ahead of the Deer

I know I must seem obsessed with my yard but every time I leave for a week or two, the critters eat the flowers, and I want a picture of what flowers were there before I left. I move all my pots down in the flower bed so the soaker can water them. I have sprayed them with liquid fence and shook cayenne around so we will see how they look when I return.

Anna Karenina

Today I thought about Virgil--in one of my kindergarten classes over 50 years ago-- I had been reading "One True Thing" by Anne Quindlan in which one of her characters said you could tell "Anne Karenina" was written by a man because a woman would know that a woman might leave her husband for a lover but she would never leave her child. Virgil's mother had left him and he was a very angry child. He said he hated his mother but I have never forgotten the image I have of him holding on to his mother's ankles, trying to make her stay, when she came back for a visit. Evidently there are some mothers who leave their children. Leo Tostoy said in "Anna Karenina" that "every happy family is happy in the same way, but every unhappy family is each unhappy in their own way". I came from a happy family, I think we raised our children in a happy family (I hope my children think so) but I see on television and read in books how much unhappiness there is in the world. I feel such gratitude for always being surrounded by good people, good family, good friends, good roommates in college, good faculty at schools where I taught, terrific husband, good employees in my business, good SBA family I won't forget, and of course, wonderful children and now delightful grandchildren. In today's world, the "happy days" of the 50s cannot be taken for granted and I thank everyone in my life who has contributed so much happiness to me. "Anna Karenina" was a book I really loved and yet didn't read until just a few years ago. I think of the busy times in my life when months would sometimes go by in which I didn't have (or make) time to read. I wonder how many more great books I will discover in my old age...

New Mourning Garden for Laurie

New Mourning garden in memory of Laurie is being created. I have ordered Iris and Hosta to fill it with so it will be a thing of beauty next summer and since deer don't bother Iris, it should be ok. I love that I can get top soil from the back of my lot and find rocks and interesting pieces of wood to create little gardens on my lot. And go to the river and find rocks for paths.

John's Mourning gardens are winding down and getting ready to sleep through the winter. I have ordered new lillies to fill them with for next summer. Each year I learn a few new tricks to deal with the deer and squirrels.

I love that I find joy in creating my own little spaces of beauty without the need of landscapers and designers and all that cost...The simple life is a good life...

Now I just need to borrow a truck so I can put sand down and finish my flagstone patio...maybe next summer.