HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

   Please enjoy this festive photo of three of my favorite coworkers, Ginny, Kim and Dave on one of the three days it's acceptable to wear that much red (Valentine's Day, Christmas, and Cheifs' Red Fridays. When the Chiefs are good. Which has not been the norm in my experience).
   Tonight I will be joining my good friends John and Michele for our weekly ritual of watching this idiot make a fool of himself. Really, in all of America you couldn't find a single dude better than Brad? TWICE?!? Every time he opens his mouth I think he's had a lobotomy.

   The show gives us plenty to laugh about. Michele's "Michelle" lookalike stunt last week was classic. Too bad John's hand got there in time to protect her identity!

   Mich—oops! I mean "Brad"—surprised me tonight by thoughtfully leaving a card and a giant blown-glass rose just for me. I thought it would be funny to take a seductive photo with it, and it was...

    ...except that the rose is over 15" long, and VERY heavy, and it nearly pulled out all my teeth. John and Michele, my lawyer should contact you within three business days.

Love you guys!!! Happy Valentine's Day!

Christmas in LA: Christmas Eve Day

   Finally the weather cleared up and we were all ready to get outside and have some fun. Eric had the brilliant ideas of biking on the beach path. So we rented some bikes at a little shop right on Venice Beach and were off toward that distant ferris wheel:

Right behind you, Ma!

   Given that I hadn't been on a bike in about 12 years, I was sure I was going to be the first to take a spill. Balancing was easy when you're moving fast, but harder when you slow down suddenly to yield to all the walkers who were not supposed to be on the bike path. Mom was the first one to hit the deck, but she was smiling and laughing the whole time:

   Of course, I attempted to whip out my camera to get a photo of her lying on the ground laughing, and she was too quick. I said, "Wait—wait! Stay down!" But she stood up. And now she will forever remind me of what an insensitive and ungrateful daughter I am, and how this will affect my inheritance.
   Our merry band of bicyclists rode from Venice Beach up to Santa Monica Pier and beyond, 8 miles round-trip:

Eric, Brad and Kelley:

Mom:

Kelley:

   My bike didn't fit me well and was super-awkward. Or perhaps it was just the rider... in any case, riding was a blast and now I definitely need to get my own bike.

   Kelley and Eric decide it's time to head back. Fortunately he knows where the car is:

   Mom, Aunt Martha, Sister Kelley, Cousin Brad and me. 65 & sunny beats a Kansas City Christmas any day!

   We stayed and enjoyed some wine and appetizers 'til the sun set, then drove home to have our gift exchange, since I was leaving Christmas morning. I should sell these photos as postcards!

Now, finally, I can share the gift I created for my Secret Santa recipient, Ms. Martha. I've been planning this thing for months and couldn't wait for her to open it!

   Ta-daah! Some of my nature photography for her house: 2 on canvas and 4 framed (the Maine buoys aren't pictured yet):

Eric had drawn my name and ordered several things that I really wanted from my Amazon wish list. Yay, Christmas!

We had so much fun we couldn't bear to leave...

But this sublime view of the Grand Canyon on the flight home cheered me right up! 

It was a memorable and fun-filled trip. Thanks, family!

Maine: A few of Gayle's photos

   This year's rental was brand-spanking new, beautiful, and right on the lake. It had 2 stories, an upper balcony & back porch, and a full basement with laundry room. It was nestled in the trees & as you can see, looked great against the blue sky.

   Here are Stella & Martha on the porch, enjoying some conversation & the world's largest can of peanuts:

   It was really rainy my last day there, but lucky Martha, Brad, Mom, Gayle & Kate had great weather after that! I missed out on the fun of boating & kayaking. Brad got up before 6 every morning to fish.

   Here come Mom & Kate:

   Where's Gayle? My money's on "sitting on the dock with her feet up an a Mimosa in one hand!" She was kind enough to share these photos with me.

Stella's house

Stella is my great-aunt, in addition to being my Godmother. (In addition to being an artist, which is really cool.) She swears she has shrunk as she has aged. But she's still taller than Mom! She generously shared blueberries from the bushes along her driveway. There were tons! More photos at her house from last year's post.

   After our visit at her house, we saw a double rainbow on the drive home. Today's storms may have kept me from kayaking on the lake, but it was worth it to see such spectacular skies! Rainy, cloudy weather intensifies color & is actually ideal for photography.

The pot of gold must be just ahead!

Maine: the food

   One of the best things about going up to Maine is the incredible food. On the left, wild blueberries that I picked in Acadia. On the right, blueberries from Stella's yard. Different varieties that are equally delicious!

   I made an heirloom tomato salad with fresh basil & mozzarella & a touch of balsamic vinegar, with the produce I bought at the market in Southwest Harbor:

   Martha scored big on the "Maine" course. She had stopped off in Portland to meet a couple of young guys who run a lobster business, with whom she plans to work through Heinen's. They sent her off with a cooler containing a baker's dozen of lobsters! Martha always comes through big time on the seafood! In case you missed the interview with her, here it is again.

Normally I try not to meet my dinner:

   And I was glad that Martha did most of the kill—er, cooking. (I did drop a couple in the pot, though it pained me.)

Brad was less squeamish than me:

We had so many lobsters we were running out of bowls:

And hands!

We also had baked sweet potatoes, fresh corn, and grilled scallops:

(But this is all you need, really):

   Ironically, of the 6 of us, only 4 eat lobster. So we shared 13 lobsters among 4 people. (Admittedly we had some leftovers.) But I polished off 2 myself! And for the next 2 days I enjoyed lobster rolls. They're even good for breakfast!

Brad preferred pasta.

But who had the carb crash later, smart guy?!