New Year's Eve 2010

We indulged here at the house. Steak and Lobster. Grilled vegetables and salad. Ice cold Champagne.

Happy New Year Everyone!

O Come Let Us Adore Him...

Christmas, 1957

It was blue-gray and snowy outside, inside it was warm and swirling with colored lights, smelling of pine and my father's pipe tobacco.

What is that thing my father is assembling? Looks like something that cuts wood; he liked making stuff.

My grandfather built the little manger in the background. We cast the characters of angels, baby Jesus, wise men, etc. in rubber molds using plaster of Paris that we painted when dry. The manger and its inhabitants made an appearance every Christmas. I don't know what happened to it, hopefully one of my sisters has it.

Have a merry and memorable Christmas!

C minus

Nothin' says Christmas like supper at Tom Bergin's - Fáilte!

Tom Bergin's bar and restaurant is the oldest Irish establishment in Los Angeles and holds many great and embarrassing memories for me and many of my friends. But last night was magical.

Cozy back room, fire in the fireplace. Decorations all around.

Larry with his Guinness. Sláinte mhaith!

And to top it all off, Christmas Carolers. They even sang, "Christmas in Killarney" - a carol I would have never guessed they knew, and a carol I don't think I've heard since I was 10 years old. It really was lovely!

When was the last time you visited Bergin's? One of the best bars in L.A. in my opinion - and such a great old restaurant in the back room..

Christmas in Phoenix 1961

Each year we drove from our home in Grayslake, IL to Phoenix, AZ where my grandparents had relocated...it was Route 66 all the way!

This picture is in my grandparents' living room. See the matching lamps, the bowl on the coffee table and the cylindrical lidded container (for storing cigarettes) on the end table? My grandfather made those - woodworking was his hobby. The lampshades were overlaid with my grandmother's crocheting. I've got quite a few examples of my grandfather's beautiful wood work strewn about my house. And those lamps, sans the crochet encrusted lampshades, now belong to my daughter Mindy.

On the rocking chair is my mother with my little sister Debra. On the sofa is my father reclining (you can't really see his face) with his feet on my lap while I try to read the newspaper. The leather slippers under the table are his. He was really bugging me by shaking my paper with his toe so I couldn't concentrate; no doubt it's the reason why I have a somewhat irritated look on my face. My dad always had to clown around. The leg on the far left is attached to my sister Cathy the Dragon - one of the better pictures of her that I have in my possession.

I loved visiting my grandparents, but they lived in the retirement community of Sun City so I had a lot of idle time on my hands. This was the beginning of my voracious reading habit and it was also where I secretly purchased my first "racy" paperback and read it by flashlight at night. I felt pretty sophisticated after that particular Christmas.

Autumn in Los Angeles

Winter arrives next week, but today it's Autumn. This house is around the corner from ours and on my way to work the other morning I was so taken with the beautiful colors that I stopped my car and snapped a picture. See? We really do have seasons here in Los Angeles - sometimes.

Merry Christmas Maybe

My twin grandsons, Rowan and Grant, spent the night last Friday night. We invited over their pal Sofia from across the street who is the same age and goes to their school. They had a blast decorating the Christmas tree and singing Christmas carols. I played lots of Christmas music, including my favorite "Merry Christmas Baby". Next morning the boys kept singing over and over, "Merry Christmas Maybe"! I finally sat them down and told them that the lyrics are actually "Merry Christmas Baby". They said, "Oh, are you sure?" Yes, I'm sure.

Charles Brown and me at the 1996 Long Beach Blues Festival. One of the most elegant blues guys I've had the pleasure of working with and the original and most beloved performer of "Merry Christmas Baby".

What the hell is this?

I follow Todd Levin on Twitter and he showed us this album cover with the following comment:

As you grow older, all of your guile is stripped away. This is what the end of that process looks like.

Patty-Cake Conversation

Lompoc, CA

Veteran's Day

Here's to all who are serving and have served, in recognition of Veteran's Day. Thank you.

My father William McDermott who served in Italy.

Hula Hoopers 1959ish

I'm not really sure when this ratty old Polaroid was taken in our front yard in Grayslake, Illlinois. That's me on the left, my half-sister Cathy the Dragon in the center and our friend Susan Harvey, who lived across the street, on the right. Hula hooping was all the rage then, but it really didn't do it for me. After about 10 minutes of seeing who could keep the hoop going around the longest, I was bored. I loved a good game of tag or hide and seek. If we had enough kids together at the same time, baseball was in order - there were plenty of vacant lots around that we could transform into a makeshift baseball diamond.

As a kid I usually had a scab on my knee or leg or elbow, (as evidenced by this snapshot). I used to wonder if I would ever be scab-free. I think I was around 12 when my limbs were finally unmarred, and that coincided with a change in interests. Tag, hide and seek, baseball, etc. were replaced by The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, The Kinks and Boys.

We moved to California in 1966 leaving the Dragon behind, as she was newly married by then. I returned to Grayslake only once - it was 1970. I saw Susan Harvey during my brief visit; after that we exchanged letters from time to time, and then lost touch altogether as we navigated through our various stages and dramas of life.

Sue and I found each other again on FaceBook. She lives in Florida and I'm here in California. Another childhood friend of ours, Jan Willis, is also on FaceBook. She lives in Wisconsin. I often think of the three of us meeting up in Grayslake one day. Together as kids we were like a paper bag full of grasshoppers - what would it be like now?

Vintage Photo Friday - Kindergarten

Cold Autumn Morning

Rear Booth, Du-par's

Team Spirit

Autumn is creeping in and bringing back memories of homecoming games, mum corsages and busloads of football team members accompanied by their cheerleaders. Since it's "Vintage Photo Friday" I decided this perky five-some from Grayslake, Il. needed to be shown. Left to right, Holly, Paulette, Beth, Lori and Martha. Rah rah!

Vancouver B.C. Part Deux

We visited the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Peace, harmony, yin, yang - and a photo shoot going on in the background.

***

Totem poles in Stanley Park. We learned that "low man on the totem pole" is a misunderstanding; it seems that the bottom figure is the most important one and usually it isn't a man!

In 1888 the park was named after Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada. In 1893 Lord Stanley donated the trophy that became known as hockey's Stanley Cup.

***

"A-Mazing Laughter" sculptures by Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun in Morton Park at the edge of English Bay.

***

Aboard our ship M/S Volendam heading for Alaska, we say goodbye to Vancouver .

We sailed under the Lion's Gate Bridge, construction of which began in 1937. It was financed primarily by the Guinness family - yes, that Guinness family - providing employment during the Great Depression.

That's Larry in silhouette snapping photos.

***

My Nephew Ryan

This is my nephew Ryan when he was just a wee wain. I never got him interested in playing the guitar, but he's ace on piano and drums. He's seventeen years old now and I've never missed an important life event of his - school, church, family - nothing.

Until last week.

I was on a ship in Alaska while a ceremony for Ryan was held. Not just any ceremony, but the Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony. This is a regret I'll probably carry with me always.

According to the printing on the invitation, "The Eagle Scout is the highest rank that can be attained by Scouts. Only 4 percent of youth who join Scouting earn this honor."

Ryan has grown up to be a fine human being, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. I'm lucky to be his Aunt B.

Ryan with his cousins Rowan and Grant.

Vancouver, B.C.

We spent a half day, a night, and another half day in Vancouver B.C. before boarding our ship, the MS Volendam, for an adventure in Alaska.

We stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver. Looking out our window way up high we could see downtown where gardens grow on top of buildings.

That evening we went for dinner at Bao Bei, a restaurant that our neighbor Jeffrey in Los Angeles told us we must visit. Two of our favorites on the menu are the Shao Bing (crunchy sesame flatbread with braised pork butt, Asian pear, pickled onion and mustard green) and the Mantou (steamed buns with braised beef shortrib, hoisin, scallions, pickled cucumber and roasted peanuts). There is no doubt that next time we visit Vancouver we will return to Bao Bei.Later we walked over to the Steam Works Brewing Company for a glass of wine for me and a beer for Larry. This place was wonderful with all its framed French posters and interesting nooks and crannies.
The next morning we went on a proper tour. We started out in Vancouver's Chinatown where the street lamps were adorned with mischievous dragons. The fresh-from-the-oven apple tarts at the New Town Bakery were crazy-making.

More photos and notes to follow.

[Photos taken with my iPhone using the Hipstamatic app]

Yarn Bomb

My first yarn bomb sighting in front of Hollywood Hatters on Melrose Ave. Inspiring.

Our Neighborhood is Getting Wile E.

How sad. It's been quite hot lately and I think the coyotes come down out of the hills looking for water. Or cats.

It's a good thing we don't have any road runners in this neighborhood, imagine the hijinks that would ensue - explosions, anvils crashing and sleepless nights.

Summer on the Central Coast

We had an incredible time last Saturday night at the Fratelli Perata Winery's Buon Amici Wine Club dinner (al fresco) where each course was matched brilliantly with their excellent wines. It was magical, the weather was perfect and the moon was SO bright.

As an added bonus, the winery arranged for our transportation to and from the dinner.
The next day we went to the Avila Valley Barn to buy some honey where (ironically) I got stung on the top of my foot by a bee. Bastard bee.

Paul Rubio, Liza Minelli, Duke Ellington

Sunday afternoon,

corner Curson Ave. and Wilshire Blvd.

Havasu Landing 1971

Water skiing, hot days, riding on the shoulders of a friend...

Dangling from my left index finger is a "pop top" from a can of soda. Remember when we just yanked the pop top off of a can and discarded it? Well, there I was on the shoulders of a very tall person and, as we approached the picnic table that was laden with food and open cans of various beverages, I tossed the pop top towards the table and - I swear to God - it landed inside the opening of a can of beer. A moment to cherish forever.

Blair Witch Barbies

Stepped out to find these Barbies hanging from our neighbor's apricot tree that overhangs our driveway. There were actually about a dozen Barbies strewn throughout.

Woooo! You go Barbie!

Judy and Me 1979

Judy (on the right) and me at my house on Detroit St. If you look closely you'll see a Christmas card on the left next to my shoulder of a woman exposing herself to Santa. Now who sent that? Judy looked much more tasteful than I in this photo - don't know why I thought I looked good in lavender overalls.

Lookin' out my back door

A stunning August evening.

Chukka!

Today was a perfect day to take in a polo match, so off we went to the polo field at Will Rogers' place in Pacific Palisades where we joined Mindy & Chris and Rowan & Grant for a little picnic. The weather was perfect - warm and just a little breezy. The polo match was exciting and Rowan & Grant seemed to enjoy it, although after the third chukka they were ready for a new adventure.

We walked over to Will Rogers' ranch house and got a private tour from a ranger who was more than happy to take us around himself so that we would not have to wait the 45 minutes for the next tour. The ranch house is just the same as it was during Will Rogers' time; lots of great art, first edition books, saddles, and cowboy stuff. The kitchen was incredible, with plates, glasses and appliances from the 1930s that the Rogers family used on a daily basis.

Later we hiked up to the barn and checked out the old stables.

But what Rowan & Grant liked the best, I think, was the abundance of sticks and soft dirt and, oh yes....

the herd of very friendly deer they discovered behind the barn. Handsome fellow, don't you think?

Julia Wheelock Dec. 30, 1897 - Mar. 14, 1929

This is my maternal grandmother. Her first marriage was in 1918 and she had two children, Henrietta and Harry. Shortly after Harry was born Julia's husband Henry died. One year later she married my grandfather, Lee Albert Wheelock. She had 7 children with Lee; Myrtle Eva in 1920, Dorothy Della in 1921, Baby Boy who died at birth in 1922, Adeline Winnifred in 1924, Baby Girl who died at birth in 1926, John Arthur Wheelock in 1927 and Elizabeth Leona in 1929. My mother was Elizabeth Leona.

Nine days after my mother was born, her mother Julia died. Julia was only 32 years old.

The two children from Julia's first marriage, Henrietta and Harry, were given by Lee to a local family to adopt. My mother, a newborn, was given to another local couple who were childless.

All of these children grew up in the same small town in Illinois, but my mother had no idea who her siblings were until she was older. She fell in love with one of them and her parents had to tell her that this boy was her brother.

My mother Elizabeth married someone else when she was sixteen and had my sister Cathy (the dragon). Shortly after Cathy was born, Elizabeth and her husband divorced. She met my father, married him and I was born. Nine years later my sister Debra was born.

Back to Julia...she is buried with one husband on her right and the other husband on her left.

Magnolia Bakery

The much anticipated Magnolia Bakery opened yesterday at noon on the corner of Orlando and W. 3rd Street, just a short walk from our house. Even though people were queued up outside to get in, we decided to jump in line too. There's something exciting about walking into a brand new place on the very first day. While in line we were served samples of their banana pudding and red velvet cake. The banana pudding was chilled just right and contained fresh bananas, vanilla pudding and layers of vanilla wafers - wow! The red velvet cake was just o.k., the sample didn't have any topping on it so it seemed dry.

I ordered a pretty vanilla cupcake with yellow frosting and a pink flower on it. Larry ordered the key lime mini cheesecake. He gave me a bite and I almost passed out - it was SO rich and good.

The bakery originated in New York and now has locations in Dubai and here in Los Angeles. The people who work as bakers and order takers are so lovely. This is a wonderful addition to our W. 3rd Street neighborhood.

Happy Birthday Rowan & Grant

Today my twin grandsons are five years old. Thank you Mindy and Chris for providing us these amazing, funny, sweet, darling boys.

Rowan Christopher

Grant Oliver