January 13, 2025

I used to live in Los Angeles, at times in the city and other times in suburbs.  When I was in college, we would drive into Los Angeles for shopping or visiting the world's best chili hot dog stand.  After college, for a while I worked in Santa Monica and would drive down the 405 and then west on Sunset Blvd to get to the office.  Years and years later, we lived in LA and then in Ventura County.  We would drive Pacific Coast Hwy back and forth to visit friends or hang on the beach or go to Getty Center Museum and Getty Villa (in Pacific Palisades).

These fires that are raging in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas right now are tugging at my heart.  Last month in the Mountain Fire, our friends lost their beautiful home where we go to watch Fourth of July fireworks.  During the years we lived in Camarillo (Ventura County), we were evacuated two times from our home due to fires, one of which burned to about two hundred yards of our house.

destroyed vehicles in the parking lot above our neighborhood

This is why I am following the fires happening now in  LA.  I have read that Getty Villa and Getty Museum are safe at this point.  These two museums were our favorites to visit.  Staff at Getty Museum are stating that the buildings are safe and were built to withstand fires.  You can see how carefully and strategically they were designed.

I am very concerned for my friends who live in LA and Ventura Counties and am keeping in touch with them.  People are more important than buildings and art, but I do hope that the care and planning that the Getty Foundation did to protect its buildings will keep them safe.

End of October

I'm a bit late posting Friday Fave Fives.  Things are a bit tense and wary because of all the concerns about fires here in Southern California.  We are fine and there are no fires within fifteen miles from us.  But fire weather still keeps us on edge.

1.  First, I have to say I am thankful for all the firefighters who are out fighting the various fires that are burning throughout California.  With a large fire burning not far from where The Professor's brother lives and another one near our niece and nephew, and a third burning along the beach just up the coast in our county, we know the firemen and first responders are working round the clock to keep us safe.

2.  And yes, it really has been as hot and windy as the news  says.  I am very very thankful that we have air conditioning.

3.  World's Best Neighbor took the train to San Diego and then rode it back at the end of the week.  I'm her Uber driver.  It's fun to get those texts saying, "I'm in LA."  "Just passing Glendale."  I picked her up and after a community meeting we needed to attend, we grabbed The Professor and ended up at a new to us Chinese restaurant.  Yum!  And I'm glad to have her back home.

4.  I haven't been writing about my knitting projects much.  Mostly, they're boring projects. There's really nothing exciting about pillow covers.  But it gives me joy to just knit.

5.  I am thankful for the BEST eye surgeon.  I needed some (not unusual) follow up work on my cataract surgeries.  This weekend, I'll be resting my eyes.  But my vision is doing just fine and I am very thankful for that.

Fave Fives in Mid May

It's very late on Thursday night and I am writing my Friday Fave Fives.  It's too late to be creative.  I can't think of a catchy title.  But here are Five things which have caught my attention and made me thought and grateful this week.

1.  How can a sad occasion like a memorial service be a fave?  I've thought about this a bit this week since we attended a memorial service for a friend and former co-worker in LA on Saturday.  It's always difficult and sad to see the family grieving and missing someone they love.  But I was struck by the positive attitude of our friend's husband and children.  They have hope in resurrection and that made all the difference.  It was also great to see so many of our former colleagues--it was like a big party.  I think our friend would have been pleased.

2.  He asked, "What do you want to do on Mother's Day?"  I answered, "No restaurants!"  Then I thought about it.  "Let's go for a hike."  So we did.   Yucca plants are blooming on the hillsides in Hill Canyon and Hawk Canyon where we hiked.

The wild mustard is in bloom, too.

3.  This was the last week of school.  Last week of correcting papers.  As I've stated before, "I teach for free.  They pay me to correct papers."  I enjoy my students and love watching them learn to be better writers.  But I also love my summers.  Can't. Wait.

4.  It's always so much fun to read the little cards my students give me at the end of the year.

 "Thank you for working with us so devoutedly [sic].  It has helped a bunch, and will continue to help us.  Again, thank you!"  

"Thank you for teaching me how to improve my writing.  You are a awesome teacher [sic].  You are kind, encouraging, friendly and always happy.  Have a great summer."

"Thank you for all the fun things we did in class, which helped me with my writing.  I really had lots of fun and look forward to next year.  Enjoy your summer and see you in the fall."

"Thank you for this wonderful year you helped me improve my writing oh so very much.  I made you sugar cookies but my brother ate them. :(  Thank you!!"  [NOTE:  we discussed this--and, yes, her brother really did eat all the cookies she baked.]

5.  It has been really really really hot here.  Like melt-my-chocolate-candy, blister-my-bare-feet, make-me-sweat hot.  In Southern California, heat+wind=fire. Have you heard on the news about the combination of heat, wind, and drought that is causing wild fires in California?  No good news there.  The fave is since our neighborhood burned last year, we probably aren't in danger of having another fire whip through near us.  The other part of this fave is the heat is supposed to break by the weekend, and we can have some relief from the three digit temperatures.  On the plus side, I have noticed that the heat has brought more blooms to the heat loving plants on my patio.

Heat, fire, funerals, flowers, hikes, thanks.  Quite a disparity.  This simply proves one can find blessings in all the hot messes of life.  How are you?