A day at Mauna and Lee’s

I spent the afternoon at my wonderful neighbor’s

house taking pictures of their beautiful garden...

creativity in every corner.

This once barren, weedy landscape took a few years

to pull together but just look at it now.

An eye for beauty and detail.

unusual plants

color and texture created with non-thirsty plants perfect

for Southern California landscapes.

bowling balls and boulders

I covet this old neon Paint sign that they salvaged.

creative use of color and form

Bold and fearless...

Mauna and Lee are not only creative to the core but

are such good people in so many ways.  They are local activists who put countless

hours into helping their Wrigley neighborhood and the city of Long Beach.

They are also loads of fun and have great parties.

The end to a perfect day...

Palm Sunday...

A time to reflect and renew and be reborn

and to examine your motives and the 

reasons why you do the things you do.

Are you willing to change and throw out

the behaviors that no longer work for you?

I have my faults...and my strengths...

 I choose to carefully nurture

and develop the things in me that

are good and will make me a better

person...and one that I am proud of.

This sometimes means taking a hard cold look

at who you really are.  Sometimes

the things we think are “cute” are in

truth immature, rude and unbecoming.

all art work by Guiseppe de Piero

Because what I like are people that are

doers and not talkers.   Creative people.

Givers and not takers.

The ones that take the time and sweat
and toil to accomplish their dreams and goals.

Working on the Garden

the Cecil Brunner Rose canopy.

Our garden is a never ending process of weeding, cleaning,

pruning and editing.  When you live in Southern California

the garden goes dormant for about a month and then it kicks

into high gear once again.   Therefore you are always

trimming, cutting back, weeding and transplanting.  

For some, this sounds like heaven, but when you have

to garden somewhat nonstop, it gets to be a little

tiring.  Everyone admires Bougainvillea...it

is for a fact a beautiful looking plant...But it

grows like crazy and the thorns on it are deadly sharp.

Cutting it back is not for the faint hearted.   You end

up shredded and cut and bleeding.  And if you

turn your back for one second and do not pay

attention,  it has made it’s wicked way to the

far reaching corner of the garden and it sends 

off new and razor sharp branches and back you

go standing high on a ladder hacking it down

once again.

I have been working in the “driveway garden” and

trying this year to get it to look pretty and feel great

as it is closest to the kitchen door and so it makes a great place

to hang out and also to work on my antiques.

So I am creating my little vignettes.

We don’t park our cars in the garage as it is my working 

space.  And we have stopped pulling the car behind this

gate.  I am attempting this year to pull this area together

to create a really nice place to have a meal and have

the neighbors over.

I love geraniums.  Mine just stay in pots all year

and in the Spring I repot them with fresh soil and

compost from my worm bin.

This is how many weeds came into

our front garden this year...

Overwelming...again, turned our back for a minute

and boom... they took over.

This is after Mr. Beatnheart worked all afternoon

clearing them out.  More work to do still.  This whole front

garden needs to be dug out, weed cloth barrier put in, and

new gravel layed.   Who ever said a grass free garden is low

mantainance obvioulsy never had one...like I said

never ending work.

Trips down the PCH

We took a little trip down the Pacific Coast Highway

on my husband’s birthday...

First stop, the quaint beach town of El Segundo 

where we discovered

this great little restaurant called

The Richmond Bar and Grill.

El Segundo is located right next door to LAX

so if you ever find yourself stranded at the airport

for awhile this would be a great little pit stop

for lunch.

It was like a blast from the past...

old timey soda fountain stools, lots of old

memorabilia on the walls...great beer selection

and homemade potato chips.

Next stop...San Pedro and another old little cafe.

I half expected the burgers to costs 25 cents

and nickle cokes. We didn’t eat here

because we were still stuffed from The Richmond.

 San Pedro is just south of

El Segundo and we drove the coast to get there.

The views on this drive are amazing as you course

through Rancho Palos Verde, a beautiful area

that reminds me of Maui.

The Pacific Ocean from the top of the cliffs

in San Pedro

The boats in the distance are loaded with cargo going
into the port of Long Beach.

The old Lighthouse

A fabulous Turn of the 20th Century building.

A tree that has seen many a wind blown day

This little park right on the bluffs is a great place

to spend the day with a picnic.

The park had an old Spanish Style Band shell.

I wondered if they still have concerts here.

Driving home via The Vincent Thomas Bridge.

It was a great day out and proved that little mini vacations

can be had very near your own home without boarding a plane

or driving too far.

Mother Nature and Husband at work.

A small side patio and three of my husband’s pieces.

The Fig Tree is kicking in.

Sculptures by Giuseppe de Piero

Water Feature, Wisteria...

Just a few of my Bauer Pots

on one of my favorite things...

an old Train luggage Rack.

Lalique glass sculpture

“Femme de Mer"

Side garden with bathroom round window

(for you Maura)

Back Patio

Water Feature 

We had the most beautiful weather yesterday.  After the rains,

the sky clears up, we have white puffy clouds and I become

inspired to be outdoors and admire it all.  

Homesick...

There are days when I miss my hometown

something terrible.  

                                                                

especially Lake Michigan.

The quiet tranquility, the sound of the soft waves rolling oh so

gently on the sandy shore...small and constant

a rhythm, a pattern all its own.

No noise

No roar of traffic

No Police helicopters buzzing overhead

No sirens every ten mintues

No loud booming monotonous music

coming out of obnoxious cars filled with rude people

No smell of smog

clear blue sky

gentle breeze

I miss the smell of the fishy brine,

the soft moan of the foghorn

the broken jetties jutting out from the sandy beach

The way those jetties are old and collapsing and

still the same as when I was a kid.

The water is icy cold and when you jump in

your skin turns a mottled purpley color...cold..much colder

than you remember.   How did we play in this freezing water

all day long when we were young?  

I get nostalgic now and then.   It’s no wonder I’m

an antique dealer.  I long for the old days,

simpler times...the beauty of nature.

Living in the city doesn’t nurture me.

I’m a fish out of water.

Living in California has its beautiful weather

it’s exciting adventures and possibilities

anything can happen here...

It’s wide open if you have the guts and courage

to go for it.   Don’t get me wrong.  I am

blooming in the soil at which I am presently planted.

but...

Sometimes, being a grown-up is just plain hard.

and I wanna go and play in the water

bucket and spade in hand and splash in the

icy waters of Lake Michigan.