June recap

June has been a rather "nothing much happened" month.
I have watched a lot of movies and read a lot of books. We have a new king in Spain. I've been watching the World Cup, planted sunflowers, went to a birthday party for my ex principal Monica, it was a bust.  Lizzie came over the weekend of June 29, Sandy turned 48 June 5. Norbert came back from the Philippines and that's about all he can talk about, he was here for Father's Day for dinner, and today helping out doing some things around the backyard. Marvin has been feeling pretty well, and I've been feeling OK but sort of bleh, not much energy.

Books I've read:

Valerie Frankel - Four of a Kind (2)

Barbara O'Neal - The All You Can Dream Buffet
Michelle Gable - A Paris Apartment
Juliette Fay - Deep Down True
Jenny Colgan - The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris
Vanessa Diffenbaugh - The Language of Flowers

Movies I've Watched:

Lucky Them (2014) 

The Gran Budapest Hotel (2014)

Gas Food Lodging (1992)

Scavenger Hunt (1979)

No Reservations (2007)

What a Way to Go (1964)

(Bad) Neighbors (2014)

Happy Christmas (2014)

 

Singles (1992)

 

I hope you all have a great JULY!

 

 

Sunflowers

Around the time that Mia was here, I planted some sunflower seeds. The one in front is over 6 feet tall and gorgeous

After the plant has stopped bloming, I will cut the flower and let the birds eat the sunflower seeds within, maybe I will save some to plant next year.

I really like sunflowers, they look so cheery and bright! I checked the meaning of sunflower (I'm reading the book "The Language of Flowers") and it says it means "false riches" .  Hmmmm I cannot see how this relates to the sunflowers. In Spanish the name is "girasol" which means turns towards the sun, which it does.
We also bought sunflowers and planted them by the driveway, they are smaller but just as cheery and bright!

 

I'll leave you with this quote from Walt Whitman

 

Keep your face always

towards the

SUNSHINE,

and the shadows

will fall behind you.

 

 

Pomp and Circumstance

Last night I stayed up until 4:30 AM, to watch the official coronation of King Felipe VI. It started at 10:00AM (Spanish time) and was still going on when I decided to call it a day.

I was expecting a coronation, like the one King Wilhem and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands had last year:

                     She is originally from Argentina, they have 3 daughters.

Because of the crisis situation in Spain, and the unrest in Catalunya and the Basque country, they had a relatively more modest crowning. That is, there was no actual crowning, although the Crown and Scepter were in plain sight.

Here's a picture of the royal Spanish family after the investiture:

Queen Letizia, King Felipe VI their 2 daughters Sofia 7, and Leonor 8 (they were so well behaved and poised, I was impressed), King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia , King Felipe oldest sister Elena and Froilan, Elena's son. The younger sister of Felipe, Cristina, was "asked" not to show up. Her husband is currently being tried for fraud etc.

All in all it was entertaining. They played the National Hymn over and over and over. It brought back memories of  Franco's dictatorship.

An anecdote. During the celebration, most of the selfies taken were with Pau Gasol. He was invited since he is a very close friend of Felipe.

Happy royals

Mid Month

We had a nice Father's Day Sunday. We had grilled steaks with garlic mayo, potaotes, fresh tomato salad, and apple pie.

Norbert came over and entertained us with tales of his trip to the Philippines and his "engagement". He was acting a little more sedate, I'm happy to say. He showed me his mini ipad, and it has face time, he took one to his gf and now they can talk to each other and see each other and it doesn't cost anything.  All he had to pay for was the mini ipads, and a wifi connection $20.00 one time fee in the Philippines, and his Verizon put wifi in his house and it was free. I was surprised. Now they can talk and see each other eery day if they want to.

As I wrote yesterday, I will not write every day because I am running of things to say, but will write as often as I can. I enjoy it.

And the winner of yesterday's guess the picture is Lizzie. It was indeed "an eggplant".

I hope you all had a nice weekend.

Why blog?

Why blog? Well for me is a way to keep in touch with family, if it wasn't for the blog I wouldn't know some of the things that are happening in Utah, or San Diego, or Sweden.. I don't think any of my friends know about my blog, but I know some other people read it at times.

Why blog? To keep a record of important and not so important things that happens in my life. Believe me, it has come in very handy at times.

Why blog?  To share some things that have happened in my life, before we were a family. Things that I want to remember...

I don't think I will be blogging daily. My days are pretty much the same and it makes for not very interesting  reading. But I think I'd like to write at least once a week, maybe more if something extra happens.

Tomorrow is Father's Day, Lizzie is hosting a Poetry Reading at Java Joe's so we decided it would be better is she comes next weekend instead.
Tomorrow we'll grill some steaks and I asked Norbert over. He cannot wait to tell us all about his trip to the Philippines and show us pictures of his fiancee. I have talked to him on the phone a few times and also have seen pictures of his trip in FB , and frankly speaking, I am a little bit tired of the whole thing. He goes on and on and on and on...there's absolutely nothing else he can talk about!

Congratulations to Marvin for guessing the picture. Gator+aide = GATORADE

And here's the last picture of the series. I hope some of you have enjoyed the guessing game.

El Cholo

El Cholo has great Margaritas! When Marvin asks me where I want to go for lunch, I usually say El Cholo, because of the afore mentioned Margaritas. Sometimes we just have salsa and chips and sometimes, like today, we have a regular lunch.

I've been lazy today, slept late, went to lunch, and took a nap. But id did take Lulu for a long walk, when we got back I don't know who was more tired.

Yesterday I went to talk to my neighbor Amy, she has the cutest kids, Sophioa the baby is a carbon copy of Matthew, but with a little bow in her hair, she's adorable. Amy wants to have a block party, she says she'll organize everything, I said I'd help. Maybe it will happen. She also wants to have a girls night out and go to dinner (she mentioned the Mexican Restaurant 1800) just her, me and Sophia lol.

In the sports news, Netherlands beat Spain 5-1 in the World Cup! nice way to start lol. In the good news, Los Angeles Kings won  Hockey's Stanley Cup for the second time in 3 years. Way to go Kings!!!!

Today's picture:



A Paris Apartment

I am reading a book called "A Paris Apartment, by Michelle Gable (her first book). I chose the book mainly because I liked the title and the book cover.

As I was reading it, I had a feeling of deja vu, like I had heard of something like this before. Sure enough, I searched Google and found this article from a year ago:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323297/Inside-Paris-apartment-untouched-70-years-Treasure-trove-finally-revealed-owner-locked-fled-outbreak-WWII.html



The book takes place now and also during the Belle Epoque, it's about a woman from Sothebys that goes to Paris to check the apartment furniture, paintings, etc. and about the woman that lived there in the 1800's.

It also reminds me of the movie Midnight in Paris, the part where Adriana chooses to stay in the Paris of the 1890's

It's interesting to read about the apartment and what was in it and then read the article and see the real apartment, furniture etc. Even the portrait of Marthe de Florian, which is a big part of the book.

A review from the San Diego Uniion Tribune says...""...a richly concocted plunge into the worlds of Marthe de Florian and an imaginary Sotheby's auctioneer named April...Gable's Paris of today and yesteryear are worlds that are easy and pleasurable to get lost in."--The San Diego Union-Tribune

I am enjoying reading this book.


~~~Good guesses Marvin, but Sandy  was right. It was King of Pop!~~~

I'll post another picture tomorrow :)