Family Reunite for Grandmother's 80th Birthday

This weekend our family all got together to celebrate my mother in-laws eightieth birthday, a very special reunion, indeed. Since I've had no time to blog and my daughter has already done an excellant job of posting about all the festivities, I am going to send you her way to see what all we've all been doing. Click here if interested.

Class of '69 Reunion Weekend

It's hard to believe it was 40 years ago, on June 13,1969 that I graduated from Beverly Hills High School, one sunny Friday afternoon. Where or where has the time gone? I don't feel old.

The weekend started out with dinner at an old classmates home with a few close friends, listening to Bob Dylan and reminiscing about the sixties and memories from our teenage past. We drank wine and ate a delicious meal together. I was enjoying myself so much I forgot to get the camera out.

The next morning bright and early my friend Sybil, who came all the way from London to celebrate our 40Th reunion , headed to a deli in Beverly Hills that has been there for decades. It was a part of the pre-reunion festivities that was enjoyed by the intimate few who attended.



My friend Sybil and I have been friends since we were fifteen years old.

There was more fun to be had. Larry King is a regular patron of this deli and he was there signing his newest book, so Sybil and I had our picture taken with him as he signed our books which we purchased as we were paying our bill.

After a leisurely breakfast, we headed to Beverly High to revisit the school and have a tour led by a couple of sophmore girls that now attend Beverly. It's hard to believe we ever could have looked that young.

There is a wall of photos of famous alumni that graduated Beverly Hills High and went on to make a names for themselves. I had no idea that Betty White, from The Golden Girls graduated from my high school, a long with Rob Reiner and Richard Chamberlin and on and on.

We revisited the gym with the pool where many a swim meet and basketball game took place, in those few short years we were in school. The basketball court slides out over the pool, quite a fancy gym, indeed. Home of the Normans, the mighty, mighty Normans!

The photo below was taken at the reunion Saturday evening, which was held at the Mark on Pico Boulevard. I had a great weekend, walking down memory lane with great friends.

A big thanks to all who made this celebration such a success!

The Beauty of Life

Have a beautiful Sunday!

May your days be filled with magic and synchronicity.

May your burdens be as light as a butterfly!

May your imagination be infused with beauty and color!

Happy Birthday to Sue!

This past week my friend Sue was given a surprise birthday luncheon by two of her dear friends Wendy and Esther. Sue said she hadn't had a surprise birthday party since she was fifteen. Sue is usually the one throwing a party, so being the special guest, at a party given for her by her dear friends, was quite a treat.

The lunch was delicious and the conversation lively and let's face it, who doesn't love cupcakes?

These weren't any ordinary cupcakes, oh no, they were made with the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, made by Sue's dear long time friend Esther. I have to tell you, they were heavenly, as was the rest of the lunch.

When I went back to work, after the luncheon had ended, one of my co-workers asked me what we ate. I told her we had the most fabulous spinach salad and fruit salad and delicious bread. My co-worker said, " you must have been lunching with rich people". Indeed I was. These ladies were rich with the love of their friendships.

The stories of womens lives are endlessly fascinating to me. Being a part of a celebration that honors life and friendship is truly a joyous gift.

I've known Sue for almost three decades and many of the ladies attending have known her for even longer.

Sue's friend Wendy told us it was a tradition in her home, when it was someones birthday, that each guest tell why the birthday girl was special to them. It was really very inspiring to hear how Sue had touched each one of friends lives. Sue has always been active in the community. The way Sue shares her talents and gifts with her friends and neighbors is one of Sue's most endearing qualities. Most of all, Sue's friends praised her love of motherhood and the wonderful role model that she has been to her children.

There is something so intimate and generous for women to share how they feel about their friends. At a very deep level, it is the one of the most nourishing things that women can do for each other.

Right to left: Patsy, Esther, Sue, Barbara, Napier, Laurie, Kathy and Wendy in front
photos by Wendy Wayne

A Getaway on the Coast

This is the place I spent my birthday weekend away with Mr. Honey. I promised pictures and here they are. This little gem of a hotel is minutes from Ventura. It's called the Cliff House. It's my newest favorite place to get away. I really didn't want to come home. I love home, but did you get a look at this view?!

The weather was in the low 70's and absolutely perfect for sitting by the pool and catching up on reading.

Of course there was ping pong if you got tired of lounging by the pool. Mr. Honey worked up a good sweat trying to beat me at ping pong, l.o.l.

After getting a tan in the Bahamas earlier in the summer, Mr. Honey wasn't about to let his tan fade. Did you notice? Mr. Honey shaved off his beard for my birthday. Doesn't he look great without that old beard?

Admittedly, the hotel room wasn't anything fancy, but with a view looking out over the ocean, who cares if there is hair dryer in the room, or an ironing board for that matter. Who's going to waste time ironing when you can be soaking up the sun?

The Cliff House has a four star restaurant where we indulged in some pretty fabulous food. I ate wild salmon covered in artichokes a top a mound of pesto flavored mashed potatoes. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of my dinner, but below, you will notice we got our dessert to go. Flourless chocolate cake with rasberry sauce and fresh rasberries. Yum!

When I finished my dessert it was time for a game of online scrabble, my idea of heaven!
If you're planning a trip to the coast you won't be sorry you stopped at the Cliff House!

A Little Piece of Heaven

I only wish I had a better picture of where I am staying to share with you, but until I get home this is the best photo I could find. This is the view from the restaurant downstairs from where our room is. We have the most beautiful ocean view a person could wish for.

Last night, we had a fabulous dinner at this restaurant, only, we sat outside as close to the ocean as you could possibly sit. We haven't left the hotel since we got here. Listening to the ocean and the seagulls and sitting out on the chaise lounges reading our favorite books is enough for us!

Now, I'm in my room with Mr. Honey's laptop sitting on a table facing our ocean view. I've been taking my turns on Facebook scrabble, enjoying every minute of my online addiction to this wonderfully stimulating word game. I'm actually getting better at it too.

I'm definitely in my "happy place"! I will post more photos when I return home, but for now, you'll just have to trust me, it's a little piece of heaven.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I came into this world on August the twentieth at 8:19 in the morning, at Herrick Memorial Hospital in Berkeley, California. The way my mother use to tell it, I was almost born in a taxi cab. I guess I must have been anxious to come into the world, because I was actually due on September 2. My sister was due September 2 too (two years earlier), but then she was never as anxious as me, she waited until August 25th to be born. We shared everything including our birthdays, only she was a Virgo, and I was only on the cusp. I'm a Leo, can you tell? They say Leos begin all their sentences with I, don't you believe it! L.O.L. Birthdays have never been the same without her.

My eldest daughter is planning to cook my favorite dinner that she always makes for her family. Mr. Honey promises to make home-made sorbet or maybe ice cream with the ice cream maker I won at Pottery Barn. Life doesn't get much sweeter than that.

I will rush off to work soon, taking sweet treats to share with my co-workers. On Friday, I will take off to Ventura for a couple of sweet days with Mr.Honey at the ocean (my favorite of all places to go). Maybe, I will come back with some inspiration for my blog.

I think this will be the year I will freeze my age, ha, ha!

To all of you out there, born in August, I wish you a very happy birthday.