Yappy Hour for Not Just About A Book Club March 2021

 March 4th

 

 

 

 

 

March 11th

 March 18 serious and funny we do as we are directed...

March 25 Book Club Reads "Secret Life of Bees"

What Else Do You Think

 

 "What else do you think?"

"I think" said the horse

"you are doing better than you think."

 

 From "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy 

Good Day Sunshine

 

Today's expected temperature in Long Beach is a near perfect 75 degrees. On this mornings walk watching the sun shine through the trees the Beatles song "Here comes the Sun" hit me.

" Here comes the sun, doo da doo doo

Here comes the sun,

and I say

It's all right..."

 

 

 

 

 

Passover 2021

 

 

 Wishing all our friends that observe this special time of year a very “Happy Passover.”

 

Celebrating Passover with friends...

 

Sofia's 1st T-Ball Game

 And so it begins... Sofia’s 1st t ball experience! I remember when we did this with her mom Aria.

 

 

Not Just About A Book Club reads "The Secret Life of Bees"

 

“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” Mason Cooley

 

I was thinking how books have helped so many of us "getaway" from our lives in quarantine. Today my book club met to discuss Sue Monk Kidd's book "The Secret Life of Bees". It was published several years ago and a few of the club members read it for a second time. It's worthy of a repeated read. In the story a "Black Madonna" statue plays an important role in the lives of the central characters. In googling Black Madonna's we learn that there are many scattered throughout the world. Pictured below is one such Madonna "Our Lady of Czestochowa" in Poland. We enjoyed this book and recommend it. 

 

 

“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” Anna Quindlen

 

Here's us with our homage to book club member "Lynda"

 

 

I Wish

 

 

 "I wish it need not have

happened in my time,'

said Frodo. 'So do I,'

said Gandalf, 'and so do 

all who live to see

such times. But that is not

for them to decide. All we 

have to decide is what to do

with the time that is given

to us."  from Lord of the Rings

 

 

This Year 2021

 

 Live in the moment

Start each day with gratitude

Laugh more

Create meaningful connections

Meditate

Focus on the Positive

Believe it all will fall into place

Stick to your goals

Be generous

Choose HAPPY. 

6 Months Old

 

 

 “For he’s a jolly good fellow!” Little Rocco 6 months old today.  

 

Melting My Heart

 

My daughter Aria texted me this last night.  ”Sometimes I bargain with Sofia if she wants dessert after dinner. Tonight she asked if she finished all her broccoli could she have a treat? I said yes and she said “great, my treat is calling gramma!”

And at brunch our friend said “oh your road trip to California sounds so fun!” I said “huh? What road trip?” And she said Sofia told her that since she isn’t vaccinated and can’t fly she is driving to California this summer to see her gramma.

 

 

An Injured Bunny

 I know my stories about Sofia might get old for anyone other than me but this girl really cracks me up. Third day of Spring break and she is back in her dads office while he works. So we try to pass the time playing together on FaceTime. Again we are playing Dr. (Sofia) and “Other doctor “ (me). Today we don’t have an injured Mr. Potato head but rather she draws our injured patients. She and I role play the patient parts so now she tells me I’m the injured bunny with a broken ear. 

 

As The other dr. I tell her the patient doesn’t want to tell me About how the accident happened so she says very authoritatively “Leave it to me I’ll talk to him”. Dr. Sofia to the bunny “I understand you’ve been in an accident.” 

 

And you won’t talk to the other dr.” Bunny moans loudly. “Well it’s important for us to know your problem so we can help you. Will you talk to me?” Bunny groans and Moans so loud (I’m really hamming it up and we both try to muffle our laughter. She tried again “Can you talk to me?” Bunny continues to moan and Dr. Sofia says “I’ll take that as a NO!” Then we both start to laugh out loud. She then says very seriously “we need to operate! Stat!” (Stat ? Where does she get these things from?)

 

 

Mermaid Sofia

 

" The sea once it casts its' spell

holds one in its net of wonder

forever." 

 

 

 

 

A Day Late Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

 

 A day late but we celebrated St. Patrick’s day with our traditional corned beef dinner tonight. I found the two buttons that I would have my daughters wear every year to school. In those days we would have a big family dinner party the weekend before at my brother Randy’s house. My parents and all the grandkids would be wearing green and we would put an “”O” before our family name and call ourselves the Irish Japanese “O’Yamadera family. It was an annual party we all looked forward to. Tonight I raise a glass to family traditions around the world. Proud to be “Irish for a day!”

Spring Baking

 Lots of opportunities to be in the kitchen with fun activities.