Cousins Get Together January 19, 2015 Laguna Beach California

My cousins and I were able to get together for a nice lunch at Laguna Beach today.  Our cousins Pati and Stuart from Vermont were en route back from a two week stay in Kauai and we wanted to have one last get together with the cousins before they fly back to their home in Vermont.  We had a perfect sunny day and ate outdoors right on the beach at a nice restaurant called "The Deck". Here is how we spent some family hours together.

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Some Birthday Fun in Santa Monica

My cousin Ann invited me out for some birthday celebrating in Santa Monica.  We started  with a movie "Into the Woods" at the beautiful Westfield Century City Shopping Center.

It's a great theater complex there and we had fun choosing our seats for the movie.  Theaters are offering lots of fun options these days.





After the movie we did some window shopping and then headed to "Gulfstream" for dinner.

Started things off with some bubbly and many toasts to each other.

 Love the interior design of this restaurant. Lots of nice lighting, dark woods, a great bar area and booth seating.

   We both ordered burgers and they were yummy. Ann had a side of great cole slaw and I had my favorite baked potato with "everything"  Yummy!

Happy me with wine flowing and a hot fudge sundae for dessert! Mmmm

What a nice way to celebrate a birthday! Thank you to my cousin Ann!

Shopping With My Husband

Mike loves to go to Harbor Freight when they have these freebie coupons. (buy one item any price and get the coupon item free). The only thing is you can only use one coupon so he always asked me to go with him to get the 2nd freebie. I say, "I'm going to go in first and act like I don't know you." I go in and after I get the items I am about to leave and think I'll just go see where Mike is. I pass aisle after aisle and then I spot him." I casually yell "CIAO" because I want to motion to him after I get his attention that I'm checking out. When he hears me he grimaces and then I duck down another aisle and leave. When I see him outside he says, "Why did 
you yell CIAO? How many people around here do you think would respond to you when you say that?" "My response, Only you?" He says, "that's the point, you're not supposed to know me!" Guess I would not make a very good spy. Probably would do better as Peter Sellers assistant in a Pink Panther movie.

How To Be A Better (Happier & Healthier) Human Being

 

Never touch anything with half of your heart, be present, endlessly loving
and compassionate toward others, confront any challenging situation
first with a deep breath, wander, remember that your own happiness and comfort
comes above all things, before reacting--understand, eat breakfast every morning,
find the faces in the flowers, remember what is important to you, treat your body
kindly, be honest, get to know yourself, take things at your own pace, don't
feel embarrassed to feel, laugh, cry, sing or love, remember that what's right for someone
else may not be what is right for you (and that's okay), never be ashamed or afraid to ask
for help, do what you love, remember that you always have a choice, find joy in what life really is--
living.

Time

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence.
Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance.
Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence.
Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.” 
― Yoko Ono

My Kind of Day

The Dance

"At the still point, there the dance is."
-T.S. Eliot