Out of Order

Out of order photos...out of order house.
I took a picture of this same house in December - a winter garage sale explosion of penguins and polar bears. It's the end of January and it's all still there. The only change is the house across the street - it's for sale now.

Tea Time!

Met Kathi and Lisa at a sweet little tea parlor, "Paris in a Tea Cup" in Orange County. It was very reminiscent of Angelina's in Paris...lots of tempting pastries and sipping chocolate. We had very English tea with scones, cucumber sandwiches and petit fours and it was all delicious! Merci, soeur et amie.

Good Kitty

Usually Darby runs down the stairs ahead of me to meow impatiently while I fill his food bowl. This morning, he was not waiting, he would not eat - not even the fishy flakes that he loves, and he was very silent. I thought for sure he was starting the decline - we've been on "cat watch" for months, now. I left a pile of fishy flakes by his napping place and left for work practically in tears. When I came home 6 hours later, Darby was perfectly fine, fish flakes were gobbled up and he was waiting for more. Big sigh of relief...

Ethos Magazine

Couldn't figure out a way to get a good picture of Will's name on the masthead - he's an intern at Ethos, the multicultural magazine on campus, so I had to settle for the cover. Yes, that's a monkey on his back.

She's a Pretty Kitty

Miss Madeline - our sweet little tortie friend. She keeps a wary eye out for Darby at all times. And she's a little passive aggressive - he'll go into the kitchen and she will run and cut him off at the pass. Still, she's a sweetie pie and we love her.

13.1

Done! Not our best time, but the view from the 101 made it worth every step. Thanks, Jeanne - 5 half marathons under our belt. What a ride!

Coming Soon...

On my way to the Expo to pick up my race bib and saw the traffic signs. Deep breath.

Bimbo Baked Goods

Bimbo Bakery supplies baked goods to convenience stores and markets all around southern California. The first few times you see the truck, you look twice. Now we just smile at the little bear.

Birthday Brooke

Brooke the Cook had her birthday party at the Black Market Bakery in Orange County. The very brave owner lets children come into her kitchen and prepare yummy items like pizza, scones and snickerdoodle cookies. They made and enormous mess and ate sugar all afternoon long. Sounds like the perfect party!

"Pokey Fruit"

As a little boy, Will loved the exotic fruit section at Von's. Fuzzy kiwi fruit, wrinkly avocados, dragon fruit, and teeny kumquats - stuff he would never eat, but he loved holding them. His favorite was the "pokey fruit" and sometimes I would grab one and he would hold it all the way through the market. We'd give it back to the produce man after the trip. If I could send one to Oregon, I know it would make Will smile.

Judy Cat

Went to Bunco (or as Lee says - Drunko) and found a friendly little cat at Judy's house. He was so sweet (even on top of the counter) and hung around all night long with the cackling ladies. Brave kitty.

Brunch in Del Mar

Brunch today with Lee, Deb and Frank at the Poseidon in Del Mar. We sat outside in short sleeves and enjoyed a delicious brunch by the beach. We also discovered the "man-mosa" - the Poseidon's large size version of the more delicate mimosa. Yum!

Up, Up and Away

Running errands on Saturday and came across the take off point for some hot air balloons. Perfect day for a ride, but I hope their landing is smoother than ours. We took a ride a few years with Will, Bonnie and Walt and had a bit of a crash landing. No one was hurt, but imagine my 80year old father-in-law crawling out of the tipped over basket. He helped others crawl out and we all celebrated with a glass of champagne before being chased off the property. Good times...

Paws and Reflect

Time to "paws" for a nap.

Go Back To Sleep

More sleeping kitties, except if you make a little noise, they both wake up and appear interested. Not for long, though...

Calvin - meet Hobbes

Calvin and Hobbes , meet Calvin and Hobbes.

Lee, the AP European History teacher found the cartoon of theologian John Calvin, and philosopher Thomas Hobbes, walking on the log. We paired it up with it's Bill Watterson equivalent and now we have an interesting bit of art hanging by the front door.

No, Thanks

La Jolla Half Marathon is coming up soon and the flier just came in the mail. It's not even a consideration - the memory of last year is still very fresh. Everyone wants to know about the giant hill at Torrey Pines. Hard, yes, but nothing like the downhill at La Jolla Shores, the winding neighborhood by the Marine room, the ambulances screaming by, and worst of all - the guy getting chest compressions at mile 12. Jeanne and I swore we'd never do that race again. Thanks, but no thanks.

Any Box Will Do

Darby loves any box, any bag, any bit of paper on the floor. His new napping place is the top of a gift box. It's bent and out of shape, but it's the current favorite. Especially on top of the dining table. Don't tell.

Sofa Cat

He can't just sit with her - he must sit ON her. And she lets him.

19 Years

Deb and I met when our kids were not quite yet 2 and we've all stayed friends since. Husbands, houses, jobs - many things have changed over the years, but Deb and I stay friends forever.

Plenty of Seats Available

I'm realizing that I could take a picture of the day for the rest of my life - there is SO much out there! Last night, a friend said she was showing my pictures to someone and although she liked the Daily Darby - she really missed the others. I'm still committed to the cat, but I'll keep my eyes open for weird and interesting. This is the ladies room at Via Italia - lots of seating room.

Ears to Darby

One dark gray ear, one mostly pink - both really cute.

5 Darby

Scruffy and fluffy...

Nosy Face

Darby "nose" he is the boss. He "nose" he rules the house. He "nose" he's the top cat.

Renoir Darby

Playing around with the camera settings and took all sorts of fun photos. This one was "oil painting.

Upside Down Face

Will's gone back to school and Darby has made himself very comfortable in his room. I do love upside down kitty eyes.

Starting Over

On December 31, I took my last official picture of the day, but I had the thought that if I didn't take a picture - and wanted to keep going with it - I better get out the camera and start snapping. My sweet ragdoll cat, Darby, is a sick kitty. Not that you can tell from any picture - he's still fluffy and demanding. We've been on "kitty watch" for the past few months and it breaks my heart. He's still a baby in my book - only 7 years old, and I don't feel as if I have spent enough time with this character. So, Daily Darby was born. A picture of Darby every day...and I'm hoping I can do a repeat of last year and get one every day until 2012.