violetismycolor

mad men...

I watched a couple of episodes of season one of Mad Men, since it has been so highly acclaiimed, is up for multiple Emmy's, they got a fantastic piece on NPR today...and I have to say that I am underwhelmed.  These people are all so scuzzy and have no sense of decency, as far as I can see. 

I can't wait for season three of Brothers and Sisters...please Actor's Union, don't go on strike, PLEASE....

Seattle JET dropoff...

I drove Bonnie to Seattle on Friday morning.  She had an afternoon orientation, then dinner at the Japanese Consul of Seattle's home in the hills.  She said the speeches were boring but the view was fabulous.

While Bonnie was doing her JET-thing, I wandered down to Pike Place Market and took some pictures.  It was a gorgeous day and there were tons and tons of people there.  And lots of boats in the water.  Lovely.

Saturday was her day to fly.  We got to the airport and waited in line with the 50 or so JETs.  We had our traditional fancy-coffee-drinks-before-any-flight, and then she got in the security line and flew away.   Bonnie did e-mail us from Tokyo.   She got in fine, it's humid and hot, and she is going to explore the city a little.  So, all good.

PF...flight...

Photo Friday:  Flight:  Fiji helicopter service

Japanese Garden photos...

Bonnie and I went to the Japanese Garden last week with our friend, Barbara, who is a docent there.  Her son taught in Japan almost 18 years ago, and upon visiting him there, she became enamoured with Japanese gardens and then decided to volunteer at the one here in Portland.

She generously gave up her afternoon to give us a wonderful, personal tour of this spectacular place.  I have been here many times but never had the guided tour, so it was a real treat.  Afterward, we went to dinner at Sinju (our favorite sushi restaurant)...what a great way to prepare Bonnie for her trip to Japan!

school uniforms...

I went to a Catholic school for many years (St. Pius V in Buena Park) and we had the traditional Catholic school uniforms.  I actually liked them.  I liked that I always knew what I was going to wear, every day, and I wasn't going to have to fuss over it.  My mom loved it, having the bajillions of kids she did, because we were all wearing the same thing and she didn't have to buy us as many clothes.

Our colors were blue and white.  We had cute plaid skirts, white blouses with Peter Pan collars, and blue cotton sweaters to wear over them.  

But they were nothing like the photo below, which according to the BBC Online (where I got this photo) are 'traditional South Korean school uniforms'.  Can you imagine going out in these every day?  They look like little wizards...

visiting the grandparents...

Bonnie wanted to see my parents (Opa and Oma to her) before she leaves (LEAVES!) for Japan on Friday.  So, off we drove down beautiful I-5 to Woodburn for a wee visit.  The visit was nice...my dad is doing decently well...and then we hit the outlet mall for some 'business attire' for Bonnie to wear for her new teaching job Takashima.  There is an Ann Taylor outlet store there and the prices were half of the store cost.  Great mix and match clothes were to be had and we bought some great outfits for her.  

Can't believe she's going to be gone in only 4 days!  

too cute!!!

So, how CUTE is this? I found this website and though it is in French (and so not totally translatable by yours truly), I was enchanted by this: a fairy in a jam jar. I want one, but I don't believe that is in the cards. So, I will just enjoy the photo.

political cartoon fave, from the archives...

I do admit that I am very interested in politics.  

As a child, I was a firm admirer of JFK, probably because I came from a Catholic family (Democrats all, at the time) who were enthralled with the idea of a fellow Catholic as President.  I don't think my oh-so-Conservative parents were at all pleased when revelations of JFK's rampant and flagrant womanizing came out.  

We all were very excited about Bobby Kennedy, too...same reasons.  We were devastated when he was shot down, in our very vicinity (we lived in LA County).  I even dreamed of his death, the night it happened...and was quite upset in the morning to hear that my dream had come true.

I worked for a wonderful man named Al Lowenstein on Long Island, who was running to regain his Congressional seat in the Bicentennial summer and fall of 1976.  I was his Finance Director, eventually.  This was HUGE in my life.  

I have been not-a-fan of our current President, and have been an Obama supporter for the past year.  I love this political cartoon that ran in our local paper, The Oregonian, during our primary contest.  It is by our local political cartoonist, Jack Ohman, whose work I generally like.  I had meant to post it then, hence my scanning the Sunday Opinion piece into my computer.  I found it while I was doing some cleanup and organizing on my office desktop today.  Enjoy...

my OWN Cannon Beach photo...

beach beautiful...

Bonnie, Ross, and I have been in Cannon Beach, using my cousin's house there.  What a treat.  

The weather has been gorgeous and the Oregon coast is so beautiful...something I know, but it is hard to remember how very gorgeous it is.  Today, we drove down to Newport (somehow I thought it was only an hour and a half away but it was two and a half hours, instead) to go to the Coast Aquarium.  It was such a lovely drive, that I didn't really mind.  It was a little exhausting, though.  

Tomorrow, we head back.  Only two nights away, but it is really a nice little getaway.  Unfortunately, John couldn't come...work and all that...

Cookie has been guarding the house, and my neighbor, Ronnie, is also keeping an eye out.  And she let Cookie out for a potty break today.  Good neighbors are so wonderful.

I just love Cannon Beach...oh Haystack Rock, if only I could take you home with me...

dog days of summer...

Cookie totally does not get why I love summer.  

She thinks it's too hot, though I am reveling in that fact that it's finally not just plain cold.  Bonnie thinks a doggie-summer-haircut would do the trick, but I think Cookie would like that even less.  The sound of electric shears might put my high strung pooch over the edge.

Cookie doesn't really love the summer garden, like I do.  She sits under a tree, lazily watching me do all the work (and doesn't bother to offer to help).  She walks right through the center of my flower beds, squashing my beauteous buds as she goes. She doesn't want to be out there without me, and 'ruffs' at the door, if I shoo her out, alone.

One would think that a dog like her would love sitting in the sun, chasing squirrels, and luxuriating in the long grass, but my dog just doesn't have much appreciation for any of these things.

Go figure.

P.S.  It's Adam's 24th birthday today.  Happy birthday, honey!

wimbledon delight...

I don't get the chance to watch tennis often...honestly, it's never on TV anymore...but it can be so much fun to watch.  Like today's Men's Final:  wow, wow, wow.

Roger Federer (who won the last 5 Wimbledon's) and Rafael Nadal had the most incredibly close and exciting match today.  It was the longest match ever at Wimbledon.  They had 2 rain delays; it didn't end until 9:18 pm London time.

Nadal finally beat Federer 6-4, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6, 9-7...great tennis!

I am NOT a tennis player, myself, though I have tried lessons a couple of time...but I find it such an elegant and beautiful game.  Makes me wish I had any athletic talents at all...well, I am a good dancer and that should count for something...

Seattle sojourn...

Bonnie and I had a good time with my British friend,Judith, in Seattle.  She is doing a house exchange with a UW professor, who lives across the street from her son, Matt.

Bonnie wanted to look at UW Law School, since that is her 'safety school'.  It is a beautiful new facility named after Bill Gates' father.  In fact, there are lots of Gates buildings here and there.  We wandered all over the campus and it was quite lovely, lots of big trees and brick buildings and fountains and such.  I think when we were there with Adam, we only looked at the computer science building, which was right at the road's edge.  I was sort of unimpressed then, but having had a closer look I have changed my mind. 

We went out with Matt for dinner, at a really small sushi house.  Then, there was this gigantic thunder and lightning storm.  The lightening that we could see lasted for an hour or so...lots and lots of it.  And the thunder went on for the whole night and into the next morning.  That never happens around the Northwest, so it was quite remarkable.  And made it hard to get a good night's sleep. 

Yesterday, we just hung out, went to a coffee shop and noshed, etc.  Bonnie and I got on the road around 12:45, and the traffic was stop and go all the way through to Olympia.  I mean STOP and go, really slow...took us hours just to get through Tacoma (wretched Seattle area traffic combined with the holiday traffic), but we finally got home around 6pm.  We did stop at Centralia for some Walla Walla Onion Rings, Fresh Strawberry Shakes, and Walla Walla Onion Cheeseburgers (with sauteed onions!) at Burgerville.  We didn't need dinner last night, after that.

We got home, spent about half an hour, then went out with Ross and John to see Hancock.  Hmmm....the first half was so promising and then BANG, they turned the movie on its' head and went an entirely different direction, into Crazyland.  We were so sad that it wasn't a great movie.  Oh, well...