Photos from Cali

From the highest point in LA, the Griffith Observatory.

LA from the Griffith Observatory

LA - a neighborhood near Venice Beach.

M had to take a photo of us during a sunset. That's Marina del Rey in the background.

We rode around Venice beach. Very nice.

A canal that runs through a neighborhood near Venice Beach...I imagine this is how Heaven looks...

I did manage to go to mass during our holiday. This is the outside of the Church of Visitation, near the LAX airport.

Those adorable Elephant seals! Lazies.

Off the PCH.

Quaint restaurant off the PCH.

View from the porch of the quaint restaurant.

This is how flowers grow along the highway of the PC.

Redwoods!

Just another shot off of the PCH.

This is the Bixby Bridge, built in 1932 and still used. Hey Bushy! : )

Doesn't really need a caption, right? ; )

Downtown SF from the GGB.

The other side of the GGB. Hey guys! :)

Yes, this is that Pier.

Look at the size of that shell! I couldn't resist. This was a shop along the Pier.

Alcatraz

Just a fun billboard along the Pier.

A restaurant along the Pier.

Chocolate lovers dream paradise.

Just a lil treat I had. YUMMY

A Chagall.

Second Chagall.

This is Chagall's version of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments. Chagall had many pieces on the Exodus from the bible. This was a God wink to me, as the readings for the week were about the Exodus. : )

A whimsical Miro.

SF random statue.

Back to Hollywood. This is Journey's star.

The handsome Keanu Reeves home.

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

California Dreamin'

Hello friends,
Heavenly Father, we really need some peace in our world! Too many shootings, drug overdoses, and general mayhem. Please continue to help us 'fight the good fight'. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Some observations about Cali:
Los Angeles, specifically~
*I know I've posted about this on FB, but I've got to mention it again: it is LEGAL for motorcycles to drive in-between traffic - on the highway, and city streets. This just seems so crazy to me!
*It is always around 72 degrees. This can be 'Heaven or it can be Hell,' if you think about it.
*There is always traffic. Yes, no matter what time of day. Always.
*The city is dirty. Dirtier, I think, than even NYC. (Ok, maybe I felt this way b/c of the whole 'Hollywood' thing - beautiful fake people and I don't get along.)
*People are Really laid-back. Good and bad. I noticed the bad when we were driving around and peds didn't hurry to cross the street, never mind the pile of cars gathering behind yours. I noticed the Good when I was flustered with my change and 'discussing' things with Carlton. The guy behind the counter wasn't irritated in the least. I thought that was cool.
*The food is tasty.
*Abbot Kinney blvd. Great coffee shop to people watch and enjoy a scrumptious "Sun-rise" smoothie.
*Everybody lives here: homeless, punks, guys with collars turned up...
*Keanu Reeves lives here. Most excellent.
*The ocean is cold.
*Pinks. Delish dogs.
*When purchasing groceries, be prepared to pay for either paper or plastic; or, like we're all supposed to be doing anyway, have your own bags with you.
Driving to San Fran, via the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway)~
*This hwy should be on every one's bucket list. Seriously. It's that gorgeous. Beware though: the roads are winding and can cause nausea. But, as with anything worth pursuing, you tough it out bc the view is worth it.
*Redwood trees! Oh my! Have to be seen to be believed. It was like meeting up with old friends again.
*The Coast waves at you -pun intended- daring you to dive into it's fascinating, cold, waters. Don't do it! Those cliffs are dangerous! Just be happy looking and taking many, many photos.
*Hike! Lots of peeps have been there before you and the trails are well-worn. Or, be adventuresome, and make your own trail! Either way, the woods are inviting.
*Colorful birds. Unlike the black scavenger birds we have in Tx, PCH birds are black and blue. Black body, but with a bright blue comb. Pretty.
*Elephant seals. There is a fenced area around them, but the photos will look like you are right beside them. The ES' were too funny: using their huge fins to scratch themselves, and to lazily throw sand on their back. A joy to watch.
San Fran~
*San Francisco is a wonderful place. The area is all 'scrunched up,' but somehow this gives the place a 'homey' feel, and not one of claustrophobia.
*You can call San Francisco "San Pancho," as my childhood buddy, Andy does.
*Golden Gate Bridge
*Pier 39
*Ghiraridelli's. Chocolate lovers dream!
*Open viewing of materpieces by Picasso, Chagall, and Miro, along the boardwalk of Pier 39. I think it was more like a shop for serious art collectors, as I was able to take photos of the paintings without being told to stop. >click, click, click<
*Andy contacted an old high school buddy, J, that lives in the heart of San Fran, so we could hang out with him. J's apt is way cool: you walk up three flights of stairs to his place. Once inside his place, you walk down a long hallway; on the right side is a wall, and on the left side is J's bedroom and other rooms. Apparently the bathroom toilet is the original toilet made by John Harrington, as Carlton attested to when he saw it. I didn't see it, but J said you could flush a bowling ball down that 'john'! LOL
*Toll to SF is $5.00; there is no such thing as a 'toll tag,' which means you have to wade through the cars, BUT you don't have to pay a toll leaving SF.
*Also, the bridge we entered SF on, not the GG, but another one (don't know the name, sorry), actually has TWO bridges: one on the top, to be able to take in the beauty of SF; and then one on the bottom, for when you are leaving San Fran. Cool idea.
*It must have been at least 50 degrees that night we were in SF. My sweater was not enough to keep me warm (I hate the cold). It was very strange to be cold in July.
I'm posting photos, but on a separate blog. This one is way too long already! :) Thanks for reading!

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

FTM's Acoustic set, aka the Real CD release party, Saturday night

Hello friends,
      May God be with you, day in and day out, and may you always be aware of His presence. He's there. In Jesus' name. Amen.
I tease Carlton about his choice of local bands sometimes, I admit it. Especially when he incessantly goes on and on about a band; I get tired of his hype, and decide to judge for myself. Before the gig I'll ask him, "So you think this dog will hunt?" and he normally answers in the affirmative, but tentatively will say, "I don't know if you'll like them as much as I do, but yes, I think they're good."
Often times, he's usually right.
This was the case with the band Fair to Midland.
I can't remember the first time I saw them in concert, but I know I've kept up with them for at least the last year.
I do remember the first place I saw them, which was at the Granada. When I laid eyes on Darroh my thought was "Who IS this nut?" He has charisma, passion, and charm. He just explodes on stage. He dances around so much I hope he can make it rain. At one point in the performance he sat down on the stage and seemed to just be chillin' with the rest of us at the gig. The audience loved it and was singing along with him.
I've seen them several times since the Granada, usually at Trees in Deep Ellum, and savor the energy of their playing. You can tell they are a tight group: everyone enjoying themselves and playing the Hell out of their instruments.
Carlton introduced himself to Cliff, the lead guitartist, at one of the shows, and ever since that introduction, when Cliff sees us before a gig, he always comes over and says hello. Muy amable. Cliff is a very kind soul, and he has a singular appearance, too: his fuzzy, out of control, crazy-curled hair. It looks like it would be coarse, but it's not; it's as soft as feathers. Yes, I've touched it. :D
Last Friday night I happened to look at my phone, and since I'm a fan on their FB page, I get all their updates. This update said FTM was doing an acoustic set at a city about 45 min from where we live. I immediately texted Carlton and we were happily en route Saturday night.
This show was an absolute treat! Again, Cliff saw us before they played and came over and  thanked us for coming to see them. The bar wasn't packed at the time, but when the time drew closer for FTM to play, there wasn't an open space in the house!
FTM doing their music acoustically. I felt like I was at an MTV unplugged version, waiting for a band like PJ, or possibly seeing Rik Emmet playing. Darroh was much more subdued for this gig; I say that, but I mean "subdued for Darroh," normal for the rest of us, and he often chided his mistakes, which were slight, if any. But from the moment the first notes of their song, "Musical chairs," came from Cliff's guitar, I could tell something magical was about to happen. The band did a brialliant set. They mixed old and new songs, and I was relishing their music on a whole new level. The band has matured and is building a unique sound for themselves.
Cliff had two beautiful acoustic guitars, which he played deftly. Jon, the bassist, was cleverly hidden from view, but the bass was unmistakeable, as was Brett's drumming, and Matt's keyboarding. For a couple of tunes it was only Cliff and Darroh; the two original members of the band. Old friends singing and playing together, and we were allowed to watch. Magnificent.
The actual release of their latest CD, "Arrows and Anchors," is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, but Carlton and I agreed: we were at the Real release party.
Fair to Midland "Musical chairs"

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa

Traveling Angels

Hello friends,
      May you always feel God close to you, when you're happy and when you're sad, because He is as close to you as the heart beating in your chest. Trust Him in all matters. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
When my car was broken in to and my phone was the only thing, PTL, that was stolen, I thought of this story.
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room.
Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.
When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this happen?
"The first man had everything, yet you helped him," she accused. "The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die."
"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."
Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every out come is always to your advantage. You just might not know it until some time later.

God bless you, always!

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa