Lands End hike in SF

A foggy summer day in SF turned stunningly beautiful in the afternoon.

Legion of Honor Exhibit with Gaylene

At the Legion of Honor there is more Chihuly pieces and the a special exhibit of Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond.
This exhibit moved me, it is amazing what women had accomplished in their day, it was truly remarkable. Women had many more restrictions and obstacles to overcome than woment today. One story hit me especially hard and mad me cry, was about Marie Bracquemond "Her rejection of the aesthetic that her husband had publicly adopted, along with his very difficult character, created major obstacles to her career as an artist...Of her struggle to paint in spite of her husband’s discouragement, the artist wrote that she “had decided to overcome any obstacle; instead of painting flowers I want to work on painting and express whatever feelings the work would inspire in me.” Unfortunately, Félix ultimately won, and she stopped painting after 1890." Not long enough, she was talented in deed.

I took one photo until I was told to put away my camera. Check the exhibit out in person, or you can see some pieces on the website. They had no problem taking pictures of the Chihuly pieces.

See if you can guess which photos of the yellow Chihuly piece were taken in the foggy morning and which were taken when the sun came out!

Gaylene and Lisa

It is I
It is Gaylene

The photo does not do this one justice, it looked like a real chandelier brimming with gold.
The one photo I managed to take

Annual July 4th Picnic at Peggy's

The amazing Peggy Szymanski, her international friends, and her fabulous forth of July picnic party. A festive afternoon, complete with bouncing tent, delicious food-mostly prepared by Peggy, great weather and new and old friends.

Super woman P
Me
Peggy and Jeanette
Me
Beverly Ringling

Jeanette FigerouaPeggy's Mother, in the kitchen, like her daughter

Peggy's husband, Rahit and her son Raffael
Peggy's Dad and daughter Sabina
Peggy's daughter Bina

BBQed corn in lime and butter, yummy
Beans and Rice

The BBQ meat.

The 41st annual band & 50+ annual forty minute parade

A friend of mine from work and trumpet player, Dan Swinehart, who coincidentally lived across the street from my Aunt Marlene for decades, directs a band on the forth of July. The band is made up of professionals and neighborhood instrumentalists including Nola Mae McBain, flute player and co-worker from work. I ran into a friend of mine-and co-worker, Heather Walker and daughter Ana. We also saw another co-worker, Eric Bier, seen in some of the photos is in the parade participating as a juggler. Note: Apparently when I lived with my Aunt the summer after High School I met the Swineharts that summer, unfortuneatly, none of us remembers each other.

For the past 38 years or so my Aunts neighborhood has been hosting this really short parade. If you live in the neighborhood, basically you're in the parade. Dan Swinehart, band leader, trumpet player and friend.

The band.Heather, Ana and Dan's wife.
Heather and Ana.
Random view of the parade.
Eric Bier with his juggling pins next to the Rollerblades and skateboard portion of the parade.
One the floats, and parade goers with flags.

Party at my friend Char's

My friend Char is 90 years old, is the founder of Paintbrush Diplomacy (the non-profit I'm on the board of and occasionally help out with), she just got her driver's license renewed for another 4 years. Char drives a Volkswagen Bug and is planning on getting a new one, but a convertible this time. Her great granddaughter, Queen Grace-miracle baby, just turned one, so they had a party at her house. Char is awesome, she still paints everyday-in her living room. You'll see some hydrangeas she painted that day (She likes to paint a painting for an occasion). She keeps her paints and paint brushes in the fireplace, you'll see a picture of that too. Enjoy.

Char and me Char, her granddaughter and great-granddaughter, Grace Miracle baby ,Grace On the left is Char's easel and the painting of the hydrangeas.
The actual flowers are on the table. There are 2 other paintings on the wall
behind (the table is full of half eaten Mexican food,
which is in the way of the beauty of the photo). Char's fireplace full of brushes and pints. Char and Louise. Louise is the executive director of Paintbrush Diplomacy. Char and her priest, he's moving to another parish soon.

GENO (Girls Night Out with Eric) Birthday celebrations for a bunch of us

Eric Mason, the renaissance man, he write, he picks beans, he cooks beans, makes salad, he BBQ's salmon, he makes us laugh, he runs, he bikes, he owns his own company, he makes us all feel good about ourselves and brings us together. These are some of my friends. (more photos found http://picasaweb.google.com/wigdawg/Spring08GENO)

Eric and Lisa picking yellow and green beans. Later they will be cooked with butter and fresh lemon juice, absolutely delicious.

Eric, bean picking.

The chickens, we, unfortunately, did not get to try the fresh eggs.

Swirling lavender.
Beverly showing off the beans.

Judy and Beverly.

Heather and Anna.

Caroline, who just got bit by a spider, who was living in the jacket she borrowed.

Cooking up the Salmon.

Erica and her daughter Amaya
Caroline, feeling better with Nora.

Heather, Anna and Beverly.

Eric and Kimberly

Karen and Aleksander
Eric, serving up the cake.

The yummy carrot cake with the one candle for all our birthday's.