Sunday, February 26, 2006
Sunlight
The quality of light in California is something I mentioned in my last blog. It still fascinates me. I mentioned this to Natala and she said that when she was driving around in Turkey, a few years ago, she noticed that the light there reminded her of California. Something about the slant, the golden shades, the dancing reflections off everything. Sure enough, I checked on Turkey and it lies between almost exactly the same meridians as California--36 degrees N to 40 degrees N. Pretty amazing. However, the total eclipse of the sun on the 29th of March will occur in Turkey but not in California. The path of the eclipse also crosses parts of Africa. Some globetrotter in our family will probably get there but unfortunately not us this time! We're still jetlagged from our trip to Australia and NZ (that's en zed not zee, ok?) But, if anyone is asking, dislocated but not disassociated family members this week are: Natala in New York, Jessica in Seattle, Amy and Bryant in Costa Rica. Hope you are on the mend, Amy, from your skiing accident in Oregon.
The picture of Brizzie above is taken to show the slanting light in our living/dining room in the California winter, which is hardly a winter. Brizzie is only allowed on the couch for photographs, in case you're wondering.
I had dinner at our favorite dosai place, mentioned in last week's blog below, with Steve and Natala, Sheila and their dad, Will. Nice to meet Steve.
I'm adding a Culture section to the Links column. Note new links, added alphabetically. I will add movies and books that I read or see and recommend. I may mention them in my blog but I'm not going to review them as such. I suggest you go to Amazon Books and read their Editorial Reviews which are professional reviews that we often check when ordering books for the library. For movies go to the Internet Movie Database and check their Plot Outlines and their Comments and Ratings. I've also managed to add a search capability to my blog so you can seach it now.
I've added a Sudoku link. Am I hooked? Not yet, still doing the eazies, Marg. But, I'm working on it. Mum's on to them. Bill's doing the harder ones.
Until next week--Cheerio!
Friday, February 17, 2006
We're baaaaaak!
In beautiful California--where the weather is always just right. There is a certain quality to the light in California, it just seems to glow. Bill and I enjoyed Valentine's Day dinner at our favorite dosai restaurant, Saravana Bhavan, in Sunnyvale. 
It was 70F the day I got back from Australia with the sun shining, as it does over 200 days a year, but now its a bit colder and a bit rainier but still wonderful! Brizzie, Tuvi and Little Cat were all just fine. 
Spring is thinking of coming around. Oranges are ready to harvest in the backyard, iris', birds of paradise and hibiscus are coming out...
Fresh flowers are on the living room table (ala Bill) and even the wildcat ocelot orchid in the kitchen window is still blooming.
God’s in his heaven—All’s right with the world(Robert Browning)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jasmine--wherever you are!
It was 70F the day I got back from Australia with the sun shining, as it does over 200 days a year, but now its a bit colder and a bit rainier but still wonderful! Brizzie, Tuvi and Little Cat were all just fine. 
Spring is thinking of coming around. Oranges are ready to harvest in the backyard, iris', birds of paradise and hibiscus are coming out...
Fresh flowers are on the living room table (ala Bill) and even the wildcat ocelot orchid in the kitchen window is still blooming.
God’s in his heaven—All’s right with the world(Robert Browning)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jasmine--wherever you are!
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
the actual birthday
Today was my mother's actual 85th birthday although we've been celebrating for over a week. Eric and Bill sang Happy Birthday to her, but not together and not even in Australia. 
We had to take Mum to the Hilton buffet where she had six desserts and always says she has too much to eat but loves every minute. 
The Hilton atrium is up on the 6th floor and very open and nice so we decided to take some more pictures. 
On Saturday, after taking Mum to the movies again to see Walk The Line at the Gold Class Theatre, we went out to the Mount Gravatt Cemetery to visit Dad's grave.
We had to take Mum to the Hilton buffet where she had six desserts and always says she has too much to eat but loves every minute. 
The Hilton atrium is up on the 6th floor and very open and nice so we decided to take some more pictures. 
On Saturday, after taking Mum to the movies again to see Walk The Line at the Gold Class Theatre, we went out to the Mount Gravatt Cemetery to visit Dad's grave.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Cousins
L-R Paddy, Jeff, Eric, Jean, Joy, Margo, Joan...second cousins once removed? The best part was trying to figure out how to say: The Cow Jumped Over the Moon--in Tamil. OK, now try The Little Dog Laughed--kunja nai cheekreai? No call-ins! 
Thank you to David for taking the photo and playing the guitar for us and Joan for cooking all that great South Indian food. Joan you excelled--now what is "excellent" in Tamil? Yek-sa-lant! Romba nalla sapad! 
Saturday, February 04, 2006
in pursuit of the perfect dosai
Did we find it at the Saffron Restaurant at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia? Maybe. Doralle, Elizabeth, Eric, Moi, Peter, Gail, Margo and Neil--eating dosais.Also: in search of sand, sea and sky--I think this is the perfect spot a ten minute walk down the beach from Surfers Paradise.
Jasmine and Jemal came down with their kids--Jesse, Brady and Leila. Elizabeth stayed the night and we talked to the sound of surf, late.
