Pages

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Good Morning LAX!


Picture me here at 4:30am Wednesday.


Michael and I had Thanksgiving dinner with my mom and dad last night, as I'll be in Texas with my brother's family on Thursday. Michael and Cokie will be back home in Hollywood lying on the couch in their underwear, eating leftovers, watching football on Thanksgiving.


The boys. Soon to be home alone.
They'll be fine.

Wisteria Tunnel

Wisteria Tunnel, Hampton Court 
Herefordshire, England

Or possibly Kawachi Fuji Garden Wisteria Tunnel?

No one seems to know, for sure.

Is this a real photograph?
A painting?
Does it matter?

Looks like a perfect journeying spot to me.

Click on the image to enlarge it.
Close your eyes and put yourself there, then see what happens.

I'd love to hear.


Kristin




Sunday, November 20, 2011

These Boots Are Made For ... Slouching?

I bought myself some nice new black Clarks ankle boots on sale at Macy's last week, to have some classy footwear for the rainy season. As you may know, in Southern California, we have two basic seasons: fire and rain. Like the James Taylor song.


That's not really true. We also have lots of beautiful warm days, cool sweater days, freaking hot days and once in a while a really cold day, but mostly it's either warm and too dry or raining. We love the rain.

I had the perfect occasion to wear then today as we experienced a torrential downpour on my way to San Pedro this morning for a travel agent tour of the Crystal 'Symphony' cruise ship. Really gorgeous ship, btw, and they have offer computer lessons, Berlitz language lessons, acupuncture, teeth whitening - a lot more than movies, dancing and golf while you're out there discovering the world. If you're in the market for a luxury cruise, I can hook you up!  ; )




Anyway, I wore my fun new boots and love the fact that they a bit of a heel, making me taller than my usual almost 5'4" - I even bought a longer pair of pants for them.

I haven't work any kind of heel in years. My podiatrist told me my foot xrays look like those of a professional soccer player. That's not a compliment. I've broken several bones, lost both big toenails (they're back, but not perfect), sprained feet and ankles. OK, so I'm accident prone. At least you can't say I just sit around all the time.

I pulled my socks up high so the tops of my boots wouldn't rub against my ankles. They weren't knee socks, but sort of high ribbed trouser socks.

Halfway through the tour my socks were wrapped around my toes, with no protection to my legs whatever, and, surprise, my leg about 3 " above my left ankle is rubbed raw. OUCH.

I spent the rest of the tour walking like a - I don't know what I looked like, but it definitely wasn't the look  I was going for.

So this is my question. What socks does one wear with ankle boots?? I've been looking for sort of substantial slouchy socks but can't find them anywhere. It seems that for a lot of walking, it would take more than just thin knee socks, but I don't want to go leg warmers, either - and sometimes I'll want to wear them with tights, and... slouch socks!


Are those a phenomenon of the 80's? Am I showing my sock age? Can anyone recommend a specific good pair of socks that will protect my ankles from friction and NOT slide down around my instep when I wear boots?

Halp!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

So God Made A Farmer





This video was emailed to me by my mother (who grew up on a farm in Iowa), having received it from her brother (who is 'retired' on his ranch in Nevada). It's a slideshow of farmers in Canada set against one of radio broadcaster Paul Harvey's typical segments, "So God Made A Farmer." 

Paul Harvey was an American radio broadcaster for 50+ years. You might remember him for his "The Rest of the Story" program. 

I have a great love and respect for farmers. I always thought of my mom's parents as farmers, even though they'd moved to the suburbs of L.A. just before I was born. You can take people off of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the people. It always felt like Marie and Papa's house was a farm house - like they just picked it up and moved it to California. My mom's apartment feels kind of like that, too. 

Justus & Marie Larson (Marie and Papa)
and my border collie Marrakesh.

I may not be a farmer, but next time around I'm not going to spend my entire life in a city, as much as I love L.A.  I think that even having grown up around 'farm people' has made me a more self sufficient, down to earth human being, and I'm grateful for that. 



Cute Owl. There. I said it.

Just watch.


Thursday, November 17, 2011

Saint Misbehavin'

Hugh Romney (Wavy Gravy) L.A. 1965
Photo by Lisa Law

I don't mean to sound like a blurb on the back of the DVD, but whether or not you know who he is, if you're reading this blog, I'm guessing you'll love the documentary about my favorite peace activist/humanitarian/poet/hippie/clown/children's circus camp director/former ice cream flavor, Wavy Gravy, just released on DVD and now airing on Showtime: Saint Misbehavin'.

Wavy Gravy

Wavy Gravy, and this film, are positive, inspiring, life affirming and altogether loving and lovable. If you missed the sixties and want to know what all that 'peace and love' stuff was about, or just want to feel good, watch Saint Misbehavin.'

Even if you think you wouldn't be interested, if you have Showtime or Netflix, watch this movie - or rent it on iTunes for $3.99. I really think you'll like it.


He really is a saint to me.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

I Heart AAA

24 Years Of Saving My Ass

First of all, I love Triple A.

Today we called the Auto Club to bring us a battery for my boyfriend's 97 Cherokee. We forgot the alarm remote upstairs that you have to click before the car will start.

The alarm is messed up anyway. It occasionally goes off when you're driving and the lights flash and it feels like you're in a Stephen King story.

He took it to our highly recommended auto electronics shop we've been going to for 15 years - and where I've spent thousands of dollars on my 4Runner. I always thought they were way expensive but they always end up convincing us we really need the work and that, in fact, we're getting a deal.

This shop told Michael a year ago that to deactivate the alarm, they'd have to remove the dash to get to the fuse, and the labor would cost $1500. He passed.

Nestor, the Auto Club tow truck driver who replaced his battery today, crawled in from the driver's side, reached up and under behind the dash, and pulled the fuse. The alarm is deactivated. We did not spend $1500.

Yes, it's fucked up that this shop tried to charge us $1500 for something the AAA guy did for free in two minutes, but it's also awesome that we have a new friend named Nestor, who could easily have suggested we tow the jeep back to his shop to 'work on it.'

Thank you, Nestor. We're inviting you to our next party.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

How to Do the Dishes


You'll also see a lot of kids on this blog. 
I don't know this guy but he makes me want to do the dishes.
Now that's inspiring.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Levi's New Family

You'll be reading a lot about my friend Eldad Hagar on this blog. He's one of the most inspirational people in the world, to an animal lover.

Eldad and his wife, Audrey, are non-profit extreme animal rescue organization HopeForPaws.org in Los Angeles. I don't have much time tonight, so I'll just post the latest good news.

Levi, a little stray shepherd mix whose September rescue you'll witness in the video below, was adopted today by this wonderful couple.

Thank you, Eldad. Thank you, cool couple. Good luck, Levi.




Inspiration, Move Me Brightly

I've been insanely busy and have not gotten my photo/computer sitch worked out yet. Rather than pretend I'm going to be posting my travel pics any time soon, or writing new content for my blog in any regular manner at this point, I'm just going to be real with you. 

After periods of frenetic activity I tend to fall into opposite world, staying up late, sleeping very late, slouching about, often not leaving home. The only one who's perfectly cared for is Cokie, who is high maintenance and has needs which we see are addressed daily in return for his general awesomeness.

This would be Cokie. It is, in fact, Cokie. 

Borrowing from my friend Wanda, who sends me "motivation of the day" videos when she knows I need one, I'm going back to my old MySpace Healing Prayer Circle days, when I would post things that made me feel better, inspired, made me feel like dancing, cleaning, walking, driving, cooking maybe. Like calling my mom or my friends instead of emailing them. Sometimes just something that made me feel... something. Even if it was sad. Feeling sad has its place.

So that's what I'm aiming to do here for a while. My first daily inspiration (which I'm posting at 2:30am on a Sunday - no surprise there) is a video of Adele singing "Someone Like You" in her living room.


  1. Her voice sounds like taffy
  2. It's a sad song about someone who moved on, got married, had a family- and she still loves him. Always good for a bit of melancholy candle burning. Maybe a hint of sage.
  3. I'm definitely going to set up the mic stands and make a space where we can just plug in and make music together off the cuff like that, like we used to in the Valleyheart house. Loved that old haunted house with the studio/den with the kingsize sofabed, fireplace and wetbar. That, my friends, was a party house. I'll save the earthquake that was ONLY in my bedroom for another time.  ; )
Funny how things like this, and all sorts of other little bits of things will make me get me up and at 'em. (Atom Ant) in no time flat. Feel free to comment on things you like and post links to things that are doing it, whatever it is, for you.

Thanks for hanging in here...
Kristin