My Little Boy is 5!

My Birthday Boy

My cat Jack marked his 5th birthday on Monday, June 1st.  Come August, he will have been with me for 5 years.  It just doesn't seem possible.

He's a handsome kid, and a very sweet one.  We get along well.  It just seems appropriate that we mark the occasion with a little birthday surprise and singing.

Jack enjoying his birthday oat grass and cupcake

Jack loves greens.  He eats them every day, if he can.  So, he was very happy to get some cat grass.  He immediately went over and started gobbling it up!  I could tell that made him happy.

He also got a special birthday dinner of shredded chicken and beef, which he really enjoyed as well.

He loved his birthday dinner!

It so fun to celebrate these milestones.  I always wonder how much he understands about these things, being a cat, but I've come to the conclusion it's a whole lot more than we give them credit for.

So, Happy Birthday, baby.  Thanks for being my best bud.

Happy Birthday cupcake with butterfly

Rumor Has It!

It's that time again!  The Whittier Community Theatre is currently presenting Rumors, a comedy by Neil Simon.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Neil Simon's timeless farce, Rumors, opens with two sophisticated, affluent couples arriving at an upper-crust Manhattan anniversary party to discover their hostess is missing and their host is unconscious!

It appears the host, who happens to be the deputy mayor of New York, has accidentally shot himself. Though the wound itself is minor, the situation causes a major commotion as the gathered go to elaborate and zany lengths to protect his reputation and keep the police and press from finding out the truth.

The resultant complicated, crazy series of misunderstandings makes for a delightful evening, even as the characters become embroiled in an hilariously tightening web of deceit.

Be warned, Neil Simon's language is often a bit coarse, and I've noticed there is a "Parental Advisory - Adult Language" disclaimer on the promotional materials from the Community Theatre.

There are two more weekends with shows Fridays and Saturdays: June 5, 6 and 12, 13 at 8 p.m. There is also a Sunday Matinee on Sunday, June 7th at 2:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices are $15 for Adults, $10 for Seniors (62+), Juniors (18 and under), Students and Military with ID.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Come join us for a fun evening!

For more information visit:

http://www.whittiercommunitytheatre.org/

A Hamburger the Size of Your Face

Livia says "HI"

This is Livia.  Livia is 4 years-old. Livia is eating a hamburger the size of her face.

Looks pretty good there, Livia!

In the meantime, her brother Fred is playing with an awesome balloon animal of ... some kind... Yikes!  Looks like an alien, there, Fred!

And Livia is still munching.  It will probably take her all day to eat that.

Livia seems to be making progress!

Livia has to keep up her strength, you know, now that she's an older sister!

Fred and Livia meet their new brother Olaf

Fred's not so sure what to make of all this.  Neither is Olaf, apparently. He seems to be wondering, "Who are these kids?  What are they doing ?", and more importantly, "Where is MY hamburger?"

Have a great day today, and try not to eat anything bigger than your face.  Unless you have permission from your mommy, of course.

Aaron's Special Day

Aaron's cake was beautifully decorated

I was privileged to share a special day with my friend Aaron on Sunday.  Aaron is the young man I have tutored, and I enjoy a wonderful friendship with his family that I treasure very much.

This past Sunday, Aaron had his Confirmation in the Catholic Church, St. Stephen Martyr, in Monterey Park.

While I have attended Catholic Mass before in different places, I had never before attended a Confirmation.  I'm glad I was able to share this special event with Aaron and his family.

St. Stephen's is a grand, and very beautiful church with murals and statues on the inside.  There were many people there for this occasion.  Aaron's Confirmation Class was a large one.

Inside St. Stephen's

After the service, there was a small reception next door for all the celebrants.  There were lots of good things to eat there!

Aaron and I in the Parish parking lot

Aaron just turned 16 and seems so grown up now.  With all the choices kids can make, I'm so grateful that he is making good choices, and making God a part of his life.

Barbara and Viviana preparing dinner  (I love this kitchen!)

Later, we joined other friends and family for dinner at Aaron's parents' home.  (I work with Aaron's mom, Barbara.  She is a good friend.)  Dinner was lovely!

This was such a pleasant day spent with friends.

Congratulations, Aaron!

The Fairy Garden

My friend Desiree has a beautiful garden which is currently in full bloom! She writes: "My pink Bonica roses exploded this year."

All I can say is, WOW.  They sure did!

Angel Kitty enjoying her garden - can you find her?

Desiree says she planted bush beans, cherry tomatoes and strawberries this year.  The plastic over the strawberries serves a dual purpose.  It keeps them warm and also prevents the birds from eating them!

They are just beginning to ripen, so Desiree has been enjoying a few fresh strawberries every day.

That, in itself, seems like an excellent reason to plant a garden.

Rocky in the verdure

Rocky cat (above) thinks you can't see him.  He's being very still, hiding behind the white pot there... I love kitties.  They are so funny.  You aren't fooling anyone, Rocky!

So, are you motivated to plant a garden yet?  These photos sure make me want to do just that. Actually, they make me want to move to Oregon.  Thanks for sharing with us, Desiree!

Have a great day, everyone!

Morty the Dog

Morty

This is Morty the dog.  He was a much beloved dog, before his untimely passing from cancer.  A friend of mine shared this photo with me, saying it was a friend's dog.  He added that he loved this photo, as it showed Morty facing bravely into the wind, stalwart and unflappable.

Well, his spirit was unflappable.  His fur was madly flapping.

I found I immediately thought of Lionel Jeffries as King Pelinore in the musical film version of Camelot.

Lionel Jeffries

His whiskers had that same wild abandon.

Here's to our beloved pets - the Mortys of life - who give us joy and unconditional love - and sometimes make us laugh and smile.  They often show us amazing courage and faith in their short time here on earth. 

Rest in Peace, Morty.

Meet Olaf!

Olaf Louis

Meet the newest member of our family, Olaf Louis.  He was born last night L.A. time (actually 12:47 EST May 28th) to my nephew Daniel and his beautiful wife, Holly.  He's a big kid, weighing in at 8 pounds 1 ounce, and he's a tall kid at 21 inches long!

He joins the other new member of our family, Annika Linnea, who was born to my lovely niece Linnea and her husband Jeff on tax day, April 15th.

Annika Linnea

Little Olaf has a big brother and sister at home who are excited about meeting him!

Olaf's family: Dad Daniel, big brother Fred (almost 6), Livia (4) and Mom Holly

I love how the family is growing!  We have been so blessed.

Babies are wonderful.