LA Weekend

Oh, gawd, it's late (I am still at the office around 8 p.m.) but I wanted to get some news up before too much time went by.

I had a fabulous weekend in LA with Colleen -- she took such good care of me -- we did Yoga, went to the beach, had several great meals and enjoyed an amazing show by my friend, Clifford. I love staying at her house, feel right at home. Here we are at the Jonathan Club.

Don't be too jealous...(Vicky, looks like Florida!), it was only about 80.

Santa Monica Pier in the distance and Allison clowning it up with the palm trees.

DC blog to come next...

Bloomington Bound

Hi, all.  June is going to be a funky month for me.  Jon is graduating, but he might not be able to attend his graduation, due to his sailing commitment.  Then, Jackie is off on a two-week school sponsored trip to Paris and Berlin.  However, Jeff has assured me that he can hold down the fort.  So, I am able to travel on the weekend of June 12.  Please send the details, so I can make travel arrangements. It will be great to see everyone, soon.

So glad the CA crowd took my advice and made the mojitos.

Cecilia

Come to Indiana

Hi - as Colleen said in her posting today, Lisa and I are hoping to welcome everyone to Indiana this June. From some earlier correspondence it looks like the weekend of June 12 would be good for her and Allison, so let's start with that as a target date. Will it work? Love to all, Mimi

GIRLS ONLY

Last night Courtney got to hang out with us a little before going off to her own wine and cheese gathering. John is gone so it was just us girls. Having Allison here is so great and always brings new energy to the house. Even Rocky and Pele feel better when she is here because she never fails to give them lots of attention. Looking forward to spending some fun time just chatting; last night we had to make mojitos because Cecilia said so!!! Luckily I was able to pull together the ingredients at the last minute before Allison's plane landed!
When Allison teaches me how, I will download a couple of photos from my 55 for 55 birthday hike and brunch. Well I planned to invite 55 but it turned out to be 60 and luckily only 48 were able to come. We had a great summer- like day and everyone seemed to be very happy. Still cleaning up the mess and returning furniture to its proper place but Allison is getting to enjoy all the flowers and hopefully will help me open some of the gifts tonight.
In talking with Mimi and Allison it looks like June will be a good time to gather in Indiana. Will everyone weigh in soon so we can start planning? Can't wait to see everyone again.
Oh and congrats to Ned, Lisa.

It's 85 In Los Angeles...

I'm in LA for the weekend and Colleen and are I are going to see my friend Clifford, who usually directs cabaret, to sing himself. He directs two of my friends who are cabaret singers, incljuding the young and talented Ms. Judy Butterfield (http://www.judybutterfield.com/ ) and Ms. Mindi Hadan (see facebook).

I just got in last night and we had a lovely dinner and watched the goodbye Grissom episode of CSI.

I am at the office and then tomorrow we head for the Jonthan Club and the beach! This is why I love California.

Here we are with a flash:

Thanks

Thank you Celia, Colleen, and Ali for the kind words about Dad. He had a wicked sense of humor at his peak. One of my favorite memories is from high school, when we were hanging out late on a school night (1 am?) and he had been sipping scotch, and decided to wake mom up by playing the sound track to 2001 blasting at top volume....

Yes, the photo is Maria Terres-Sandgren, found through a random Google search because I was thinking of her and wondering where she is. I am not in contact, because I can't find an email address and I am terrible about writing real letters or cards. Altho I still have best of intentions for New Year's cards....

Here is a picture of me and Terry taken a year and a half ago in his back yard. I am standing on a step stool because he is 6'3" and otherwise only half of my head would be in the picture....

Love, Lisa

photo

Yes, of course it's Maria. She's the first person who got me to New Orleans.

Lisa's Daddy, Birthdays and a new Prez

Lisa, I have two distinct memories about your Dad. One is the Coors beer he used to bring us at Hubbard when Coors was still hard to get and cool -- before the boycott. He would pick it up on one of his flights and somehow get it to us before it spoiled. It made me feel very special.

The other is when Lola decided to quit smoking and have sex everytime she wanted a cigarette and I remember this smile from your Dad...(I think I was at your home when she was telling us this...).

Losing our parents is one of those rights of passage that is nearly unbearable at times not just because we lose someone we love, but also because it is part of our DNA falling away -- it mirrors our own mortality, which is very hard to consider.

Like birthdays for instance -- Happy Birthday Colleen...yes I reflected that I was 54 in 1954 -- but I had a pretty awful year last year, so all that numerology stuff has no hold on me....

I am planning the inauguration parties...in DC. More on that later. I'm late for a deposition. Work is finally picking up.

Love you all.

P.s. Ok, it's the end of the day friday and the end of three mojitos and a Friday night at the Argus, my friend Mindi's last day bartending and other friends show up and I count my blessings (if not my drinks) and remember that in the darkest times I have fabulous friends to turn on the lights.

Photo- In Harmony with Nature?

Oh, Lisa, finally the name comes to me. I recognized the face but took me 'til this moment to come up with Maria! Where did you find this? Are you in touch with her? Is she working with hawks instead of music?

January 9, 1954

Yup, that's the day I was born. With a date so close to Christmas and usually such a bleak time of year, even in sunny California,
I never really feel like celebrating! Last year would have been unique to do something with the numbers
( finally 54 on 1 9 born in 1954) but I didn't make that connection 'til this year!

So Sorry to hear about your loss Lisa; especially on your birthday at this dreary time of year. No one prepares us for this. Please give my regards to your Mom. I know that it is so much harder on the loved ones left behind. We learned at Thanksgiving that John's Dad has a brain tumor and it is really taking its toll on his mom.

You are not in the mood for planning right now but I noted Allison's mention of her trip to Indiana in Oct. Should we try to gather the troops around that date? I have plans to travel to Italy with Kristin around Oct 15 so if we can coordinate something I would love to try.

Once again, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I will call you soon as it is hard to converse here. Much love. Colleen

Thinking of You

Dear Lisa,

We are so sad to learn of your Father's death. I remember that he had a wonderfully wry sense of humor.  What a loss for you and your family.  My heart aches for Lola, as she and your Dad seemed like such a devoted couple. What can we do for her, in lieu of flowers?

Great news about Ned.  Well-deserved!

Hopefully, you will be able to secure a suitable job that will bring you to SF and Terry.

You must be on an emotional roller coaster. Is there anything I can do for  you?

On our front, our beloved former housekeeper, Marisol, died on Monday of complications of hepatitis.  She was only forty and left two young daughters. She was a part of our family for eight years.  Jon, Jackie and I made a very sad hospital visit at Christmastime.  Jackie is taking it very hard.  In less than five years, she has lost three dear ones.  She feels a personal sense of abandonment by those she loved.  

Lisa, I am thinking of you and send my love and prayers.  Cecilia

Hubbardoids today

Okay, no one followed the link in my comment to Ali's last post. So, tell me, do you recognize this person?

In other news, Ned got into Cornell Engineering. I got rejected from a job that would have brought me to Terry. My father died on my birthday Sunday. And so it goes.