Right Brained Gal

Happy Holidays

Illustration Friday - Peace

Goodbye, Yoshi

Last week my daughter and son-in-law's dog Yoshi died leaving behind many broken hearts.  He was only four years old and succumbed to cancer, but in those four years he made a huge impact on his little world. Yoshi was a Japanese Mastiff, so big he had his own zip code, but you couldn't convince him he wasn't still a puppy. With those big sad eyes and the tilting of his head, he could melt your heart, even after he had consumed a whole sofa for his dinner.

He died in his sleep, surrounded by the people who loved him, where he felt the most safe.  His partner Vespa has surprisingly been holding up fairly well but I'm sure she is suffering from a broken dog heart.  Yoshi leaves behind 12 offspring who carry on the legacy. I hope that where ever he is, someone is frequently giving him a back rub, and a big juicy bone. I miss you and love you.

Illustration Friday - Mask

Illustration Friday - Mask. Of course I think of Mardi Gras and I wonder if New Orleans will ever be the same.

Montrose, CA

When most people think of Los Angeles they think of one big shopping mall connected by freeways to millions of strip malls.   That is true, but there are a few suburbs that are unique in their own right. One of my favorites is the small town of Montrose, in the foothills above Pasadena and Glendale.  It has all the charm of a small town in the Midwest and is the antithesis of Beverly Hills.  The main street is about four blocks long and not one of the stores is a chain. It doesn't even have a Starbucks, but has the LA alternative, Coffee Bean.  I love to shop here for a change of pace from the hectic Promenades where you have to pay for parking, fight for a space, and shop in the same old stores.  It wouldn't be a mall without Gap, Banana Republic, Victoria Secret and so on.  This place even has a bowling alley that was built in the sixties and still in the original condition.

We went to dinner there on the Sunday night after Thanksgiving and it was all lit up for the Holidays.  The amazing thing is there wasn't any traffic.  I really feel miles away from Los Angeles when I am here. 

Illustration Friday - Might

Receiving flowers, MIGHT be the difference between a very, very bad day and a bearable one.  They sure brightened up a sad day for me.

Thanksgiving Means Football

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving, with family and many friends and fabulous food. There were 40+ people at the Thanksgiving dinner I attended and it was so much fun. The following Saturday was spent at the Los Angeles Coliseum from 11am to 11pm, tailgating and attending the game.  I am still depressed about the fact that USC kicked Notre Dame's ass, but it was a good day and Notre Dame people are the best.  My youngest daughter and her ND friends from Chicago were here, enjoying the weather but hating the outcome of the game.  I ate so much good food this weekend, I may not eat again till Christmas!  This was the best Thanksgiving ever.