A Favorite Thing especially for you Claudia

For much of my life, I went to Saturday matinees with my mom at one of the many playhouses in Los Angeles to see live theater. I shared a bit about it last weekend as my favorite thing too.

Yesterday my husband and I went to see Val Kilmer in Citizen Twain, about Mark Twain. The fun began even before the play did ... Val Kilmer came out into the audience in his Mark Twain attire and did funny bits and interacted with the audience for five or so minutes before beginning his performance. Everyone was taking photos and my husband took a tiny bit of a video of him dancing with an audience member. (Sorry we have old phones and it's very poor WAH!)

We had especially great seats for the performance (all seats are very good at The Kirk Douglas) ... we were in the third row center and the seats in front of us were unoccupied, so it was wonderful.

The play was a lot of fun, having some unexpected contemporary references thrown in. I don't know if my mom would have enjoyed the updating, but I did.

And afterward ... I don't know if yesterday was special or not but, Val Kilmer came back on stage and while his makeup person took off his makeup, he answered audience questions.  He also told us that  his mom was in the audience and pointed her out in the second row and he told us how he had lived nearby many years ago.

So it was a very delightful experience and as always, memories of my mother tugged at my heart.

Joining Claudia in A Favorite Thing at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

georgie the invincible

This is my Georgie. Georgie, the believer. Georgie, the dreamer. Georgie, the lover of love.

We adopted 12 year old George last year, along with his BFF Gracie, just a mere three weeks after losing our beloved Honey. 

Life being what it is, never a puller of punches --- two months after adopting George and Gracie, two months three weeks after losing Honey, we found out that George has inoperable cancer.  He was thought to only have three or four days to live. 

And yet, here we are, six months down the road, this very day ...

Happy as a lark!

He still has cancer of course and his now 13 year old legs are achy and wobbly but he loves to trot after his ball and scratch his long lanky body along the garage wall, dancing a little doggie jig and tossing his head as he turns at the end to begin another trip down the wall. 

He luxuriates in being loved and rubbed and hugged. I fear he must have only had a little love in his previous life, enough though that he is the sweetest of souls and enough so that he knew what he was missing and knew he had a doggie sized hole in his heart, that only a family could fill. 

This Georgie who wasn't interested in food when we got him (I coaxed him and fed him out of my hand), adores his chicken breast and rice meals that his new mommy makes him and perhaps even all his pills he takes twice a day, including a chemotherapy one, every other day.

Life is good when you believe and dare to dream and find love and a family.

Sharing A Favorite Thing on Saturdays with Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

a 1942 wedding part two

Since you were all so very sweet and kind to me about my parents wedding cards last weekend, I thought I'd share some of their photos with you this weekend. 

Engagement photo 1941

Wedding photo 1942

Outside their first home in 1942 -
look at that cute apron!

My mom's aunt had a home on Lake Washington
in Seattle and my parents were married at her home.
These last two photos were taken there. I don't know
if they were taken before the wedding date or after?
From left to right:  

my dad, my mom, my dad's youngest brother,

who strangely makes me think of crooner Rudy Vallee
in these photos.  

There were many wedding announcements and 

invitations in my mothers scrapbook from her friends
... young women in love, eager to get married in 1942
before their fiances went off to fight in WWII.

My mother would later tell me how very many young men 

she knew lost their lives in WWII, the War to end all Wars.

Thinking of all those who have served and sacrificed so much,
with gratitude and remembrance this holiday weekend.

Joining in the fun with Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage
for A Favorite Thing Saturday.

a 1942 wedding

I have been wanting to join in on A Favorite Thing Saturday but haven't been able to think of anything to post about until now ... my niece was married last weekend and that reminded me of some fun things I found from when my parents got married in February 1942.

I found my mom's wedding scrapbook at my parents house after my father passed away in 2011 - I was going to post a picture of the cover of it but for some reason Blogger won't let me upload any more photos?!  I also have a darling picture of my parents, shortly after they got married, outside of their first home together that I wanted to share today.  WAH!  Anyway, at least I got to upload some of her cards before Blogger pooped out on me ...

Joining in the fun with Claudia at
Mockingbird Hill Cottage on
A Favorite Thing Saturday

favorite things

 

Well here I am, so sorry for the ultra poor quality photos.  I strained my lower back yesterday and I feel so miserable.  Not that that's a good excuse for the poor photos (especially since my photos are always poor) but geez, they're even worse today.  Oh well.

I thought since I'm sidelined and can't do what I had planned, "Oh! Take some quick photos for A Favorite Thing and then I can lay down with the iPad and visit everybody!"

Sharing some of my most favorite things today ... 

 

"A Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady", such a charming book!  Later when they started producing china from it, my mom got me the basin and pitcher.  And last but by no means least, one of my absolute favorite things I own, Mrs. Toadflax (from the Brambly Hedge books), also a gift from my mom.

 

Treasured little bits on A Favorite Thing Saturday, 

with Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced, but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A Poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15925#sthash.pY36VQu6.dpuf

I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced, but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A Poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15925#sthash.pY36VQu6.dpuf

happy valentines day

 

Wishing you and all your sweetie pies, a very Happy Valentine's Day!

valentines from mom

Treasures of the heart, valentine gifts from my mom to me.
Royal Doulton annual Valentine plate from 1977
and two darling teddies with hearts.

Joining along in the fun with Claudia
on A Favorite Thing Saturdays
at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

prim littles

Yesterday was my birthday and I decided I wanted to go to the miniature and quilt shows that were in town this weekend. 

The miniature show turned out to be rather small but there was still plenty to see and wish one could come home with! 

My mom and I shared a love of dollhouses and miniatures (as well as so many other things!) and we used to go together to shows many years ago.  It was such fun to see two names I remember from long ago on the program.  

But the most fun of all was I found a third miniature artist, Jane Graber, whose work my mom had bought some for each of us about 25 years ago!  She turned out to be so darling and sweet, so delightful.  

The redware and the doggie shelf above were all made by this same artist and then her friend, who accompanied her to the show, made the one basket on the left and another friend of theirs made the trug on the right.  She also had wonderful cabinets and hutches made by other artisans and I am kicking myself for not buying one in particular.  WAH!

You may see more of Jane Graber's charming work here, on her family's website. 

I was so thrilled to come home with these little charmers, which are my new favorite things and I can't wait until next years show!

Joining Claudia for A Favorite Thing Saturdays at Mockingbird Hill Cottage. 

pg wodehouse and the bbc

This Saturday I'm actually sharing two favorite things ... my love of author PG Wodehouse and the English Television network, the BBC.  When my husband showed me this article in the Los Angeles Times yesterday morning, "Brits anticipate a Wodehouse tale",  I thought "That will be my A Favorite Thing Saturday" post.

The series will start this month in the UK, lucky ducks! It will be based on the Blandings Castle stories and star Timothy Spall and Jennifer Saunders - love them both!  Doing my happy dance ... well, that is if we are able to get it here please please please.

I discovered the wonderful productions of the BBC (via my mom and her love for all things cultural and British) when our local PBS station (KCET) began airing programs from them.  Good gosh, it seems like that was several lifetimes ago - I think it was in the late sixties, early seventies?  Anyway, many many years of enjoyment and wonderful stuff to watch.

One of the early productions that I adored and led me to PG Wodehouse was a series of his short stories, "Wodehouse Playhouse", starring Pauline Collins and her husband John Alderton. After seeing this charming group of stories, I ran to the bookstore and picked up "Meet Mr. Mulliner" and so began my great love. Wodehouse's stories are filled with silly gentle humor and delightful.

This is my Wodehouse shelf (I've moved the books around a bit so you could see they are two deep). I think I have about forty of his titles ... I think there may be something like ninety? I stopped collecting them long ago but of late have felt the itch to begin again.

I previously shared some of my PG Wodehouse book collection here for Vintage Thingie Thursday.

Joining in the A Favorite Thing Saturday fun with Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.

a favorite gift

 

I'm sharing one of my absolute favorite things this week, a Christmas gift that was so beloved when I was small. This Advent Calendar came all the way from Austria, sent to me by a pen friend of my mothers, the Christmas I was five years old.

I was absolutely mesmerized and enchanted by it. It's a wonder that it survived after all the times I played with it, opening everything.

It was given to me by Bruna, who I could kiss as she noted "Advent-Calender for Mrs. ------ Junior, Christmas 1959", on the back.  Thank you thank you thank you Bruna for that inscription and this gift that brings memories and smiles. I found it placed in a (pastel pink) folder at my parents house last year and boy, I needed a tissue after that.

Now there's a curious thing written on Santa's pack ... it appears that Bruna has written "Corn on Cob" on the sack ... is that an Austrian thing or is that because I adored corn on the cob as a child and my mother told her so???  I think it must be a personalization but what a weird kid I was if I longed for corn for Christmas hahahhahhaha! 

Joining in A Favorite Thing Saturdays with Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage.