TOURING LA

Yesterday I had a most pleasurable day. A friend took me down to Olivera Street in LA. It is reminiscent of the open markets in Central and South America. We went into an older Spanish Mission style church which was beautiful. We also toured the oldest adobe home where the furniture, linen and pottery was amazing. They had a couple of hand tooled saddles and I know Mary Etta would have been impressed with them. One of them was quite unusual and I asked my friend how you would ride it and the answer was very carefully. And that was the truth. It looked like it would have been quite awkward. The home took you to a past time of Los Angeles where the Spanish influence was very strong. We also went to the train station which was absolutely gorgeous. The architecture, tiling and wood was unbelievable. It had an open courtyard where you could sit and visit. After leaving the train station, where I might add I wasn't thrown in front of a train, we walked around China town and enjoyed all the sights.

I babysat little Brooklyn a couple of times this week and she still cried but not as much. I took a reinforcement this time. One of my co-workers is a Grandma and I wanted to see how Brooklyn reacted to her and of course she coo'd and smiled her little heart out. I have it figured out that she is playing me. I think little Brooklyn knows if all else fails I will try to buy her love with Barbie dolls. I think she has been talking to Jac and Bubba in that secret grandchild language and the two older girls have told her that all grandparents are big suckers. Right little Brooklyn?

She is absolutely the cutest little baby. I have been so lucky that all my grandchildren have been exceptionally cute. But I think all grandparents think the same thing about their g'children. Aren't we lucky?

Jenny called me Friday night from Jac's school carnival moaning about the fact that Jac didn't want her hanging around with her. She wanted to be with her friends. So it has started. I told Jenny to hang tough the bumpy ride of adolescents was starting. Part of me felt sorry for Isaac and Jenny but then having gone on that ride four times I almost felt a little glee. It is part of the payback Grandparents enjoy. The girls had fun as you can see from the pictures I am enclosing.

Mike and Michelle are going to Oregon next weekend and I will be house sitting and taking care of my granddog Maddie. I tried to get them to take Maddie and let me keep Brooklyn but they just looked at me like I was loco.... They want to show the baby off to their friends and to Uncle Andy who will be able to meet his new niece for the first time. So little Brooklyn will get her first airplane ride. Hopes she likes flying more then her Nana.

Well I am leaving to pick Diane up as she comes home from her Caribbean vacation today. She said she enjoyed it and is as brown as a baked potato. I envy her the ability to tan. Unlike my ability to burn.

Love to you and yours,
NanaCarol

TOOTHLESS IN BURBANK

I think my Granddaughter Brooklyn hates her Nana. I went over to watch her and as soon as I picked her up she cried. She cried for about an hour. She cried so much Maddie was getting frantic running to the front door to check if Mike and Michelle were back. I think she figured Brooklyn would stop crying if they came back. Finally I rocked her in a dark room and sang the turalura song that worked for Jac and Bubba. After about a half an hour she finally went to sleep. Shortly after that Mike and Michelle came back with their friends and Mike woke her up so they could see her. And that little girl just coo'd and smiled all over the place. I want Jac and Bubba to call her to talk about being nice to Nana because of the "spoiling factor".

As if having a grandbaby that hates me isn't enough when I got home I had a piece of cold fried chicken and one of the teeth on my lower bridge broke and I ate it. Way to go! So I am going to have to go to work tomorrow and look like someone out of the Lil Abner cartoon. Does life get any better? Oh and I forgot to mention the cold sore on my nose. All in all not a pretty picture.

And all of this while my roommate is in St. Martins sunning herself. What do I get? I'm toothless in Burbank with a cold sore on my nose and babysitting three old dogs. I love my life!

I am sure you all heard about the terrible train accident a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately one of Aramark's employees was on the first train and died. It was such a shock. Shortly after the wreck Aramark personnel starting calling all the employees that purchase train tickets for that route through them and found unfortunately a young man with two children was on the train. Miraculously several people that normally take that train didn't. I received a call about 7 from a co-worker wondering if the "emergency man" rode that train. She is a transplant like I am so she is as geographically challenged as I am. I called another co-worker and found he rides another train. As much as I have poked fun at him it would have been devastating if he had been on that train.

I guess Aramark is not new to tragedy. The food service division lost employees who worked at the Top of the World Restaurant in the World Trade Center on 9/11. But when you think about it Aramark has about 240,000 thousand employees worldwide so I guess the odds are higher.

Hey how about those Ducks? To get beaten by Boise hurts. The game wasn't televised but I monitored it on CNN. Does anybody know a good quarterback? Especially one that doesn't get injured. Well it is a young team and they have a great coach.

Well I think I will go eat some ice cream. It has nuts so maybe I will break another tooth.

Love to you and yours,
NanaCarol

GO DUCKS!!!

I had the best birthday if one can have a "best 62nd birthday". The first thing Mikey asked me was I going to start collecting social security. Way to bring the birthday spirit down. I knew I was eligible but I certainly didn't feel like collecting social security. That makes me seem way to old. I'm still working so no Mikey I am too "young" to collect social security.

I spent the day with Brooklyn, Michelle and Mikey. Mikey fixed a great breakfast and lunch and Michelle grilled great steaks. And I got to spend the day playing with "Kooky". She is just hilarious. Of course we watched the opening day of college football and she was engrossed in watching the TV all day. Mikey thinks she was into football. That's right, Mikey, a 10 week old football "phenom". They have a wide screen TV and with all the vivid colors and sounds she seemed engrossed in the game. She did get fussy during the commercial breaks and then calmed right down when the game was on. But I don't think she is a football phenom....or is she? Her Mom was holding her and her Dad walked by and I swear it sounded like she said Dada. I think it was gas. It was a great day and some great college ball. Go Ducks!

The other Fields Family in Sacramento got into the Duck Spirit as well. Abyah even had her face painted. Their house was totally Duck crazy as well as their car. Some poor child from Jaclyn's school asked Isaac why he wasn't rooting for a California team. Jenny said Isaac's eyes rolled back in his head and there was a slight tremor. At least the child apologized later.

I went over and babysat Brooklyn last night while Mike and Michelle went to a neighbor's BBQ and their little three year old Gabby came and visited with me a while. She is adorable with red hair and the personality to match. At one point she told me Mike Fields said "Don't touch my cell phone and I'm serious". She always says Mike Fields when she talks about him. She is just as cute as a button. And dearly loves Baby Brooklyn. And it is a reminder how kids love to repeat things. I am sure we have all been embarrassed at things our kids have repeated. I remember Mary Etta telling her first grade classmates during show and tell about an argument her Mom and Dad had the previous night. Her teacher thought it was funny and called me about it.

Well I am off to lunch with M&M and B.

Love to you and yours,

NanaCarol