Dan's Garden and Chagalls

Here you see Dan's garden "artscapes" again. I love this little falling succulent, then the sharp thorns on the other plant along with one pink bloom. The Malibu climate helps, but it took some talent to put these "artscapes" together. The big blue vase with the branches remind me of the Walking Stick plant.

Speaking of art, how about the wonderful Chagalls at the wedding party house? I'll be honest, they're lovely, but I prefer the Dan Artscapes, indoor and outdoor, smiling back at me.

A little Malibu, a little Santa Monica

A little Malibu foliage mixes with Santa Monica rehearsal dinner at Valentinos. Each of the pots at Dan's house, inside and out are little artscapes in themselves. Each group of guests at the rehearsal dinner were little pockets of "so glad to be with you again".

The orange and yellow flowers on the ground in the first photo didn't just rebloom every morning - they came on stage. Their colors are so vibrant in real life. I'd love to bring the Forest Hills Garden Club to Dan's for an afternoon tea. This would be better than our field trip to Robert Bellamy's. We'd bring Robert's Staci as our personal guest. Even though Dan's sold his restaurant - imagine him catering our tea with his house, mountain and ocean setting. Oh, my, a perfect afternoon for the garden girls.

And a perfect evening, thank you, perfect rehearsal dinner hosts, Pam and Ronnie. Did I mention the appetizers and drinks while we were in the private room before dinner were enough for dinner for me? Some kind of shrimp on a kabob I could eat every day forever. Visited with Kim (blue dress) a while. She's delightful, lucky Brian.

The trip to CA for Sophia and Justin's wedding

Get ready, I downloaded 232 pictures of the trip to California for Justin and Sophia's wedding. We begin with Dan's place in Malibu where we stayed. I took pictures of every pot, plant and outside area. The house and grounds are magnificent. We are up high on the mountain overlooking the ocean as the first two pictures show. The days were so crystal clear you could see (sea) forever. The last is a picture of some kind of moss roses on steriods. The picture doesn't do justice to the vibrant orange and yellow colors of this type of moss rose on steriods. I was walking by and these flowers stopped me in my tracks. We were staying with the ultimate hosts. I'll tell you more about my cooking lessons from Dan - yes, that's not a typo, cooking lessons. Dan's saying for the trip was, "If you can weld, you can cook." He was determined to send me home with the saying true.

Justin's Wedding

We're here in Malibu, CA for Sophia and Justin's wedding. 70 people at the rehearsal dinner Friday night. 200 at the wedding Saturday afternoon. Beautiful service. Waiters with drinks and incredible treats wandering around Sheila and Maynard's house for an hour. Then all to dinner in the tented tennis court in the back yard. Dinner, toasts, speeches and much much dancing the night away. I danced with 30 year old boys I remember when they were just a twinkle in their mother's eyes. Sunday brunch at a great restaurant on Ocean Boulevard and Broadway overlooking the ocean of course with the last of the wedding party. As we left "Unforgettable" sung by Natalie and Nat King Cole playing. Grabbed Pam and had once last dance among the diners. She blew everyone away at the wedding and again at brunch the next day. Looked simply fabulous.

Lunch with Ira today on the Malibu Pier, dinner with Dan and Sheila - in Venice.

Tomorrow Dan's giving me a cooking lesson - pasta - then we will eat outside, high up here in the Malibu hills overlooking the ocean. Doesn't matter if the pasta is edible. I love it here, so many wonderful memories here and Santa Monica.

First time I met Pam, she was pregnant with Justin. We had lunch, her, John, Bob and me at Maxwell's Plum in New York City. For dessert we had flaming Baked Alaska. Waiter gave me a balloon bouquet. Pam said, "When we leave the restaurant make a wish and let the balloons go. Your wish will come true." I can say 35 years later all my wishes came true.