i am home.

I wanted my vacation to last a lifetime. But now that it's over. I'm happy and relieved that my life has outlasted my vacation.

Instead of driving down south like last year, my traveling buddy from Dallas and I flew into the Ontario Airport and rented a convertible for -- guess how much for four days?

Thought about it? Have your answer? Ok. It was all in total, after taxes, $86 dollars. CoOOooOOl, huh? Such a lovely bargain.

And we stayed at such a wonderful place, too. I felt sad to leave.

If you've ever been to Palm Springs before, then you're well aware of the Old Las Palmas area where all the older celebrities such as Liberace, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Dinah Shore, Sammy Davis Jr, Zsa Zsa Gabor and all the rest of them have lived. A lot of new celebrities have homes there, too, such as Lillie Tomlin and Cher and a dozen of others.

The retro pink motel we stayed at is hidden behind hedges and gated away at the very entrance to this wonderful mid-century neighborhood overlooking the San Jacinto Mountains. We took a walk around the neighborhood one warm evening and we happened upon Liberace's home up for sale within a block from the motel.



Brenda bought some really cool chairs at the 111 Antique Mall in Palm Springs . . . just up the street where we were staying. I'm sitting on one of them testing them out. And they are so wonderful!!!

She also bought this lovely fountain at the Modern Store in the same shopping center, which she also shipped to her home in Dallas....
I wish I could tell you all the comical situations we got ourselves in. But I would need an audio button to express it better. I need the accents. The voices. The fluxuations.

It was fun. And funny. And warm. And relaxing.

We returned home to spend Easter morning at Matt's mom's house. (His childhood home) which is located next to the author Jack London's estate. (author of Call of the Wild). It's the home he grew up in Glen Ellen. His grandfather is the late Ernie Smith who was a huge talent and celebrity of sorts and also taught author Jack London how to swim the breast stroke! I wandered through London's horse stables which is on Matt's family's estate and imagined how it was way back back when. My nephew Tyler swings on the rope swing in front of Jack London's stables and Chelsea cuddles an abandoned lamb that Matt's mom found rescued on the side of the highway and is raising her by bottle-feedings. Her name is Rosie.
(middle photo is from The Bancroft Library Portrait Collection)


This photo is taken of my family (minus) Caleb who's going to UC Irvine and had to stay back and work. Chelsea is also living there in Irvine but got to get away for this lovely weekend. Sweet, sweet wonderful week.
Happy Easter! (and. we miss you caleb!)