Sponge Full of Thoughts: Vignettes of My California Visit, Part 3

Another Dream: My son was going out and he was dressed in a bluish-green western type jacket. (Something he would never have worn.) His hair was puffed out like he used to wear it when he was younger. We hugged and as he turned to leave I said, "Let me hug you again." He looked puzzled and as we hugged he said, "Why another hug?" I said, "Because I don't know when we'll hug again." We hugged long and hard and I woke up. I have to relish those hugs in my dreams because never again will I be able to hug my son.

Rivera and Picasso: The plan was to take a train to Los Angeles, ride a Uber and do some walking to reach LACMA or Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The weather did not allow us to go on the adventure because it was raining and we ended up driving to the museum. We saw the La Brea Tar Pits and the Levitated Mass, a granite and concrete rock weighing 340 tons. Because of the weather we could not walk underneath the huge rock but I was told it looks as if it is floating.

Rainy Day at La Brea Tar Pits

Urban Lights Levitating Mass

Our main objective was to see the Picasso and Rivera artwork. In a brochure I was handed, I read:

Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera were contemporaries, equally ambitious and prolific as artists, internationally famous, and well aware of their large-than-life personalities. I was surprised because though I had heard about both artists, I did not know they were friends and "copied each other's styles." The picture on the right I would have sworn was a Picasso but it is Rivera's called Sailor at Lunch. We moved from room to room fascinated by the art work. The picture on the left is a Picasso during his blue period and I would have guessed it was a Rivera!

We ate lunch a place recommended as the best place to eat Mexican food and it was tasty, hot and fun to look at the many movie stars that had eaten there. The famous actors had their pictures all over the walls and ceiling.

Christmas Eve: We walked to St. Angela Merici church for the four o'clock children's mass. It was jammed packed with people standing and luckily I found a place to sit but my family had to stand. After mass we waited for my granddaughters to get home from their respective jobs. We had eaten our Christmas late lunch and when they got home we opened presents and everyone was happy with their gifts. A fun scavenger hunt with instructions into the garage, on Finn's collar, on a flip-flop sandal led my daughter to the truck outside where she found her new bike. We went to bed around 11:30 p.m. because the next day on Christmas Day we would drive to Dana Point to celebrate with my son-in-law 's family. Every year I have traveled to California it is always a pleasure seeing his large family. I remember the children and now those kids are attending college, about to graduate from Universities or working. The family is warm and fun loving and after eating a brunch pot-luck, we headed to Cinepolis to see a movie. This year we enjoyed La La Land as we sat in recliner type seats. An interesting thing that is done every year is a quotation is given to the grandchildren and if one guesses the author, the winner gets fifty dollars.

Mendocino Farms: The girls took me out for lunch at a neat place in Floresa Mall. We ate our delicious sandwiches and wandered through Whole Foods. I took the girls out for a pedicure and next door was a hearing aid office and they were giving free tests. I had my hearing tested while their feet were being worked on. I may have some hearing loss and will get my hearing checked in Arvada. Sometimes I wonder if they just want to sell hearing aids.

Thank You:What a wonderful time spending time with my family. I love being around my granddaughters and even though they are busy with their jobs and friends, I still got to spend fun time with them. I got to know the doggies better and the only thing I would have liked would have been to have more sun and less rain. I heard on the news that it was the most rain California had received in seven years. My thanks goes out to my family for being such thoughtful hosts as I spent fourteen days with them.