Summer's Progress

How was your weekend everybody?

Ours?????  Same old, same old.  Sometimes I like it that way.

Americana Too - Via Posie Gets Cozy

From a wonderful blog that I used to have on my blogroll and then drifted away from.

Posie Gets Cozy (click it to see!)

I have to admit, I'm not really a flag-waving type.  I prefer to see America represented

by peaceful, colorful, creative images like this.

That celebrate our diversity.

And what we enjoy in common.

And remind us that we once used to represent refuge.  It's more true for some than for others now, I'm afraid.

Hope you all are able to find a little of all this where you are this summer weekend.

Americana, Maybe?

A little more of what America looks like

on the day that it celebrates

LIFE

LIBERTY

 AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS?

At least, what it looked like on the California Coast.  Between Cayucas and Morro Bay.

En Toute Simplicite

It came so quickly again didn't it?  The weekend I mean.

I hope you get to enjoy it in toute simplicite.  Cause that's what summer should be all about.  XO!

Scenes from a Weekend - Fourth of July 2013

How was yours?

Mine was short but sweet.

It started in the wine country around Paso Robles.

But we decided we wanted more fresh air and less wine.

So we headed to the coast and to "Harmony".  Yes.  It's really a place.  With about 15 inhabitants.

And a lovely hike.

Further south, Cayucos and Morro Bay were full of revelers in RED-WHITE-BLUE regalia.  But I found somebodies who were reveling in nature.

In Santa Barabara it was all about crowds for the fireworks but you might not know it from this picture.

It's a colorful town.  I recommend it.  (More on this soon.)

Bicyclers were out.  En masse.

You will have to take my word for it that the pinkish burst at the back of the picture is fireworks.  And you'll also have to take it from me that you HAVE NOT LIVED until you've experienced FREEWAY FIREWORKS.  Whether you've come down the coast from Mussel Shoals to Camarillo as the road winds along the coast and the starbursts are in your headlights or exploding out across the water .....  or if you're on the Santa Monica Freeway and seeing them shooting off of rooftops and out between the palm trees.  Right in the middle of  L.A.  

Fourth of July in California is FUN.  Wish you could be here.  

Sunset Beer - Lucky Echo Park

Once upon a time....in sunny and sometimes

(OK Everybody!  So how was your weekend?  Summery I hope!)

(I haven't taken my latest pictures off the camera yet.  So I thought I'd share these with you.)

still scruffy Echo Park.  Gently gentrifying as it is.......

across from the Cambodian grocery store with its deeply discounted veggies.

Where you'll find all the groovy once-ubiquitous foreign economy cars parked.

In the tight and charmless corner of a very ordinary L.A. strip mall.

You might be surprised to find something NOT QUITE A PUB.

And NOT QUITE your local bar, either.

I would have to call it a LIBRARY OF BEER.  Much of it, the beer, I mean, made in California.  In a crafty artisanal small-batch kind of way.  Because we are talking Echo Park.

There is a narrow but not altogether sun-less or charm-less outdoor patio, accommodating about 10 hipsters at a time.  (Facial hair obligatory, thanks.  I do just mean the men.)

O.K.  I'm going to call it a LIBRARY OF BEER.  You might call it just what YOU need in YOUR neighborhood.

SUNSET BEER.

It's better than a library, there are no overdue fees or expiration dates.  Well you know, it's a kind of "meta" - "expiration" in this context.  No?  The librarians are verrrrry helpful, friendly and accommodating.  Oh, and there's not much shushing going on either!

Are you thirsty yet? - - - - - - - - CHEERS!

(oh?  is the weekend really over already?  oh what a shame.  i was so enjoying myself!)

Stuff For This Week - Happy Fourth of July!

Since many of us are going to be "summer vacating"

(via confetti garden)

this week.  Distracted, at least by barbecues and long lazy weekend

(via miluccia pinterest)

and maybe long hot drives in the car to go with..........

(Photo: silverblauw)

I thought I'd just post some cool easy images.  To pass the time.

(Photo: dottie angel)

Are you taking any good books with you?  For the road or the beach?

I just read "Climbing the Mango Trees" by Madhur Jaffrey - a fascinating memoir of pre-partition life in Delhi and now it's "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers - cuz somehow I think it's going to tell me more about Berkeley.

(Photo: debi van zyl)

For those of you stay-cationing, obviously books are still your friends!  As are kiddie pools and Pimms Cups (why not?)

Have a great WEEK and WEEKEND - wherever you are.  I'll see you next Monday.  xoxo