A warm spring day, a morning walk, a gnarly old tree, time together: what more can you ask?
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sunday stroll
Looks like Papa could use a few more laps around this circle trail, to work off some of that extra padding around the middle....
Friday, January 25, 2008
"Se llama Pedro!"
The BIG gift this year -- in more ways than one -- was this fluffy stuffed bear. He's a regular companion for bedtime stories now....
"Toys, please!"
At just under 3 years old, Clara really got the hang of the whole Santa Claus thing this year. From a certain point of view, that's a mixed blessing at best. But from the parents' seeing-through-a-child's-eyes point of view, it's ALL good....
yummy
Candy cane? No, thanks. There's nothing like a bright yellow lollipop for getting into the holiday spirit.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
There's no such thing...
...as "bad weather" -- there's only "inappropriate clothing." Here Clara demonstrates that she and Mama have absorbed the wisdom of that observation quite thoroughly!
the shades are NOT optional
Like bacon & eggs, peanut-butter & jelly, steak & potatoes, Sant Antoni y llonganisa: Clara's electric guitar & her hip sunglasses just go together naturally.
sharing secrects with GG
Here's great-Grandma sharing her secrets for a long, active, vibrant and happy life with Clara. Rule #17: always look your best!
girls' night out
Clara getting to know her extended family: (L to R) Aunt Dawn, Grandma, Cousin Amelia, Clara and Mama.
flamingos
Who would have expected to find the National Aviary in Pittsburgh? Who knew there was such a thing as a "National Aviary"? Nevertheless, here it is, and we had a nice afternoon strolling around inside, checking out all our exotic feathered friends. The flamingos get a pretty sweet deal (relatively speaking), with a nice big lagoon to wade around in.
GG's yellow cat
There's something about this ceramic doorstop that absolutely captivates Clara's attention, every time we visit great-Grandma's house.
Here's a rare moment...
...of peace and quiet under the sun.
Papa soon learned that it's futile to bring a book to the pool. If you look closely, you can see that Clara is just about to hop off her lounger and begin a flat-out sprint toward the diving board and deep end (again) -- with Papa and Mama in hot pursuit.
Papa soon learned that it's futile to bring a book to the pool. If you look closely, you can see that Clara is just about to hop off her lounger and begin a flat-out sprint toward the diving board and deep end (again) -- with Papa and Mama in hot pursuit.
"Hey Mr. Tree -- don't poke me!"
Clara learns a hard lesson about pointy sticks and branches under the backyard oak.
It's a hard life...
...but someone's gotta live it.
Many thanks to Grandpap and Debbie for letting us share the swimming pool at Valleybrook all summer long.
Many thanks to Grandpap and Debbie for letting us share the swimming pool at Valleybrook all summer long.
brothers
After waiting almost 46 years, Mark and Ken finally got to meet for a few beers and find out about each other's life stories. Notice the family resemblance?
made in the shade
Clara just loves hanging out under the oak tree on our back hillside. She got her first tree-climbing lessons from Papa last summer.
Happy birthday
There's nothing like a birthday dinner at Grandma's to bring out the jollies in everyone.
Mmm, candy!
Nile, Grace and Clara pass the time with a movie -- and some movie snacks -- on a rainy day in Maine.
sitting in on djembe....
Despite the unusual lineup -- bass, drums, vocals and harmonica -- these guys sounded FANTASTIC. The whole reception was dancing and rocking all night long, and calling for more after four sets and an encore. Just great, great fun had by all...
...until the local authorities dropped by to break up the party, that is. Something about a gross violation of child labor laws....
...until the local authorities dropped by to break up the party, that is. Something about a gross violation of child labor laws....
Sunday, January 13, 2008
swing your partner(s)!
Clara gets a hand onto the dancefloor with her Grandma and brand new Uncle Paul.
Felicitaciones y salud!
Dawn and Paul could absolutely not have asked for a nicer day or a friendlier group of friends and family to celebrate their wedding. The old Pittsburgh tradition that it's not a REALLY good reception until the bride's family gets into a brawl with the groom's went happily unfollowed all day (and into the wee small hours of the night).
kicking up their heels
Grace, Amelia and Clara get jiggy wit' it while doing their best impression of that famous painting by Matisse.
Here's a wedding party...
...getting ready to party at a wedding! Left to right: Nile, Elias, Dawn, Linda, Grace and Amelia.
las bonitas primas
Two beautiful cousins, outside the Old Schoolhouse just before the ceremony. It's impossible to overstate what a poised, intelligent and charming young lady Amelia has grown into....
This looks better...
... than it sounds -- at least for now. But who knows where years of lessons and practice might get us? To Carnegie Hall? In therapy for the rest of our lives? Either or both are equally likely, I think....
some cousins
Here Nile, Clara and Elias get ready for their Mom/Aunt Dawn's wedding. Nile's escaping pocket hanky was inexpertly folded by Uncle Kenny. I'm tempted to dust off the old chestnut about "a rose between two thorns" -- especially because Nile and Elias are both looking SO sharp!
horsey or comfy chair?
Clara and cousin Elias passing the time watching a movie in Dawn & Paul's house on a rainy day in Maine.
a short walk...
Clara and cousin Nile enjoy a little stroll out over the water near Bar Harbor, Maine, during our trip to celebrate Aunt Dawn and Uncle Paul's wedding in August.
stingrays!
There's something irresistable about a tunnel -- any tunnel, even if it's filled with fish. But even the chance to go eye-to-eye with a stingray is no match for the pure tunnel-ness of this tank, which just begs to be run through (repeatedly).
at the zoo
We joined our good friends Janine and Craig for a visit to the zoo with their two daughters, Julia and Mia, one summer day. Here are Clara (left) and Mia (right) getting an eyeful of the monkeys in action.
Have you ever smelled the inside of a monkey house in the height of summer? If so, then you know this is a moment that Clara and Mia are likely to remember all their lives. If not, let's just say it's sort of like Proust's madeleine, only more so -- much, MUCH more so....
Have you ever smelled the inside of a monkey house in the height of summer? If so, then you know this is a moment that Clara and Mia are likely to remember all their lives. If not, let's just say it's sort of like Proust's madeleine, only more so -- much, MUCH more so....
hors d'oeuvres with GG
Clara and her great-Grandma enjoy soem yummy snacks before dinner at Grandpap's house.
"Papa Noel" y Clara, descansando
With Grandpap's birthday presents all opened, it's time to relax and take a break from all that hard work.
Friday, January 11, 2008
making music, again (as always)
Family picnics can be great fun, no matter where you go -- Mallorca or McMurray. Here we are relaxing in the sun and shade in Grandpap and Debbie's backyard.
con la cortina Mallorquina
I can't remember if we bought this fabric in Llubi or Lloret, but it was FAR off the beaten path, and it's 100% typically Mallorquina. Xisca's Mom very graciously transformed our bolt of cloth into a beautiful curtain almost four years ago, and we've carried it with us ever since. Now it hangs in Clara's room.
running with Rabbit
Clara has the same little dimple -- on her cheek, just below her left eye -- as her Mom. Lots of BIG smiles will do that for you, I guess....
ain't nobody here but us chickens
Christian provides an impromptu roost while his amazing padrina and Ken feed a young rooster, and Clara looks on fascinated. When we go for visits to the magnificant "fora vila" house, the chicken coops are one of Clara's favorite places to visit....
un merienda a Lluc
There are some beautiful picnic spots nestled among the trees near the monastery at Lluc. Here are padrina y padri, relaxing in the cool mountain air....
una de las fuentes de Lluc
One of the "must-sees" on any trip to Mallorca is the mountain monastery at Lluc -- just getting there on the narrow, switchback highway up the cliffs is an adventure!
"vien aqui, gatito...!"
Xisca and Clara have some fun with one of the many tame cats that patroll the grounds outside the monastery at Lluc.
la playa favorita de Papa (Costa des Pins)
It's about an hour drive from Xisca's hometown of Manacor, and the sand isn't quite as powdery-fine as you'll find in Hawaii, but Papa loves this sheltered beach on the Costa des Pins, in the northeast corner of Mallorca.
Is it the crystal-clear, champage-like Mediterranean water? The wooded mountains rising up from all sides? The mellow, uncrowded vibe? Or the incongruous, well-stocked, bar just steps from the beach? Your correct answer is "(E) All of the above."
Is it the crystal-clear, champage-like Mediterranean water? The wooded mountains rising up from all sides? The mellow, uncrowded vibe? Or the incongruous, well-stocked, bar just steps from the beach? Your correct answer is "(E) All of the above."
con amigos en San Llorenc
You'd be smiling, too, if you knew your rambunctious 3-year-old was being ably supervised by a handful of VERY patient older daughters of Xisca's best freinds -- while all the grown-ups relaxed around the table at Michaela's beautiful restaurant, on the plaza in San Llorenc....
con su Tia Antonia
Visits to Pedro y Antonio's finca are always one of the highlights of our visits to Mallorca. There's nothing quite like the love and affection of family, as this photo so clearly illustrates....
clickety-clack, to Soller and back
Here we are in one of the beautifully-preserved passenger cars on the narrow-gauge Palma-to-Soller railway.
Waiting for the train
Papa and Clara chill out at the Bunyola station while waiting for the train. Bunyola is in the Tramunta mountains, about halfway between the port city of Palma and the mountain town of Soller.
beep, beep (splish, splash)
This little inflatable taxi/raft was one of the all-star toys of our visit to Mallorca.
en la casa de Monica: fiesta!
Clara gets into the musical action with tio Guille and tia Monica after a late supper at Monica's house in the country.
en el patio de los abuelos
Xisco, Clara and Maria-Antonia keeping out of the hot afternoon sun before lunch at abuelo y abuela Sureda's house.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
mayo en Mallorca
Hard to think of a better place to relax than the patio of #98, Calle Jordi Sureda, in the late afternoon spring sunshine....
fiesta a casa Cody
Craig and Janine hosted a wonderful 5th birthday party for Julia this spring. It was wonderful to see Sid, Jenny and Mrs. Fiorina again, and all the kids had a ball making hats, playing on the swings and in the sand, scarfing yummy sanwiches, etc. The ice-cream-and-cake sugar buzz came in handy for Mama and Papa when we had to chase down Clara at the end of the day.
"It's just a box of juuuu-ice / I don't know who put it there...."
"It's just a box of juuuu-ice / I don't know who put it there...."
backyard harvest
Does anyone have a good recipe for dandelion greens? Somewhere I read that the secret is to pick them before they flower: true? And has anyone ever tasted dandelion wine -- or is that just a myth from some old `60s lyric?
Dandelion: weed or flower?
It all depends on your point of view, I guess. Another of those cliches that happens to be true: one of the child's greatest gifts is teaching her parents how to see the world all over again....
Sunday, April 15, 2007
sobre la barriga de Papa
Y'know, that new "pantxa" that Papa carries around these days makes a perfect easy-chair for a little girl...
pensive little girl
We recently watched the old Bogey classic, "The Big Sleep." Papa thinks that Clara looks like Lauren Bacall may have looked at two years old -- only time will tell....
make a wish
One highlight of Xisca's visits to the mall with Clara during bad weather is a stop at the fountain to toss in a few coins and wishes.
Giddyup, horsey!
I think they stopped making these cool spring-loaded rocking horses 20 or 30 years ago, no doubt thanks to a few accidental dismounts and the development of personal injury liability law. But anyone of a certain age will surely remember cranking away many happy hours on one of these things.
Luckily, BC still has his (along with a treasure trove of vintage toys for Chloe and friends), and this shot gives some idea of the fun still to be had on ol' Spring-biscuit....
Luckily, BC still has his (along with a treasure trove of vintage toys for Chloe and friends), and this shot gives some idea of the fun still to be had on ol' Spring-biscuit....
stocking up on anti-freeze
The back of BC's lot is a beautiful wooded valley that runs down to a driving range, way at the bottom of the hill. A bit of scouting in the woods quickly yields a bucketful of range balls, which can then be re-launched back over the trees to the range with a decent fairway shot from the backyard.
Of course, if you want to do this in a snowstorm like we had the Saturday before Easter, proper equipment and preparation are essential. Here we are, demonstrating correct warm-up form....
Of course, if you want to do this in a snowstorm like we had the Saturday before Easter, proper equipment and preparation are essential. Here we are, demonstrating correct warm-up form....
What's this?
Many thanks to Brian and Stacy for hosting an Easter egg hunt at their home, despite below-freezing temperatures. Lots of fun had by all.
green pajamas
Here's a growth-marketing opportunity: how about some adult-sized footy-pajamas for cold weather?
in the studio with Mama & Clara
Xisca is such an amazing Mama: she finds time every day to whip up some creative play activities for Clara. The paint box is especially popular these days....
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