Bio-Pix :: Where the Heck is Mom?

This is The Big House in Santa Monica where I moved when the kids were both off on their own. A few years later I retired, rented out The Big House (wow, 700 square feet...) and moved into one of the two itty-bitty cottages located on the same property, to improve cash flow and be Free for Adventure!

Me, from below the Santa Monica pier. I never wanted to live anywhere more than I wanted to live in Santa Monica, and now I do! August 2004

PhotoShop - too very much PHUN!. January 2005

My fabulous daughter Cynthia and her cat, the 18 year old Uni who still lived with me. But he was her cat. You probably know how that works.

Uni is gone now. When I'm old and enfeebled I'll get another cat, so enfeeblement will have its up side! Here is a haiku of Uni:

roots

perched atop the fridge
hooded eyes gaze, watchful, oh
get over yourself

September 2004

My fabulous son Darryl and my fabulous daughter-in-law Angela. The Wedding, and what a WONderful Bride and Groom. December 2004.

Happy Happy Joy Joy!!

Feel free! Please!! Enjoy more of this
utterly amazing ceremony in respect of True Love.

Followed nine months later by KAITLIN. Words are inadequate!

Click on 'home' and use the search feature, type in Kaitlin, and you'll see what I mean. March 2007

This looks like me back in 2006 when my hair is settled down and I've managed a relatively symetrical face.

My names: Penelope Clare Hunt, Penelope Hunt, Penny Hunt, Penelope Hunt Kanouse, Penelope Kanouse, Penny Kanouse, Clare Penn. August 2006

My mother passed away in April 2007. Her entire blood born clan came for the funeral, including families, and here are also many who have been family since they were born. What a miraculous photo! April 2007

Mom just back from India with all her grandbabies around. Wow, the next time they were all together was at her funeral! That's Darryl and Cynthia on the right side. March 1993

Not so different I'd say - you can tell who's who for sure, having arrived from Hawaii, Sherman Oaks, Orange County, Germany, and Texas (which is why it's so rare to find them all in one place!) April 2007

My mom and dad some Christmas in the late '60s.

Can you even believe it? My father died in 1973 at age 69. Gone for so very long! And now they're both gone, my sisters and I are orphans and my big sister is The Matriarch!

I made my daughter Cynthia One Thousand Cranes for her 29th birthday. Wow, it was like a meditation and really really fun. That's Kaitlin she's holding. February 2007

Following are some links and pictures of what I do all day long.

However my very most favorite hobby is to just go some place, learn some language, look around, eat and chat and take pictures and write stories.

I just love to do that. You can click here for my personal website WhereTheHeckIsMom and here for my travel website AVerySeniorYearAbroad.

The kids grew up in the San Fernando Valley and for the last more than twenty years this group of women, originally having daughters in the same class as Cynthia but expanding high and wide, have met on Monday nights for a potluck dinner and gabfest.

Even though I've moved over-the-hill to Santa Monica I still try and get back for Monday Night whenever possible. Once a year they all come out west to celebrate my birthday! Here they are at a very fun birthday party.

December 2006

I Heart LA. It's true. There is just so much that is so dang entertaining. And the weather out here in Santa Monica? It's what weather would be like in heaven if there was a heaven and if there was and it had weather. Here's a link to the Magnificent Getty Center. I've got a lot of other stories in this link to cool places around LA.

GAGA! WOW Look At THAT. Click here for gaga Shots From The SKY!

Going For A Walk is something I try to do every day and it's a good chance to visit with friends, and I'm always always ready for a Photo-Op!

And then there is Going Out To Eat, another lovely chunk of life.

The Great Outdoors. Lovin' the Great Outdoors. (Let's kill something and then eat it. This is Marija's husband and perversely, I'm keeping this picture here because it cracks me up.)

More of that pot of gold. I count my blessings Every Single Day.

You can click here to meet many of my once-colleagues who came to my really Swell bon voyage Retirement Party in 2004.

It's crazy how many cute pictures there are of me in there. Good job Robert!

Check it out! Sunday in Little Tokyo. More of that Japanese connection.

I have been studying Japanese off and on for more than 10 years now. I continue because I cannot quit. Japanese is simply too too hard for a middle-aged English speaker to learn (at least I was middle-aged when I Started..) but I seemingly refuse to admit that it is too hard for me!

Another haiku of Uni:

Dawn

He stands on my head
He pleads. Get up NOW. Feed Me!
Then he bites my nose.

Want to see some cool stories of my 'post-digital' travels?

Just below this picture click 'Home'. On the left most column you'll see 'Books' like CHINA! and SOUTH AMERICA!. Click on the link and then in the middle column you'll see 'Chapters'. Click on any link that looks interesting and the rightmost column will be the 'Pages'. I hope the magic works!

Me as seen by me, photo taken by a waiter: curious, sensible, cheerful, entertaining, flexible, imaginative, smart.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch...taken from one of my heart-throbs, Garrison Keillor. I'm also hot for Jon Stewart but he's got no (useful) mottos. And I hope Roger Ebert lives forever. And Julia Child. I'm in awe of Julia Child. I hope the upcoming movie does her proud.

Act the way you wish everyone would. I didn't make up that one either.

I'm nettled by irresponsible spending, too much noise and too much light, and any relationship with the divine, in the face of which I'm not crazy about the person I become. But otherwise, it's pretty much all good.

My relationship with things...let's take clothes for an example...they all fit within one 3 foot pole and 2 large drawers. Also, I take care of my hair by crossing my fingers that it'll dry ok. And make-up? Not happenin'. If I have to wear shoes it better be for a Very Good Reason. I live in a 280 square foot cottage and I travel for months with what fits in a carry-on bag.

What I don't need of things I make up for in my acquisitiveness of experiences. I want to go there. I want to taste what you ordered, and I want to see the view and hear the birdsong, and the frogs. Gott'a love those frogs.

Click HERE and all the pictures in this chapter will get big.