an Epic celebration

 Dancing Jen's birthday lunch was down at the Embarcadero yesterday ~ a gorgeous day, as you can see. We had front row seats for the naked bicyclists on the patio of the Epic Steakhouse. I'm in no position to body shame anyone, but really, we wear clothes for a good reason. Lunch was delicious and we had such a lovely time catching up with our lives. Today is Bay to Breakers, a good reason to stay home, right?

Filoli on Friday

 I've always wanted to go to Filoli Gardens down on the Peninsula about 30 minutes or so from SF. It is a huge, lush estate and yesterday I finally got to really enjoy it thanks to Shelley and Heidi. The name?

FI = fight for a just cause. LO = love your fellow man. LI = live a good life. 

What a glorious day and the weather was perfect. We walked and walked, had lunch and visited the gift store. Tried to identify flowers and birds (we were pretty good) and of course talked a lot as women do.

Matisse at SF Moma

 Thanks to Terri for scoring Opening Day tickets to the Matisse exhibit yesterday. She took the bottom photo of me taking photos of people taking pictures. First we had lunch at Cafe Jane next door and then we enjoyed wandering all over the 4th Floor. The curators did a fabulous job and I especially loved the recreation of Gertrude Stein's apartment in Paris. Well done, Moma!

tradwives in America

 Yay, a new novel and this one knocked The Correspondent off the #1 NYTimes best seller list. Already a page turner, I started Yesteryear yesterday. I can only say that once. Drat. Our heroine is an Instagram influencer with a bunch of kids and a very funny inner life and yes, I like it. A lot.

new in the nabe

 Yay! A new, big and colorful mural up on Bryant and 24th, the heart of the Latino district. I couldn't get it in one shot, as you can see. I believe that's a coyote along with birds and a car and flowers galore. 

and MORE dumplings

 Granddaughter Samantha and I had a lovely late lunch yesterday back at Dumpling Story on Valencia Street. She is full of plans which include (alas) a move to Florida and yes, we will miss her and Luke and the big old doodle Harlow so much. And they will miss the Bay Area, that much I know for sure.

a poem to start the week

 

Tablecloth

Victoria Guerrero-Peirano Translated from the Spanish by Anastatia Spicer and Honora Spicer

My mother made a tablecloth She crocheted At the time I didn't know anything She took it everywhere I wondered at how she crocheted in the darkness of a theatre But she did And the next day there wasn't a single stitch added or dropped That was my mother in those days A strange woman She worked during the day and on the weekends stitched She took me to the theatre I didn't understand her then My friends' mothers stayed home They cooked   They picked them up from school   They packed lunch boxes When the tablecloth was finished She put it on the table It was magnificent But back then I didn't understand It was complicated I was tangled in her delicate web I saw my mother through that pane of thread She kept being different from the others: She worked during the day Embroidered on the weekends And couldn't really stand being at home I never understood her Maybe I didn't know enough She also never taught me Thought it was too much for me—or too little Now my mother says she can't do anything with her hands The tablecloth stays tucked away in the kitchen cabinet I got myself knee-deep in diplomas And I don't know how to embroider