Learning new skills and a day trip

Go watch this video, the amazing Douglas Murray being interviewed. Things have gotten very depressing. Biden wants Israel destroyed – because this war is inconvenient for him. most of the world openly hates us – so having this kind of champion makes all the difference. Although my social group has shrunk a lot, there are people that have never bothered mentioning what is going on. Should I think of their silence as a good thing or a bad thing? In my mind – it’s a bad thing. Because of the lockdowns I learned how few people will stand by my side – so I’m not surprised – just sad and amazed at those who do what is right.

I’ve never wanted to learn Mah Jong. I have my creative groups, the knitters, the stitchers. But when some very good friends asked me to join – sure because spending more time with good friends is really important.

Thank goodness for Westley – he has taught me so many games and how to strategically play them. So yes, there is a lot to learn. But like all the games I play with him, this one will keep my brain sharp. Oh, and I won the first game I ever played!!!

Chicken hawk, sunning in the neighborhood. He then flew up to a telephone pole. At this point he was eye level with me. Quite the beauty, but I wish the hawks and coyotes weren’t on my streets in the middle of the day. We have plenty of open spaces nearby

He is magnificent, he is beautiful, but as I said, plenty of space for him and the coyotes that aren’t on our streets. I hope he ate a squirrel and not someones’ cat.

My friend Julie mentioned a nice restaurant up in Santa Ynez. Lets go! It was a full day trip – so fun.

Cute little town and thankfully the rain came a few days later. It really is wonderful to be able to take a day with friends and go on a mini vacation.

This isn’t where we ate. Just a cute sign. We at at Bar La Cote, a lovely seafood restaurant in Los Olives. The food was great, the company lovely and the service! That is one thing that the lockdowns destroyed – service. It was so nice to have a lovely lunch with really nice service.

We popped into Solvang, the clouds are gathering! Solvang is a cute Danish town, but it is getting rundown. Sure, it’s midweek in the winter. But a lot of stores are closing. Thank you Grusom for destroying California.

The little mermaid in America.

the Kitsch is still here.

We stopped for a Danish and coffee and then drove home. A full day of fun.

The next day, clouds gathering in Hermosa Beach. Since then, we have had 24 hours of very hard rain. Now it is raining, but not bad. The sun will return, if not tomorrow, the next day.

Leah

Framed!

Thank you to the city of Beverly Hills. As the war drags on – it is no less hard then it was when it all began. Most people have moved on, except for the Jews and those that hate us. The hostages are still not released. I wonder how many are still alive. Turns out UNRWA, the UN organization that is dedicated only to the Palestinians – actively participated in Oct. 7. Of course they have been part of brainwashing their youth for over 50 years to hate Israelis and Jews, or maybe its’ the opposite – first the Jews – then the Israelis.

meanwhile, at home:

I laced up Solomons Temple.

I’m embracing the imperfections. I didn’t block this, I didn’t mark off exact lines. I love it – it is handmade by me, maybe I can see where it is a little off- but that is just me.

Went to the framers. This is not one to order online. We tried out a number of frames. I forgot to get a picture of the bright red one – awful, made the red completely dominate – and that isn’t something I need.

Too much texture in this frame – it competes with my work.

Like the dark brown trees that frame the building, this dark frame works. yes, there is texture – but in this case it compliments – doesn’t detract. Can’t explain why, just is.

Here it is, on the wall and I am loving it!!!

Leah

Jpl Part II

24 soldiers killed in one day, 21 when a building collapsed on them in Gaza. War is ugly. But seeing what happened on Oct 7 – is even uglier. I’ve been seeing interview with the pro Hamas protesters – they have no clue. It’s fun to be out standing with the ‘underdog’ also – I’m sure there is latent antisemitism there- they wouldn’t tell you that – but why the glee with with they call: from the River to the Sea – or globalize the intifada? Meaningless words – but deep down these young creeps must feel that protesting against the Jews is a very good thing.

Yes, Elon Musk is on the spectrum, yes he loudly criticized the ADL – saying exactly what I think. They used to support the Jews – now they support every single one of our enemies. Good for Ben Shapiro for going to Auschitz with him. What started as an argument has become quite the friendship. We need more of this.

Go watch this music video on You Tube it’s the outliers like the artists and the musicians that get it. I’m not talking about all the crap people that become an industry – I’m talking about real creatives. Like John Ondrasik. 20 years ago he wrote two beautiful songs – Superman and 100 years. There are others. He takes the footage from Oct 7, it runs it in the background of a song he calls: We are not OK. Thank you John.

The Europa clipper is supposed to be launched in October. it will take 6 years to get to the moons of Jupiter. When I was a docent and I’d show kids art work of Greek gods – I’d often tell them that the gods are up there in the sky now. The moons of Jupiter were the illicit affairs he had with women – not his wife. I sort of left out Ganymede – who wasn’t a woman – but wasn’t spared his rape – cuz that is what it all was.

we looked down from the observation deck into the clean room. this is where they are checking each bolt each component. everything to make sure that once it’s off – it functions. Something Boeing is clearly not doing with it’s planes

Working from all angles

I could have watched for much longer – I didn’t there was more to see.

More information about the Europa Clipper. Of course seeing the youth of America these days with the complete inability to see good from evil – I’m not sure this will matter.

Here is the mock-up! I asked Cameron if he wasn’t to build these – because look! They used lego for the model! Nope – he wants to be a lego master.

don’t clip the wings of engineers with all kinds of bureaucracy. Left to their own devices they will solve the problem.

Any of us who have had a chance to work with Pastels have used the top of the line – Rembrandt.

Here is the color code.

Here is the full image, created over a long period. I wish I had taken a close up – you’d see the ticker tape underneath. As someone who cross-stitches – boy can I relate to filing in each square with its’ designated color.

Although the government wants all the credit under the name NASA – it’s all about JPL.

One can schedule a visit – your tax payer dollars at work – go see this amazing place!

Leah

A visit to JPL

Even the mouthpieces of the left are beginning to share the truth. Meanwhile, more hostages are found to be dead – of course Hamas would like to bargain with the dead bodies. The mother of that beautiful girl – Shani Louk, who’s body was paraded through Gaza has begged not to have soldiers killed just to bring back her body. What a brave woman. This war will drag on for a very long time, and no-one in the world media cares that so many Israelis are refugees in their own country – not able to go back home, either in the south or the north.

Our friend Sharon works here and offered to give us a tour. Took a while to arrange, but we got here with Elk, Mandy and the two boys. On a beautiful sunny day – the next day, the rains came.

First stop, the model of the Perseverance, the Rover that replaced Opportunity. That wonderful rover that was only supposed to last maybe a year – and lasted 15. This is the exact Replica of Perseverance. Not all that big, but sending ack so much information.

We all loved the tour, well Cameron the least, I’ll get to him later. Elk, being an engineer who has worked for a company that has supplied parts to JPL really got a kick out of it.

All of us, Joel took the picture. And yes, Sharon is a guy- his named isn’t pronounced like the female name. These two had some great conversations.

Just the size of a golf cart -and gathering so much info. btw, a great movie to watch is Good night Oppy, another friend of ours had worked for years on that project – we saw her briefly in the movie. On issue is anthromorphising these machines a little too much. But if that is my complaint – go watch the movie!

The command center that is used for all the missions.

On the left, all the active missions that are in space, Notice Voyager 2 has been up for 46 years and is still transmitting back information. I’m not sure why Voyager 2 is up a little longer than Voyager 1 – but bother up a long time. Perseverance is only up 3 years, Opportunity – died so is off the list. I think the list on the right is things that are being followed within the earths atmosphere.

Images of the telescopes that are tracking.

Some Jet Prepulsion History.

Sharon is now starting a Jewish club at JPL – because Oct 7 woke all of us up. Theodore Von Karman was a Hungarian Jew who escaped to the US – these days DEI doesn’t want to honor any of the heads of JPL – all White men – so it’s time to fight back.

Anyway, Von Karman, was working at CalTech and through the university started a rocket program – later as WWII approached the army got involved – it needed rockets. After the war even Wernher Von Braun, formally a Nazi scientist came to the US and worked at JPL on some of the first Mars programs.

These days CalTech still runs JPL, but Nasa overseas things, so yeah bureaucracy of the Federal government is involved. When Opportunity was built, Nasa only allowed the Nasa sign to be on it. So The engineers got smart and on one of the wheels they perforated JPL in sign language – so now, all over the surface of Mars it says JPL. Don’t mess with engineers – they may be nerds but they get the job done. If you watch the movie the Martian you will see the can do attitude of JPL.

We climbed up the hill to the testing grounds. This is where they put the rovers to as much of a real life test as they can here on earth. Nothing was being tested while we were there. Oh well.

Here is the model of the campus. Up the high part of the Arroyo Seco. Von Karman and friends used to shoot rockets around here, now that Pasadena and La Canada Flintridge have grown around it – they have to go further out in the desert for testing.

Cute bear in the gift shop – no I didn’t buy him.

Our souvenirs were the guest card and a sticker.

More info in the next post.

Leah

making smalls

It is hard, it is very hard, we are in the long drawn out war. Antisemitism is back full force and the west has no idea how to defend itself. As we see – all these protests about ‘Palestine’ have devolved into supporting the Houthis is their war against shipping in the west. so next time you need some small item and it’s not available – remember – it was on a ship trying to go through the Red Sea. also, globalism is over.

I started another Tiny Town, this one is tiny, because the scrap I had is 40 count. I did the other two on 36.

Almost done and done. Well, I added the tiny flower buttons after I took these pictures.

There, you can see a flower. I sort of followed the colors, but not really, just pulled threads from my collection.

A blue rooster.

Yes, these tiny buttons are very cute, a good reason to buy the actual kit.

Blue house

Next to the other two, I can see how much smaller the images are.

They are all cute. Onwards!

Leah

Aytan

The pictures of the girls was taken when they were taken hostage. Who knows if they are alive today and they certainly look much much worse.

This is so true of all the elites who screamed Me Too! most of those Hollywood women got on the couch hoping to get a good part. It was only many years later they came out and screamed victim. But they never ever cared about real victims – certainly not Jewish ones. I am so disgusted with the inversion of morality in our society these days. Something else to simply get used to. It’s not fun, but just like I have to get used to the utter degradation of the city I live in – I realize that evil has taken over and most people are content to live with it.

Nine soldiers killed in one day. That is a lot in this ugly war. We mourn each one. Meanwhile, my friend who is the mom of an American Marine tells me how little regard there is for fallen American soldiers. She is right – no one gives a shit, certainly not our leaders or even our military.

On to Aytan! Hard at work! Finally after a month he went back to Burt and Marsha and is working hard with the chickens.

There were no grubs this time, but he is bringing in all kinds of leftover food for them. One chicken escaped – he ran so quickly and closed the gate to the ‘back 40’ so she wouldn’t escape. We wondered why he was out there running so fast – he was on a mission.

He loves being here and loves the work.

working on smalls. This is another Tiny Town. I grabbed a scrap – it is 40 count, which means this town will really be tiny.

Leah

grandkids and another puzzle

One of my favorite people, he is one of the extraordinary people who was created.

Driving home the other evening I saw two rainbows. This is the same one from different angles. the first on was just a wide shaft of rainbow coming out of the clouds. Yes, I’m driving, at this point I was going slowly. When I saw the first one, I wasn’t so didn’t bother to try and capture it. God promises us after the Flood that he will never destroy the world. His promise is a rainbow – to me, at the start of a very iffy year – this rainbow symbolizes so much and offers me some comfort.

Went on a walk/hike with girlfriends. A lovely January day in Socal.

These guys went up to Mammoth and stopped at the park in Lone Pine.

I had asked for a picture by the creek, Yishai was younger than Einav the first time we stopped at the park.

Ski school, Eyal looks like he is loving it.

Einav had an OK time, the next day she and Abba Yoch stayed in town.

Goofy Cam, he has another tooth coming out, good thing, he might look less goofy. This owl is part of the Hanukkah present I gave him. He is getting better at sewing, crochet or knitting will be next.

A photo bomb, because why not. I know I need to get pictures of the two older ones, hopefully this coming week.

another puzzle on the table.

This one is ‘easy’. My son was working on a large one of Dodger stadium- most of it was just a sea of head. No thank you, I’ll pass.

As you can see on the right, I started assembling areas that are easy to do and I’ll pop them in when the time is right.

Done! I had to wait until morning to take the picture, the glare from the overhead light was problematic. I hope to see a friend this week who is also into puzzles and I hope to do some puzzle exchange.

When I ‘finished’ there was a piece missing, Joel immediate came and looked under a cabinet – phew! he found it, so he gets the credit for finishing the puzzle.

Leah

2024

It will take a few weeks to get used to the new number. Unfortunately, aside from a new number I don’t see anything changing. unless it gets worse.

I started the year out with a lovely New Years Eve gathering – nothing fancy, good company, great food and some alcohol.

Despite war, destruction and hatred, Intel isn’t building any plants in either the Palestinians areas or in Arab countries, I wonder why. No I don’t. Unproductive evil places.

Except for Elon Musk, all social media is anti Israel and doing their best to suppress support for Israel and the Jews. The same can be said about our local and Federal government who allow disruption and destruction of our social norms – like airports, highways – all in the name of ‘The Palis’ – when in reality these groups have moved on to simple destruction.

Also, I am grateful for real life friends who have shown support. Interesting how in online groups, I belong to a few – some people have said nothing, not in October, not now. Not bad people – but an online community – really isn’t.

I was looking online for frames and just like friends online aren’t the same – looking for a frame for a very special piece of work needs a real live person to work with. So I laced this myself and will take it to the framer. There is a framer I like, but last time I went there – they mounted and framed the work in one day – I have no idea how they affixed the linen to the board. So I did it myself.

I really laced it up tightly and with very narrow spaces.

I immediately had to start another small project. I know Robin, I am thrilled that along with quilting fabrics and patterns, she has moved on to cross stitch. Yay!

I bought the kit with the threads, sure I have plenty and could have come up with my own threads, but it was easier just to use her choices.

Quick and easy, so much so that I didn’t load the pattern into Markup RXP.

Here the stitching is done but I haven’t ironed – steamed it yet. Of course one has to look very closely to see the ‘imperfections’.

After steaming. You may say there is no difference, well some of the stitches are lying a little flatter, with time they will all relax a little more.

While watching Floss-tube someone mentioned drawn thread hems. A lovely idea, but I didn’t plan ahead. I ended at least 2″ and only have 1.5 I went ahead anyway. Of course searched through You Tube, there are many different instructions. I found a rather simply one. I even remembered to take a picture while doing the work.

Not bad for a first try, like everything in life – practice will make much much better.

In Situ, my house is overflowing with cross-stitch these days.

Leah

Last day of 2023

For most of the world, today is the last day of 2023, for us it is day 87.

Douglas Murray speaks for me – loud and clear. And no, I really don’t care about the Palestinians. I’m too concerned about Israel and the Jews. Oh and when I say Israel – that includes, the upstanding citizens – be they muslim, Christian, Druze or Bedouin.

But I’ll end the year with something happy. A friend offered to bake Challah with my grandkids.

All excited, getting ready to start!

Donna, you are amazing, so patient, so kind. It does help that Eyal and Einav are good listeners.

Each one has their own dough to work with. Donna is no dummy, she made the dough ahead of time. these two kneaded and rolled out the dough.

Hard at work!

Marsha came to help – sorry about the surprised face!

There are chocolate chips inside and sprinkles on each braid. Einav went with rainbow.

Eyal combined blue and yellow, yellow and rainbow – Mr. Creative!

Here they are, waiting for their second rise. Meanwhile Yoch is in the background making pasta for lunch.

Out of the oven! All baked!

A close up – because they are so pretty. Had to wait two days, we did this on Thursday, they had the Challah Friday night and on Saturday they stopped by to bring us a piece – it was yummy – more like cake between the chocolate chips and the sprinkles. And yes, they have been invited back for more baking!

Hope the sweetness transfers to the new year.

Leah

Back to puzzles

Sharing my neighbors hard work.

I have about 4-5 puzzles I haven’t made, during the lockdown I always had a puzzle in the works on the dining room table. But with the world opening up and having guests over most weeks, I had nowhere to puzzle. Sure, I have that black map, but moving around a puzzle is a sure way to lose pieces. something I am really good at.

This year my son gave me another puzzle. Enough! I have a large great room, there is plenty of space for a puzzle table. And so I bought myself one. It is a folding table, so it can be put away. As you can tell, the first puzzle I made is this Norman Rockwell picture.

I checked out Amazon, Wayfare and then the puzzle website – Its and Pieces. Good price for a nice folding table. I like to sort out my pieces by color – it helps. Only problem is that sometimes an edge piece gets lost in there.

There is recognizable color blocking, it is 1000 pieces, but felt very doable. I always start with the border. And often, I have to shift pieces around, so before the border is actually finished I will go on to something like the signature.

The painting is called The Shiner – you can see how proud this girl was of winning a fight – especially since she has the black eye as a memento.

I find it very relaxing to put together puzzles. Sure I love the cross-stitching, but I need to give my hands a rest.

I had a very good helper, Cam preferred the lego, although he did put in a few pieces.

This is where I was before Westley came to help

This is what we accomplished together.

Getting closer, what is left is the hard part, slight changes in tone – but basically all the same color. At this point I am taking a piece and just trying it everywhere. Once I get closer to the end, it is easier to fit in the pieces.

Done! Leaving it out for a day or two, then I’ll pick another puzzle. I was talking to a friend who also puzzles – we are going to exchange our finished projects. My son has a large collection, apparently at his library they have an area for puzzle exchanges. Great Idea!

Leah