2014-December

December 2014 I began this chapter in mid-January and it is now March 5. A lot went on in the interim including a trip to Guanajuato which I will write about next. So consider this a late end-of-2014 post.

I’m going to skip most of the month and get to the Christmas Holiday. Whatever else happened in December has been overwhelmed by the magical 4 days our family spent together at El Capitan Beach A bit north of Santa Barbara in a broad and winding canyon, this resort was the perfect place for a family of 21 ranging in age from 5 months to 91 years and convening from all over the country. Lolly engineered it, as they had been there and really liked it. It has a nifty setup – attractive cabins spaced along a creek in an oak/riparian woodland. The cabins have living rooms (with a pullout bed), bedroom, bathroom and partial kitchen (sink, coffee maker, refrigerator and microwave) and a big fire pit outside. There’s a store and restaurant at the entrance, plus a rack of bikes for borrowing. It is across Rte.101 from the beach, and there is a connecting trail to the next state beach to the north. We commandeered 7 cabins and there was much running in between them. And designations. There was one for the 1000-piece jig-saw puzzle, for alcohol, sweets, nibbles, kids’ games. But mostly we were outside in glorious late fall weather. The beach was not walkable (the only disappointment) as it was cobbled with very large smooth stones to the water’s edge, even at low tide. Still, several intrepid great-grandkids (Pittsburghians) swam briefly. And what fun we all had watching the 4^th generation cousins get to know each other. Sam Topper was their leader. At 14 he is closer in age to the great-grands than to his own generation, and moves easily between them. The twins, of course, stole the show. No way anyone could compete. At 18 months they were toddling around, intrigued by everything. Differences in personality were evident already. And together they were like bumper-cars, still unsteady and sitting down suddenly – a lot! Bumping each other also when one tried to give something to the other. They were dressed differently and that was the only way we could tell them apart, altho it was clear that if you lived with them they were definitely distinguishable. Their parents had no trouble!

Lolly found a portrait photographer who came and took group photos of the whole family, plus candids and smaller family units and all the grandkids, then the great-grands, then couples, then generational groups. I think we covered everything. And everyone looks especially happy, as was the reality. So with all this ammunition I am ready to write about my wonderful family, and where they are in their lives now. One thing, tho. The parents of the great Grandchildren are cautious about their kids being on the Internet. Too many ‘ifs’ involved. So I’ve been selective about showing them here and am sending this blog out ‘passport protected’ – only to family and selected friends. The prevailing sentiment among the parents is that their kids should make their own choices about public exposure when they are older.

Here is the whole family along with a key as to their identities:

Front row: Lyle, Barbara, Heath,Jenny, Orli B. and Junie B. 2^nd row: Sam (grandson), Keith, Alex holding Beau, Cam. Damian holding Ellie, Sam (son-in-law) holding Mattie, Yael, Hilary Charlotte, Mac and Phoebe.

I was more photogenic than usual, and here is a portrait of me with

my 3 daughters – Lyle (Lolly), Heath and Jenny. Heath is the

oldest, Jen is #2 and Lolly a belated gift 9 years later.

So who are they, and where do they live, and what are they doing. Used to be that I could keep up with what everyone was doing but that time is long gone. But without exception the whole family is pursuing careers they love and contributing to the general good.

I’ll start with the first generation and work my way down:

Heath is a retired U.C. Davis Professor of Landscape Architecture who now lives in San Francisco. She’s divorced and is immersed in a rich new life with a focus on painting and drawing, writing, and traveling. She (like me) had never lived alone, and finds it has both pluses and minuses, but mostly the former. She is free to spend time with her own growing dynasty – three daughters, two sons in law, and 4 grandchildren! She has written several books, lots of articles, and now does a great blog about Golden Gate Park called ‘Views from the thicket’. And at the moment (February 2015) she is in Patagonia with daughter Phoebe. Here she is with her 3 daughters – Phoebe, Yael and Hilary.

Jenny is a musician/painter/violin teacher/chef and lives in Las Vegas with Mac and a rambunctious little mutt. She

plays violin and viola in Las Vegas and just started a fascinating long-running gig with a Frank Sinatra impersonator. The

songs are wonderful, and nostalgia reigns. She teaches violin

at a public school and has 4 private students. And every August

she plays viola at the Britt Festival in Jacksonville. Between her

presence in the valley and the great music at Britt,

August is a stellar month for me here. For my 91^st birthday last November

she and Heath came and cooked a memorable feast for me and

selected friends. Here she is with Mac.

Lyle (always Lolly to us) teaches Art History at UC Irvine and lives in a nifty community for faculty within walking distance of the university. She has written several books and many articles, and is now organizing a big art event in the Anza-Borrego Desert which I will be writing about later. Last year she had a fellowship at the Huntington Library in Pasadena, and recently she found ceramics, at which she is remarkable. It’s an enthralling pursuit and respite from Academia. Keith is in the Political Science Department and has just finished a 3-year stint as Chair and is soooo grateful to be back to being a faculty member again. Their other full-time job is keeping up with son Sam.

The next generation has 6 members and here is a group photo:

Grandkids copy — Sam, Yael, Alex, Phoebe, Hilary, Charlie

Yael, married to (big) Sam, lives in Pittsburgh with their two kids. She is a physician, researcher and teacher at the U of Pittsburgh Medical school. Ah, another academic and journal writer. Her field is clinical research on palliative care and her focus is on geriatric patients. Google her and you will find a list of her publications. Sam is a lawyer and works in a private firm in which he is now a partner.

Here’s a family photo.

Phoebe is an Architect in San Francisco, with the firm EHDD and her first big job was

designing the new aquarium at the LA County Museum of Natural History.

Kelp beds were the first big challenge – now they are her specialty! She is doing another,

and bigger, job, in Tacoma. In between she designed and oversaw construction on ‘The

Lookout” in SF, a visitor center for the National Seashore. And she’s the proud new owner

of a very hip condo in Oakland.

Hilary is married to Damian and they are parents of 19 month old twin girls.

After a decade in Brooklyn they moved to Pittsburgh last year. How they

managed twins in a 3rd floor walk-up with no car, no washer/dryer, huge rent

and serious winter confinement is beyond belief. A tribute to the resiliency of

their generation. Now they are home/car/washer-dryer owners, and are finding

life with twins much more do-able in Pittsburgh. Damian is a Project Director at

University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Hilary is surfacing

from total immersion in twins and is working at home. She is designing

websites and making videos. Her blog about the twins, called Space

Monkeys, not only got her through the first year of being the mother of twins

but gave her family and friends great delight in watching the babies grow and thrive.

Alex is married to Cam. They live in Seattle and have two children. Alex has been

working in reinsurance at Guy Carpenter in Seattle for 10 years, since he

graduated from college. But he recently took a huge step forward and is now a

financial advisor. I don’t even know with what company but do know that his first

contract is with a huge state retirement fund.

Cam also recently changed direction and is now with a small theater group doing

fund-raising, publicity, events and more, all of

which she does extremely well. I am vague

about them because they are so busy and hard

to stay in touch with. I do know they are all

thriving, and very much enjoying their new baby.

Here’s the family

And here is Jenny’s 3-generation family – Mac, Jenny,

Cam, Alex holding Beau, and Charlotte, with Junie B.

in front.

Charlotte has been Charlie to me and her Grandpa since she was tiny, and now wants to be universally known as Charlie. She spent 3 years in NYC after graduating from U of Arizona with a drama major, working hard to break into theater and TV. Finally decided to change course and moved to Seattle. A great move. She sees a lot of Alex and family and finds Seattle far more livable than NY. She now works for the Gates Foundation.

Here’s a photo of her and

one sharing something choice

with Jenny.

Sam Topper is the youngest grandchild. Age 14, a freshman in high school, and he is one of those all-around winners. He excels academically, plays Bach, Schubert and Liszt on piano, and loves sports. A year ago he took up tennis and, with his usual focus and hard work, is already on the tennis team at school. Loves video games and is a developing foodie.