4th of July one year later

This weekend one year ago I started building my little terrace garden.... no one was around and the time was right so my garden was started. and maybe if I was lucky I would get something to grow. Well lets just call last year my learning year I had a nice little harvest that was good for for one meal. But that was last year...

but lets move on to March of 2009 when I planted my new little garden with tomatoes, pumpkins, artist gourds, garlic, spearmint, yellow squash and zucchini. I hoped that maybe one or two would take...but I had no idea of what was about to happen.... this year was going to be a little different than last





I was very excite when by May 31 the first two bins of my garden were really starting to finally starting to grow...I even planted a few more tomatoes plants from Howard Gertz in in the third bin and everything was good.

but then things started to change I should say grow and on June 11 I noticed that the pumpkin and gourds were starting to creep into the next bin and you could see the growth every 12 hours... and then the tomatoes also started to grow


on June 12th I went up to Davis to help Sam move back back home for the summer.


we were back home by June 14

I found that there was a pumpkin and the tomatoes were starting to ripen


but then I also realized how big the pumpkin plan was starting to get.







by June 18th the plants were growing into the third bin and we jokingly started to call the plants Audrey 2.




on June 20th Barry and I left for New York and Audrey was just growing up the wall of the third bin









but 3 days later when we got home Audrey had already gone up and over the wall and was creeping into the third bin

we were home for 2 days only to leave on June 26th for San Francisco for a long weekend

but the fact that I was not home didn't stop Audrey from taking over



So when we left Audrey has started over into the third bin


but when we came home




we found that Audrey had taken over and was moving into the fourth bin. I don't know when she will stop but I am not sure how safe it is for Shomer to go with me when I water.




well I will update this as the summer goes on.

so much traveling and so little blogging

so much traveling and so little blogging..... but as part of my birthday (yes today is the day) resolution I will try to catch up.... so where have I been and what have I been up to?

well last week we were in New York for business and a little bit of family on Fathers Day. and then this weekend we (the we is Barry and me) are in San Francisco for our 11th anniversary and my 50th birthday.

So we did the touristy thing went to the wharf and had treif I know I will repent starting tomorrow. We also had the pleasure of celebrating with Gary, Holly and Erica on Saturday night at North Beach Restaurant, delicious not inexpensive but definite value for your dollar. If you are looking for good Tuscan food then this is the place (and if you are using mass transit, take the 30 bus and exit on Stockton, at Columbus)

So we didn't plan it this way but the Gay Pride Parade was this weekend (Gary, Holly and Erica were even walking in it) so we did what any tourist would ...we went to the parade but those pictures (that I can actually post) will have to be for another time.





So it's review time where did we eat and what did we do...

so breakfast came with all kinds of recommendations Sears Fine Dining well it was good but not great...now great was Max's we actually at there twice in the city and the Barry got a pastrami sandwich from them at the airport, Sammie you want deli you need to come here.








We went for a ride (3 times) on the Cable Car it was fun to just stick the camera up in the air and take pictures...(that is when you really appreciate digital cameras, cause what ever you don't like you get rid of)

So we were down on the wharf on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday we went on the Red and White Bay Cruise it was nice we really enjoyed it just letting someone else tell you what you were looking at. When we first came out of the harbor we could see the Golden Gate Bridge.... but then as we went under the bridge (at least they said it was there) it disappeared into the fog.....

But we had a great time took a lot of pictures...I even let Barry use the camera...

I think that might have been a mistake......, there is something to be said about being on the other side of the camera.

Bringing Sam South

Nothing too eventful..just a town full of caps and gowns ...it is graduation weekend, but the only real effect it had on the plan is that there are no hotel rooms in Davis....So we are in Sacramento staying at a Four Points...very nice,, completely off the beaten path the gps says the address doesn't even exist but still very nice.

Ahhh but I have gotten off track ( I know what else is new) so Sam met me at the airport after an evening of celebrating (yes she is 21) the end of the term and that her 21st birthday fell during finals so they couldn't celebrate...

after a quick stop at Home Depot for some supplies we were back at Sam's Sorority House










to deal with the task at hand.... getting Sam packed up for the summer and bring her home.

This would be the before picture.

So we packed a little and then stop for lunch and to meet up with Adi at the Black Bear Diner and we even went to see Sam and Adi's new apartment

Yes that second floor balcony is theirs ....

so is the one little staircase to bring everything up....
but you will have to stay tuned to the blog for further updates on the apartment in September.

but I digress (again) we packed most of Friday and then went to Sacramento to sleep a brand new Shereton Four Points near the airport....

very nice but the only place I could find with
vacancy's because of graduations weekend.

so this was the before picture




and this is the after one.

21 years ago

21 years ago she joined the family tiny, suntan, quiet and a full head of hair, the curls didn't come until a few weeks later.

She took her sweet time before she talked... yeah I know you would never believe that know.

she loved to be a the beach..... just a week short of her first birthday and look at those curls

...and her hair and curls kept growing

and for that matter so did she in to a beautiful

18 year old and finally in to

and now before I knew what happened another one of my little girls is now 21.

Regional Convention is a STS USY Sweep!

Could it have been any better.... Well yes it could I could have been there but then we would have missed Morgans graduation but other than that how much better could it have been.






We had Sarah, Kokasi and Igaal here to share the event.








Ashleigh nominated Sarah as President of Far West Region and Sarah won, so did David Weingarten as Regional VP of Mem/Kad, Gil ChenZion is the VP of Israel Affairs and Matt Alfaso is the VP of Communications.

but that's not all......

Scott was named USY Director of the year, Molly Kestin received the Citizenship Award and Ashleigh looked really cute in her dress (here I was sitting in the Orlando airport and everyone was sending me text's and facebook messages that she looked great but no one sent me a picture, but doesn't she look great).




And last but not least they received the "Chapter of Excellence"

STS USY - Rocks!!!!!

We are in Florida

o.k. so we have actually been in Florida for a few days.... We are here for Morgans Graduation...

yes you read that right Morgan is a graduate... but more about that in another entry...

this entry is about a great BBQ joint that we found right across the parking lot from the hotel

Sonny's BBQ Pitt ohhh so good.

We enjoyed it so much that we ate there Friday night (just Barry and me) and then we had dessert there after Morgans graduation That would have been Barry, Nathan and me.

But Barry liked it so much (o.k. so did I) that we went back there tonight for dinner and it was still just as good.

The other part of Sonny's that we truly enjoyed was the service that we received from Paige. She was just so much fun and very helpful.

and very funny.... so Paige when you read this we looked for you on facebook but do you know how many Paiges there are? 20 pages worth so you need to find us.

And We Have A Graduate

At approximately 8:45 p.m. on Friday May 22, 2009 Morgan Elizabeth Cohn became a graduate, with Honors (note the tassels and medallion). And even though we had some pretty torrential rains at about 3:30 earlier that day I kept talking to Wadah and Bubbie Celia (both of blessed memory) asking that it not rain on her night....and they did it, they took care of her and did not let it rain.

Everyone was there Morgan (of course), Nathan,

Barry (he isn't a proud Papa is he?),

Bronwen (that would be mom), David (that would be step-dad), Vern and Geri (that would be David's Parents no pictures),

Precious and Star (the service dogs)

and Me ( I really was there just no pictures to much frizz).