Street party

New Year's eve in Pasadena. The parade route is packed with overnight campers. They've brought everything they need -- air mattresses, picnic tables, firepits. It's quite the party.

Seating for fifty thousand

A few days before New Year's Day, the main drag in Pasadena has every available parking lot full of bleachers and roped off grandstands for the upcoming Tournament of Roses Parade. It's a little weird driving by all the empty stands.

Elite Eater

Christmas Day, we hit the epicenter of dim sum in California -- Elite Chinese Restaurant in the western San Gabriel Valley. Ellen can sometimes be a typical picky-eater, but put her in front of dim sum, and she has to have absolutely everything. Here, she snatches a har gow (steamed shrimp dumpling) practically as it hits the table. Again, keep your hands and feet away from her mouth...

Mr. Pie Man, make me a pie

This place specializes in chicken pot pies. Nothing else. So very retro, so very yummy. I loaded up on some for our freezer.

Ladies who lunch

Stumbled across this little Old Town Pasadena "tea room." From a peek inside, it looks like the place for the estrogen-gifted to fuel up.

Lush

Can you believe this is the view from my driveway in late December? In the morning, I'm struck by how beautiful this place can be.

Jordan likes this post - confirm or ignore?

The greeting card industry desperately tries to keep up.

When life gives you lemons

Lemons. Lots and lots of lemons. They keep growing. Now we need to do something with them.

Fruits of my (non) labor

Pomelos and lemons from the garden. I'll be juicing these suckers for my patented Hanukkah party punch later. From tree to juice in fifteen minutes.

Four seasons all in a day

This is what passes for fall/winter in California. In December, some leaves finally fall down. Meanwhile, other trees are blossoming and the citrus is ripening. I'm very confused.

Bedtime story

Ellen still likes her books at bedtime. We've passed board books and Dr. Seuss for stories about little girls with serious princess complexes. Now who does that remind me of?