Photography on exhibit

Friday night was the opening night of the 3rd Annual Downey & Warren Photography Exhibition at the Stay Gallery. There was quite a crowd there, mostly young people, when I stopped by just after the exhibit opened.

This mom and daughter closely examined each photograph. I think there were some lessons going on there. I hope she's a budding photographer!

Tomorrow I'll show you my favorites.

On this day, I thee wed

We attended a wedding at Saddlerock Ranch and Vineyards in Malibu today. It was an amazing setting and a wonderful day. The flower girls were adorable as they dropped rose petals along the aisle.



"This day I will marry my best friend,
the one I laugh with,
live for,
dream with,
love."
~ Anonymous

Remembering D-Day

One of the things I value at the annual Memorial Day Tribute ceremony at the Downey Cemetery is the time when we recognize veterans from different wars. When I first started attending the tribute a few years ago, there were a handful of World War II veterans. This year, there were just two.

WWII is becoming further and further away from our memories, transitioning from something we have personally experienced into "history," something we learn about only from books and movies.

Seventy years ago today was the "beginning of the end" of WWII in Europe, when the Allied forces invaded Normandy. Last year, we visited the American cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer and saw the thousands of graves of Americans who died in the invasion.

It's a good thing to keep the memory of that time alive, one way or the other. In the words of Rene Coty, President of the French Republic, "We do not forget, we shall never forget, the infinite debt of gratitude that we owe to those who have given all for our freedom."

Training up the child

One of the things I love about living in Downey is the commitment we have for our children. This poster at Rio Hondo Golf Club, a city-owned and operated facility, encourages parents to invest in their children's development by having them learn one of the greatest games in the world. Anything that teaches a child etiquette is well worth the time and money. Try it out.

Good decisions should be celebrated

My son is getting married this Saturday and today his brothers and I celebrated his decision by treating him to a day of luxury.

We started off the day with a round of golf at Bixby golf course in Long Beach. Then we took him for a manly shave and haircut at Gornik & Drucker Barbering in Beverly Hills. Celebrities like Ronald Reagan have been their customers through the years.

We then went to Musso and Franks Restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard for a steak dinner. What a great day with my sons.

Choose wisely

Today was election day and the lawns around our neighborhood were virtual platforms for the candidates. This house took the "award" in my estimation for most candidates supported.

According to the Whittier daily news, Mario Gurerra and Tony Mendoza were early leaders in the race for Ron Calderon's state Senate seat. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens in November.

"The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do."
~ Joseph Stalin

Tree-lined streets

This weekend I had to go to Pasadena, and I was reminded of the year that I commuted to Pasadena for work.

The commute is about 16 miles. The first ten miles go quickly—all freeway until the 710 ends in Alhambra. The next six miles take longer—one- to two-lane surface streets through a variety of neighborhoods. For years, there were plans to extend the 710 freeway north all the way through to Pasadena and beyond. What stopped this plan was South Pasadena (above).

South Pasadena is the reason that I never minded that 6-mile drive. The wide streets are lined with trees that often meet in the middle to cover the entire street. The houses are one-of-a-kind. I never got tired of my daily commute. The South Pasadena residents fought long and hard to keep a freeway from ruining their neighborhoods.

Downey has similar neighborhoods (below). Maybe not as many or as tree-covered. But take a drive around, and enjoy the tree-lined streets and one-of-a-kind houses in our Downey neighborhoods.

Downtown eateries

My post yesterday made downtown Downey look rather deserted. But looking around tells another story.

The line at Porto's Bakery and Cafe was out the door, as usual. Looking the other direction, the sidewalk tables at LA buns were all filled. Everyone was enjoying the evening!