Great visit with friends

Susan and Chris were super guests and we really enjoyed their visit.  They are now in the Hotel California for the last part of their holiday down here and we will do some more Modernism Weeks things with them.

Took some photos around the house before they left yesterday as the lighting (well,  we'll blame it on that…) was bad for just about every other photo I took.

They brought an "arrival gift"…a wonderful cookbook with south of France recipes.  I think the first one I will try is "Shrimp and Fish Soup with Toast and Rouille"

 Looks yummy and quite easy to make.

In addition the recipes,  wonderful photos and drawings.

Awesome!

We were expecting something quite mellow at the Purple Room last night with the name of the band called "Blue Hawaiins"…not a lot of choice for the days available when Chris and Susan were here but wow!  They were real rockers and just  absolutely fabulous!  We all just loved them and we were seated in the front tables right by the stage.  They guy playing the Fender was amazing and also the drummer…all of them were great.

The Rat Pack hung out at the Purple Room and Frank proposed to Nancy a couple of tables away from where we were seated.

And the food was good too….I had a great salmon dish preceded by a very good crab cake.

They seem to be quite famous around the LA area.  They play at the Lava Lounge there.  I found them on YouTube and we watched them on our big screen this morning.  I'll be downloading some of their songs from iTunes on my iPhone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVy_lfngmUE

The drummer in this clip is their old drummer…they have a new young guy…amazingingly talented.

 This guy is amazing!

Some rather fascinating art at the Palm Springs Fine Art Show

Some pretty pricey pieces here… up to just under a million.  A Picasso and some Andy Warhol.  These are a few I particularly liked.

 I thought this was quite brilliant…the "Designer Drugs Soft Pack Single Serving"

 High School Student….there were so many lifelike figures that we started mistaking real people for scupltures!

 Susan took lots of photos too.

 Artist:  Andy Burgess    I really liked his mid century modern paintings of homes.

 Didn't we all eat these when we were kids?  The sayings were a little "sweeter".


And then there were all sorts of neat dogs…this one couldn't get enough rubbing.

And so…Modernism Week begins!

Yesterday we went to a film:

Film – Mid Century Moderns: The Homes That Define Palm Springs

Excellent film and we all just really love learning about these homes and looking at them.  Afterwards we got lunch at Lulu's….always fabulous food.  I hadn't tried the calamari so had to give that a try….wonderbar.

Today,  Chris went to play golf at Escena and we joined him for lunch on the patio after his game.  An amazing course and the best views of the mountains in the whole valley I think.  Susan and I had their lobster roll…very fine example.   Unfortunately Jim twisted his knee slipping on some water on the floor so won't be playing golf for a while…ah well,  such is life.

Tonight we're heading to the Purple Room at the Club Trinidad for dinner and a show (a retro Hawaiin group ) as part of Modernism Week.  Should be fun!

Wonderful dinner at Pommes Frites

Susan and Chris treated us to dinner last night and it was a fabulous evening.   Most of us had the French onion soup which was amazing….I had duck a l'orange,  Jim and Susan had steaks, and Chris had Coq au Vin.  Everything was excellent and washed down with rosé de Bandol and a Bandol red to die for.  Perfect since we've all been in Bandol!

And the "frites" are like you get in France….heaven.

Merci beaucoup,  Chris and Susan!

Photos I took of us all turned out lousy…blame it on the lighting.  So a couple of photos of food.

Rocking it up at Las Casuelas on Saturday

 And of course we had to see Marilyn….Chris hadn't seen her yet.

Susan almost adopted a dog….was taken already.  Chris was relieved.

Good thing we had a big lunch as dinner was cold.  We had a power outage for about 6 hours in the evening.  We did have lots of candles and it was rather romantic.  Gas fireplace could be lit…too warm for it but good to know.

Today,  the boys played golf and Susan and I went shopping and then to the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair at the Convention Center.  Lots of interesting artwork…more on that in a later post.

Susan at the Convention Center.  She hadn't been there before….just a fabulous building!

Valentine's Day Cancelled

Manhattan

It's going to be 90 F today in the desert and hard to imagine all the woe many parts of the US and Canada are going through.  I do hope winter eases up.

We saw this on the news yesterday and it gave us quite a laugh:

“The Oconee County Sheriff's Office announces that Valentine’s Day has been CANCELLED from a line North of I-16 to the Georgia/Tennessee border,” the post read. “Men who live in the designated 'NO VALENTINES DAY ZONE' are exempt from having to run out and buy lottery scratchers and Hershey bars from the corner stores until February 18, 2014, due to ice, snow, freezing rain."

http://www.today.com/news/midst-storm-georgia-sheriffs-office-cancels-valentines-day-2D12107750

I wouldn't mind if Valentine's Day was permanently cancelled.  If you're fortunate enough to have a "Valentine" then I hope you don't need a day to appreciate that.  And if you don't,  then the day of "love' becomes the cruelest day of the year.

How about a new tradition for Valentine's Day?  How about giving flowers to someone who won't be receiving flowers that day instead of your sweetie?  There was a great story on the news yesterday about a fellow in the Coachella Valley who has a non-profit delivering loads of bouquets of flowers donated by businesses to hospitals and  retirement homes to people who don't usually get flowers.  What a super idea!

Update:  Just as I posted this I saw a story about him in the Desert Sun.  A wonderful story…do read!
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20140213/LIFESTYLES/302130010/

Chris and Susan arrive tomorrow in Palm Springs….along with Obama

They just might get a glimpse of Airforce One on the tarmac.  It's quite a pretty plane.  This is a shot of it at the PS Airport…probably when Obama met the Chinese president in the summer.  On the news today they announced road closures that seem to be all the roads along the airport but no mention that the airport was closed so I guess there will be some way in to pick them up.

But nothing can compare in beauty to the Concorde.  I just loved this airplane and was thrilled to see it on the tarmac  in Paris when we landed there…probably our 1997 trip since Air Canada did have a Vancouver to Paris flight for a very short while.

And I actually did eventually get inside one!  While Jim was doing some research in LA I went out to that local air museum and they had a Concorde you could take a tour in….heaven!

I actually did a sketch…and started painting again!

I did this sketch very quickly…I think that's the point.  And it was quite fun.  It's our little fountain out on one of the patios.

The Valentine's hype begins

Valentine's Day in the US almost seems to be as big an event as Christmas.  We always make a special point NOT to go out for dinner that night if we're in the US….always crowded and you wait even with a reservation.  Most people waiting around seem to be scowling rather than whispering sweet nothings.

If you have an extra $40 K and feel like going to Paris,  this is on offer according to the Desert Sun today.

Heart-throbbing highlights: Sip vintage Champagne in a historic wine cellar. Savor dinner prepared by a two-star Michelin chef.

Indulgent details: The luxury for this overnight package begins when you step into your Hermès Rolls Royce Phantom for your chauffeured drive to the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris. At the iconic property, steps from the Champs-Elysées, relax in your flower-adorned Penthouse Suite until it's time for your aperitif served in the wine cellar. Nearly 46 feet underground, the cellar contains 50,000 bottles, hand-picked by award-winning sommelier Eric Beaumard. Sip your Krug Clos d'Ambonnay 1998 Champagne (a bottle sells for about $9,347) in the glow of the candle-lit cave. Back at your suite, with its 360-degree view of Paris and the spires of Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower, tuck into your sumptuous meal prepared by Eric Briffard, the hotel's two-star Michelin chef. Before departing the next morning, enjoy Champagne breakfast in your suite.

Price tag: About $40,515 per couple, fourseasons.com/paris/

Would I do this even if I had the money?  No,  absolutely not.  There is nothing more romantic than wandering about the streets of Paris and dropping into a sidewalk café for a drink.

Price:  under $20 

Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Desert.

After lunch at the Elephant Bar we wanted to go the to Palm Desert branch of the PS Art Museum but it was exceptionally closed today and a new installation being prepared.  We did enjoy the sculpture garden, though.

 "Midnight and Morning Rain.  Waiting for Miro"..by Peter Reginato

"Walks among the Stars" by Dave McCary.

Modernism Week Neighbourhood tours

I was really pleased to read in this Desert Sun article that the neighbourhoods get the money from the tours.  One of the Modernism Week things we are doing with the Bings when they're here is the Vista Las Palmas tour.  Looking forward to their visit and all the things during Modernism Week.

And they arrive on Valentine's Day which will be a double celebration since that's the day we bought our desert home!

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20140205/OPINION04/302050028/Neighborhood-tours-become-treat-Modernism-Week

A few examples:

Lulu's for dinner with Erna and Marvin

Have a great meal and a super time last night at Lulu's.  It really is an excellent restaurant and great value.  We all had the three course feast.  We sat inside this time and enjoyed the decor.  They can seat 500 people and are always very busy.  We've all been very impressed with the service and the food.  They certainly deserve their success although it's always a little sad to see some adjoining restaurants almost empty.

3 COURSE MENU - Available after 11 am Everyday $19.99 per person plus tax Early Bird Special 3pm – 5pm Everyday $15.99 per person plus tax * Please add $5 for Filet Mignon Please no splits or substitutions. No other discounts or coupons apply with this menu.$19.99 price is for parties with less 10 people. For groups of 10 or more please visit our events section Appetizer (Please Choose One Item) Mixed Field Greens Salad salad with cherry tomatoes and oranges, topped with won-tons, served with an orange vinaigrette Caesar Salad (Marvin) whole leaf Romaine hearts with baked Parmesan crisp Minestrone classic vegetable medley  Wild Mushroom Soup (Erna and I had this) with a touch of white truffle olive oil and chopped chives Vichyssoise Soup (seasonal)(Jim) potato and leek soup served deliciously cold Entrée (Please Choose One Item) Lobster Ravioli ravioli stuffed with Lobster meat, with a light tomato basil lobster cream sauce Lasagna Bolognese (Arturo Style) topped with kielbasa sausage Chicken Piccata chicken breast sautéed with lemon caper sauce, served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and vegetable medley Linguine with Shrimp (Erna) served in a light marinara sauce Sautéed Fresh Tilapia (Jim and I) served with tropical mango salsa, rice pilaf and vegetable medley Dover Sole sauteed filets of California dover sole with lemon caper butter sauce, rice pilaf and fresh seasonal vegetables Meatloaf a la Lulu Chef Arturo's red glazed angus beef meatloaf topped with your choice of a tangy tomato sauce or savory mushroom sauce, with yukon gold masked potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables Filet Mignon * 8 oz. grilled filet mignon, served with peppercorn sauce, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and vegetable medley Grilled Pork Chop (Marvin) topped with maple syrup and baked apple glaze, served with yukon gold mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables Farfalle Primavera bowtie pasta served with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and vegetable medley Eggplant Parmigiana layers of fresh eggplant, fresh mozzarella and Parmesan with marinara sauce 4 Cheese Baked Ziti baked pasta dish with four cheeses: provolone, mozzarella, Swiss and Parmesan with Bolognese or marinara sauce Caesar Salad with grilled chicken breast chopped Romaine hearts and imported Parmesan Dessert (Please Choose One Item) Tiramisu Vanilla or Cappuccino Ice Cream (Erna, Marvin, Jim) Flourless Triple Chocolate Cake (Me…Jim and I shared it and the ice cream) Freshly Cut Seasonal Fruit

Quote from one of my favourite writers

Wouldn't it be great if I could find one of her novels I hadn't read…don't think that will be happening but I could re read one.   I do remember particularly enjoying "The Sea,  the Sea".

“Of course reading and thinking are important but, my God, food is important too. How fortunate we are to be food-consuming animals. Each meal should be a treat and one ought to bless every day which brings with it a good digestion and the precious gift of hunger."
- Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
 

Inspired by Susan….

I actually bought a sketchbook and markers the other day.  Susan has so many art materials and is AWAYS doing something.  I think why I don't get down to my painting is having to get into painting clothes,  get water and other set up etc. so thought I would try sketching as well and using some other media than canvas, paintbrushes and paint.  So,  now I have paper, pencil, and markers in addition.  I'm up to six!

I really liked these painting that were in an entrance to Macy's.