I Love:: Karla's Love Banner - Six

Well, who wouldn't love this Love Banner. A day or so ago I checked in to see what Karla was up to and there it was. A very pretty  Valentine's creation. This weekend we'll be working on our own fun pieces and you can bet something from someone here will embrace this direction! 

To really understand the brilliantly shining creativity surrounding this fancy you'll have to see Karla's blog - Life is Good.
http://karlakroese.blogspot.com/2010/02/love-banner.html

Karla is inspired as she inspires. Go peek! And beware. It was my first visit to her site that inspired my current writing expeditions. 
I love another's creativity.

I Love:: My husband's words - Five.

There is nothing to add to my dear husband's words: 

http://rotationandbalance.blogspot.com/

I Love:: Four ~ The Man in My Life.

I certainly would have liked to save the I Love My Husband idea for Valentine's Day. But I simply can't wait that long. When I think of the things I love right here on earth, he is first in line. The man at my side, the one who knows and loves me in all the various possibilities. Richer, poorer, better, worse, etc. My life's experience is bigger because he asked me to have lunch with him that particular day. I was decidedly intrigued by this handsome guy who was decidedly uncommon. We only had two overlapping artists in our album collections. (He still takes me to see James Taylor.) I remain captivated by his dedication to finding new things to add to our family's cultural horizon and rely on his loyalty and love for the old things too (me, San Francisco, Bruce Springsteen). I also love his wisdom, foresight, heart and the fact that he makes me laugh. Hard. So there. I said it, earlier than I planned. I LOVE:: My Dear Husband.

I Love:: Three - the landmark - Philippe's

History may repeat itself, but there are places we visit where something new can be found in the old. Philippe's French Dipped Sandwiches is like that. My family introduced our niece and nephew to Philippe's over Christmas break. It was great fun. The kids all sat in phone booths with the wood framed door closed, and perhaps for the first time, talking on phones tethered to the wall. 

My niece was astonished to find a place that really only offered one thing - the French Dip sandwich. (She'd had Subway for lunch and figured it would be the same. Mais non!)

Philippe's boasts inventing the French Dipped Sandwich sometime after it opened in 1908. Apparently, the owner dropped a sandwich roll into the roast juices and voila! l'histoire was made. The next day a police officer came in to have that sandwich again. And so on.

Our group ordered beef dips. A couple tried twists like adding bleu cheese (wonderful) or using Philippe's French mustard (hot) and were delighted. 

The place has a couple of rooms, with decor related to it's location near Union Station: circus pictures and a train collection. I watched the kids loading up at a big common table and looking at the old stuff which was quickly deemed cool. It is. Very cool to be a part of Los Angeles history. To sit in a restaurant where I know my mom and dad ate, where my husband ate with his parents, where, we get to go to LA's downtown and dine with Angelenos from all over the basin.

I recalled my first trip to Philippe's. I was working at my first advertising job as an account executive. A group planned to drive down to Philippe's for lunch and invited me along. All I'd heard was that it was French and I considered my cash accordingly. We all piled into someone's car and when we arrived, I was stunned. A big brick building where you queue to order and sit at any number or shared tables. I was thrilled at the potential for saving lunch money - sandwiches were cheap and coffee was then, 5 cents. (It's 9 cents now.) But I was most thrilled by this bit of history where I could see back in time a bit - lining up with weary workers for a hardy meal. I could picture a young, snappy reporter from the Los Angeles Times and that historic beat cop who ordered the first beef dipped sandwich and the builders of the Los Angeles infrastructure all together. 

It's a tasty picture.

http://www.philippes.com/

I Love:: Two - that doggie on my toes.

I have been in love with dogs my whole life. But this one, the hunk of Long Haired German Shepherd, who started our journey by sitting on my feet to prove his merit, just delights me more and more. This winter, he's taken to lying across my feet anytime I sit down, look like I'm standing in the same place for more than a couple of minutes or snuggle into bed for the night. It's winter and we're cozy. He's the constant attendant and pal who loves with his whole furry self. Love.
On 4 Feb 10 a post script: Tonight he gave us the doggy doesn't want to eat dinner story. So I, in my most dignified manner, knelt on the floor enticing him into eating. It worked. He ate as I knelt there, and suddenly I realized that no dog I've know has ever let me mess with dinner or sit so close while they ate. I also realized that he is 84 lbs. and a German Shepherd. Good thing he likes me.

I Love:: One ~ the tree outside my window.

Every year in winter, January to be specific, the tree outside my office window provides the most glorious show of color and change. Within just about 8 days, the leaves on this tree turn from green to a wildly bright yellow and fall, like rain from the branches to the grass below. The contrasts, start to finish, green to yellow, yellow against the blue sky, yellow against the green grass, yellow to brown and crunchy, are magnificent. 

If you came to look with me, this majestic tree would rain it's leaves down on you in some kind of grateful giving as you, too, admired the mystery of the handiwork. This tree has been in it's place for probably 50 years. 
I've only been be benefactor for 2.
I love noticing what is there is to be noticed.