Favorite Weekends ~ in Southern California!

I'm taking a break from my Italy posts, to share my two favorite weekends this winter! (I know, it doesn't look like winter here!) One of them was when my nieces came to stay, for an over night, at my place in L.A. They were on their winter break from N.Y.U., where they are both in college. 

We had perfect weather for a visit to the Getty Center, as well as an evening walk to an old revival movie house. It's called New Beverly Cinema,  and dates back to the 1920s. We also made dinner together in my little kitchen and walked to Blu Jam on Melrose for brunch on Sunday morning.

It was fantastic getting to spend time with my smart, funny, creative nieces and being able to do something different, outside of our normal Ojai visits.

The Getty Center

My nieces Rachel and Elizabeth, checking out some very detailed drawings ...

Pretending we were in Florence, in front of a huge photo wall, 

outside of the Italian painting exhibition!

So fun! Thanks ladies for coming to visit!! :)

My other favorite weekend, is when I had my nephew, for the 3 days over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. We stayed at my sister's place in Ojai. It's always great to hang with my favorite 7 year old and see the world through his eyes.

Benjamin, exploring near my parents house, in Ojai.

On Sunday that weekend, we headed to Santa Barbara. We scored on the weather! It was gorgeous! 

One of the loveliest places up there is the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. There are even picnic tables out back, under the oak trees, and a creek that runs through the property. 

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Chumash Basket

Ben and I like to come up with funny pictures. This is my favorite!

Ben and I met his sister Elizabeth for a seafood lunch, then headed to the pier ...

There is a small aquarium on the pier, called the Ty Warner Sea Center ...

My nephew, has a big box under his bed that he calls his "museum." It's filled with smaller boxes, containing little collections of sea shells, crystals, geodes, fossils ... his own little natural history museum. 

After touring the aquarium, I asked him if he'd like to pick something out, from one of the gift shops, to add to his collection. 

"Um ... Lulu? I think I'd rather look for something myself, on the beach, instead of buying something."

(Yes, he actually said this! How awesome is that?)

"That's a great idea Ben." 

So, we headed down to the beach and started his hunt.

At one point he had a whole pile of various treasures, but then he found ... the big score.

The strange thing is, we had just seem them in the aquarium, or I'd have never known what it was! 

It's called a mermaid purse. Certain kinds of sharks and skate gestate their eggs and babies in these! They end up attaching to kelp and various things until months later, the baby shark breaks out! How crazy is that?! 

I'd never seen one until that very day ... right after looking at them on display, in a fish tank! In the aquarium, with a light shining behind them, you could see the baby sharks inside them! 

Found this on YouTube to show you, what they looked like in the aquarium!

It was very exciting!

Monday, after Ben and I watched the oath of office, we headed to Martin Luther King Day, at Libby Park, downtown. Ben's class sang, "This Little Light of Mine." (You can barely see him, in the middle of the back row, in his plaid shirt.)

I tried to video the song with my phone but at a distance, it was terrible... 
so here's a great bluegrass version! 

Not long after our fun weekend, they had a gallery show at Ben's school, to celebrate founders day.

Each class, at his little school, got up and performed. Ben's second grade class, sang a song that I love.

The song is called, With My Own Two Hands. Here's a video version I found on YouTube with music by Ben Harper and Jack Johnson. So sweet, and beautiful!

My nieces and nephew, at my parents house, before the girls headed back to N.Y.C.

This little light of mine, 
I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine, 
I'm gonna let it shine

This little light of mine, 
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine
Let it shine 
Let it shine!

Ev'ry where I go
I'm gonna let it shine
Ev'ry where I go
I'm gonna let it shine
Ev'ry where I go
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine
shine
shine
Let it shine!

~Harry Dixon Loes (1895-1965)

circa 1920

More Italy on the way ...

Blessings and light!

Hope you all have an amazing weekend!