It was a lovely weekend.  Lovely weather, and spending time with friends and family.  

On Saturday, Robert and I went to San Francisco.  He wanted to find out where the Barbary Coast trail walk began in downtown SF (there are engraved plaques on the sidewalks, that take you through historic sites.)  Through Chinatown, and up to North Beach.  Great walk. Just over 10,000 steps. (I wear my pedometer everywhere now.)

Hamburgers and french fries at Barney's, and then watched the movie, V for Vendetta--a very interesting story about "fictional" aspects of government, greed, abuse of power, and the necessity for  individuals to stand up for their human rights. Scarily relevant given the past week's terror stories.

Sunday was easy going (and technically productive.) In the morning, Gunther stopped by to take a look at my toilet problem. We let Anders and Auggie watch a program, Extreme Engineering, which we had recorded.  It was about moving some 75-ton "valves" for the oil pipelines in Korea/Russia. Gunther and I discussed our water bills.  He also gave me a copy of what to do for Ander's diabetes therapy.  I was a little unclear what to do baby sitting last Friday.  Now I have the guide!  

Robert helped me set up a new water fountain outside (I broke the old one through impatience when dumping it out to clean it.) 

Later, Nobu, Fumiko's brother arrived from a business trip.  The four of us made grilled chicken, salad, grilled pineapple with strawberries and whipped cream.  

Chloe's birthday is tomorrow.  She will be 4!   

I noticed yesterday was August 8, 2006  --  8  8  8.  Very powerful. 8 stands for money, power, authority, legal matters, contracts, and publishing--all things I had to deal with yesterday!

Gunther and Eliza came back from the Diabetes Youth Foundation camp they went to last week with Anders (who has type 1) and Auggie.  They all had a great time, had fun and learned alot.  (If you or someone you know has diabetes and is interested, the website is www.dyf.org.

 I am re-reading Paul Theroux's Great Railway Bazaar, and loving it.  It makes me want to take a train somewhere--but there's work to be done here!!

I have been having a great time receiving emails in response to my announcement of my free weekly forecasts--which I post every Monday on this site.  It's fun to get feedback.   

I'm very excited about a new project I'm working on, so will sign off for now and back to work... 

A stunningly beautiful day--an early walk with Rainey.  We talked a little bit about the treatment her daughter is undergoing for possible leukemia.  

Right now, Fumiko is in the garden, on the ladder up in the grapefruit tree.  She wants to make grapefruit juice.

Sunday Robert and I went to Chinatown. We looked at all the shops and ate dim sum. I was looking for more Chinese slippers (I've been wearing them for 40 years, and only wear this one type of slipper.)  The prettiest are the black velvet with a sequinned dragon, but those might be an endangered species.  I didn't find any.  The style are changing, so I had to buy the red ones with sequinned flowers--pretty but rather boring in design.  I also bought an elegant little Chinese doll with hip-length braids. 

At night, I'm still immersed in reading the travel tales of Paul Theroux in his book Riding the Iron Rooster Through China.  I love it and don't want it to end.  I'd never be able to hold up visiting in the frigid Siberian and Mongolian wintertime.  

The fog has come back to rescue  us from sweltering.  

I had an early walk with Rainey, and then Fumiko and I worked on the agendas for the October Japanese programs in beginning, intermediate and advanced numerology--plus the special class for professionals who want to add new techniques to their practices. 

At 3:30 pm, I took Anders and Auggie and we played in the backyard--Anders made some secret rocket potions and Auggie watched (and was scared by) the wind blowing through the banana plants.  Where does the wind go when it's not windy? I asked him.  "Bananas," he said.

Tomorrow Gunther and Eliza, Anders and Auggie go off to diabetes camp, south of here (they go to Fresno and on from there.)  I know it will be great for all of them to meet other families with diabetes.  So, I had them all over for fajitas tonight.  Gunther grilled the chicken, and vegetables.  Fumiko gave  Anders and Auggie the little foam planes she brought back from Japan (made in China.)

 It's a slow summer, and very rich.  Robert and I watched a magnificent documentary last night--a series on How Art Changed the World.  Last night was on how humans process the idea of death through art--for example, now we keep photographs of our deceased loved ones--and before now the ancient world had a go at it.  They started with the earliest found artifacts from 9000 years ago--7 skulls were found in Jericho.  These skulls had clay molded clay over them, and eyes had been inserted.  Riveting, beautiful, simple, and iconic.  The show also discussed the walls of skulls from the Aztec temples--"photographs" of ritual slaughter--people were, apparently from the evidence, lined up for two miles, going to be sacrificed.  What was that about? asked the archaelogists, with not much answer.  I love this series.  The last week was on using art for political power.  Fascinating.

We have also been watching Alan de Botton's narration on his book The Consolations of Philosphy.  Fabulous show.  I had read the book last year.  De Botton is one of my all time most favorite writers, as I've said.  Rainey and I went to see him speak in Berkeley.

With the class I took last week from Angeles Arrien on The Second Half of Life:  Opening the 8 Gates to Wisdom (from her book), I feel so blessed to be able to see and hear all this wisdom.  I'm also studying Hans TenDam's book, Deep Healing (about reincarnation therapy.)  I am underlining just about every other sentence.--he makes so much sense! It could not be better.

Then for "light" reading before bed, Paul Theroux's book (1988) Riding the Iron Rooster Through China.  Great insights, and things I need to know.

In fact, it's time to go to bed and read for awhile.