UNITED STATES: San Diego – Family Fun Time

By some welcome miracle, my bags made my connecting flight to San Diego. I finally caught a break after two months of serial debacles. My flight out of Chicago was delayed by snow and other technical difficulties, and I was already resigned to adding baggage to that list. Out of all the countries I travel through, aviation in the United States is the most problematic of developed nations.

You expect problems in the Caribbean or Indonesia, but the good old USA tops the list for delays, canceled flights, lost luggage, and endlessly long waits on security and customs entry.

But that’s all senseless distraction at this juncture. Now it’s all about the kiddies, and family time recharge.

ARIA – Chubby-Cheek Giggler

MIA – The Grabby Tummy-Tickler

BEST MOMENT OF THE YEAR – Mia dresses in black to honor my return. She pranced about like an Audrey Hepburn pixie from “Funny Face.”

TANYA & MIA – Psyching themselves up to satisfy some major candy cravings.

STEVE & ARIA – ARIA UPSETS THE ICE CREAM CART

TRICK OR TREAT – Monarch Butterfly, Wonder Woman, Witch, Owl, Witch

PUMPKIN SNOW MAN

MIA – WONDER WOMAN HITS THE BRICKS

UNDETERRED THEY NOGOTIATE NUMEROUS SPOOKY DECORATIONS

SCARY ANIMATRONIC WEREWOLF – This ones glowing green eyes fascinated Mia last Halloween.

HAYLEE – PARTY ON WAYNE

GHASTLY GHOST WITH CLAWS

JOLLY PUMPKIN CLUSTER

ARIA – BUTTERFLY

DISNEY – A VERY SCARY CORPORATION AND DESTROYER OF THE STAR WARS FRANCHISE

JURASSIC SNARK – Mia’s crazy about dinosaurs.

WONDER WOMAN & AELA CLAIM THEIR CANDY

DINOSAUR SKELETON

WONDER WOMAN “MIA” TOTES HER CANDY BUCKET

HER REAL HAIR – I THOUGHT IT WAS A WIG THAT HER MOM PUT ON HER

MIA SHOWS OFF HER BURGEONING CANDY BUCKET TO ARIA

SATISFIED WITH THE EXCESSIVE CANDY, MIA TRIUPHANTLY RETURNS TO THE VAN

WHAT LURKS IN THE GIANT SPIDER WEB?

A MONSTROUS ARACHNID

PUMPKIN CLUSTER

YEARNING FOR THE DAYS WHEN MOM CARRIED YOUR BUCKET HOME?

 WONDER WOMAN WAITING FOR DADDY BACK AT HOME

THE CRIMSON HIGH PRIESTESS OF BAKED GOODS DECORATION PREPARES NEW CREATIONS

GIRLY ACCESSORY COOKIES FOR MIA’S FRIEND SAMMY’S IMPENDING BIRTHDAY

DINA’S LATEST BAKING EXTRAVAGANZA

MIA BUILDS A MAGNATILES TOWER OR ROCKET SHIP

CAWFEE TAWK

THE GOOFBALLS

                                                 Z GALLERY

Yelena MUSMANNO – Untitled – 2019

Upon my return, I encountered this abstract that was produced by my former wife. I was well aware of Yelena’s talents, but these two pieces were completely different from her former works. Already impressed by the quality of the abstract, I was then shown the piece you see below. It is a reproduction of a photograph taken of our granddaughter Mia a year ago.

Yelena MUSMANNO – Mia – 2019

This painting of Mia is beautifully rendered and reminds me of the works of Edgar Degas. I think if Degas had gone in for toddler portraiture, this is just the sort of thing he might have come up with. It’s already reminiscent of his renderings of ballerinas.

Edgar DEGAS – Danseuse Rose (Pink Dancer) – 1878

DINA’S FROZEN OPUS – Every year’s cake brings new challenges and minor calamities, but they are inevitably worth it.

ONE ANGELIC MOMENT

TANYA GIVES ADELAIDE THE STINK EYE

BACK OFF PEOPLE – CAKE IS FOR KIDS

SURVEYING THEIR KINGDOM

HALEY CRADLES HER NEW LITTLE PONY

HANNA SCORES AN AWESOME LITTLE PONY STUFFIE

DADDY’S ABOUT TO TAKE A BEATING FROM THE NUMBER FOUR

MIA SHOWS OFF THE RESCUE COOKIE FROM HER CAKE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY