A Full, Fun, Family Day

Yes, it was:
The Access Van picked me up early, so I was at Ellen's shortly after 8:00. Hung out until it was time to go to Vivian's and Violet's "Girls Rock!" camp, at Ojai Valley School. We went to the lower site first to get Violet's friend, Roxanne,* who's following the equestrianism "track," as they call it. Mike, El, she, and I then to the auditorium for the show.
It was very informal (and pretty hot, as the AC was broken and it was 92 in Ojai). Here's Viv, who was in the photography and art "track." The girls read short talks and their pics were projected to the audience.

Violet was in the music track and she played the guitar--not at all badly, either--with two other girls. 

For some strange reason, they were wearing tutus. They had composed their own song and music, although I found it hard to understand. (Having my ears cleaned didn't seem to help my hearing.) 

The show lasted an hour and a half, which was 'way long enough, but it was fun to see. After, we drove up, up, up--practically straight up, it seemed, but oddly, I wasn't as terrified as I thought I'd be--to the dorms to collect possessions. 

The girls said goodbye to their bosom buddies/lifelong friends whom they had met seven days ago (they tend to be dramatic) and off we went to El's. She served us a delicious rice dish from the InstaPot, along with tacos and all the fixings. For dessert, she brought out a cake with candles for a mini-birthday for Vivian, who turns 15 on the 29th. We sang the song and gave Viv her little presents.

Clothes were taken out of the dryer, packed, and loaded into the humongous RV Mike had rented; he's now taking the girls on a road trip for a week,  Here they are shortly before they left:

That was a bit after 4:00 and they were going to drop Roxanne off at her camp, which has another week to go. 

El  and I just chilled (see that: I know all the trendy jargon!) after that and I actually took a short nap, as I hadn't gotten my usual quota of sleep the night before. We had thought about going out to eat, but decided to just have the lunch leftovers, which were yummy heated up.

The Access Van came a little late--about 8:15 and had to pick up another fare in Ojai, so I didn't get home until almost 9:00. Watched a little T.V., had my blueberries, went to bed, and slept well.

*Roxanne and Violet, both 11, became best friends in school in Singpore, which Roxanne attended for six years. She and her parents recently moved back to their native France. Roxanne's mother is a judge in Paris and her father has his own jet; I'm not sure what he does, but I have an idea it isn't cleaning up after the elephants. 

Mike mentioned that they have a number of horses on their large property near Paris in Maisons-Laffitte. Here's how it's described on a tourist site:

Wealthy and classy, Maisons-Laffitte is a northwestern suburb of Paris where you’ll almost be tripping over mansions and châteaux. True to this image of old money, the commune is a centre for equestrianism, with the largest horse training facility in the Paris region.

However, Roxanne is anything but a spoiled little rich girl. She's well-spoken (perfectly fluent in English, of course, with no accent at all) and very courteous and sweet-natured. Violet tends to be somewhat brusque and impatient, but very vulnerable (she reminds me so much of myself at that awkward age, it's uncanny), but Roxanne was always pleasant and cheerful.  It occurred to me that I, as a chubby eleven-year-old, growing up in that provincial south Jersey town, was utterly oblivious of the big world out there. The idea that I would have granddaughters who would so casually enter, and be comfortable in, the milieu they inhabit, wasn't in my wildest dreams. It's a wonderfully interesting life and I want more of it.