Slept at Ellen's and she and I left just after 8:00 am for the trip to L.A. Traffic, naturally, was horrendous, but we got there by 10:30. To say it was a terrific experience doesn't even come close to describing it adequately. Here's the web site: https://monetexpo.com/los-angeles/.
I have some pictures, but as ever, am having a problem transferring them from my phone. In fact, Ellen has a much better camera and, I'm sure, much better pictures. She also asked a couple to take our pic together and did the same for them, as is common. I'll post some after she sends them to me, but here are a few from my cheapie phone. I wish I had caught more of the koi fish that were swimming around my feet in the first room:
In the next room, the viewer sat on benches or lawn chairs and were surrounded by Monet:
But there was much, much more and it changed. The next rooms included a painting by patron one, I guess you could call it. People were able to select from a number papers with Monet etchings on them nd there were marking pens they could use to fill out themselves. We didn't, but took some home to give Suzanne.
We were just overwhelmed by the next room: Here, we got head gear for a virtual reality tour, starting with Monet's study, then taking us into several paintings. We then stopped into the gift shop where we both bought a number of Christmas presents, mostly for Mike and family. (Yes, we tend to be last-minute shoppers to a fault.)
There's just no way to adequately describe this experience, but when we left, I told Ellen this was the best Christmas present I'd gotten since Mike was born (ha!).
Traffic heavy when we drove home, but we expected that. We drove a good half-hour, but were still in L.A. (the place so so incredibly spread out) when we stopped at a Greek restaurant for "linner"--it was after 300, so a kind of combination of--yep.
Got home and said goodbye to dear Ellen. Almost immediately, I texted to Suzanne to see if she was up for a little Happy Hour meeting. Yes, come over and I did, bringing the papers to paint, a rose from the bouquet Olivia had given me, and a glass of cabernet for myself. Suzanne got herself a (non-alcoholic) beer and we chatted happily for a half hour or so. Jim called to see how I like the Monet experience and we talked. He had also called me Tuesday morning to wish me happy birthday; I was please to hear he'd be with friends on Christmas eve and Christmas day.
Today, I must make the chocolate covered nuts, wrap presents, see if I have to add any, and otherwise get ready for The Day. I should clean a little, too, but that's last on the agenda.
Note: Here's one of Betty and me (looking annoyingly tubby) on Tuesday, our eighty-fifth at Villa Alamar:
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