Today was the funeral service for Eddie Lee, longtime good friend of Robert’s parents. Eddie is survived by Mary, his wonderful wife of 53 years, and by their daughter Ann Marie.

Good discussions of dental work in Mexico.

“Los Algodones is a small 5-block square border town just south of Yuma, AZ (right next to CA/AZ split) that is pretty much dedicated to medical tourism. It has over 300 registered dentists, a slew of pharmacies (for cheap prescription drugs), multiple eyeglass doctors (cheap glasses), places to get inexpensive hearing aids…and probably a few more specialties I don’t know about.”

http://www.wheelingit.us/2013/01/16/getting-dental-work-in-mexico-part-i-clarifying-myths-facts/

http://www.wheelingit.us/2013/01/18/getting-dental-work-in-mexico-part-ii-our-los-algodones-experience/

The Pierce Family recently met some friends at the Terrapine Crossroads, which used to be the Seafood Peddler prior to it being purchased and refurbished by a guy who used to be in the Grateful Dead.  It seems to be a very good place to take friends for dinner or Sunday brunch. The food is good and they have some quiet music in the restaurant.  There is also a larger music venue where bands play.  The crowd is definitely the fifties and sixties set (lots of long hair and beards), but the venue keeps it pretty respectable.  The location is great.  Right on the canal in central San Rafael.  Free valet parking. We’ll go back.

http://www.terrapincrossroads.net/

Robert was reminded of this today.

From the article about letters that didn’t make the alphabet here.

Ampersand

Today we just use it for stylistic purposes (and when we’ve run out of space in a text message or tweet), but the ampersand has had a long and storied history in English, and was actually frequently included as a 27th letter of the alphabet as recently as the 19th century.

In fact, it’s because of its placement in the alphabet that it gets its name. Originally, the character was simply called “and” or sometimes “et” (from the Latin word for and, which the ampersand is usually stylistically meant to resemble). However, when teaching children the alphabet, the & was often placed at the end, after Z, and recited as “and per se and,” meaning “and in and of itself” or “and standing on its own.”

So you’d have “w, x, y, z, and, per se, and.” Over time, the last bit morphed into “ampersand,” and it stuck even after we quit teaching it as part of the alphabet.

You know where we are today. If you don’t, then you should.

The kids are finally asleep after a day in the house hiding from the rain. Now is a time for Robert and Mira to sit down, pour a glass of good wine, light a candle, and spend some quiet time alone together . . . NOT

February is abstract expressionism month.

Given her Waldorf training, at this point Cadie makes a mean cherry scone.

In celebration of the first 100 days of school. Princely crown and fruit loop necklace.
But of course.

The Pierces are enjoying Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio, wonderfully illustrated by Fulvio Testa and published by The New York Review Children’s Collection.

http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/childrens/pinocchio-illustrated/

Very well done.

Feel free to explore the website for gift ideas.