La Vie En Rose for 2005 July 12

Ok, so I'm a copy cat. Stacy posted this on hers first. I got it from the Victoria Listserv. (more on this weekend later)

Winston Churchill TO V-E DAY CROWDS Whitehall London 8th May 1945

There we stood, alone. Did anyone want to give in? Were we down-hearted? The lights went out and the bombs came down. But every man, woman and child in the country had no thought of quitting the struggle. London can take it. So we came back after long months from the jaws of death, out of the mouth of hell, while all the world wondered. When shall the reputation and faith of this generation of English men and women fail? I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we've done and they will say "do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be - unconquered." Now we have emerged from one deadly struggle - a terrible foe has been cast on the ground and awaits our judgment and our mercy.

But there is another foe...a foe stained with cruelty....We must begin the task of rebuilding our health and homes, doing our utmost to make this country a land in which all have a chance, in which all have a duty, and we must turn ourselves to fulfil our duty to our own countrymen, and to our gallant allies of the United States who were so foully and treacherously attacked....We will go hand and hand with them. Even if it is a hard struggle we will not be the ones who will fail.

http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/YrVictry.html

On Friday we went to a place called Bombay Creamery and had ginger ice cream, which was really good, then we went to a taxidermy shop (poor animals!) called Paxton’s Gate, and the Pirate store next door, which is a very high-class pirate store. Like mom, I kinda wanted a short, but I didn’t need one so it stayed at the store. After wards we drove to Greens, which was tres tres yummy, and we had a view of the bay and of the surrounding areas, where people with “bike tour” vests on, who came in for lunch at Greens to-go, rode segways around. Fab. Then we went to the Friends of the Library bookstore. I was kinda bummed when I saw that women and society was the featured section, but at the other location. All the same, I found 4 or 5 books I wanted, but I only bought one, a collection of stories of Bosnian women building peace. We went back and had a lazy afternoon watching more Arrested Development, and then Leonard got to open his presents! (BTW, Leonard & Sumana, did the pictures come through for you, bc mom sez they didn’t work for her?) I got him A Peace to End All Peace and mom got him a cutie ceramic casserole dish decorated with aliens.

On Saturday it was off to the Giants game! We stopped at Leonard and Jeff’s house, then went to a Muni station where we took a series of shuttles to SBC stadium, then got seats, hot dogs, etc. I managed to let fall over my $4 diet coke, but I “showed the concession guy my eyes,” as mom would say, and he refilled it for free. It was a very fast game. There was some exciting defensive stuff, but only two runs—luckily both for the Giants. They won, yay! And we were all prepared to lose. I wanted to see a home run into the ocean, but I guess I can’t be too picky. Anyway, it was very exciting, and now I want to go watch more baseball but I think the season is almost over. I shall have to check the Blaze schedule.

After the game we went to Leonard and Jeff’s for a birthday dinner, BBQed shrimp, yummmm, and Jeff had gotten a Happy Birthday, Leonard cake so we go to sing to him, which was fun. We played San Juan again and I think when we got back watched more Arrested Development. On Sunday it was time to go, so we loaded up the car and drove to Berkeley, where we went grocery shopping at the Berkeley Bowl, which was like a Whole Foods only BETTER and not union-busting. We got some really yummy cheese and a bunch of other good foods. Then we went to Viks which is an Indian restaurant of sorts. It was pretty yummy. Followed by Gelato (this was the weekend of the yummy eats. It reminded me of my travels in Europe). Mmmm, gelato. Oh, gelato how I love thee… What—oh yes. So then it was time to say goodbye and mom & I hurried home to get Gretel from the doggie spa. She professed to have missed us, but the spa lady said Gretel was having a grand ole’ time. Now I am back in LA and WWI, but my mind is increasingly ever on HP. (See Below).