Hiking the Bay Trail

We are so fortunate to live in the San Francisco Bay Area.  We can walk for miles and miles along the Bay Waterfront here in Berkeley, which Claudia and I did yesterday evening with our dogs Rio and Molly.  Photo credits go to Claudia and the iPhone 4S.

During my days with Team in Training famous coach and ultra marathon runner, Mama Lisa, taught me to make & use these warm up sleeves out of long socks.  These arm warmers provide warmth at the beginning of the run, are lightweight & easy to pull off & put in a belt or fanny pack then pull on during cool down.  Imagine my surprise when I watched Madonna's Live Facebook Chat Moderated by Jimmy Fallon, on March 24, 2012 and saw her wearing a similar fashion.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xupk8Fal96A&list=UU81VD6eeuLLSfyY_D-N8sVw&index=5&feature=plcp

In three days I celebrate my 70th birthday.  Where indeed, did the time go?  I am blessed with and grateful for good health, good genes, loving, loyal & dedicated family and friends and Rio dog.   

Hat, tights & top: Target.      
Adidas socks cut into fingerless arm warmers: Sports Authority.
The Nike shoes are about 30 years old; I don't remember where I bought them.  
Fanny pack: Nordstroms.
Necklace: found by neighbor John & gifted to me.
Gray pearl studs:  Jewelry store on the square in Napa.

by Raymond Holbert

Last Monday night, my friend Lynne and I had dinner at my favorite restaurant, Picante in Berkeley.  Not only do they have delicious, almost wholly organic food, but it's owned by an in-law.

 As we were leaving Picante Raymond Holbert, a professional photographer, asked if he could take our photo. You can see more of Raymond's images at www.memorybanque.com. I told him I welcomed the tables being turned on me, as I'm usually the one asking people if I can take their picture.  He said we looked like old friends having a good time.  Lynne & I know each other from our activist days in the Free Speech Movement when we were students at Cal - University of California @ Berkeley.  I guess 48 years is a long time to know someone.

Guest Susan: twin Bruno Magli sandals

Today my guest is Susan of stature, grace & beauty, with charm & talent, warmth & sincerity.  She also wears the most wonderful silvery jewelry and we independently bought & love the same black pair of Bruno Magli sandals 

Bayfront Theater Fashion

Two weeks ago my friend Gala took me to see the amazing & hilarious improve troupe, Bayfront Theatersports (BATS) http://www.improv.org/. 

I laughed so hard.  I highly recommend them when you are in San Francisco.

 The moment I walked in these two outstanding women,  Sherry & Margo, caught my eye.  Their styles are a celebration of being.  Their verve for living exudes from every pore of their bodies.  Their outfits immediately said to me, "Hello world; I am loving life and having fun!"

Sherry in black with red flower, necklace  & shoes has an inspiring website:  http://www.simplycelebrate.net/

Time flies

 I have been having so much fun I haven't taken the time to post for a week.  I have a backlog of photos to share with you all.  These first two were taken by Gayla.  I'll start with last Thursday, when my two new, dear friends, Gayla & Jose, from Russia and Spain treated me to a sumptuous lunch at our famous Chez Panisse Cafe, Alice Waters' restaurant.  http://www.chezpanisse.com/.  

The anniversary posters for Chez Panisse and some of Alice's cookbooks are crafted by David Lance Goines, renowned poster artist.  http://www.goines.net/poster_art.html   

 My home is filled with David's fine art, hand-printed posters.  Gayla fell in love with David's work after seeing it in my home.  As David is an old friend from college I arranged for us to visit his studio after lunch.  It seemed like the perfect marriage of activities.  We also visited David's stained glass triptych for Mary Magdalen Parish,  Berkeley, California.

Guest Corrie

 Corrie is my guest fashionista today.  Her cute outfits always turn my head so today I asked her to grace my BLOG.  She says, "I call my look chic survival gear for an Oakland bicyclist."

Cap from REI; it fits great under my bike helmet.
Neck cowl scored at the Oakland flea market
Vest from Target, pronounced Tar-JAE.
Black lululemon hoodie from it's own tempting little store in Berkeley
Ice breaker thumb sleeved zip up underneath: REI 

Black skirt from Forever 21 but another score from the flea market
Grey leggings are ALO found at Tuesday Morning for 1/3 of their price! I thought it was just a home decor store!?

Flower socks are K.Bell brand found in a cowboy store in Vegas
And my all time staple is my pair of Palladium boots found at Bill's boot shop on telegraph in Berkeley. Great place!

Passover - Pesach

Being Jewish, we celebrate Pesach (Passover), the freedom from being slaves under Pharaoh.  We celebrate for 2 nights because it took 2 days for the runner to get from one end of Palestine to the other to alert ancients that it was time to celebrate. The photo above was taken Friday night after an inspiring and loving Sedar (the ceremony of readings and eating) with our blended, extended family in Berkeley hosted by our wonderful friends Lee & Judy.  In fact my former husband, my son's father, took the photo above.

Hat:  Hats in the Belfrey:gift from former sister-in-law and my four nieces & nephews.

The second night, Saturday, we were again with our extended, blended family but in San Rafael, Marin County.  My son took the photo above.  That is my oldest grandson behind me.  He will be having his Bar Mitzvah next March when he turns 13.
Right here I'm going to riff on the joys and pleasures of having a blended, extended family.  Divorce is usually devastating to everyone in the family.  Children are apt to feel they must decide between parents; they are usually caught in the middle, becoming the fulcrum of the battle; they often internalize the worst of the struggle.  It took us 13 years of trying and wanting to truly forgive and neutralize our feelings.  We came together when necessary, like to honor our son's Bar Mitzvah, but there was bitterness, hurt and resentment.  Norman married a very loving & welcoming woman, Roberta.  She and her family supported our ideal of a blended family and opened their home & hearts to me, the former wife.  After much emotional work and time we finally became a loving, blended family.  Now our children &  grandchildren don't have to alternate homes for the holidays.  We all celebrate all our festivals & birthdays together.  We go to our grandsons' baseball, soccer, football, basketball & Lacrosse games...together.  It's a win, win all around.  No one is left out; all are included.  No one is alone or lonely for all the special days and events in our lives.  In fact, my former, Norman, is  the MC for my 70th birthday party.  Sadly we lost Roberta just January 18th, after a shockingly aggressive cancer took her from us.  Coming together last week to celebrate Pesach with her brother's family, Norm's nieces family, our sons & their families and friends is as healing as it gets, for all of us are grieving while celebrating the joys that do continue in this world.  
Hat:  Target 

Happy Spring!  Hag Sameach!  Happy Easter!

Spring fashion sprung showing colorful pants galore inspiring me to pull out these red Chelsea davis jeans. Having not worn them for about 8 years I was thinking about taking them to a resale store.  This is just another reminder of why I keep my clothes forever.  The red heart pin I've had for 43 years.  I bought it from a street vendor the year my son was born.  I have a black, long sleeve, rayon, mock turtle neck that I bought when I was 21.  I've owned that shirt for 48 years.  I had to resew the hem on one of the sleeves but I've been wearing it all my adult life.  
There is a popular saying, "Get rid of any clothing item you haven't worn in the last year. " To me that is a wasteful, ridiculous, extravagant idea.  Certainly basic pieces can be comfortably & fashionably worn for decades. Even the more trendy items will be just the right accent for a newer fashion or the key contrast for a  new style.  My closets may be brimming but I'm happy to have the amazing variety I've collected over the last 50 years still at my fingertips.

Heroes & Role Models

As far back as I can remember I have had a role model, someone who I admired and sought to emulate. As a girl it was Annie Oakley.  I grew up in Albuquerque and felt very much a part of the wild west.  As you can tell, from the cowgirl hats I wear, I still identify with Annie Oakley, though I have yet to shoot a gun.

Click on following link to see Video of Annie shooting - 4 minutes


Today's fictional Annie Oakley is Katness Everdeen, the hero of The Hunger Games.  I'm sure she's providing thousands of girls the inspiration they need to overcome life's given challenges.

In my twenties and thirties it was Wonder Woman, the genesis of my extensive Wonder Woman collection.  She would inspire me when I was down & discouraged as a single, working mother.  When my load felt too much I could look to her and know I could go on and do IT! 

When I began running in my thirties, in the 1970s, it was Duvika Spino, my first running coach.  Then came Team in Training and Mama Lisa Felder, an inspiring ultra marathoner.  She introduced me to octogenarian runner Helen Klein listed among the top World Masters Association runners.  Here are some inspiring milestones for us all for Helen Klein: 

• Over 100 marathons completed

• 142 ultramarathons completed (only one woman has run more)

• Oldest person to complete a 100-mile run

• Official finisher: The Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii

• At age 66... one of the first women to complete the Grand Slam of Ultra Running: Five 100-mile mountain trail runs in a 16 week period (only four needed), which included 175,000 feet of elevation change

• At age 70... ran the 145-mile stage race in the Himalayas

• At age 72... completed the Marathon Des Sables, a 145 mile stage race across the Sahara Desert in Morocco, followed just two weeks later by completing the 370 mile Echo Challenge in Utah

• At age 74... ran the 143-mile stage race across the Peruvian Andes

• At age 81... completed the Tahoe Triple in 10/09/04 by running 3 marathons around Lake Tahoe in 3 consecutive days (78 miles in 18:05:51)

• Oldest woman to have finished the following 100-Mile Endurance Runs: Western States, Leadville Trail, Wasatch Front, Old Dominion, Angeles Crest, Rocky Raccoon, Vermont

• USA Track and Field Hall of Fame: First woman ultramarathoner (elected in 1999)

• Arete Award: Symbolizing Courage in Sports

• Road Runners Hall of Fame (elected in 2004)

• MasterCard’s Master of the Marathon Award (1992)

• 2002 Olympic Torch Bearer

Click here to see 85 year old Helen breaking another record!

and here for more details

I'm turning 70 next month and need heroes more than ever.  And today I find another role model: Kathy Martin who at 60 is setting new running records for her age bracket, looks beautiful & is inspiring women of all ages around the world.  

Video Interview with Kathy Martin

Thank you WONDERFUL WOMEN - wherever you are - for speaking up, stepping out, snuggling in, taking chances, being brave and sensitive, strong and soft, for bearing, guiding and protecting our children and for being intelligent, loving, dedicated, persevering and radiant.  

Red Blazer

Today, Sunday, was a busy, fun-filled, day.  I spent the morning with friends, then running along the bay with Rio dog.  A noon appointment @ Apple Genius Bar straightened out my iPhone 4 S voicemail which wasn't playing.  After lunch I went to see Selected Shorts at the Berkeley Rep with readings by Jill Eikenberry & Michael Tucker (famous couple of LA Law, movies & theater) and Isaiah Sheffer. They read stories by Etgar Keret, Alice McDermott and Roald Dahl.  It was scintilating testimony to the power of the written word.  After a quick grocery shopping at Monterey Market and run through Target I had dinner. Before heading off tonight, I shot the BLOG photo. Friends had an extra ticket to hear Keith Jarrett, pianist.  He performed a solo concert of improvisation @ Zellerbach Hall on UCBerkeley campus to 5 standing ovations with 5 encores !!!!!!!!  Berkeley is an amazing city.  I am still in love with her after 52 years.  There are a lot of very wealthy people here.  But you don't see the usual signs of wealth.  Berkeley residents spend their money on books, art, culture, music, dance, organic & gourmet food, $1000 glasses, $100 tights, outdoors and sporting equipment, massages, acupuncture, hybrid cars, solar panels and philanthropy. 50-60% of the cars on the streets are Prius or Honda hybrids with the Nissan Leaf & Chevy Volt expected to proliferate this year. Our city council even passed a resolution recognizing the immeasurable sacrifice of Tibetans who have self immolated in protest of Chinese 
political suppression, calling for Tibetanfreedom and the return of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.   I feel honored & grateful to be a Berkeley citizen.