Happy 2009! I am obsessed with leaves, specifically, the beauty of all of the different shades left on the trees that have not yet shed their leaves. The above are 2 pages from my latest journal. I sketched the leaf on the left. The 1 on the right is from a tree in my neighborhood.

Yesterday, I got my husband to take a break from studying (this reminds me of many moons ago, back when we were newlyweds!) and to take a stroll with me through our neighborhood. We walked through the Arroyo and into Old Town. Pasadena was INSANE from the Rose Parade, which had ended about an hour or so before, and the anticipation of the BIG game, USC vs. Penn, which was coming up in an hour. We walked down Colorado and ran into my cousin, Gregory and his wife, who were on their way to the Rose Bowl, for the USC game. Mike and I said a quick "hi" since my cousin was crossing the sidewalk and was into the intersection when he finally realized who was saying "hi"! As we strolled down Colorado, the street was a mess from the parade! We turned on Fair Oaks and stopped at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and I got a large iced tea with extra ice to take with us. As we walked out of the Coffee Bean, this tree caught my attention. What a beauty! The day was about as perfect a day as you could get. It was in the low '70's and is was clear and beautiful. I was able to get away with wearing my USC sweatshirt, capris, and tennis shoes throughout the day and be comfortable. Our beautiful weather is just 1 of the many things that make Southern California the envy of so many! And the trees are starting putting on a show even though it is now January...