Beach Chalet – Family Lunch

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We went to the Beach Chalet today for a family lunch.  My brother Pete and his daughter Lynda, and our cousin Rip and his wife Joanna were visiting.  They joined Eleanor, Paul, John and me for a leisurely meal watching the Pacific waves break on sunny, windy Ocean Beach near the Cliff House.  The Beach Chalet is not only a particularly interesting and beautiful San Francisco landmark, its preservation (along with the Lucien Labaudt murals on its walls) was the passionate work of many years by our family friend Jo Hanson. Inside the oceanfront building are many delightful mosaics and murals from 1925 but my favorite work is the stair rail with mermaids and mermen, an octopus newel post, and other undersea scenes going up to the brewery and restaurant.

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Images Copyright 2012 Katy Dickinson

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CMU Creatures

While we were trailing after my daughter Jessica during her graduation events last weekend, I was charmed to see so many animals had infiltrated the ultra-geeky world of Carnegie Mellon University. I don’t just refer to the CMU Scottish Terrier official mascot – although Scottie was there – but wild animals too. From the early morning robin and bunny to the sparrows in the grass during the commencement service, CMU creatures joined our celebrations.

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Images Copyright 2012 by Katy Dickinson

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A’s at Foothill College

My son Paul is very much enjoying his second year at Foothill College (Los Altos Hills, California). The family teases Paul that he is working his way through the course catalogue in alphabetical order. So far, he has taken only classes starting with the letter A: Art, Algebra, Anthropology, Astronomy.

Last weekend, his sister Jessica and I were consulting with Paul on his classes for this summer.  We thought he was going to break his pattern by taking swimming and a practical software class, until we saw that the Foothill catalogue calls these Aquatics and Adobe In Design.  Maybe Paul will get to the B classes next year.

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Image by Katy Dickinson 2012 Copyright

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Laura’s Moon

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I was delighted with these photos of the 20 May 2012 lunar eclipse taken by our friend Laura from the San Francisco Bay Area.  We missed seeing the event because my son and I were in a jet, coming home from Jessica’s CMU graduation. Paul was particularly disappointed since he has been taking astronomy classes from the inspiring Professor Andrew Fraknoi at Foothill College. Notice that Laura even caught sun spots in her pictures!

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Images Copyright 2012 Laura Holmes

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Goodbye Tbird

Cleaning out my late father’s old Tbird, we found: 2 books (A Pirate of Exquisite Mind and The Feynman Lectures on Physics, vol.5), 3 metal boxes full of tools, at least a dozen western maps, 2 umbrellas, 2 pocket knives, a pillow, coins and toothpicks and binder clips everywhere, 2 jackets, tissues, window cleaners, a new backpack, 2 water bottles, one of my mother’s earrings, and an old flashlight.

Wade Dickinson loved cars – having fixed and built them since he was a boy in Hickory Township, PA. Today, we said goodbye to his last car, a red 1991 Ford Thunderbird in good condition, donated to KQED public radio since no one in the family wanted to drive or store it. It was sad seeing the Tbird drive off on the roof of the tow truck, hopefully to a new useful life.

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Images Copyright Katy Dickinson 2006-2012

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CMU Graduation Pictures

My daughter Jessica graduated from Carnegie Mellon University yesterday in Pittsburgh PA, with college and university honors, Phi Beta Kappa. My son Paul and I flew in from San Jose CA and her husband Matt flew in from Seattle WA for the big event. Here is some of what I saw in our joyous three day visit:

Jessica and Paul
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CMU
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Phi Beta Kappa
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Congratulations to the Honors Students
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Three Wonderful Kids
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Going to Graduation
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Jessica and Proud Mom
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Carnegie Tech – Class of 1948 Her Grandfather’s Medallion
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Processing into the Stadium
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Honors Regalia
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Relaxing After All the Fuss
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Pictures by Katy Dickinson 2012 Copyright

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Jessica is Graduating from CMU with Honors

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I am proud to announce that my clever daughter Jessica is graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh PA this weekend. She finished her 5th Year Scholars project and is being awarded college honors, university honors, and Phi Beta Kappa. Phi Beta Kappa is “The Nation’s Oldest and Most Widely Known Academic Honor Society” started in 1776. She next takes on a summer internship at Harvard Law School and then is moving to Seattle WA where her husband Matt has a new job at Amazon. Busy girl!

Regular readers may remember that Jessica also graduated in 2011 but still had to finish her minor and 5th year project. All done now.

Image Copyright 2012 by Katy Dickinson

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