We got to see some of LA this morning, like Venice beach and Santa Monica. There's some WIERD people out there. And then, in the afternoon, we went to the West LA congregation's meeting, and saw everyone from the party again. But, as we were walking in to find a seat Dennis points out a certain brother sitting on the far side of the hall. I accused him of smoking crack, but it turns out he was right: Brother Prince Nelson was there! Having met his friends from the Forks Hall in Pensylvania, I was under the impression that he lived in Minnessota. But apparently, he visits this hall while he's here in LA. Matt and I were going to go introduce ourselves, but the meeting was about to start, and so we didn't get to. And I felt really funny about taking a picture, so you'll all just have to believe me.

The best Hawaiian french toast in town

OK... That's just plain freaky!

At the West LA KH

The Italians, Fabio and Michael

Our great aunt, Dorris, (our mother's father's baby sister) lives out here in LA, so we got to see her this evening. I honestly cant remember the last time I've seen her but it must have been in Brooklyn sometime when I was eight or nine. I have fond memories of visiting our great grandmother, and meeting all our second and third cousins, sitting down at the kid's table while all the grown-ups sat at the mile-long table that stretched from one end of the house to the other. Aunt Dorris made us raviolis, and we were so happy to finally have real italian food again after three weeks of nothing but peanut butter and jelly and mexican food. Since this is probably the last italian-made italian meal Matt will ever have, Aunt Dorris gave Matt her recipe for homemade sauce and showed him how to make it. Then we stumbled across a box of old photographs, and spent the whole night digging through the black and white albums, staring at our grandparents looking no older than us. We even found wedding invitations for our great grandparents' wedding in both italian and english from 1916!

We talked alot about family, and realized that Aunt Dorris and Matt have alot in common: When she was young, she left her family in Brooklyn, and travelled here to California to start a new life on her own. It may as well have been Australia, and I'm sure it was hard for her family to deal with it too. I enjoyed listening to her stories of when they were young, and of meeting her step-daughter, and especially enjoyed watching my brother look at the pictures and feel a connection to the faces and places in them. You can go anywhere in the world, and you'll still have your family... even if they're only in photographs and memories.

Lookin at Matt's pictures	Explaining the Kraft	Looking at old photos	"Who's that!?"
Our great grandparents	Uncle Don's bowling team	Is that my grandma!!??	That's my mom!
Playing in the yard with my uncle	Our grandparents having a picnic	Great grandma Rose at the house in Brooklyn	Learning about family
Aunt Dorris with Matt