Truecats

4th Annual Trim-A-Tree decorating party

2011-12-11T10:13:00.001-08:00

The decorated trees will be delivered to stroke patients who have to spend Christmas in the hospital.

It's a milestone

2011-11-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

In the past week or two, I've been walking without any pole or cane at home and at the Challenge Center. Also, I "graduated" from one-on-one physical therapy to a group class once a week. It's a milestone in the long journey of a stroke. For those keeping score at home, I past the 500 day point.

I have a lot to be thankful for each day. As we near Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for all the PTs, OTs, and speech therapists at Alvarado Hospital who worked to strengthen and stretch my right arm, leg and noodle in the first 6 months. I'm grateful to the Challenge Center for existing, for all the wonderful PTs that helped me with my gait and balance (with a little comic relief thrown in), and the new friends I've met there in various stages of their healing. Most of all, Larry-sweetie for everything every day!

Artist Robert Thome at Alvarado

2011-09-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

Robert Thome made his way around the painting class at Alvarado Hospital on Friday afternoon in his signature black gaucho hat, long dark braid and white dress shirt.

Stopping his motorized wheelchair at each student’s desk, he coached and encouraged as they created their own version of his painting of a cherry tree branch in bloom.

“That’s right,” he told one student as she added a stroke of brown to the branch taking form on her canvas. “Now start to add flowers wherever it feels right to you. This is your interpretation. Every artist has their own style.”

Robert Thome is an inspiration. He said to just copy what you see. I said I was a good copy artist. He said, from there, you can paint your dreams like Salvador Dali. Wow!

My painting is on the left and his that I'm copying from is on the right.

Lighthouse painting

2011-07-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

My first landscape, a lighthouse, on my largest canvas, 8 x 12 inches. My aunt Deb says, "I love the SKY and the lighthouse brown streaks (which the realist in me says is rust) but it reminds me of Birch wood."

The realist in me says that first step out the door must be a doozy!

Purple Orchids

2011-07-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

I painted some greeting cards on Saturday afternoon. They were purple orchids from the latest worksheets I purchased from Laura, my instructor/teacher/mentor.

Later, I opened my mail. We got a card from my parents for our anniversary. Freaky!

Happy Anniversary?

2011-06-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

June 3rd marked my one year anniversary of my stroke. It seems weird like celebrating a person's death. Brain cells died, but then I was reborn, had to learn how to walk and talk again. I commemorated it by selling my VW Beetle to a neighbor.

And apparently I share it with National Donut Day!

Tie a yellow ribbon

2011-05-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

My nephew, Ryan, was deployed to Iraq on Wednesday, May 25th. Kimmy (his mother, my sister) gave me a call to let me know that he arrived in Baghdad on Friday and would fly by helicopter to the base (he's a tank mechanic). When I talked to him last weekend, he said he was excited, nervous, and it probably wouldn't hit him until later. He'll most likely be in Iraq for the full year. Our little man grew up fast.

Picture taken on July 4th, 1995

May is Stroke Awareness Month

2011-05-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Nancy (from Art class) is also the editor of THE SAVVY SURVIVOR, a publication of the SDRI COMEBACKERS NEURO CLUB which meets at Alvarado Hospital in the Rehab Center. She interviewed me for their spotlight and it was published in the May newsletter:

Madelyn doesn’t fit the profile of a person likely to have a stroke. She is 47 years old, with normal blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol. She’s athletic and a vegan. However, on June 3, 2010, in the middle of the day, Madelyn was having trouble typing and went home from work early, took a nap and was reading. Her husband, Larry, came in and saw she was upset and couldn’t talk or stand. Her face was noticeably drooping on the right side and she couldn't answer his questions. Somehow he knew it was a stroke. He called 911 and they took her by ambulance to Alvarado Hospital. Madelyn said she remained conscious and confident that the stroke wasn’t life affecting. She laughed as she said that, acknowledging that Larry was not as confident as she was. There, she was fortunate to be treated by neurologist Sean Evans, MD. He told her that her stroke was caused by a dissection of the carotid artery, normally caused by an auto or surfing accident. He told her that it was an unusual fluke, only happens to one person in San Diego a year, and that she was the lucky one.

At the time of her stroke, Madelyn was working two jobs: the All Vegan store and as a real estate assistant helping three realtors. She just resigned at the All Vegan store so she could work more hours at the real estate office. The agents have had three different assistants since Madelyn’s stroke and have a new-found appreciation for how much she did.

Despite some remaining stroke effects, Madelyn is making tremendous strides in her recovery. Her stroke was a left brain stroke, which affected her right side and speech. She has expressive aphasia, sometimes not thinking of the word she wants to use. To improve her speech, she challenged herself with Dr. Seuss’ tongue twisters. She’s put together 500-piece jigsaw puzzles to work the “noodle” (mind). Her walking has progressed from being in a wheel-chair to hemi-walker to using a walking stick. Madelyn had to relearn to write with her left hand by checking out grammar school books from the library on how to print and write cursive. While still an inpatient, Leo Madrid introduced Madelyn to Laura McCormick’s art ability class. That happened within the first three weeks after her stroke. From that day on, Laura told Madelyn that she had a natural talent—even with her left hand. The fact is that she never painted since high school. Madelyn continues to be a star pupil in after-care art sessions.

For Christmas, the class painted poinsettias on glass plates and Madelyn decided to hand paint a poinsettia on her Christmas cards. She intended to paint “a few”. Over the month of December, “a few” turned out to be 20 hand painted cards.

Madelyn’s enthusiasm for recovery has taken her to the Challenge Center gym in La Mesa. She attends a class there that helps participants relearn balance. She enjoys the physical exercise as well as the social aspect of the Challenge Center. Another member, Pete, told her that things take time and a stroke teaches you patience.

She finds the interaction with other stroke survivors inspiring. Seeing their progress has enabled Madelyn to say “I don’t have a crystal ball, but it helps me to keep a positive attitude, to see the progress of people a few years after their strokes.” She has learned focus on the here and now. Her final thought: “Right now, I am sitting with one of my cats on my lap and life feels good.”

May Day 2011

2011-05-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

Succulents in the "Utah" bed remind me of may poles.

Folk Art painting

2011-04-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

This time, I went to Art class with Nancy. There were three of us, so Laura the instructor was able to give us some one-on-one. When we didn't like how something turned out, she had some good pointers and remedies.

The pear was primed with yellow and then we could paint the edges with the one-stroke technique (two colors on one brush.) The grapes were primed with white and I had to go over them a couple of times because the colors weren't right. The leaves were primed with white, too, and I painted them on my first try, woo-hoo!

It's just a little bit late for Pi day, 03/14.

Laughing Unicorn

2011-04-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

I found a rock in the backyard to use as my "gratitude rock" where every time I touch this rock, I'm going to think of something that I'm grateful for. I looked at it and saw the image of a laughing unicorn. It also makes me think of the last therapy session where Tiffany had me go as fast as I could on the elliptical. She said, "You're a runner. When is the last time you ran? That's what your capable of." I pictured myself as Secretariat and just ran and ran. Or as a laughing unicorn.

Better than ever!

2011-03-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

My two therapists and Tiffany at the Challenge Center are tuning my walking. I need to strengthen my left hip abductor, my lower abs, and my knee rather than locking it out (ligaments). I have an anterior tilt to my pelvis and have to tuck it in ("hi-beams"). I'm going to walk better than ever!

Enough about therapy, lorikeets are a hoot! Like Puffin on catnip, lorikeets have a fondness for nectar. (This photo was taken back in 2005 when my sister, niece and nephew came out to visit.)

Law of Attraction

2011-03-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

I watched "The Secret" again. I watched it with a friend when it first came out (2006).

You place your order with the universe: Ask
Have unwavering faith: Believe
Feeling good puts yourself in the Frequency of what it is you are wanting, generate the feeling: Receive

So now I'm thinking more positive thoughts. I wrote down what I'm thankful for, what I appreciate, what I C-A-N do and what I aspire to achieve. Adopt a attitude of gratitude.

I will walk fast and unaided
My balance keeps improving
I will walk around lake Murray
My spasticity lessens every day
the AFO is only temporary, I won't need it
I will eat with my right hand
my body is capable of a lot!

I thought of another one that night: I am brave. I was attracting the negative "I'm afraid of" when it came to balance and my foot turning under/in. "Brave" is better.

"Energy flows where attention goes."

Mini Roses memo clip

2011-03-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

Laura the instructor made over 150 blocks for other painting classes that she teaches, whoa! She did a lot of sanding. The block is only an inch and a half square.

Can you tell it's a rose? I couldn't do the third level of petals, couldn't be more detailed with the left hand. We used #6 brushes which are about 1/4-inches wide. Usually we use #12 (1/2-inch) and 3/4-inch brushes.

The bottom picture shows more of the detail and is in better focus.

Going to UCSD to see Dr. Evans & students

2011-02-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

Larry and I went to UCSD in La Jolla to see the students of Dr. Evans. When we arrived, there was a reserved space for us. Larry took a picture of the sign, but sadly no others (the battery died). In the auditorium, Dr. Mark Kritchevsky, another doctor and teacher, had me sign a waiver that I agreed to having it podcasted (audio only).

The auditorium had seating for 200 and was about half full. There were two big projection screens up front on either side, one to display his slides and the other, a close-up of the three chairs where we sat. The students were all pretty young and in their first year of Medical school. Dr. Evans said that they wouldn't be tested on anything today, a day off, woo-hoo!

There were two patients, me and an older women with a neurological ailment. We were up front in guest chairs with arms and casters. Dr. Evans introduced me first. He's a fast talker to one who has experienced a stroke. There was only a hour to get through a lot of material. He asked me some questions like "describe what you see" and "stand up and walk around" while he described my brace and my progress. I added that the brain needed a lot of sleep in the beginning to repair. I do remember one question in particular. When he asked me what was the most difficult, I said fastening my bra from behind with my non-dominate hand. He said every 16-year-old boy has the same challenge, that got a laugh. There was time for one student question which I had a little trouble with because it was long. My brain only handles short, concise questions. I think it was how Larry and I handled being asked the same questions over and over. You gotta do what the doctor asks you and sometimes, in the early days, you have good days and bad.

I traded places (Chinese fire drill) and the Doctor told the other woman's story. That was fascinating, too. He wrapped up by saying that there was no cause for my stroke. I was healthy with no classic risk factors: High blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes. He invited students to come down for more questions. One guy who studied strokes at UCLA wanted to know symptoms leading up to the stroke. Answer: Two weeks before: Fatigued walking Josie, migraines, what I now know was a TIA two days before (he said that's consistent with a dissection). There was a psychology student sitting in on the class and she asked what doctors did to motivate me and I said it was the therapists. I only saw the physiatrist for 5 minutes just to check in, no pain. My motivation was that I wanted to get better and in the beginning I didn't know how long that would be. Being productive with my non-dominate hand (painting) helped, too.

[ This post was completed in 4 sections. I first emailed my mom, aunt, and a friend about the morning. I then pasted the email to this blog and described the setting in more detail and saved it. The next day, I added the picture from Larry's camera and more descriptions like finding out Dr. Mark's name by googling UCSD's neurology department and seeing a video of him (lucky break) and more details that I remembered. Only then did I publish it and the next day added this chronology. ]

Hummingbirds

2011-02-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

In Art class this week, we painted birds. I chose the hummingbirds and Nancy chose to do blue birds. I just painted on wax paper (and photographed the two sheets together). I wish I could show you Nancy's blue birds. She's really talented!

I actually asked Larry to go to Michael's after the Challenge Center last week to see what they had for bird worksheets. My art teacher had a different version and she goes a lot for bargains like the canvases for 10 cents. Note to self: it was too much to go to M's after my workout, but my brain likes to think otherwise.

A monarch butterfly in the clouds

2011-01-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

I had Art class on Thursday last. I chose to paint on canvas (Nancy chose a keepsake box). It's about 4-inches square. I covered the canvas in light blue paint (it had to be covered because Laura picked up the canvases with decorations on them for 10 cents versus $4.00 blank).

I practiced the butterfly in white and purple paints. When it came time to paint on the canvas, I didn't like the way it came out and painted over it TWICE. I said I was too tired and would work on it at home. ( I didn't sleep well the past couple of nights because my doctor upped my dose of Baclofen. Apparently it can make you sleepy OR it can interfere with your sleep, have you sleeping lighter, as it did with me.)

This monarch butterfly idea came about from a NPR article I read on November 22nd. I could only remember that it was an artist's website at the bottom of the article, but not what the story was about or when. I slept on it, turned on the computer, went to the NPR website, and did what I do for aphasia: talk it out. It was on NPR. There was a link at the bottom of the page. It was animated. There was a old guy (a young scientist, it turns out). And it just came to me that it was about people who cannot walk in a straight line. I even got a book recommendation out of it, but I didn't remember that. The website I remembered, the extraordinary animations and drawings of Benjamin Arthur and "the billion bug highway" are at http://vocaleyes.com/benarthur/animation3.html.

My memory was not affected (right brain) and apparently I keep have to keep reminding myself of that.

2011: The Year of Recovery

2011-01-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Larry is dubbing this the year of recovery. I can get behind that.

A cliché, I know, but I'm actually going to join a gym, the Challenge Center. After my stroke, I have to exercise regularly. My doctor just increased my dosage of Baclofen, so I'm optimistic that it will allow me to exercise with little pain and more mobility. Too much exercise and it's just like muscle soreness. I used to get sore in stretch class, so it's like that and I can't overdue it.

I'm actually excited to be going because they'll do an assessment with a physical therapist and I will have goals to achieve. I can't get any more specific because I don't know what is possible in what time frame. I just know it's a long process that takes patiences.

Going back to school

2010-12-29T10:07:00.000-08:00

My neurologist, Dr. Evans, at Alvarado Hospital Medical Center also teaches at UCSD School of Medicine, Department of Neurology. I had an appointment with him on Tuesday.

"Dr. Evans is particularly interested in teaching medical students and resident physicians, focusing on the application of evidence-based medicine and humanism in clinical neurology."

So he asked if I would be willing to go to UCSD and sit in on one of his classes. There would be about 120 first-year students, I would be "mic-ed up" and there's also a video camera for the students in the back. He would explain my stroke and I could talk about whatever I wanted to and there would be a Q&A. Larry would speak from the caregiver's perspective.

It's February 15th, 8:00 - 9:00 am in La Jolla. Set the alarm!

Six month anniversary

2010-12-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

I'll mark the occasion with a trip to therapy. I can't believe it's been 6 months and sometimes it feels like forever. I can't say I'm lucky to be alive because I never felt that my life was in danger (although Larry probably did). I'm grateful for my sweetie for EVERYTHING including making meals and bringing me to rehab and being such a sweetheart. I'm thankful for insurance, therapy and excellent therapists. Spasticity I can do without, but even that has its purpose (at first, protection) and thank goodness for baclofen (muscle relaxer). I'm happy that I am getting stronger and that I'm walking without a cane in the bedroom. I'm grateful to have the Challenge Center close by for my new phase of therapy. San Diego State is nearby too. I'm happy that I found one-stroke painting and that I'm pretty good at it, too! Here's our holiday project:

Yea, I guess I'm lucky.

Will.I.Am song on Sesame Street

2010-11-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I stumbled on to this, but this is my mantra that I play every day. Takes on a new meaning when you're a stroke survivor. That's Will.I.Am from Black Eyed Peas. I choke up a little with "stronger" and laugh at Oscar and just jam with the Muppets.

Poinsettias

2010-11-19T09:48:00.000-08:00

In Art therapy, we practice a lot. We painted the poinsettias this time on a transparency and learned perspective. The gold "flowers" are painted first, then the green, then the red "bracts", then the red-and-white "bracts" front to back, etc. with the leaves being last. A hair dryer accelerated the drying process between each color combination. We then turned it over to see our results. Ultimately, we'll be doing it on the backside of a plate. It will be food-safe once baked.

Happy Birthday, Larry!

Jigsaw Puzzles

2010-10-19T14:02:00.004-07:00

I get a newsletter from PositScience (brain training software) and they recommend jigsaw puzzles to work the noodle:

Jigsaw Puzzles -- The Best Bet for Your Brain

Doing a challenging jigsaw (no fewer than 500 pieces!) requires your brain to perform many complex cognitive tasks at once: making fine visual judgments about where pieces belong, mentally "rotating" the pieces, manipulating the pieces in your hands, and shifting your attention from the small piece to the big picture. They give the brain a real workout!.

It was a challenge at first. I needed to relearn how to do a jigsaw puzzle from scratch! I learned to distinguish by color, then shape and shapes not there. And all of the things above.

The first had a lot of sky, and since I'm a big girl now, I chose not to do it.

Then Larry got me a box of four puzzles of various cats looking cute and cuddly. I can relate to that.

Geraniums, finally

2010-10-09T11:47:00.001-07:00

I chose geraniums for my next project. I was going to paint on a flower pot, but it was a little too small for the pot. So I just painted it on transparency film (the stuff for overhead projectors). Laura then mounted it on construction paper for me. She said that if I were to paint on the flower pot, I could reduce it.

Our next project will be for Christmas. Gotta' start early.

Every stroke is different

2010-10-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

For speech therapy, after procrastinating for 20 years, I wanted to do something like "toastmasters" where I prepared a speech to give to Anne. Actually, she arranged for me to present it to some stroke survivors at Friday's session. Here it is:

EVERY STROKE IS DIFFERENT

Every stroke is different because every brain is different. I had a stroke on my left side of the brain which affected my right arm and leg and my speech. The left brain which controls the right side of the body thinks methodically and in details and language. On the other hand, the right brain controls the left side and thinks in pictures. My right brain had a chance to come out through painting. I really didn’t practice art since high school, so it was good to see that I have some talent with my non-dominate hand.

Some people say that they’re more compassionate after a stroke versus ego-centric, but I found that my ego needed to come out. That has served me greatly because the focus should be on me, first and foremost, and doing what’s best for me.

While in therapy, I’ve had the privilege of talking to other stroke survivors. One man who had a stroke about three months before mine was where I wanted to be in six months. I could strive for that. It gave me hope that he was walking with a cane. But there were some things that didn’t apply to me. He had a stroke in the right brain which affected his left side, memory and organization. There’s another stroke survivor who had a stroke one month after me on the same side. He uses the same leg brace as me. Every stroke is different because every brain is different and it takes longer than you think.

When I was at the hospital and I was doing therapy every day, I would make great strides at first and every little progress was good. When I progressed from the bed and wheelchair to hemi-walker, I thought that was the greatest thing! Now, in another few months, I progressed from the hemi-walker to the cane. I didn’t know how long it would take, but I always have to have a milestone. I treated myself to a cane and vegan cake! Oh, boy! Along with physical therapy, you need to exercise your brain with speech therapy, too. Working on my penmanship with my non-dominate hand has helped and challenged me. I am rewiring my brain with word games and reading, too.

Every stroke is different because every brain is different and some things take more time than others. But I try to stay positive and "keep your sunny side up, keep it up"*

(* "Paper Moon", 1973, with Tatum O'Neal and Ryan O'Neal)

Three month anniversary

2010-09-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's my three month anniversary. I thought I'd celebrate and get a cane. Boy, do I know how to have fun! Shannon, one of my P/Ts, said I would have to get a sweet, too.

So I had my cane on Wednesday for therapy. It was tough because Steve hooked me up to "the contraption", a treadmill/baby bouncer combo, for ten minutes. My foot is synergistic and spastic (not pigeon-toed, but it looks like it when stressed), so it takes a lot out of me. So I was glad in retrospect that Art was cancelled on Thursday. Cynthia took me out to lunch on Friday and Dustine & Marisa came along. It was good to see all of them. On Saturday, Joy and I went out for lunch and German chocolate cake. Shannon would approve!

Thanks to all my friends who want to get me out of the house!

Art free form

2010-08-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

I painted the background of the wooden hook in the last class. In this class, I first painted some practice rounds on wax paper. Then I transfered the vine and flower placements in pencil. I then painted the vines and leaves free form. Then the flowers, all with breaks in between. And did I mention it is with my left hand? I got a lot of guidance from my instructor, Laura. There are three other people in the class that meets twice a month.

Physical Therapy

2010-08-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

There are all kinds of diabolical contraptions for me to work out on in therapy. Thankfully it's only for an hour. I use the leg extension with just the left leg "so I don't cheat", says one of my therapists. I use a single-point cane (in back) when I'm at the facility.

Elvis is in the house

2010-07-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

We are going to Balboa Park tonight for a potluck with other stroke survivors ("Comebacker's Club"). Then as part of the Twilight in the Park series, we will heads over to the organ pavilion to see Graceland – An Elvis Presley Tribute. See there site at http://www.gracelandsandiego.com/

Because I'm from Cali now, I am dressing warmer for the cold nights after sundown. For the first time, I put on jeans and a white long-sleeved blouse in almost two months. I think that, like Sue Silvester of "Glee', I will stick to track suits. Yoga pants, t-shirt, and (gasp) pajamas are more my style of the moment.

(Reba read the blog and came down for the concert. How-cool-is-that? )

Artability class

2010-07-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

Larry said that my art side finally had a chance to come out.

This was from last week's art class. I painted violets on wax paper (to trace on templates.)

I continue to paint at home too.

One month and day by day

2010-07-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank all of the folks who sent me loads of cards and flowers, rebuses too. Now I'm home and can commit myself to typing one letter at a time on a goofy keyboard.

The first week of rehab is today, 3 hours worth, 2 days a week. Try to act professional ("Bad Santa").

On a side note, these are things more important to me:

Be more patient
Spam (never was)
My day job (still love it & the people)

(Ashasia is still a problem)

2010-03-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

This is one cool cat. Puffin is pretty laid back and just ignores Josie unless she happens to confuse Puffin with a dog who actually wants to play. Then it's time to swat if we have to put Josie in her place. Here, Josie can hang and enjoy a nyla-bone with Puffin.

Good news for Puffin & Larry this week: He's off insulin for two weeks. His dosage was steadily declining while on the new wet food diet (Puffin, that is). Good news for Larry as he was the trooper administering the needles.

Josie and the pussy cats

2010-03-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden, there we were, all hanging out on the bed together. Josie has learned some cat etiquette and keeps to herself when in the presence of felines. Exception: it's cool to hang with the Puffster.

Josie has learned how to be-have around the cats. The wrath of Ccino is too intimidating. Wooster has picked up on these defensive hissing tactics rather than the earlier flight technique. This was a sweet moment not seen before or since.

Welcome Josie

2009-12-28T08:01:00.000-08:00

A friend couldn't keep Josie any more, so we went to the Humane Society on Monday to rescue her. She's a chihuahua/Italian greyhound mix. We and the kitties have known Josie for her six years, so it should be an easy transition. Still true:

Josie is a ladies lady. If I'm not home, she's with Betty, not hanging out with Larry.
Josie is smart. I didn't think it was possible, but she has been taught not to scarf down the cats' crunchy bowls that are all around. Exception: anything on the floor is fair game.
Josie likes to snuggle. Thankfully, she has also been trained to sleep in her crate and doesn't have to be with you shifting under the covers all night.
Cappuccino has stepped up as Alpha cat to maintain the cat space. No crazy puppy hijinks within 6 feet of Alphaccino.

That's a yawn in the picture, but if you want to come up with your own caption . . . .

Easy with the Spock touch, Betty-san.

Getting ready for Christmas

2009-11-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

2009-11-01T14:47:00.000-08:00

Dead grass and more in the neighborhood on Halloween night.

Neighbors kneeding the camera.

Meet Ladybug and Little Dead Riding Hood,

and her brother the big bad wolf!

My excuse

2009-10-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

My aunt asked if I've uploaded pictures of my trip back east. I really hadn't posted anything since JUNE! I guess I've been too busy with work. And if work has you taking photos of beautiful places and writing about them, well, it's not something you think of doing in your spare time. Not that I'm complaining, just giving a lame excuse.

FINALLY a visit back east

2009-08-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful visit back east to visit family! My sister came down in the beginning of the week with Ryan and Ashley. Besides a visit with an ol' Travelers friend, I really had a nice time getting my parents settled into their "new" cottage. The remodel looks wonderful! It was really a wonderful week, despite my mom thinking that I worked the whole time. Like her neighbor Lucille says, "Don't wait so long next time!"

Cappuccino has Betty trained

2009-07-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

It didn't take long for Betty to learn that Cappuccino demands to be groomed. And it didn't take long for Cappuccino to learn how to go up to Betty and ask nicely. Now he just needs to stop circling and moving away so she can do a proper job.

Truetts come to San Diego

2009-07-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

Bill and Betty decided that they've had enough of New Hampshire winters and took Larry up on his offer that San Diego was a beautiful place to live. They moved out in July, which is the start of our "worst" season, when you have to run the air conditioner because it can get into the 90s. They really appreciate being able to live with us AND THE CATS! They weren't too thrilled with me taking their picture until I started mentioning the cats, then I got a smile out of both of them!

2009-06-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

I had a craving to make cupcakes and I imagined my neighbor's would be willing to help. I gave Ian and Corrine the cookbook to look through: "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World." They chose a variation on the basic chocolate cupcake: Cookies and Cream cupcakes. I had to pick up some cocoa and Newman-O's and on Sunday afternoon, we got started. From batter to cookie on top it took us a little less than 2 hours. Ian is graduating 6th grade, so he saved the cupcakes for that celebration on Monday. He decorated his cupcake with a half cookie just like in the picture in the cookbook.

2009-05-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Self-preservation is the first law of nature. Here's Wooster seeking the highest vantage point.

Earlier this week, I heard a cat fight in the back yard. It turns out that a coyote attacked a neighborhood cat, tragic and sad. Even if your cat thinks s/he knows best and wants to go outside, understand and be willing to accept the risks (preditor or Prius).

Zauchas in San Clemente

2009-04-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

We got to see two college friends this spring, Randy and now Jim. Laurie and Jim were out in California this past week and we got to meet up in Orange County for dinner. Jim, Courtney, and Ryan met up with us on Thursday night for Mexican. It was a wonderful visit, their mini-me's are very special, and I'll just stick to posed people pictures versus candids.

Celebrate pi day!

2009-03-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

Randy had a vacation planned to San Diego for some golf at Torrey Pines and baseball. He came out early to visit with us. We drove out to see the desert wildflowers by way of the mountain town of Julian. It was a perfect day for it, 55 degrees in Julian and 80 degrees when we got down to the desert. 4000 foot elevation change; it's like I flew in a plane and my ears popped. what?!

Julian is one place in Southern California where they can grow apples (a token amount) and a cottage industry of apple pie shops popped up. They import the apples for the pies. So here we are in Julian on March 14th, 03/14, eating pie on pi day, 3.14! I remember Randy saying that once but I forgot it. Hilarious, whoo-hoo!

Baby it's cold outside

2008-12-10T09:13:00.001-08:00

According to the cat-thermometer, the warmest spot in the house is snuggling on the afghan that my aunt made. I went out this morning to get a loaf of bread and the cashier was also saying it was c-o-l-d outside (56 degrees at 8:00am). But then she said a guy from Alaska said this was nice weather. It's all relative to your tollerance level and we tollerate toasty here.

Spooky Political Signs

2008-10-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

I'm on a quest this week to ride my bike around my community and find the combination of Halloween decorations and political signs. Sure, there's political signs and there's spooky decorations, but the combination of the two is as elusive as healthy halloween candy.

So far I've only found three and this is the best of them. Black widow spiders are really intense this year.

SD Hospice Art Committee

2008-10-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

I have been volunteering with San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine for over three years now. I don't remember what introduced me to San Diego Hospice, but I aligned myself with the preeminent Hospice organization in the country. Once my workload increased, I could no longer devote the time and energy required of a Patient Care volunteer. Their website has a picture of the Intensive Care Center on the home page. But Hospice isn't a "place to go when you're dying," it's a philosophy of pain management and caring to improve quality of life at this stage.

About a year ago I began volunteering with the Art Committee assisting with the art rotation. Six times a year, paintings are rotated at the ICC. Artists pick up their work which was on exhibit for the prior two months and new artists bring in their work to be displayed for the next two months. We refer to this exchange as "rotation", not "hanging" although some hammering is done at the end of the morning to display the works. The Center is then open to the public the following weekend with an artists' reception with wine and cheese and a chance to meet the artists and purchase a painting. Their website has a picture of the facility on the home page.

A few months ago, two long-time fixtures of this event, the staff liaison and the Art Rotation coordinator retired after more than 10 years of service. The Art Rotation and Reception has improved and streamlined itself greatly in this period with everyone's input and assistance.

So it was no big deal when Gail asked if I would be willing to step in as Art Rotation coordinator. I was already bopping around performing the different tasks of the morning, learning the ropes as it were. If they needed a figurehead, I wouldn't mind. They failed to mention at the time that it included laundry duty! White gloves are worn by the people who help deliver the artwork to and from the artists and they would need washing before the next time. It also turns out that as coordinator, you are the point person if there are any questions, but my common sense has served me well.

At the end of the annual Art Committee meeting at the end of September, they awarded my common sense with this lovely silver clock engraved with "2008 SDH Art Committee Volunteer Of The Year." The Art Committee Chairman, Mary, encouraged me to open it (at the time I didn't know it was a clock.) The top swivels and I noticed a sticker, "Oh, look, it has a alarm so I won't be late to the next rotation!"

85th Birthday

2008-09-22T07:46:00.001-07:00

Our neighbors, Angel and Yoli in black on the left, planned a surprise 85th birthday for Angel's dad, Leelo. It was a lovely gathering of friends and family. Many of their friends are musicians. Sam played some ballads on the guitar. Joe from Lucern didn't perform but made the music selections. As for Wayne, any story told with a British accent and hand gestures is funny.

Wailin' Sarah Palin

2008-09-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: We For Animals

D. A. Kolodenko's column, Presently Tense, in this week's San Diego Citybeat is titled, "Animal rights and wrongs -- Sarah Palin's Hypocritical Speechwriter." Matthew Scully wrote speeches for many Republicans including Sarah Palin's turn at the Republican National Convention. It's amazing that a person who penned a book (in 2003) titled, Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy could pen a speech for a "lifelong animal killer."

Read the entire column here: Animal rights and wrongs

Sarah Palin's disregard and abuse of animal welfare has been reported by U.S. New and World Report, The Los Angeles Times, and the Huffington Post. Let's expose this wolf in sheep's clothing and the senseless violence she embodies.

I also want to share this email I received:

Eve Ensler, the American playwright, performer, feminist and activist best known for "The Vagina Monologues", wrote the following. Please read.

Drill, Drill, Drill

I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor. In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As she said herself of the Iraqi war, "It was a task from God."

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women who are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should have a right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or not.

She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense with people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an environment of ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could and might very well be the next president of the United States. She would govern one of the most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting rifle. She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot hundreds of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private right. But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when war is declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in his name, that is the end of separation of church and state and the undoing of everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the future not just of the U.S., but of the planet. It will determine whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine whether America is a free open tolerant society or a closed place of fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your power to get Obama elected then consider the chant that filled the hall after Palin spoke at the RNC, "Drill Drill Drill." I think of teeth when I think of drills. I think of rape. I think of destruction. I think of domination. I think of military exercises that force mindless repetition, emptying the brain of analysis, doubt, ambiguity or dissent. I think of pain.

Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the floor of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between nations and peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing we call life?

Eve Ensler, September 5, 2008

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COMMENTS:

Thank you for publishing Eve Ensler’s letter and informing me about Sarah Palin vs animals. It has always been a mystery to me how one can say he loves God, yet hurts his creation.

End of Summer

2008-09-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

Labor Day traditionally marks the end of summer and back to school. Here in San Diego, summer goes on for a couple more months. The pacific ocean and the land has warmed up to bring us many more days of warm summer-like temperatures.

So what did you do to mark the "end of summer"? Cynthia and I took a ride down to Mission Gorge and the old dam. Except that she took me "the back way" and I was whining as I am know to do when faced with a little endurance test and warm temperatures. We stopped at a trail head where a lot of mountain bikers were heading across this bridge. There's a number of trails out there for rugged bikes and their peddlers.

The San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park ended their summer hours on Labor Day weekend. Since we hadn't been up there in a few years, we drove to Escondido to the wild animal park. They've since added a balloon ride and extended their train ride, charging $20 and $15 respectively. Since we've been on the old train ride (when my sister was out visiting in, wow, 2005?) we passed on this one. Later in the day when we went, the temperatures were cooler and the lions were more playful. We also visited the elephants and gorillas. Was the gorilla thinking what I was, "when will this heat break?"

Doggie sitting and swimming

2008-08-25T09:24:00.001-07:00

My aunt called Saturday morning to talk before she headed down to the Connecticut coastline to see her sister. Sue was throwing a back-to-school last hurrah. Debbie said she would like to come as long as she didn't have to go back to school. Would my cousin and her five children be there? Yes, all my cousins. It'll be fun to get an update.

Meanwhile, I was doggie sitting mid-day on both weekend days. On Sunday, Larry thought he'd come over and bring his trunks. He got a lesson on having dogs in the family. He got into the pool. Well of course the puppies wanted to come in too. I strapped on their jackets and helped them in. Hadley is a good little swimmer while Benny plays king of the island. Dylan the standard poodle was there too and swam in the water without a jacket. He's become a strong swimmer since I've seen him last summer.

When Larry's blood sugar felt low, he asked if there were any bananas. I know bananas are one of their favorite treats, but Larry didn't. He was quite surprised to have the attention of Sam the boxer, Benny & Hadley. You have to give them each a piece. They schooled Larry.

Garden Inspiration

2008-08-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

I still get over to our old North Park neighborhood because I work at All Vegan on Wednesdays and pop over to the Water Lady. This alley cottage was a few streets behind that, in the neighborhoods that we used to walk, but I just don't remember it.

I remember seeing pictures and gardening shows of small backyard and vertical gardens and being really impressed. They were city gardens in areas like San Francisco. There's just lots of little detail to appreciate in a small space. We'll be replanting our front yard with more drought tolerant plants and I'm overwhelmed by the size of the area. Maybe I should approach it like several little gardens. There are sections divided by driveway or sidewalk. One patch is in the shape of the state of Utah: maybe I'll fashion a Moab sandstone arch for the little succulents in that bed. Larry suggested that where we plant some "hens & chicks", we can put some rooster statues there too. How do you like that, dad?!

I'm checking out xeriscape and water-wise gardening books from the library. I'm compiling lists of plants. You have to keep it interesting by keeping in mind verticality, blooming times, and compatibility. We'll probably just end up going to a garden center and get what's available; just because it's in a book or on my list doesn't mean I'll be able to find it. I have great appreciations for the nice gardens we see on our walks through our neighborhoods.

Beauty and the Beast at Spa MD

2008-08-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Spa MD in La Jolla held a fund raiser for the Greyhound Connection and other dog rescue organizations. One of the events was a doggy fashion show where Doctor Dylan here won first place. Patti, helping with his scrubs, works at the spa as a massage therapist.

We don't get out to the beaches and La Jolla as much, even though it's a pretty easy ride along the 52 for about 25 miles each way. It was nice to take a stroll down to the cove and around. Not much has changed, but it is disconcerting to see people down in the children's pool area where seals once pupped. I recently read in a children's book of all things that people are everyone's enemy. It's certainly true for these seals being forced out. But I digress.

It was a big day out for the dogs. Benny was dog-tired by the end of the day and slept for most of the next day.

Rolling along with the earthquake

2008-07-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

By the time that you recognize that it's an earthquake, it's over. With today's technology, you can turn on the television and the local news station is already covering the event. They were able to report on size (5.6 downgraded to 5.4), the location (Chino Hills outskirts of LA, 110 miles N of San Diego) and any damage (little, water mains mostly.)

At the time (11:42am Tues), I was at work on the computer at an elevated desk on a questionable Ikea stool. By the time you've acknowledged that the screws aren't coming out, a big truck is not driving by, you have a few split seconds to enjoy the rolling sensation of this earthquake. It's not like being in a car on an overpass. Well, they could be like that, but with this it was more of a rolling, undulating feeling, not so bouncy.

I've experienced a few quakes since moving to San Diego and they've all had their slight quirks. Driving on the 163, it felt like you were a little disconnected from the road for an instant. "I feel the earth, move, under my feet . . ." Sitting on the futon in a second floor condo, it seemed like I could see a wave of vibration making it's way around the walls of the living room. It was the middle of the day and I was completely lucid and sober!

Larry said the cats were not phased in the least. They just continued on with their naps. Cappuccino is very handsome and you can't photograph an earthquake. So here you are.

Visit from Oregon

2008-07-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

Reba's nieces, Halley & Natalie are down from Oregon spending a whopping 17 days with their auntie. They came over for a swim on Sunday and had so much fun. They were laughing and swimming and playing and splashing. By the time they got out, it hit them; they were tired. They do hope to have time for another visit before they leave at the end of the month.

20 Years

2008-07-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

Larry says he can't imagine doing anything for 20 years. Hard to believe that much time has gone by since we said "I do." But then I love Larry more and more each day, so I'm bursting with happiness.

The most important thing is to be kind. I have not found an occasion or situation where the Golden Rule doesn't apply. Want someone to respect you? Respect them.

We didn't do any big traditional thing like take a trip or even go out to eat (two things Larry is not very fond of and I can respect that) because we just bought a house. Living in southern California is permanent vacation. We like to celebrate on the eve of holidays, so we ordered take-out. We eat salads most nights and our heirloom tomato provided us with a heart-shaped fruit for the occasion. This particular variety is named "Mortgage Buster". Maybe as we improve the soil, it will bear an abundance of fruit, similar to 20 years of marriage. Awww!

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

OMG! This is the best picture of Larry ever!
Can I have some of your eye-openness?

At 6pm, we walked over to Lake Murray for their July 4th Music Fest and Fireworks. We met Cynthia & Patti with Angel & Dylan and walked around the lake to get to the community park where they had a big sound stage set up. We caught the last band, Liquid Blue, who performed a wide variety of covers from Madonna to Led Zeppelin. Toward the end of the concert, we started walking back to catch the fireworks and have a shorter walk home. The dogs weren't too bothered by the fireworks. Angel is so old she's probably a little hard of hearing. Dylan was nervous at first, but then he settled down and watched the show.

Bamboo Power

2008-06-27T08:43:00.001-07:00

You've got to love pure random chance. I was in Hillcrest and thought I'd swing into the Trader Joe's nearby. Half of the parking lot was being repaved, so I took a different route out and passed by this van.

This traveling billboard for bamboo brings me back to macaroni mosaics and wanting to decorate my own cars and bicycles. I want to know if it whistles while traveling down the 805? Visit his website for factoids on bamboo.

Under Sixty Saves

2008-06-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

Pictures taken from a car never come out well, but you get the idea. This picture was taken two weeks ago at the height of the current fuel prices. At the beginning of this year, I was paying $3.539 for a gallon of diesel. That's an increase of 146%. Still, I'm not complaining.

Remember back to the 1970's: Long gas lines, "Out of Gas" signs. I wasn't driving then, but I got the message: conserve. Back then, I remember slogans like "55 Saves Lives". Well, it turns out that it also saves fives too ($$$).

On May 28, 2008, the Wall Street Journal published a little column, Me & My Car, where columnist Jonathan Welsh answers readers' questions about automobiles:

Q: To obtain the best gas mileage, what is the optimum speed one should maintain on an open highway? I've heard all sorts of answers.

A: While each vehicle performs differently, a rule of thumb for maximizing fuel economy is to keep highway speed to 60 mph or less. According to the EPA, exceeding 60 mph severely hurts the fuel economy of most vehicles. The Agency says "each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.30 per gallon for gas." Several tips on saving fuels appear at fueleconomy.gov.

Speed limits, actually Speed MAXIMUMs, posted on San Diego freeways are 55 for trucks and trailers, 65 for all other vehicles. My commute to work is only three exits on the 8 freeway. I set the cruise control for 60 and keep to the right lane. Many people are speeding past me. It's also amusing to see commercial trucks passing me when their maximum speed should be 5 mph less.

I waited to write this post until I went a full tank with this experiment, testing my fuel economy when I kept my highway speed at a maximum of 60 mph. It improved from 40 mpg to 46 mpg. I got 15% better gas mileage. My diesel VW Beetle is rated 42/49 mpg.

My first car, a 1986 Subaru hatchback, got 35 mpg and there hasn't been much improvement in the two decades since. Americans have started to conserve which can help stabilize prices. They aren't doing all they can. It would be premature to start drilling in protected areas. Would that be the last frontier? And then what happens when those supplies are exhausted? Permanent "Out of Gas" signs with new technologies lagging behind once again.

Compass Lake Block Party

2008-05-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

This is the second year that the neighborhood signed a permit to close off the street for the day. They set up grills, canopies, chairs and tables in front of 3 or 4 houses for the block party. Their kids have a lot of energy or the sight of a bouncy house brings it out. We had rain the day before and even sprinkles this morning, but the day warmed up and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, it was another beautiful day in San Diego.

They arranged for our local fire station to make a visit. This is the 1,925th fire engine that the city has purchased (I asked about "1925" on the back; the department was established in 1889.) This truck is outfitted for home and brush fires as well as emergency and rescue at Cowles Mountain. There are two engines at our "34" station. After getting the tour and hefting one of the fire hose nozzles, I am very impressed with their knowledge and strength.

Beautiful Day

2008-05-20T19:08:00.001-07:00

Wow-wee! We had three days of 90+ degree heat. Sure, it's dry heat, so it REALLY feels like an oven. The kitties managed to find cool spots, but they were still instinctively drawn to the sun and the slider. At least Ccino had the good sense to lie in the shade under his canape.

One day later and the temperature was PERFECT. I had the car window down and realized how really beautiful it was. The temperature read 72 degrees. It was perfect! Our backyard is loving it too. The star jasmine is flowering and permeating the air with a sticky-sweet flowery scent. The nasturtiums from seed have a yellow and a red-pink flowers. The bird of paradise put up a flower. Tropical scents, colors, and shapes!

Happy Father's day

2008-05-11T18:40:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! But I didn't get a mother's day photo. No mouse clutching a violet left on my back stoop. No other cat presents found in the house. It was a nice, quiet, relaxing day of little work. Eat, Nap, Play (or take a few walks, as we did.)

We've made up the word "Napazol" which is the spinal fluid in a cat which causes them to sleep 18 hours a day. When there are a few cats around us, we often succumb to the ambient Napazol.

Mother's Day update: Later in the day I did find a present on the bed. Wooster carries this fluffy tufted toy around in his mouth and makes that "mewling" sound. Usually it just makes it to the bedroom and each day I take it back out to the living room container of cat toys. Today it made it up on the bed. Sweethearts.

Early Squash in the Mist

2008-05-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

When we see tomato plants in the garden centers we get excited. While we may not fully understand the growing seasons here in San Diego, if it's in the garden center it must be okay, right? That day in April we bought some tomato plant seedlings and some packets of seeds.

I planted two hills of squash but didn't label them. One hill has three plants the other has only one. Larry was wondering which was which (summer squash or zucchini) and I said we'll just have to wait and see. Here it is the beginning of May the the three-plant hill has the yellow summer squash. We got some rain last night and it is misty this morning. Still, it's been very dry here for the past month and we collect the shower water to water the plants.

Spring Volunteers

2008-04-24T09:11:00.001-07:00

My friend Cherie composes wonderful stories about her yard with the Kodak photo album. Inspired by her, I thought I'd share what's popping up in our yard.

A neighbor gave Larry a small Bird of Paradise. He planted it in one of the many terracotta pots left by the previous owner. I saw some sprouts starting and rather than assume they were weeds and pluck them out, I let them mature to see what they were. Apparently, at one time, the soil must have had some annuals. Here's some sweet Alyssum and some other sweet plant with a red violet flower.

We're keeping the squash hills watered because they dry out quickly. The tomatoes are in little wells, so they hold the water better. The tomatoes have flowers; we'll see if it's not too soon for them to develop into something. Maybe we'll have a little tomato before June, when we'd be thinking about planting that more tropical plant in Connecticut.

I'll couch for that

2008-04-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Cappuccino approved of the "new" couch our friend gave us. His look seems to say "I own this couch." It's a sleeper couch which my friend says we can use for when guests come (chuckle). It's micro suede which is a very durable fabric against cat scratching. Oh, there will be and has been cat scratching, Mr. Ccino. I bought a new cardboard scratcher and primed it with catnip and brought it out the day the couch arrived. It was sort of a distraction. Another deterrent against scratching is to attach double-stick tape. Cats don't like the sticky feeling on their paws. Cappuccino, however, loves tape. We have to hide the packing tape, gnaw, gnaw, gnaw. Quite an amusing cat.

Vegan Shrimp Helix

2008-04-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

At the 2007 Natural Products Expo in Los Angeles, VegeUSA had a large booth with samples of their product. We sampled all their products and I liked a few even though I don't crave meat analogs and certainly don't crave any animal flesh.

Our local market, Windmill Farms, had these products on sale and I picked up a few packages. I made a cajun rice dish last night which calls for soysage. I substituted the vegan shrimp. It was interesting and fine in the dish. There is a firm texture to the product, somewhat how I remember shrimp to feel in your mouth.

I thought I'd look up the main ingredient after water, Curdlan Gum. Chemistry-wise, "Curdlan gum is a microbial fermentation extracellular polymer prepared commercially from a mutant strain of Alcaligenes faecalis var. myxogenes." If you then look up Alcaligenes faecalis, it's a mutant of soil bacteria and produced some inhibitory activity against Sarcoma and carcinoma in a cancer study in 1978.

Still, I think I'll stick to whole foods that I can pronounce and not the highly-processed glucans. Many studies have also linked the vegetarian and vegan diets to health benefits. [smile]

Make the best of it

2008-04-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of my parents when I last went back to visit 2 years ago. They're going through a difficult time right now with my dad's health failing and my mom as caregiver. It's a very difficult time as you can imagine, both physically and emotionally. I thank my aunt for being there to relieve my mom (for grocery shopping) and I thank both her and Allen for visiting with my dad. Thank you.

"Make the best of it. When you make the best of whatever you're focused upon, your future will be better than your now. If each moment you're making the best of what-is, no matter what it is, you make the best of it; make the best of it; make the best of it—your future just gets better and better and better, and better. "

Excerpted from a workshop in Boulder, CO on Saturday, June 7th, 2003
©1997-2007 Abraham-Hicks Publications.

Pick a peck of paintings

2008-03-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

I met Kathryn through Organic Athlete. When I was shopping at People's Coop, I went upstairs to the deli and noticed that her paintings were on display! She paints sweet still lifes, lives? {smile} Here's a note from her:

Thanks for taking a look at my artwork! There's still time, the exhibit is up until May 9, so there are still more than 6 weeks left. So definitely do spread the word to anyone you think might be interested. I've sold a lot of work there, and as it sells, I replace it. I'm really enjoying it, getting all that great feedback.

Plus, a Writer's Collective from a local college was having a meeting there about a book that they're publishing, an anthology called "Hunger and Thirst". They saw my work there and contacted me, wondering if they could use my work on the book cover and within the text. So I said absolutely, and it's in the works now! Will be published in the fall. You can see a preliminary mock-up and links to more info about the book here: http://kathrynlaw.blogspot.com/2008/03/book-cover-mock-up.html

And, I just had another painting--a plein air landscape in Balboa Park-- accepted into a juried show in Fallbrook, opening this Friday. So things are going really well with the painting.

Day off in Poppy Land

2008-03-22T07:59:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday I had a day off. I ran errands in the morning then Larry came home for lunch. We hiked just half a mile up Cowles Mountain in the San Carlos section of San Diego. Larry's been up it a few times on his lunch break. I came up on a cluster of California Poppies and said, "Ooooo." No, just you wait! he said.

At about the half mile point are little fields of the yellow poppy. I took pictures facing the mountain and then turning around to overlook Lake Murray. Our house is a little bit more left of the red dot. We walk to and partly around the Lake, but it's more of a hike to the mountain before you even start your climb, so sadly we drive there. An oxymoron, as I see it.

Succulents explode

2008-03-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Succulents are interesting enough on their own, but this time of year they are exploding with color. With the rainfall the Southern California has received this winter, it is predicted to be a nice year for wildflowers. This is a yard in the El Cerrito community of San Diego.

Duck, duck,

2008-02-29T07:49:00.001-08:00

We're less than a mile from Lake Murray reservoir in the San Carlos area of San Diego with approximately 170 surface acres of water, but these two water fowl chose to land on our pool on Wednesday morning. They took a few laps, hopped up on the side to check out the grass, then took off.

Lake Murray has many types of birds along its shore. Larry says he saw a swan last week.

Oh, and we had the juniper taken out. Where you see the dirt line along the back is where a serpentine of juniper bushes grew. Before, it was like walking a tightrope around the far side of the pool. Just one step at a time; not sure how we'll landscape it. More fruit trees are certainly an option.

Now is the time to ask yourself

2008-02-19T06:40:00.000-08:00

Why do you eat meat? The Humane Society of the United States investigated a Southern California slaughtering plant and documented many unfit cows being tortured and abused. Dr. Michael Greger explains in this video how these practices can contaminate a large quantity of meat. He even wrote in 2003 how USDA regulations do not go far enough.

While you many be outraged, disgusted, saddened by these practices, this is business and there is a demand for the product. By simply asking yourself at every meal: Do I need to eat this piece of meat? you are making a conscious decision to continue or to end these practices.

"Veganism in a nutshell" explains the top five reasons people go vegan (abstain from meat and animal products). What we choose to eat has an impact on human rights, animal rights & abuse, the environment, and our health. I first went vegetarian for the selfish reason of health. I choose to be vegan for the far-reaching impact it has on many facets of our lives.

You already don't eat much if any beef? Congratulations! So you know that you may lose your taste for a food after cutting it out for two weeks. Now how about showing some respect for chickens and fish, the "Rodney Dangerfields" of the animal world. Dr. Neal Barnard of PCRM discusses the benefits of a vegan diet on a variety of health issues, most recently diabetes.

You may choose to close your eyes, but please don't close your mind.

* * * * *

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 Wall Street Journal article on page B1 ("Oversite 'Flaw' Led to Meat Recall") explains factory farming as a business with suppliers and quotas: "The plant for years was a major buyer of older, spent dairy cows from the many dairy farms in the Inland Valley, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles." and "In a statement he gave to Chino police before he was arrested, Mr. Navarro said he felt pressure to ensure that 500 cows were slaughtered each day. If he didn't meet that quota, he said, Mr. Salas would get angry."

Thank You Percy

2008-02-03T05:36:00.000-08:00

Percy passed away peacefully in his sleep at 4:30 this morning, Sunday February 3rd. Percy had his routines and he was in his favorite sleeping spot at the top of the bed. I've never had a cat pass away naturally and it's very beautiful, at least I hope it was for him.

Percy was 6 years old when we adopted him from the Connecticut Humane Society on April 14th, 1999. The form from the society placed him at 5 years old but our wonderful vet changed it to 6 years. So Percy graced us with his presence for 9 years and lived for about 15 years.

In 2003, he made the trip cross-country on the back seat of the mini van. He took the trip the best. Toward the end of the trip we were all getting a little bratty. In Arizona, we had to move the bed to extract all the cats, including Percy.

Percy was getting around well, but walked with a hitch because of his arthritis and "shot" knees (he kept his back legs straight most of the time.) I'll miss his squeaking at 6:37am (a very good little alarm clock) for morning feeding. Aww, last night I needed to blend up Cappuccino's food so I made a smoothie for all the cats. Percy did love smoothie day.

My friend Cherie reminded me of a game we used to play in the younger years: "I'm gonna getcha little Percy!" I'd say that line and he'd squeak and race off like a bunny rabbit until he stopped/I caught up with him and pet-pet-petted him. He did love a good game of string too, although it was mostly an upper body workout in the later years. Thank you all for the heart-felt condolences and for sharing your own experiences of your furry companions.

I'll miss seeing Percy in his favorite spots, his favorite routine. After eating, making his way to the living room and then to the futon for a morning snooze. I didn't see his daily routine, but would come home early some days to see him snoozing in a sun spot in Larry's sunny office. The days I was later, he would be waiting by the food bowls and greeting me with a squeak. Or he would already be on the futon again because I was really late and Larry had fed the kitties. Evening hours he would make at least one trip back to the kitchen for crunchies, then back up the stepped containers to the top of the bed, down to the litter boxes and water in the master bath, back up again, not always a restful night.

Percy didn't have much that was "his". We just all lived together and made accomodations for each other. He was a definite presence who is missed. Thank you, Percy.

Here's some links to some Percy stories:

Smoothie Day

Percy by the Pool

Percy loves to be vacuumed

Teeth cleaning

Cirque de Soleil in Del Mar

2008-01-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

I had the priviledge of attending the "Corteo" performance by the Cirque de Soleil troupe in Del Mar last Tuesday. It is performed under le grand chapiteau with two entrances to house the circular stage. The stage is divided in half by curtains which also allow scenes to be performed in a dream-like state. The stage itself has a trap door in the center for appearing/disappearing acts. Concentric circles of the stage rotate to give the audience a full view of this performance in the round.

No photography is allowed; see the NY Times review for photos of the acrobatics. I was gasping and dropping my jaw at some of the surprising performances. The supported cartwheels in the giant hula-hoop were more amazing than my simplified naming. Acrobatics, juggling, high-wire walking, tumbling, musical performance, a great treat for the eyes and ears and all the more appreciated by me from attending yoga and stretch classes.

Haven't you always wanted a monkey?

2008-01-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Seeing the tree trimmer work, I'm reminded of lyrics from "If I had a million dollars" by BNL. Well, he did have climbing boots and was strapped in good, but he also looked like a monkey up in these palm trees. He climbed two trees and swung or rapelled to the other three. The front palm tree was trimmed by a man in a bucket truck. Hey! That's cheating! I was more impressed with this man's climbing talents, but the owner says because the other guy can operate the machinery, he gets more money.

We had the trees trimmed just in time as that following weekend was a monsoon of a rainstorm for San Diego. Rinsed things off nicely. The neighbor said it was good timing too. The fruits on the palm would have rained down like hail.

New Years Day Spa

2008-01-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! The filter was running. It was a sunny day and fairly mild in San diego. I thought I'd see how long it would take to heat up the spa. It started at 55 degrees. I turned on the heater to high. I waited. some more. Actually, people are surprised to hear that it heated up to 90 degrees in about an hour. We'll be looking into a solar cover for the pool which will extending the swimming season from March to November, our pool man estimates. That, and it helps with evaporation, preventing it.

We took down the fencing that was around the patio. You see just the poles here. It really opens up the backyard. There's lots to do if we want to and a little bit each weekend makes it managable.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I managed to forget my camera as we were on our way to the San Diego Zoo. Larry said he didn't get any good still pictures but did get this video of the new panda cub, Zhen Zhen. She's almost 5 weeks old now and weighs 18 pounds. Hmm, she looked a little bigger than our 20-pound petite baby Puffin. Must be all that fur that the keeper says is 20-times more wiry than sheep wool and 50-times more smelly.

San Diego Zoo Panda Cub Zhen Zhen

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Ccino Dradle

2007-12-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

T'was the night before Christmas and the cats opened catnip mice, a gift from Larry's parents. Cappuccino was batting it around and tossing it in the air, he was a little spinning dradle himself:

Oh, Ccino, ccino, ccino

my little ball of fur

oh, ccino, ccino, ccino,

he has a frothy purr

[repeat until silly]

Sing it really fast and child-like. Here's the tune to the Dradle song if you need it.

Charger Christmas

2007-12-17T19:52:00.001-08:00

It's a tradition to get together with Jay & Reba at a Mexican restaurant for the holidays. This year, they came out to east suburbia to see the new casa and dine at Casa de Pico. It was great to see them and catch up and over-eat. It gets us out of the house, out from under the afghans and kitties, too.

On the way home was this tremendous display of lights on Jackson Drive. I ran down there with my camera to get some pictures and met a neighbor who was out walking. The familiar phrase: He adds a little more each year was mentioned. On closer inspection, you can see that he decorated the ficus as a San Diego Chargers football helmet and on a different angle you can see "him" receiving the football. The motion of the lights and the height of the palm tree lighting is quite impressive too!

Feliz Navidad!

Ratatouille

2007-12-08T16:54:00.000-08:00

We had an Italian mouse in the house. I walked into the kitchen and heard crunch, crunch, crunch coming from the pantry. I didn't actually see the mouse, but I had evidence to clean up. He bypassed the sunflower seeds and bit holes into two bags of penne-shaped pasta. I don't know what his preference was, whole wheat or semolina.

I gave the cats one day, leaving the cabinet door open. In all fairness, it wasn't an attraction for the mouse anymore, with all the non-mouse-proof containers removed, only jars and cans remaining. I went to the All Vegan Store in University Height to purchase a Humane Mouse Trap. I baited it with peanut butter on a thin slice of bread (didn't have crackers). How embarrassing that we have to do this with four cats in the house.

Next morning, I had a tiny little mouse in the house, green house trap that is. I rushed over to Cowles Mountain to release him with his little peanut butter snack. He was a tiny mouse; I have no idea if he's part of a family or traveling solo. I'll have to go around looking for dime-size holes to plug up with steel wool. I'll have to get more mouse-proof containers for all my pantry items. This humane mouse trap is really most humane and least stressful for all involved. Wouldn't want the four kitties to get worked up.

Home Sweet Home!

2007-11-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

We closed on Monday, moved on Wednesday, and are rather settled in by Friday!

The close in California means escrow closed, loan funded; no documents to sign, no exchange of keys. The seller let us bring over a few fragile items that we didn't want handled by the movers. Otherwise, we had to amuse ourselves until Wednesday morning when the movers came.

Larry headed over with the four kitties at 8:00 a.m. while I stayed back at the condo to help the movers load up the truck. "Why did you get stuck with this?" one mover asked. Oh, no, Larry is on the receiving end. By 11:00 a.m., he called to say it's all unloaded. Wow! Worth every penny! We used their wardrobe boxes (which I had to load and Larry had to unload) to pack clothes right on the hanger, towels, sheets, bedding, and wacky loose items. That was six boxes already unloaded by the time I got home from my shift at the All Vegan store.

Nothing like a move to trigger that nesting instinct. I don't like the transition phase, living out of boxes, so I worked like a true domestic godess to clean and get everything unpacked. Getting the kitties settled was important too. Wooster may loose a little of his belly; he's really loving the extra running room. Percy the lounge lizard managed to get his many hours of sleep on the bed. Puffin the racoon is more nocturnal and mostly hid under the bed until night when he came out to explore. And as you can see by the picture below, Ccino adjusted very nicely just in time to enjoy a sunspot.

Putty-tat packing | Movin' Meow-meows

2007-11-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

We're gearing up for the move by finding the finest packing boxes around: empty copier paper boxes. Sturdy. Good size for heavier stuff like books. Uniform in size. and Free. And as it turns out, quite the cat magnet.

Wooster is still the most bouncy and agile cat; the higher the better. Percy, on the other paw, sometimes has trouble lifting his back leg into the litter box. He's thrilled to have a box lid on the floor in a sunny spot.

You'd think we were moving this coming week, but it's not until the day before Thanksgiving. We'll be bouncing off the wall like a Wooster.

Boo-wow-wow

2007-10-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon, the sky was cloudy, but I walked up to Henry's Market to buy some salad fixin's. Scary is the price of lettuce, but if someone can grow it for me, I will pay. On my way home, I saw some great pictures and went back home to get my camera. Alas, it was for my eyes only, but I can describe it.

Behind a cobwebbed gate with signs posted, the seasonal "Enter at your own risk" and the more permanent "Beware of dog", was the sweetest yellow lab sitting in the open doorway of the house. Indeed.

At a house where I took a picture last year of a gargoyle, was still the gargoyle with a black I-don't-know what breed of dog. He was built exactly like that gargoyle: small pinned-back ears, small eyes, smooshed wrinkled face, and sitting a little hunched on the porch. This guardian had a leash on and turned out to be more mobile as he too went inside.

They both probably came out to sniff the air as we had a few raindrops. It wasn't the spring-time fresh smell of rain and not enough fell to drown an ant. I'm going back in too. But I want to post a Halloween picture. Here's what happens when you carve a pumpkin in southern California where the temperatures are still in the 70s. Say good-bye to your pumpkin the next day. It collapses in on itself, turns furry with a black or white mold depending on its mood. Bleah, as one pumpkin is saying.

Face Time, Space Time

2007-10-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm dog sitting / cat sitting / house sitting this week. Dylan the standard poodle is very clinggy and needs a lot of face time. Angel, the toy poodle, on the other hand, needs her space. Maybe you can see her above Dylan's nose on the other side of the pool.

Angel and I have made great progress in that she joins me in the living room in the evening to watch some television. By join, I mean that she's on top of a chair by the fireplace and she tollerates me sitting in the same room on the far end of the couch. Really, we've come to an understanding that I can put her on the leash to be taken out, she doesn't like to be picked up, and it's nice to be fed "tv tray style" on the couch. I'm not taking great liberties; her mommy spoils her too.

The trick to getting a good night's sleep is to tire Dylan out. He slept good last night after swimming laps and taking a walk around the neighborhood.

My Dad asked, "Does this mean you'll be getting a dog?" I think this means that I most definitely will not be getting a dog. Got plenty of dog right here if I need a fix.

Home Search

2007-09-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

We started looking at houses in a more quiet neighborhood. There are many communities in San Diego and we're now focusing on areas east such as San Carlos and Del Cerro. Mission Gorge and Cowles Mountain are two serious hiking areas nearby.

This property we looked at overlooks a neighborhood park where people can toss the ball to their dogs. There are also hiking trails in the distance. There's a panoramic view of canyons, mesas, and evening lights.

All that can't compensate for the structural flaw, a slab crack. Onward, . . .

Dog Paddling

2007-09-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Dylan is a two-year-old standard poodle. House sitting / Dog sitting for two days was quite a pleasure. Dylan wears a life jacket into the pool, but he is not a natural swimmer and would rather just hang onto you.

Percy by the Pool

2007-09-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

Percy has been hanging out by the "pool" on the tile for the past few days because it has been unseasonably warm here in San Diego. Over the Labor Day weekend, temperatures were in the high 80s with humidity over 70%. For a cat who's acclimated to temperatures in the 70s with virtually no humidity, that's enough to make you pant (as we saw Puffin do once). We tried to get the putties to lie on gel ice packs (concealed under newspapers or cat nappers). We had the blinds drawn during the sunny part of the day. The windows opened and the fan pulled in cooler evening air, but it was still thick and heavy. The tropical storm has passed so we may have a few days reprieve before the next storm affects us. I'll still take this over a New England winter.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

2007-08-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

Beautifully painted electrical boxes brighten the intersections of San Diego. This one may give one pause before dining on pies of poultry. These beautiful roosters are located outside San Diego's Chicken Pie Shop on El Cajon boulevard under the landmark water tower.

Editorial: The Chicken Myth By Neal D. Barnard, M.D., President of PCRM

The Good Good Pig

2007-08-17T07:39:00.001-07:00

This was my favorite book read this summer, "The Good Good Pig" by Sy Montgomery. She lives in southern New Hampshire and adopted a runt of the litter. He was named after the conductor "Christopher Hogwood" and lived 13 1/2 years longer than most pigs. Most pigs don't make it through the winter and rather get a one-way trip to the slaughter house. This was a sweet sweet story of how "Chris" started out the size of a cat and was nursed to survive and entertain for 14 years. Neighbors and local restaurants would save their "slops" and Christopher would develop a true foodies palate, rooting out his favorite morsels first, savoring every taste out on "pig plateau." Christopher was not the biggest pig that ever lived, but he grew to estimates of over 700 pounds. "As Christopher's girth increased, so did our doubts about who was in charge at our house. Not only was Chris destined to vastly outweigh us, but we faced a growing realization that our pig was dangerously, possibly diabolically, brilliant."

Just when you think . . .

2007-08-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Just when you think they can't get any more adorable, there they are! Percy will tollerate Cappuccino within a paw-swatting distance, but only if he is oblivious to it.

Reba send me an email of a 1955 Good Housekeeping article. It spoke of very unliberating tasks for the wife to make the husband's home more of a castle. Have the meals ready, get a fire going on chilly nights, don't bother him with your troubles, make you home a place of peace and tranquility. Put that article in the context of four companion boy cats, and it doesn't seem so outrageous. Unconditional love coming and going, as long as certain conditions are met.

Berubes visit San Diego

2007-07-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Smile! We hooked up with David and Ellen on Friday near the end of their vacation. They still hadn't seen the ocean, so we took them to Ocean Beach and Point Loma. Ellen walked in the chilly ocean at Dog Beach and I rinsed off some pup-kiss (dog slobber). I always have to question the wisdom of walking on Dog Beach barefoot, but I do it every time anyway.

We then drove over to Sunset Cliffs where this picture was taken. It was overcast, so no sunset at these cliffs tonight. It's always fun to see family. Even though we couldn't quite remember the last time we saw each other (at least 10 years ago?), it felt like yesterday. Thanks for the wonderful visit!

Stonewall Peak in Cuyamaca

2007-06-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, Joy and I enjoyed an afternoon hike up to Stonewall Peak in the Cuyamaca State Park. Surprisingly, there will still several varieties of wildflowers blooming in late June. In one spot, there were dandelions gone to seed. The fluffy heads were ginormous, as wide as three-fingers!

We brought along plenty of water and snacks for a picnic in a field on the way down. After the Cedar Fires of 2003, many of the trees are still charred, but showing signs of coming back. It still has more of a ghost town feel than forest.

Coming from the Northeast, I still have to warm to the Southern California landscape. Lovely to look at, but walking the dusty eroded trail stirred up a lot of dust that found its way into my walking shoes. It's Teva sandals for next time!

From the California Parks website:

Paso Picacho, 5 miles north, sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet. The most popular hikes start from this camp, including the 2 mile hike up Stonewall Peak (elevation 5,700 feet), and the 3.5 mile hike up Cuyamaca Peak (elevation 6,512 feet), both which offer breathtaking views of the deserts to the east, the coast to the west, and Lake Cuyamaca at the bottom.

Balloons for Cappuccino

2007-06-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor, Alison, just graduated from UCSD and had a party in the courtyard. This was the first time that Cappuccino has seen balloons and he didn't quite know what to make of them. He hopped up on the chair here and gave a start. He bobbed and weaved, ducked and peeked at the blue and gold orbs.

Just another day of fun and joy shared with companion animals!

Draining the French Press

2007-06-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

We three were discussing what we were doing this coming weekend.

"You going running on Sunday?"

"Yup", says Dustine. "Are you?"

Well, I can't run with my ankles, my bike barely fits in the car, all I can do is walk on the beach.

"Well that's something," says Marisa.

"But I wish Larry would get up early to join me in that walk. He takes his time getting up, sitting with his coffee."

Then I get home and see this delicate balancing act on the kitchen counter. Yup, Larry needs his coffee.

Scorpion Bay Hot Sauce

2007-05-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

Our friend Rob (see link below for Around and About San Diego) has created three new hot sauces under the name Scorpion Bay. I whipped up a big batch of black beans to try them out. First we tried the HotAcado sauce. It's a complex sauce in that your taste buds are doing a lot of work recognizing all the flavors like yes, some lime or citrus. If there was a thermometer on the bottle, I would guess it would hover somewhere between mild and medium. This is a great sauce.

Today Larry opened the red sauce, De Arbol, to dress up the black beans. I-chi-hua-hua! Yes, indeed, it is a hot sauce. "Diablo" was probably already taken. While it is a hot fiery sauce, it has a rich tomato and tomatillo base. It's definitely thicker than some salsas as condiments at Mexican restaurants.

I'm saving the best for last. We haven't opened it yet. The Chocopotle hot sauce with a hint of chocolate. This sauce starts with a base of tomatoes and three different types of chilies and peppers. As recommended on the bottle, I may have to pick up a pint of Soy Delicious vanilla to try this flavor out! . . .

This is/will be the secret ingredient in my black beans. Stir in just a teaspoonful for every cup of black beans, perfect. As for ice cream topping, add the Chocopotle to chocolate syrup "just enough to taste the heat" and then top the frozen dessert.

Happy Mothers' Day

2007-05-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

Four generations of Brown, Rau and Brigham women were alive in my early days. Sorry, great-gramma Brown, I would need some past life regression or hypnotism to remember times with you. I do have lots of memories of my gramma Rau who passed away when I was eleven years old. And my mom and I will be making memories for years to come.

When I was offered some iced coffee recently, I was reminded of how gramma Rau enjoyed hers with some half-and-half in a tall glass with a sprig of mint on top. And she probably had a Kool cigarette in the other hand, sitting on a chaise lounge in the backyard. Completely unrelated, she made the best stuffed animals. They made some amazing fake fur back in the 70's. She found a brown-grey-black-white checkerboard pattern to make a family of raccoons. They had to be stuffed a certain way, not too firm, not too soft, but just enough to feel like it was giving you a hug back.

I smiled for my mom today. I began walking in the early morning again. I pulled out the talking pedometer that she got me for my birthday. I brought the manual with me in case there was an equipment malfunction. It's a talking and also a music-playing pedometer. It would be fun to walk down the street and have people think that the ice cream truck was coming, but not at 7:00am. But if I do find that ice cream truck tune, music will be set to "on". And what goes better with ice cream than cake!! I was titling family slides that I scanned recently. Of course the camera comes out on occasions such as Christmas and birthdays. I love the look on my mom's face as she presents us with our birthday cake. Our smile is wide and our eyes are bright with anticipation of that sugary treat. Thank you mom, I feel the love.

Happy Mothers' Day!

A great dog party!

2007-05-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Annabelle who turned 1 human years old on Sunday. Down the street from us is Original Paw Pleasers in North Park. My neighbor picked up a doggie cake for the dogs in the complex to share. Her mommy said the frosting was very tasty and gauging the tongue action, so does baby Belle.

Getty Museum

2007-04-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Larry and I drove up to Los Angeles yesterday to visit the Getty Museum. The grounds are beautiful with their high-maintenance immaculate plantings and water features. We did not partake in any of the free tours, just crashed at the end of the day. We lied down on the lawn adjacent to the water pool and listened to the birds, tho' we could not see them.

Many of the museum's buildings housed older paintings and photographs. The exhibit most to our liking was the contemporary photography. An artist named Humble took a series of photos along the Los Angeles river. In another series, he contrasts making the most of your home in an urban settings. Many homes under powerlines or freeways still had that homey touch, like a vase of flowers in the window. Great observations and contrast.

Benny there, Hadley done that

2007-04-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, it's been a few weeks since I've posted a picture. My friend back in Connecticut is sending me her spring garden pictures. I can reciprocate and post what is flowering now here in San Diego. There is one house that has pansies planted along their walkway. Pansies make me smile (like palm trees.)

My new job assisting two Real Estate agents keeps me busy three days a week. My co-workers, Haddy and Benny, two English bulldogs, keep it interesting. Like Ellen DeGeneres in the Amex commercial, my life-long dream to work with animals has come true.

Another beautiful day in San Diego for Linda

2007-03-09T16:10:00.000-08:00

I could also post sweet classroom pictures from 1st grade, that's how long I've know Linda. She lives in the Bay area now with her hubby, Dave, and two girls. Dave was snapping photos, so why not make them interesting in true 7th grade drama class form.

They came down to San Diego for a family vacation and we hooked up on Thursday night. We drove back down to my neighborhood and had dinner at Spread. It was a great place to have a casual dinner and get caught up, as Linda wrote in her review.

Yes, too much time flew by and I hope to explore more of the west coast and catch up again with her soon.