Earthquake

Mother's remaining pieces of china. The bowl is from aunt Amy's china pattern and the lid is from mother's.

The few remaining pieces of Aunt Amy's Bavarian china.

Our recent earthquake was immediately designated a 5.6, quickly upgraded to 5.8 but finally came in at a modest 5.4. My multi-story office building in Orange Co did quite a bit of shaking, creaking and groaning but there was no damage - unless you count a few frayed nerves. I called home immediately - or rather tried to because all phones, even cell phones, were out for quite a while. I wanted to make sure DH was fine and wondered how my mother's and aunt's few surving pieces of china had fared. Mother had a service for 12 of Hertel Jacob Bavarian china and her sister had Green Leaves Bavarian china. They bought it at the same time and lost almost all of the pieces at the same time in the 6.6 Sylmar quake of 1971. Mother had enough pieces to give me a complete service for 1 and the lid to her serving bowl. Aunt Amy also gave me a complete service for 1 and her serving bowl which had lost its lid. Though the lid and bowl are no longer a match, they look okay together and that's how I use them. Every so often DH and I use the dishes and they mean so much to me because of all the family history associated with them.

The networks covered our minor quake extensively and I remember one woman saying everything shook for five (5!) minutes - nope, more like 30 seconds which actually is quite a long time earthquake-wise. Have you ever experienced earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes?

I should add that we were living in Washington state at the time of the '71 quake. My sister, who didn't live too far from our parents, said everything in her kitchen fell out of the cupboards. One of the few items not broken was a gift bottle of alcohol and though she didn't drink, that day she said she did.

One Project Done!

Tom's Farms, Corona. It was 100+ but fountains always look cool. He was singing, "Oh, Lord I'm stuck in Lodi again" - not CCR but pretty darn good.
We were very tempted to join the ducks.
I will always need to live near mountains and Mexican food.

It’s been so long since I’ve logged on that my password recall was a challenge!

Sometime in May I removed wallpaper from what is now our guest room in preparation for a fresh coat of paint. We were excited about the work we could do around the house now that both boys were with their mother. We had so much fun listing future projects but I noticed we weren’t getting any of them done. None. DH had been insulted all out of proportion when I originally suggested we hire someone to do this for us so I no longer suggested but said it was time to bring in additional help. He agreed.

Near the end of June we tried to reach the contractor who had painted the exterior of our home a couple of years ago but the number no longer worked. Unbelievably we got a card from him the next day saying he was contacting former customers and wanted to know if we had any work for him. We sure did. Because of the mortgage mess in this area, he had to let his employees go and was struggling to just keep his business going. We had him completely re-do the inside of our house – removing more wallpaper, texturizng walls, painting, updating the kitchen and kitchen and bathroom cabinets. And because he was working alone it took forever. It was fun to watch everything change but awful to have someone here every day from early morning until evening. By the time he left and dinner was fixed, the thought of even turning on the computer was too much. And weekends were spent doing all the things we couldn't get to during the week. When I did try to get online, there were "connection problems." I spent hours with Earthlink until I figured out it wasn't them - it was us. DH and the contractor were inadvertently disconnecting our DSL connection. Sigh.

He’s now finished and we’re trying to put all the rooms back in order. The walls look too nice to hang anything on so we have pictures propped up everywhere. We’re glad this is over and eager to get back to our routine. I remember a client who had their house remodeled – took about six months and she said it was the closest she and her husband ever came to divorcing. We didn’t go through anything like that but it took much longer than we expected and did test our patience.

Re our contractor: one of our neighbors liked the job he was doing for us and hired him for some work on their home. Another friend came by, saw his work and is also going to use him. The contractor is a young man with a wife and two small children to support, trying to keep his business afloat until the economy turns around. SoCal has been hit hard by this mortgage mess and many of the jobs he had lined up were cancelled. It’s a tough time to be young and self-employed.

Have you ever gone through a remodel, room addition? Are you a DIY person who loves doing home projcts? If you are, I could use your name and address - I'm planning our next project right after I get caught up on your blogs!

The Quilt

The quilt pictured was given to me last week by my neighbor. It was hand quilted by her mother and grandmother, is 55-years old and has a wool batting. I felt guilty accepting it and politely tried to decline the gift saying it was really a family heirloom and was she sure she wanted to part with it. Was there another member of her family she would prefer to give it to? Nope, she wanted me to have it. She then went on to explain that six years ago after her mother who lived with her had passed away, seeing the quilt made her sad. I then felt more comfortable accepting it and remembered a friend who used to make and give quilts as gifts. She always took a picture of them before she gave them away so I asked my neighbor if she would want pictures of her quilt. She got a little teary-eyed, hugged me and said yes. These are some of the pictures I gave her.

Everyone handles grief differently but it would grieve me to give away something like that if my mother had made it. I wonder what makes the difference. After my mother passed away, a client asked if he could ask me about her or if the subject was too painful. It was a sort-of therapy for my grief to share her so I was rather grateful he asked and it didn’t bother me at all. I found letters mother wrote that I would have liked to share with my sister but she said no – she didn't want to see them because it was just too painful for her. Both of us grieved but handled it differently. Does it give you comfort or pain to discuss a loved one who has passed away? I think my client was particularly tactful when he asked if it was okay to ask and that’s what I now do with those who have had a loss.

Update

Our 18-year old DGS asked to borrow my digital camera and these are some of the images I found on it when it was returned.

I asked him about them and he said it was "art." Hmmmm. Seems art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.


Crisis averted. DD went on an interview last Thursday for a job driving a bus in another county. They hired her on the spot and she started her new job yesterday. The down-side is that it's further from home so it's unlikely she will be able to go home on her split-shift days and apparently they will all be split-shift days; she's also taken a pay cut. For the up-side she once again has a paycheck, medical coverage for the family, is contributing to the same retirement plan and has a job she enjoys. She has learned a lot through this whole experience and so have we.

Before she lost her job she purchased a car from a private party that literally died as she was pulling out of the driveway. She wanted her money back, the other party said they'd have their mechanic fix the car instead. Bottom line - she didn't get the car and has gotten some but not all of her money back. So she and DGS shared his car. Until it died. Our son then told her about a friend selling a car and she bought it and that's what she and DGS are now sharing. We've helped out where and when we could so it's been a busy time for all of us.

Now a little personal stuff: DD has been remarkable through all this. I can't begin to say how absolutely crushed she was at losing her job and then the one "good" car they had gave up the ghost. I wondered how she would handle all the stress she was given and she did just fine. Amazing. It wasn't that long ago when her life was an unbelievable mess - I won't go into details because it doesn't matter and she isn't that person anymore - but she was at the very bottom in every way imaginable. When she checked herself into a place where they taught her how to live a "normal" life they helped give her her life back. All of the little speed-bumps in life that threw her such a curve are now just that - little speed bumps. There were times when all of us chafed at the rules and regulations she had to follow but we told ourselves, they must know what they're doing. And they did. She has learned how to parent, budget, maintain a home and her sobriety. And we're learning how to relax and trust things will work out.

Thank you all for your prayers, good thoughts and well wishes. Love does make the world go round.

That Was The Week That Was!

What a week this has been. After learning on Monday that she no longer had a job, DD was told to pick up her final check Tuesday. She was distraught so I said I would take Tuesday off to drive her there and suggested she ask for a letter of recommendation and also if they would consider rehiring her at some point. I knew they thought well of her and had spent a lot of time and money training her - if the accident had happened after her probation period it wouldn't have been a problem. I also thought that giving her a "talking point" would keep her steady.

Tuesday morning I picked her up, her eyes swollen from crying but chin up and ready to face the music. A friend spent most of Monday evening with her because she said she had been in "code red." She realized she had come too far to slip but it did cross her mind.

At the yard I waited in the car while she went inside. After about 30 minutes she came out and said we needed to go back to her place for the badge and uniform. She then told me what had gone on inside. Bottom line, they didn't want to lose her but had no choice. Her supervisor had wanted to extend her probation a month instead of letting her go but rules are rules. He said that they had reviewed the tape after the accident and watched every rider on the bus give her a hug as they got off. Undercover riders had been on her bus many times and had all written glowing reports on how she handled the bus and passengers. She was then told she was the type of employee they wanted and asked her to reapply in about seven months and they would rehire her. Her supervisor had already made a call to a possible new employer for her and asked DD to go there and pick up an application.

When we went back to the bus yard with her badge and uniform, she brought her supervisor out to meet me. Awkward but nice. He said he wants her back and I stumbled through something. The rest of the day was spent running errands - she needed a DMV printout, we went to the bank to deposit her final check, she picked up an application, did some grocery shopping and we ended the day by having a late lunch. It was a long day and I was exhausted.

Today is the first day we haven't been over to see her. She still feels sad about what happened but is keeping herself busy looking for a new job. Knowing how much they wanted to keep her I wish they could have but......what's that expression? If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. DD is resilient and will get through this but I'm a little slower and haven't even been able to turn the computer on until now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your good thoughts, prayers and well wishes for DD.

An Ending

I can't help but wonder - was she too happy? Did I bring her bad luck by calling her a bus driver extraordinaire? There is a Norwegian philosophy about things going so well that something bad is bound to happen. And it has. Our DD lost her job as a bus driver because she scraped a sheriff's car with the bus late Saturday afternoon while making a right hand turn. The car was at an angle into the street while handling a traffic stop or something and she thought she had enough room but didn't. I don't have all the details but then again they don't matter at this point. She feels she's let everyone down, is embarrassed and very sad. She loved the job and tried so hard. I guess it wasn't meant to be but it's hard right now for her to hear that. Logistically speaking she now needs to get a new job - quickly - and we will help make sure she doesn't lose her place. I think I'm going to take a blogging vacation for a bit. It's time to circle the wagons.

The Bus Driver

Last month I promised DD a new hairdo to celebrate her first-year anniversary. It had been three years since her last haircut and she wanted a new "do." As badly as she wanted one, she was nervous about going. Finally she reached the point where she didn't care what was done to her hair - she just wanted a change. Ta-Da! Her hair was cut yesterday and this is The Change. She is so happy with her new look! Bus driver extraordinaire.

According to Fortune magazine, these are actual resume blunders:

"I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience."
"I have lurnt WordPerfect 6.0 computor and spreadsheat programs."
"Received a plague for Salesperson of the Year."
"Reason for leaving last job: Maturity leave."
"Wholly responsible for two (2) failed institutions."
"Failed bar exam with relatively high grades."
"It's best for employers that I not work with people."
"Let's meet, so you can 'ooh' and 'aah' over my experience."

Bada bing!

She's older than she's ever been...and now she's even older...

I love, love, love birthdays! This one has been particularly sweet! I've been experimenting with a four-day work week and will now make it permanent. Gives me a little more play time. BTW - I took today off and the market was up over 200 points. Hmmmm, maybe I'll take next week off and see what happens.

Compliments of Amy, I'm now going to eat my virtual carrot cake cheesecake. Virtual calories so everyone, help yourself.

And he's from Big D....

"Grandma?"

"Yes, Dallas?"

"Can you come to Texas and get me and take me to California when school's out?"

"Dallas, you're coming to California at the end of the month with your other Grandma. Can you wait a little longer?"

"I guess so but I want you to come and get me so I can get there sooner."

"Should I talk to your mother about that?"

"No. I guess I have to wait 'cause she already has the tickets."

"Then I think it's probably best if you wait too."

So our 10-year old Texas grandson will be here fairly soon but not soon enough. Last year his mother said she would let him live in California with his dad (our son) if he worked hard in school and got good grades. He did and now time will tell if he moves out here.

He lives with his mother, step-dad, half-sister and a veritable zoo assortment of animals (lemurs, geese, pigs, chickens, horses, dogs, cats, and goats to name a few) but misses his dad. His other grandma is retiring this year and may move to Texas so he will have her nearby. It sounds like a pretty good life for a kid but he misses his dad. But if he lived here, wouldn't he miss his mother and Texas lifestyle? No easy decisions here.

Last year when family friends drove him to California he brought me a kitten for my birthday. This was not a wanted present - in fact when he told me about the kitten before he left Texas, I reminded him we couldn't have one because of our dog. He held the kitten all the way and when DH saw it, he let Dallas know he didn't want a kitten. Dallas told him it wasn't for him, it was for his grandma. So........I kept the kitten he'd named SnowBelle, renamed her Samantha and she's been the best birthday present ever. Having a cat is new to me and she's been a constant source of delight, entertainment, exasperation and love. I learned I'd always wanted a cat.

Memories

We had lots of fun singing this song when we were kids. We didn't sound like They Might Be Giants but we sang with enthusiasm.

Recalling our road trips of years past reminded me of the Burma Shave signs. We got so excited every time we saw one and read them out loud and in unison. I found some of the old slogans and think they're still entertaining:

Around the curve
Lickety split
It's a beautiful car
Wasn't it?
Burma Shave

She put a bullet
Through his hat
But he's had
Closer shaves than that
Burma Shave

Slow down pa
Sakes alive
Ma missed
Signs four and five
Burma Shave

Within this vale
Of toil and sin
Your head grows bald
But not your chin
Burma Shave

Drinking drivers
Nothing worse
They put the quart
Before the hearse
Burma Shave

Thirty days
Hath September
April, June
And the speed offender
Burma Shave

Simpler times - we were easily amused.

It's not easy being green.......

We have green and red peppers. Are these green peppers or green going to be red peppers? Roma tomatoes, I think.

None of the tomatoes are ripe yet and my nightmare is that they will all ripen at once.

DD was driving her bus when she noticed one of the tires was flat. She called dispatch and they came out with another bus for her passengers. It was all done quickly and she finished her route just a few minutes off schedule. She said she was worried that her superiors would think the flat was her fault but they quickly assured her she hadn't done anything wrong - equipment breaks down.

Driving a city bus is hard work and she has developed callouses on her hands from gripping the wheel. She's been reluctant to wear gloves but now realizes she must. Two days a week she has a split shift with a 3-hour break. It makes the day much longer but she doesn't mind because it gives her a break from the physical demand of driving eight hours straight. Wednesday and Thursday are her days off. When her probation period is over (July 17th) she can work all the overtime she wants and plans on working 6 days a week.

We haven't seen her drive yet but may catch a ride with her one of these weekends - I'll bring my camera when we do. She still finds time to attend meetings and has a great support group. It hasn't always been easy but she's hanging in there and doing a good job.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Agapanthus - Lily of the Nile - our first of the season and a favorite of hummingbirds. Once these are blooming they ignore our feeders and head for the good stuff. We received some sad news today - our neighbors have decided they are getting a little too old to remain in their home and have just put it on the market. He had knee-replacement surgery last year and though the rehabilitation was long he did amazingly well. He had his second knee replaced fairly recently and this time his adjustment isn't going as well. He thinks the first one went well because he had one "natural" knee but now with two artificial knees he doesn't feel he can handle all a home demands. They are looking into a retirement community or assisted living arrangement. Real estate is very slow in this area and we're hoping that this gives them a little more time to adjust to the new knees and perhaps change their plans. They have had a gardener and cleaning couple for years and two of their three children live near enough to help out on an as-needed basis. I hope they don't move. Also they really aren't that much older than we are and frankly it scares me to think of the day we won't be able to stay in our home. My 87-year old aunt is still living alone in her home. Not that she wants to die but she says when her time comes she hopes she's still at home, working in her kitchen. Me too.

The L.A. Times had a wonderful story in today's paper about the wedding of two 95-year olds. Both had been married to their prior partners for 60+ years and known each other casually from church and around town. When their spouses died, each had purchased a home in a retirement community. They began spending time together and started dating. He proposed on their first date which, "scared the bejusus" out of her. Eventually she accepted his proposal after conferring with her family. Both families gave their blessing and 200 family and friends attended the wedding. She said he spoiled her and even told her she deserved a man with hair - he's nearly bald. It was such a cute story. Nice to know that even if the knees go, love doesn't.

Flashback.....

While at Starbucks and looking at the CD display, I saw a compilation CD of old songs and recognized one by Rosemary Clooney - Come On-A My House. It was playing on the radio during one of our yearly trips back to Minnesota and caused quite an arguement between mother and dad. Mother was singing along with the radio and dad was quite upset about her singing that "hussy" song. I didn't know then what a hussy was but figured it probably wasn't too bad because mother kept singing.

We kids enjoyed the trips but they were hard on our parents - four (eventually five) kids in the back seat, squirming all over the place and asking every hour or so, "aren't we there yet?" We four (eventually five) had our space staked out and it was war if someone got too close or, heaven forbid, touched us. Being susceptible to car sickness I was often allowed to sit in the front. It didn't take me long to know how to use that - a feeble, "I don't feel so well" got me moved up quickly to the front. Mother frantically told dad to pull over and stop because she thought I might urp in the car - can you imagine traveling 2k miles in a car that's been urped in? No, and neither could she.

One man's trash, another man's treasure?

When my mother gave me this picture of myself taken when I was three, my aunt told her to, "throw away that ugly frame, just give her the picture." But mother said she liked the frame and ignored her sister. Some months later my aunt gave me a lovely silver frame and told me to put this picture in it and throw away "that tacky thing." Obviously I listen and take suggestions as well as my mother did. ;-)

The frame doesn't "go" with anything but I couldn't bear to throw it away. I was three when the picture was taken and figure the frame is about my age. No sense in getting rid of things just because they're old, right? I do wonder where mother bought the frame though.

Red Letter Day

Let's go shopping!

Red letter day - a day which will always be remembered because of something especially good that happened on it.

Today was a definite red letter day. This morning before going to the office DH and I went to Panera's for an early cup of coffee. Not the usual way we start our day but lots of fun. Sitting across from me he said how nice my hair looked. He's pretty generous with his compliments so that was sweet but not unusual. Then he broke out of the box with this: "You know, you've really got it going on." Say what??? That is not my husband of a kazillion years - he doesn't talk like that. But how wonderful that we two old folks can still think the other is a hottie. Yep, definitely a red letter day!

Now that song, "Stacy's mom, has got it going on" is my new earworm!

Meow - and not in a good way!

My Samantha who is.......................... not the least bit catty! Good girl, Sam
Let me start first by saying I’ve never seen a Barbara Walters interview or watched The View. I don’t have an opinion of her one way or the other. In fact, most of what I know about her has been from old Saturday Night Live parodies - remember Barbara WaWa? I think her recent book has made news primarily because of her revelation of a long-ago affair with a then-married Senator which was tres tacky on her part: first for having the affair and second for writing about it.

Caitlin Flanagan reviews her book, “Audition” in the June issue of The Atlantic and her review has "meow" written all over it. The first paragraph of the review says this about Ms. Walters: "Too often, a tiny nut-brown hand waves vaguely in the air....." Tiny nut-brown hand???? Is that a reference to her age? With a little luck the reviewer may live long enough to have a “nut-brown hand” – tiny or otherwise. Not everything that happens with aging is beautiful – sorry.

How about this one? "Barbara Walters did not earn exclusive interviews with some of the most important international figures of her heyday by revealing to them a deep intellectual engagement with foreign and domestic policy. Nor did she do it by deploying pulchritude – minus the lighting and makeup, she has always looked like the love child of Madeleine Albright and Spiro Agnes." Isn't Ms. Flanagan clever? That rates a double "meow."

Am I being too sensitive? Some of the remarks in this review seem like personal attacks rather than a focus on the book. I was always taught that if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything. Oh, wait - that would mean you would attack the book on its merits. In my opinion that makes for a more fair review of what a book review should be – a review of the book, not the author's looks. "Meow"

Happy Birthday Sister!

My Mickey - I couldn't pronounce Camille so it came out Ca-Mickey - the nickname Mickey stuck and that is how some of our relatives still refer to her. Sisters
BFF
A colleague’s 39 year old son died of cancer a little over a week ago and his death so close to my sister’s birthday has left me feeling pretty sad.

My sister Camille passed away three years ago this July 1st and today is her birthday – she would be 64. From May 25th until June 5th we were the same age which was especially fun when we were kids because it always puzzled our friends who knew we weren’t twins - so how come we were the same age? Mother said that she was told you couldn’t get pregnant as long as you were nursing – surprise!

My sister was one of the most determined people I’ve ever known – if she wanted to learn, do or be something, nothing could stop her. The only thing she couldn’t overcome was MS but she put up one heck of a fight. She had the worst type of MS – one that progressively worsened over the years. She faithfully used a machine that exercised her legs to keep them as healthy as possible in case a cure was found. She wanted to be able to walk again.

Right up until the end her long-term memory was excellent but not her short-term memory. I remember recalling with her some of the funny things we did as kids and some of the mischief we got into. Almost completely paralyzed and sitting in her wheelchair her eyes danced with laughter as she said, “I was such a little stinker, wasn’t I?” She wasn’t but she was almost always in constant motion when younger as if to somehow make up for all the days she’d be in a wheelchair.

She was very religious and prayed for healing but never lost her faith when it didn’t happen. The most important things to her were her faith and loving family. Her husband was her primary caregiver and because of him she was able to stay at home until she passed away. And her children and grandchildren gave her so much happiness. It’s a joy to see how much her oldest granddaughter resembles her – the circle of life.

I always thought we’d grow old together and be two old ladies sharing memories. Selfishly I feel cheated but MS cheated her and her family too. In my head I know she’s better off and no longer suffering but in my heart I just plain miss her. Happy birthday sister!

Bumper Stickers

I've read that if you're selling your home, red, pink, yellow, and even white roses are okay but if you've got orange roses - replace them. For some reasons orange roses are a big no-no to potential buyers. I like them anyway.I often see bumper stickers that say: I'm A Proud Parent of My Honor Student at (Insert-Name-of-School-Here)

Then anti-bumper stickers began showing up: My Kid Beat Up Your Honor Student.

Today in the rear window of an obviously proud parent was the following:

Proud Parent of:

#1 - serving proudly in the military
#2 - *A* student - ROTC
#3 - *A* student - Honor Society
#4 - *-* student - skateboarder
#5 - *A* student - cub scout

I wondered if child #4's "A" somehow got wiped off or if he (or she) isn't quite the student his (or her) siblings are.

Where there's smoke.......

Mt. Baldy

The heat is rising, wind increasing and there is a fire on Mt Baldy. So far 300 acres have burned and it is zero percent contained. The area that is burning hasn’t had a forest fire since the mid 70’s so there is lots of vegetation to fuel the fire. I hope a fire this early in the year doesn't portend a record year for forest fires.

Family

Redlands - the roses were beautiful, the grounds perfectly manicured." They're painting the roses red," said Alice.
I was invited to visit the Redlands Family History Center by a neighbor who is LDS. At the Center, genealogical research can be done on one’s family – whether or not one is LDS. My family history is a little convoluted since I know very little about my birth dad and only marginally more about the man who was dad. I have more information about my mother’s side of the family so that’s where I started.

A woman working there handed me a packet of information about how to get started and helped me begin my research on their computers. My mother’s dad was born in Norway and came to this country via Canada so I wasn’t sure how much we’d be able to find but Leslie started checking US Census data from the county in Minnesota where they lived and voila – listed on the 1910 Census was info re my mother’s parents and her two older siblings. Eventually there were nine children in her family. On one form they listed my mother as "Charlotte" – Aurlette must have sounded like Charlotte to the census taker.

I looked into my dad’s family name and pulled up information on his brothers and sisters – all of them now dead. It was sobering to see all of them listed with their birth dates and dates of death. I don’t think they changed the family name when they came to this country so that should help in the research. That and I think I have a cousin who may have already done some of this work – though we’re not really related I think she will share what she knows.

Re my birth dad: It turned out that when he died, he didn’t live that far from where we live.

Has anyone else done genealogical research? Leslie said it was one of the more popular hobbies. The LDS website www.familysearch.org provides info on how to get started and also has free family history software that can be downloaded.

Yum!

When the boys were here we had dinner every evening at just about the same time and we all ate at the table together. It was family time and a good way to get caught up on everyone's day. Now that they're gone we're breaking the self-imposed rules. So what did we have for dinner tonight? Pie. Not for dessert. For dinner. Pie. It was fun - fresh coffee and pie. If we get hungry later (it was pie but we didn't stuff ourselves!)we will eat something sensible later. Our walk on the wild side. See what passes for wild and crazy at our ages?

I stopped at Pier One on the way home today and now I want to get rid of all our furniture and start over. They have such fun, colorful stuff. DH is going to meet me there after work this week and I'll see if he likes some of the things as much as I do. As long as we're painting and making changes, why not new furniture?

More

Patio Tomatoes Swiss ChardDH is now growing patio tomatoes, two different types of roma tomatoes, two different types of beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, swiss chard, rhubarb, Thompson grapes, Red Flame grapes and a dozen different herbs. He wasn't able to do much gardening last year and is more than making up for it now. It seems like a lot of work to me but is a form of relaxation for him.

The boys came over for dinner this evening. We enjoy their company and it is one way we can help out when DD is working late. DH loves to barbecue for an appreciate audience and teenagers can put food away better than anyone!

One more item re the Moving Wall and Vietnam: We have a friend who was a captain in VN and he and another buddy were the only ones who survived in his platoon. They came under intense fire and he and his buddy went to higher ground to radio for air cover. The troops fought hard but were overrun and by the time air cover arrived it was too late – even their medic was killed. Their names are on the Wall.

Moving Wall

A panel of the Moving Wall More panels, more names.
58,228 names.
A remembrance to MIA/POW's - Missing Man Table
Map of Vietnam
We visited the Moving Wall in Fontana this weekend, the replica of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial and it was a very emotional experience. There are 74 panels and a total of 58,228 names on the wall. Fifty-eight thousand, two hundred and twenty-eight and every one of them loved and missed.

You can’t help but think about our current war-conflict-police-action-nation-building or whatever they’re calling it now and wonder how many names will end up on the next memorial. We’re already five years into this: 4,071 American have died, nearly 30,000 wounded and we’re still counting. I remember commentators joking about how Bush would FedEx WMD’s in if none were found – I don’t think anyone is laughing now.

Holy Smokes!

Our geraniums bloom all year long.Today DD told us she has finally made the decision to stop smoking. Good news! DH was especially concerned about her smoking since his surgeon told him his own cancer was "100% caused by smoking." He talked to DD and told her he didn’t want her to go through the same thing - bladder cancer is not exclusively a male problem. She listened politely but always said she wasn’t ready to quit. Today she is ready. And the source of her epiphany? She was lighting her cigarette with what she termed “one of those cheapie lighters” when a huge flame shot out of it, singed her hair and scorched her forehead. She said she doesn’t need to get the message again – that was a sign. Aunt Lena always said there isn’t anything so bad that something good doesn’t come out of it. Yep.

Our Carriers

USS Enterprise - we were apx 2+ miles from it when we crossed its wake in our boat while we lived in Seattle. We climbed up a wall of water, dropped down the trough and then climbed up another wall of water. Our son locked himself in the head and said he wasn't going to come out until the boat stopped rocking. It was quite a ride!Has anyone else been watching the 10 hour, 5 episode PBS mini-series, “Carrier?” It is a documentary of life aboard the USS Nimitz during its 2005 six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf. It has been absolutely riveting, beginning with their departure from Coronado, California; tonight the series ends with their return.

Along the way we’ve seen sailors young and old share their points of view – all the way from heavy bitching to those that plan on making the military their career and just about everything in between. Male and female, young and old, they seem to be able to give their opinions honestly and openly.

Last night’s episode featured night-time landing on the carrier during rough seas – made me nervous just watching it. The photography has been incredible and they’ve put a lot of thought into the eclectic music accompanying each episode. Absolutely wonderful! If you haven’t been watching, look for it in reruns – definitely worth seeing.

More Stuff...

Andy

Though the boys no longer live with us, they are here almost every day to visit and share what’s going on in their lives. And we really enjoy their visits – it’s wonderful to be back in the role of grandparents.

After DH’s bladder removal surgery last year we both had some adjusting to do. Mechanically speaking we had to deal with an external bladder and all that that entails and it wasn’t always easy. However, we’ve managed and for some time now we’ve wanted to give back – help others deal with some of the problems and adjustments that we faced. Today DH took a step closer to making that happen by attending a volunteer’s meeting for the American Cancer Society. There is some training involved but I know he will be an asset - he is such a positive person.

Have you ever had frog-eye salad? A friend formerly from Utah says it’s served at every potluck there. She brought some over yesterday and yummm – it’s delicious! I’ve checked and there are many recipes for it online – it calls for a small pasta that tastes somewhat like tapioca, a cooked dressing, pineapple, mandarin oranges, coconut and whipped cream. Isn’t it funny how certain areas and groups have their potluck specialties? For our family it was always a Jello dish. No gathering was complete without it.

DD is working crazy hours. Some days she starts at 8:30am – has a 2-1/2 hour layover – and ends her shift at 7:30pm. She is able to go home during her layover period when she drives in Riverside. Tired but happy – those checks have started coming with some regularity now. :-)

Birthdays, brownies, and bears - oh, my!

Ms Anne Bear - you don't get too old for teddy bears, right? What a fun day. My niece, her dad and two daughters came for a visit; partly to celebrate her oldest daughter's birthday this Sunday and partly for her dad to look at a VW. Jessica wanted to go to the Rainforest Cafe for her birthday celebration but we had no idea the place would be packed with (are you ready for this?) 265 red-hat members. Red hats of every size and hue decorated the place. We were told there would be a wait for our lunch unless we ate in the all-age bar - which we did. DH came with us so we were a party of six. The birthday girl was given a glass full of maraschino cherries because she told the server how much she loved them - quite the charmer. Later they sang a birthday song and presented her with a "birthday volcano" - a huge mass of chocolate brownie slabs and vanilla ice-cream topped with chocolate sauce. She shared that with everyone and there were leftovers. The lunch was good but the best part was being together, sharing memories and making new ones.

After lunch DH and BIL left to look at the car and we girls got to spend time shopping. The girls wanted to get some clothes and accessories for their bears and while at Build-A-Bear it happened - I caught Bear Fever. I resisted for awhile but ended up with a bear of my own which the birthday girl named Anne, aka Annie. We made another stop at the mall before heading back to our place for a quick dip in the spa - the girls are small enough to think it's a pool. A nice way to cool off before heading home. A perfect day over too quickly.

DD had a graduation lunch today at which time she was presented with her RTA uniform. We haven't seen it yet but hope to before the weekend is over.

Celebration Time!

Bouganvillea - one of my favorites but glad I don't have to prune them.DD now has her Class B license! She passed the driving test today with flying colors, including parallel parking the bus which she aced on her first try. She said it was hard to get to sleep last night because she was so nervous. She will sleep well tonight. Guaranteed.

Her first solo will be this Sunday but she won't know what route she gets until Saturday. The buses run seven days a week and until she has some seniority she can be assigned to any RTA shift and route. She knew this going in and is okay with it - for her the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences.

The coyotes are already howling tonight and it's not even dark. They definitely get Andy's attention but Sam sleeps through everything - ah, the life of a cat.

Photo Enforced!

I don't know exactly where our morning glories went during the winter but they're blooming again and growing like a weed. I intend for them to cover a slope so grow!Photo enforced intersections are those armed with cameras that are tripped when a driver goes through against the light. The cameras photograph the car’s driver and license plate and then a ticket is mailed to the registered owner after some sort of verification matching the driver’s picture to the owner’s DL. I’m seeing more and more photo enforced intersections in this area but some drivers have a problem with them because drivers often hesitate before entering these intersections and then speed up to hurry through. They don’t want to get stuck in the middle if the light turns red. Maybe it’s just here in car-crazy SoCal where everyone’s in such a hurry but without these cameras you can pretty much count on three or four cars continuing through an intersection after the light has turned red.

Our list of home-improvement projects keeps growing. DH was telling me of another neighbor/friend who is tackling the same sorts of projects we are. He’s having the work done by a contractor he likes who is reasonable and does good work. I asked DH if we should interview the contractor and have him work us up an estimate. Well, that didn’t go well. DH thought that meant I doubted his ability but I didn’t and don’t. But I have a feeling we’ll be working on some of these projects for quite a while! Painting party next weekend - bring a brush!

How high?

The roses look like they're made of paper on this bush, my favorite.

Regular gas in our area is now $3.81 or more a gallon. It seems to be a case of price creep and we pretty much adjust when the price goes up a few cents, down a cent or so, and then back up even higher. As we were driving, DH said – look, the gas there is only $3.79. Only? Yep, we’ve been trained well and now think $3.79/gallon is a relative bargain. I don't think we're driving less but we are using DH's old VW more often for errands around town. DD can get us free bus passes but using the bus isn't always very convenient. Actually, public transportation in this area isn't very good. So I was wondering, are you driving less? Using or considering public transportation? I remember the gas lines of the 70's. Odd/even days when you could buy gas based on your license number. We were supposed to use that as a wake-up call and become more energy independent, not be held hostage to the oil producing countries. So much for good intentions.

Il Papa

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict’s visit to the US and all the excitement it has generated reminds me of a very dear client who passed away some years ago. She lived in Laguna Beach, about two blocks from a Catholic church and went to Mass every day. The church was literally her second home and family since she had no relatives.

During Pope John Paul’s visit to Los Angeles, she got a chance to meet him and said that was the highlight of her life. When she talked about it the years dropped away and she seemed like a young kid that had just met her rock-star idol. Sometimes meetings like that are life-changing events but I can’t say that about her; she was very devout before and after. She felt it was a privilege to be able to leave her estate to the church, a way for her to do good works after she was gone. A very nice lady.

History

Panama WWII - WEP's picture. Aquitania, Pier 6, CristobalThese pictures were found in some of my mother’s things. The writing on the back is my birth dad’s (WEP) and re the above picture it says “Aquatania, (sic) Pier 6 Cristobal, ep.” He signed it with the initials “ep” since he didn’t use his first name.

This is what I’ve since learned: The British passenger four-funnel liner Aquitania was launched in 1913 and was in service for a short time. In 1919 it was refurbished and re-entered service in 1920 and remained in service up until WWII when it was used as a troopship and loaned to the US for the San Francisco-Honolulu run. After the war it continued in service until 1948 and was eventually scrapped in 1951.

I wasn't interested in learning much about him when mother was alive (opportunity lost) but it is interesting now piecing some of the pictures of the puzzle together.


The following was sent to the office by one of our more staid associates - approaching 80, sense of humor intact:

"In an ongoing effort to keep you abreast of events affecting our world today, I pass on to you the following bit of insight in hopes you will find it helpful.

Generations are grouped as follows:

-The Silent generation, people born before 1945.

-The Baby Boomers, people born between 1945 and 1961.

-Generation X, people born between 1962 and 1976.

-Generation Y, people born between 1977 and 1989.

Why do we cal the last one Generation Y? I did not know but a caricaturist explains it eloquently below!"