Goodbye CA!

Goodbye Mountains!


Goodbye Ocean!

















Goodbye Sunshine!

The Great Shoe Discovery

I am totally a shoe hound. I love any shoe that is stylish and wearable. Comfort is my number one priority due to the fact that years of wearing way too high heels have left my feet ruined. I have great problems walking long distance in any shoe other than a gym shoe, until now. We stumbled on to the "Flip Flop Shop" at the Spectrum Mall in Irvine and my life is much better now. They carry a line of shoes called "Souck", which are canvas style shoes designed to feel like you are barefoot. They were originally worn by surfers and they are the bomb! If you want a stylish shoe that affords great comfort and are good for your feet check these lovelies out! You will not be disappointed. Attached is a link to their website if you want to know more.

http://www.flipflopshops.com/index.asp

California Memories!

I cannot leave California without paying homage to the great luxuries they have to offer particularly in the form of food. These are a few of my favorites:
This is my all time favorite: Pinkberry! The absolute best frozen yogurt in the world, a class above all of the rest topped with the freshest fruits of your choice and mochi toppings, along with various other toppings. If you get to California put this on your list of must have. The yogurt is unique in sweetness vs tartness. It is the best!

OK the next one is another fave "Sprinkles", not so much because of taste (don't get me wrong the taste is wonderful also) but is more about the presentation of these large gems. They are truly a work of art and worth the $3+ price. The store is bright, tantalizing and worth the fairly long wait. There is usually a crowd which adds to the hype. Oh and did I mention that they have organic milk that you can purchase. I mean my God what is better than milk and cupcakes????








OK now I have saved the best for last. The next is a restaurant in Newport Beach called the Crab Cooker. If you are ever near Newport Beach look this restaurant up and go! It is in the old (and I mean very old) Bank of America building. This building is a relic in it's own right and lends itself to the overall feeling of the establishment. They specialize in crab cake, clam chowder, many fish selections and potatoes that are made on an open grill. they are like potato balls with cheese and actually cooked on an open grill. They serve alcohol also. This is a must experience if you love seafood and love the beach!

"Tivo" the cat!

Here is the our other traveling companion. It remains to be seen as to how he will weather the trip! He is the ultimate cat's cat. No crap for him, he rules!

Florida or Bust

Rossi

Ok so I am now in sunny Orange County contemplating my cross country trip to Orlando Florida with my daughter "Ruth" and her dog "Rossi" and cat "Tivo". We will be leaving Sunday April 26, 2009. I am very sad to see them leaving California because we have had many great visits here and tasted a lot of wine and other frivalities that sunny CA has to offer. I arrived here on the 14th of April to begin preparation for the trip and to try to help Ruth move. Her husband Jason's company Yamaha (the company I used to work for and might I say the greatest company on earth) is transfering him to Florida. Of all the black holes that he could have ended up we will all take Florida. At least it is warm! I am attaching pictures of our traveling companions.

Friendship

True friendship is seen through the heart not through the eyes.

Friendship is one of those parts of life that we at times take for granted. It rolls off of our tongues as if we expect it to be present in all areas of our lives. I hear our ‘friendship is forever’ or ‘friends always’ is a common thread that runs through our lives. But in truth how many true friendships do you have? Think for a moment and list those you feel are true friends and those with which you have a close relationship. Are they true friends? Is their friendship from the heart? How many people do you truly see as friends?

Friendship is a living thing that lasts only as long as it is nourished with kindness, empathy and understanding.

Friendship is a gift that two people give to each other. It is not an expected result of meeting but a true and unanticipated gift of enormous potential. True friends form a special connection that will weather any storm. True friends understand being human and give the other room to grow. True friends are there even when they are not expected to be present. True friends know and cherish each other’s gift.

Friendship is love with understanding.

Friendship is a path of unrelenting compassion. It is a view of life that encompasses not just your life but the life of the other. It is a special bond that is created out of genuine affection and is given freely to those who have shown their truth. It is given without the thought of reward but with the essence of the heart which longs for this special connection.
Think of your true friends and be grateful for the gifts they bring to your life. Allow your hearts to connect and bring comfort to each other. Expand your world by seeing through their eyes. Give them your love in return for each friend you have is an unearned gift that should be accepted with grace and thankfulness.

Living the Happiness Formula

A 92 year-old man, small built, but with an erect posture, is fully dressed each morning by 8 0'clock, with his hair well groomed, clean shaven, even though he is legally blind. Today he is waiting to be moved to a nursing home.
His wife of 70 years recently passed away making it necessary for him to move. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiles sweetly when told that his room is ready.
As I help him maneuver his walker to the elevator, I provide a visual description of his new room in the nursing home, about the furniture, including the design and color of the curtains."I love it," he says with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old who is presented with a new puppy.
"Mr.Parker, you haven't even arrived in your room yet, just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," he answers. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the room is furnished and arranged....it's how I arrange my mind. I already have decided to love it."
"It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice, I can spend the day in bed thinking about all the problems I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or I can get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do work."
"Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away, just for this time of my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you is to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank of memories."
"Thank you for your part in filling my memory bank. I am still depositing." Remember the five rules to be happy: - Free your heart from hatred - Free your mind of worries - Live simply - Give more - Expect less

Legacy

The Legacy You Leave

All You will leave behind for the world to remember is Your Legacy, so ask yourself:

Will you have earned the respect of your peers and the admiration of your critics?

Will you have acted humbly at the peak of success and graceful in the face of defeat?

Will you have kept your child like wonder and reveled in the beauty of the world and the small miracles that each day brought?

Will you be remembered for how often you laughed and brought smiles to the hearts of others?

Will small children and the elderly have been overjoyed to be around you?

Will others have trusted you with their inner most secrets?

Will you have forgiven and offered heartfelt apology?

Will you have looked for the very best, and done your utmost to build worth, in others?

Will you have fed a hungry child or clothed a naked man or given hope to a stranger in dire need?

Will you have left this world a better place by the life you have lived?

Ask yourself, what Legacy will You Leave?

The Real Green Drinking Bottle!

These are the most green, chemical free drinking bottles that you can buy. They not only keep drinks very cold but have no chemical additives like plastics do. I am trying to be cognicent of health issues as I get really old. If we only knew what we are subjecting ourselves to on a daily basis we would be shocked.

A Tribute To George!

IF YOU DON'T READ THIS TO THE VERY END, YOU HAVE LOST A DAY IN YOUR LIFE.



George Carlin on age.




George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life. You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21 YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you' re Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. < FONT face=Verdana color=maroon size=5>The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, impr ove it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.


AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Ruth, this is for you!

OK, OK, I promised my daughter Ruth that I would update this blog. I am trying to think of what would interest anyone who might peek at my blog. I would really like to have a regular blog but life seems to get in the way. This blog I am going to include some pictures of the updates to my townhouse. This may be boring but it's all I've got at the minute, and anybody who looks at this blog must leave a comment so I know that it is really worth it to continue. Here are my new updates enjoy!

Fox Hunt

WHEN YOU ARE IN DEEP SHIT ,
LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD,
KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT & SAY NOTHING.

Discovery

OK, so I have been plagued with terrible spider veins all of my life. I love wearing capri's in the summer and I love to swim but have done very little of both in my recent adult years. My legs looked like a 90 year old woman. I tried makeup, creams, you name it. One day online I discovered an add for Venacura, a product from Europe boasting great results in getting rid of spider veins. I researched the product and could not find any negatives. It is a pill that you take daily and they also have a cream that you can use in conjunction with the pills, so I thought why not? I ordered the product and started taking it immediately. I have been on it for two weeks (I also have used the cream) and the results are dramatic. The discoloration has faded dramatically and I am amazed. To anyone with this problem, THIS DOES WORK, OH MY GOD! Just wanted to share this great discovery for anyone young or old. I cannot recommend this enough.

A Great Blog To Check Out!

http://dailycoyote.blogspot.com/

Beauty at it's best!

As I have gone through the aging process I find myself enjoying things that I used to laugh at people for doing, and one of those is bird watching. I think it is because when I took this job there was a huge bird feeder right outside my window and I became interested in all of the birds that showed up at the feeder, thus my new love for birds. The picture above was a bird picture taken by my brother in Brazil. I was so taken with the beauty of the picture and the color. I am now having it professionally framed. I had a print made in an 11 X 16 and intend to have the framing done soon. I will post a picture of the picture when it is done. My brother is a very talented photographer and lives in the Amazon and sends amazing pictures. I am in the process of developing a website for him and all of his photography. I will have a link in the future to that site where people can visit and even purchase prints. If you are interested in viewing some of his work follow this link for now.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamquatman

Really Back!

I know, I know, I promised earlier that I was back to blogging, well here you go, I am going to attempt to keep up this blog! It is a great way to keep everyone posted on what is up in my life. My latest thing is Yoga. I started a beginner class a few weeks ago and I really am getting much out of it. The physical aspect is wonderful. I am stretching things I did not know could stretch but the relaxation part is much more than I expected. It really does change the way you look at relaxation and reminds you of how important it really is. I also am keeping up with my Nature Rich products which I will write more about later. On the frivolous front my new passion is Pandora bracelets. I stumbled on this little gem in a wonderful store in Maple Grove, MN and it is a charm bracelet that has beads (various types) instead of charms on it. A lot of the beads are themed and some are just beautiful metal beads. I will attach a link to it. Hint Hint, my birthday is in March and a new bead for my bracelet would make me very, very happy! I promise to update regularly now and try to have some fun stuff for everyone or just the ones that reads this.

http://www.pandoramoa.com/index.php

Remember our troops!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breath away !!

I'm back!!!!

Here I am back again! I don't know if anyone actually ever reads this blog but I have decided that it is time to bring it back to life. I am finally starting to settle into a somewhat normal existence. No more travel for awhile. I am looking forward to the holidays. I have spent the last few years away from home on the holidays taking care of aging, dying parents. Last year we were in a hotel in Columbus, Ohio over the holiday. We went to a late movie on Christmas eve after spending the day with my dad at his nursing home and Christmas dinner was a hamburger from Steak and Shake (good but not Christmas dinner). This year I am going to pull out all of the stops and bake and decorate and enjoy the holidays. Woohoo! I will begin regular posting to spread the cheer!

Memorial Day Remembered!

No, Freedom isn't Free

I watched the flag pass by one day.

It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,

And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud,

With hair cut square and eyes alert

He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him

Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?

How many died at sea?

How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?

No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,

When everything was still

I listened to the bugler play

And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times

That taps had meant "Amen,

"When a flag had draped a coffin

Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands

With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington.

No, freedom isn't free.

Thanks to all of our servicemen and women!

A Blast From the Past!

A lovely night out on the town!

Rachel and I took a nice walk down memory lane tonight by seeing "All Shook UP" on stage at the Orpheum Theater. At least memory lane for me, for Rachel it was history. She bought the tickets for me for Mother's Day and I loved it. I have always been a big Elvis fan and still love his music and that is what this show was based on. It was all about a hip swinging, motorcycle riding, stud muffin and the town that he woke up. It was very well done and had loads of talent. Thanks Rachel, what a great gift!!!!