A Perfect Weekend

I had such a great weekend that it was easy to get up early, get into the workaday routine and head off to the freeway this morning.  I arrived at the hospital 15 minutes ahead of schedule and was accompanied along the way by a fascinating biography of Elizabeth II.

Saturday I had the distinct pleasure of hosting my dear friend, Olga, at the Huntington.  In celebration of her birthday we toured the gardens, visited the library and museums and enjoyed a delicious tea at the Tea Room.  The usual tiny, crust less sandwiches, an assortment of cheeses, fruits, some caviar, hummus, scones and jam and tons of itty bitty desserts.  I did not sample the desserts, but Olga tried a few.  My favorite line of the day came when she smiled in sublime pleasure as she popped a dark chocolate cup with mascarpone cream filling into her mouth. 

"Wow.  that feels like the Fourth of July exploding in my mouth!"  I cracked up!! Only Olga could come up with that sort of hilarious commentary on a mini dessert.

Olga - I love ya girlfriend!!

counting down

I'm excitedly looking forward to my New England trip in March.  This is becoming a nice annual tradition for me.  I miss the East Coast very much and would love to spend a month there each year...if only my work would permit such a thing!

With just two weeks of vacation time I always feel rushed and that I don't have enough time to visit with friends and family that I would love to see.  New England is small so I can easily cover three states in just a day...but I want to linger and relax and not have a whirlwind tour.

This year I'm doing my trip in the reverse of what I did last year.  Last year I wound up my time in New York with Jordan and Meredith.  I spent much of the two weeks preceding the NY chapter anxious to see my daughter.  This year I begin in NY.  We will celebrate Jordan's 28th birthday in style and then I'll take the train to Connecticut to visit with family and friends there and in Massachusetts and finally wind up the trip with my baby brother and dear nephews in Maryland.  An extra bonus this year will be re-uniting with Sierra Club friends in the DC area - Manoma and Adrienne!! 

YAY for me - a wonderful trip!!  and, for extra inspiration - Jordan sent me this photo yesterday.

                                                  "Holly in New York"!!

four beauties

I know I write a lot about my dogs...but gosh, I LOVE 'em!!  Here's my girl (Jordan) with lots of puppy love...Sprout, Skipper and Matilda.

awwwwwwww...

Blues Baby BBQ

What can be better after a long day at work than to meet your handsome son(shine!) for blues and BBQ?

So - that's what I did last night.  Nathaniel enjoyed BBQ chicken and I feasted on BBQ shrimp and we had a blast....Thanks son!

enjoying the house 'white'

cutest puppy ever!!

Alright - here is my disclaimer, and I'm only going to say it once:

I AM A CRAZY DOG LADY!

Not in the ways you might imagine.  I don't have 14 dogs running around my house (only two).  I don't have pictures of my dogs all over the place (just a few tastefully framed snaps). 

I do, however, talk with the pups.  I allow them to sleep in my bed.  I do dress them in jackets when it's cold (they also have rain parkas).  I don't make human food for them.  They subsist on kibble (a good brand), a shared packet of wet food at dinner, and the occasional "treat". 

Every since I adopted "Charlie" I felt that I had given her the wrong name.  Thank goodness this didn't happen with my children - I still love the names I gave them 23 and almost 28 years ago.  "Charlie" has just never fit for me! 

Initially I was inclined to name her "Skipper" in a sort of homage for my father.  We adopted her on my dad's birthday anniversary (May 28th).  My father spent his career in the US Navy.  He was VERY proud of his accomplishments.  He enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and without his GED which he completed while in the Navy.  My father was highly motivated for success (almost as much as my mother!!).  As his career advanced he debated between becoming a chief petty officer or going the route of officer candidate school.  My mom wanted him to be an officer and pushed him in that direction - primarily because of the appeal of the social life and prestige, I think.

My father attended OCS school in Norfolk, VA.  My fondest memory of that time was that I got to have a special pet - no, not a dog - a horny toad!  I loved that thing.  Being an officer was very challenging for my father - he didn't go to college and never really felt a part of the officer club scene.  He and my mom were always somewhat intimidated by socializing with all the college types.  He would have been much more content as a CPO. 

So - I have decided (after consulting with my dog walkers - who approve and even offered strategies for making the transition easier, AND renamed one of their own dogs!!) and with my children (both of whom highly disapprove) to re-name my pup  "Skipper".  I practiced calling her that this morning and she responded to her new name with great alacrity!

 Of course, she also responded when I called her 'artichoke' and 'silly butt'...

"Skipper" the dog previously known as "Charlie"

I miss SNOW!

People from LA don't believe me when I tell them that I miss the snow.  I miss ALL the weather of the East Coast.  I miss the seasons.  I have decicded that when I retire, I will pack my bags and head back home to New England.  Just think - wool coats, mittens, boots (not just the fashion type), no 'white' after Labor Day!

I'll need an ice scraper for the car!  I'll need a supply of chapstick.  I'll need a fireplace!

This picture of my sweet daughter and her darling dog helped me realize how very homesick I am.



BRRRRRRRRRRRRR



Salon de Musiques

A dear friend introduced me to this wonderful series a few months ago.  I enjoyed it SO much that I am going again today and also in February!  I love that the concerts are in downtown LA and in the beautiful Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. They are not held in the big concert hall, but in a small room, with a tremendous view of the sunset over the LA skyline.  There is champagne, conversation with the artists and lovely little tea sandwiches and desserts following.  Today I am treating my friend, Rebecca for her birthday! Next month I will celebrate with my friend, Cathy, for her birthday.

The idea of Le Salon de Musiques is inspired by Marie Antoinette, who sought out a classical music concert series in more private settings for professional concertgoers. The audience members are two arms' length distance away from the musicians, so they are able to not only hear the beautiful sounds flowing through the room, but can also see the expression on the musicians' faces, witness the stroke of every hand movement, and hear the masterful caresses of each musical dynamic.

The concerts take place on one Sunday each month through May 20. The performance is accompanied by champagne, food by Patina and informal conversation introduced by musicologist Julius Reder Carlson. A question-and-answer session followed the concert.

One instrumentalist said, "In a standard musical performance, the musicians are so far from the audience. They don't feel the energy of the musicians and in return the musicians cannot feel the energy of the audience."

The instrumentalists also emphasized the importance of selecting poignant pieces. "In order to master a piece," said cellist Antonio Lysy, "the musician must digest a piece, listen to the piece, get comfortable with the dynamics, play it for a week or two, memorize the piece, and most importantly convey the emotion that the composer wants to share with the audience."

little brothers

My baby brother rocks!  He's one of my heroes!!

I had been noticing over the past several days that the water in the upstairs bathroom wasn't really getting very hot.  I would notice in the morning and then forget about it until the next morning while rushing around trying to get ready for work.

I chalked it up to something like, "The hot water is having a hard time getting up the pipes to the second floor".  That was my working theory.  As you have guessed - I know NOTHING about plumbing.  It is all a big scary mystery to me.  So is electrical stuff, carpentry stuff, car stuff and basically ANYTHING that can wrong with any machine or system in my house or car!  BIG. SCARY. MYSTERY.

So last evening as I was washing my hands int he DOWNSTAIRS kitchen sink and the water was still barely lukewarm, I figured there was a problem.  I had experienced this a few years ago on the even of a big trip and ended up spending some very pretty pennies to replace a water heater from circa 1079...I think.  (It came with the house which was built in 79.  The previous owners were not terribly into maintenance or repairs.)

Before totally melting down I phoned my "trusty, handy, smart and 'can do and fix anything" brother who lives in the DC area and told him what was happening.  He  walked me through the steps of lighting the pilot.  This is also very scary because ALL the warning labels on the outside of the water heater warn the incompetent that you can blow yourself and your dogs and your house to smithereens if you make one false move!

Panic in high gear now.  I still couldn't follow David's patient and reassuring instructions.  He told me to take a picture of the dials on the damn thing and send it to him.  One and one half minutes later he called back and walked me through the steps again.  SUCCESS!

My brother is wonderful and my water is hot.  My brother is also HOT and my water is wonderful!!

I'm planning a PARTY!!

February marks FIVE years since my breast cancer diagnosis.  This is a very big deal.  Every month, since that time, I've met with an amazing group of women, all of whom have had or have breast cancer.  We share lunch together at a local restaurant.  This time I am hosting the group at my humble little townhome.

I wanted to do a fancy tea party idea but as I investigated caterers and prices it became clear that such an event would be out of my reach, price-wise.

I did some research online and found 'Homegirl Cafe and Catering".  This is an off-shoot of the very well known Homeboy Industries founded by Fr. Greg Boyle - a modern day saint who had the brilliant idea of teaching skills and employing young men (and now young women) who were gang affiliated.  You can learn more about this man and his amazing ministry:  http://www.homeboyindustries.org/

Homegirl Cafe and Catering has an engaging if slightly quirky menu...here's a sneak peak:  http://www.homegirlcafe.org/

Sounds like fun! And, as an added'plus' - I get to feel good about supporting a very worthwhile organization!!

WIN. WIN.

The Village

I spent yesterday in the company of homeless and mentally ill people, most of whom are in recovery (substance use/abuse) and those who provide care  and support to them.

There is an amazing place/program/people in Long Beach called simply, "The Village".  There are twenty two different funding streams which make this MHA project work.  But, the real secret is the people who work there and the people who are served there.

There is a very high staff to member ratio.  Staff don't wear name tags, uniforms or look much different from the members they serve.  Everyone participates in the community in whatever way, with whatever gifts/talents that person has to bring.  I sat in on the Wednesday community meeting.  It was wonderful and deeply moving.  People spoke haltingly, but with great pride about being off nicotine for 9 days or taking one more course toward that GED, or getting a second interview for the job at Subway!  I felt humbled and in awe.

The 'secret' the staff says is quite simple:  treat people like people.  Not like numbers, diagnoses, syndromes or statistics.  Each person has a story, not a list of symptoms, not a 'history' in the sense that the psychiatric and medical communities use it, but a story...a real story.  If we listen and wait and are in relationship and work only from truth we may be gifted with the story of the person we are serving.

Their four steps to recovery are these:

1.)  Hope   2.)  Empowerment  3.)Self-responsibility  4.) A meaningful role in life

Good guidelines for life for ALL of us!

One statement that someone shared really resonated with me.  "We must hold hope for the other person until that person can hold it for themselves."

Powerful words and powerful actions. 


www.mhavillage.org

gentle reminders needed here

Last year I changed the standard issue desktop image on my computer at work.  The one I chose had a simple message, but a message that I needed to be reminded about every day - in fact, multiple times a day!

This is what it said:

Sometimes we forget the simplest of things - at least I do!  And it helped me throughout the oftentimes stress filled day to stop, breathe and be grateful that I am alive.

This year (as I approach 5 years post cancer diagnosis) I feel a bit more certain that I will continue to be alive...and so I searched for a different desktop image message for myself. 

Here it is:



Making a Difference

" We must not, in trying to think about how

 we can make a big difference, ignore the

small daily difference we can make which,

over time, add up to big difference that

we often cannot foresee."

                                                                     Marian Wright Edelman

Isn't this SO true?  We want to have a big impact, change the world, cure the ill, house the homeless, feed the hungry, mend the broken-hearted.  And, we get discouraged by the sheer daunting depth and breadth of the suffering.  We get overwhelmed by the challenge and the obstacles and the nay-sayers.

And so, we retreat and feel failure.

This need not be so.  Every day we have countless unremarkable opportunities to heal, to feed, to mend, to cheer, to listen, to hold with one's arms or in one's heart - those in pain.

Look for the opportunities.  See the chances.  Hear the need.  Heed the call.  To borrow a catch phrase from Nike:  "just do it"...I know you want to and I have confidence you can.

poor little thing

On my way home from work the other day I made a quick stop at Gelson's to pick up my favorite organic chicken breasts that they have there, along with a can of Wolfgang Puck's tomato basil soup and some grapes. 

As I was exiting the store and hurrying to my car (I was eager to get home because Tuesdays are days that I do not have a dog walker and the pups are chomping at the bit to get out) I couldn't help but notice a young woman (early twenties) entering the store sobbing.

She wasn't just a bit teary or snuffly she had tears streaming down her face and was actually hiccup crying.  A gentleman (cute, mid 40-ish) also paused noticing her state.  I touched her arm and asked quietly if she was OK and could I be of help.

She collapsed against me continuing to sob.  She kept saying that she needed to get something to drink.  I was about to offer her a swig from the bottle of Kettle One that I'd just purchased (not really!) and I guided her over to a table and chairs and we sat down.  She proceeded to tell me that she had just run her car into the cement base of light pole in the grocery store parking lot.  Oh.  I breathed a big sigh of relief.  No sudden death. No tragic news. Only a fender bender!!

I offered to call someone for her and she accepted my offer.  We called her friend who agreed to come to the store with another friend to help this distraught little one.  I walked with her to her car to wait for the friends and saw that she had indeed taken out a good chunk of the driver's side front of her car.  It was a cute and shiny little car...still had the dealer plates on.  She had just bought it - that day!  She picked it up at the dealer's and was stopping at the store to get celebratory food and drink.  Her first brand new car that she bought all on her own.  Oh my.

Today is a good day!

Another blogger posted this list (I've amended it somewhat) and I find it very useful in reminding myself how special very little things and actions can be.  I try, very, very hard to find something special and joyful about each day - even the tough ones. 

I really believe in 'paying it forward'... I'm 'bolding' the things I can already check off on this list..

• Leave your change in the vending machine for the next person to find. (I love to do this!)

• Send a handwritten letter to a child. With a stamp. Write his or her name on the envelope. He or she should know the thrill.

• Kiss someone as if you mean it. (Hmm...do my dogs count?)

• Get 10 things out of your closet that make you feel bad. Take them to Goodwill. (It was a wonderful feeling.)

• Go 24 hours without the internet. (I can do this...but just not today!)

• Throw out the old ketchup packets from your desk drawer. (There are NO ketchup packets in my desk drawer...but there are a ton of tiny salt and pepper packets!!)

• Find a new recipe. No, a NEW one. (I have tried so many new recipes since learning I have diabetes.  I really like one or two of them.)

• When a friend or co-worker loses a loved one, mark it in your calendar. Ask how he or she is doing in six months. (A friend's wife just died during the holiday season.  I made a note yesterday to send him a card in 6 months.)

• Download music in another language. (I have tons of music in Spanish, French and Latin)

• Leave a wildly inappropriate tip. (This was very fun to do on Christmas Eve morning - a $20 tip for a $6 sandwich!!)

• Sign your organ-donation card. (Sadly - I cannot be an organ donor...post cancer.)

• Write a manifesto. (???)

• Spend one day by yourself.

• Deal with your photos. (You know you want to.) (Nope - that's my legacy to my daughter...SHE can deal with the boxes of photos in my closet!)

• Make an appointment with yourself at 3 each day to walk around the block. Yes, while you’re at work.

• Put folded-up dollar bills in a spot in your car so you can easily give one to someone on the corner.

• Take old towels to a vet or pet shelter. (Done!  Also gave a  lot to my son who is not a dog, but a 20 something setting up his own apartment.)

• Register to vote.(Done.)

• Actually vote.(Done.)

• Pay attention to a child who isn’t yours.

• Ask doctors hard questions. They work for you. (Always...every day.)

• If you never apologize, learn to do it well. If you apologize too often, learn to stop.

• Put a plant on your desk. Something else should be alive in your cubicle.(Have a plant - it has lasted almost 2 years on my office)

• Send a thank you note to a teacher who made a difference in your life.(Just did this to an old college professor - email counts!)

• Write a love letter.

Feast of the Epiphany

I was in a room full of highly educated people yesterday (all with Master's Degrees) and was stunned to learn that not one of them knew what Epiphany is!  One woman (Latina) knew all about Three Kings' Day or "Dia de los Tres Reyes"...but not really what it was all about.  i explained to the group that Christmas begins on December 25th and continues for 12 days.  Oh yes...they all knew the song about "Five Go-o-o-ld Rings" but each thought that the twelve days of Christmas are the days leading up to December 25th which was the grand conclusion!

I decided NOT to try to tell them about Advent  -  the season preceding Christmas which is a penitential season in preparation for  the Christmas wonder! 

I told them that in MY house when we set up the creche (manger, nativity scene) the three wise men start out in different rooms of the house and gradually make their way to the place where the Christ Child was born...it took them 12 long days and nights and so on January 6th - the three little figures are finally with the rest of the group - shepherds, Joseph, Mary and so on.

They had NO idea!  They teased me and said that I knew this because I had gone to Divinity School.  Trust me - no one in Div school marched the Magi around their dorm room or even talked about that sort of thing.  We were too caught up in deciphering Old Testament passages and doing redaction criticism of pericopes from the Gospels!!

In some traditions a cake is baked with a plastic baby Jesus inside or a coin wrapped in tinfoil.  The lucky person who finds that treasure in his/her piece of cake is said to be blessed with good fortune for the year ahead.

In other, more secular, practices there is a White Elephant gift exhange on 12th night!

However you observe this day - it is an important transition time.  For me - it means taking down all the Christmas decorations, undressing the tree and putting away the ornaments.  It is a day that I always feel sad.  Today is no exception.

life's surprises!

You know how everyone once in a while life gives you a little surprise!  Sometimes one finds a $20 bill in the pocket of a coat that hasn't been worn in some time.  Othertimes it's a rebate check that you weren't expecting.

This week I had a little surprise that delighted me.  We keep an old mason jar on the kitchen shelf to put loose change into.  My daughter decorated it years ago...it says "Spare Change"!  I dutifully empty my pockets and purse every week or so and put the change in the jar.  I also add any coins found in the washer or dryer...I never really think about this...but over time the level of change in the jar rises.  This past weekend - it was full to the brim.  I took it to our local grocery market where they have one of those "Coinstar" machines.  I lugged my jar to the store and emptied the contents into the machine.  What fun!

The grand total??  $68.29!!!  WOW.  "Found Money".  I felt rich.  I haven't figured out what to do with the "free money"...ideas??

a simply lovely day

While Jordan was home for her brief Christmas visit (no fault of hers - just the fault of a new job (YAY!!) and having parents who live in different states and thousands of miles away from her) we found time for fun.  One of the best days was the time we spent at Huntington Gardens.  We were shocked by the devastation of the recent storms - so many, many trees down.  We agreed that the museum should probably give a discount to the pricey admission costs since so many paths were blocked off due to the clean up job still underway.  But - we reasoned that perhaps the museum has special need of our funds during this difficult time...

It was a perfect Southern California day...low to mid 70's making us grateful that we live here.  We enjoyed a long walk, tea at the Tea House and took lots of great pictures...here are two!

Photographer:  Jordan

Photographer:  some nice young couple who agreed to 'snap' us after I had offered to take their picture for them on their camera!! (pay it forward)

I am a Copy Cat!

I am terribly inspired by my daughter's blog and find myself again "re-appropriating" from her posts.  A few times I have re-approrapirated pictures she has posted.  I always give her credit.  I plan to do that again soon with some great snaps she got at our recent visit to the Huntington Gardens.  But for today - I am re-appropriating an idea...highlighting some special moments of the past ...her blog is called: "Re-appropriate This" (without the hyphen).  Don't you love it??

I am happy to share with you some special moments of the past....Enjoy!

My former husband - the Episcopal bishop of Arizona and one of his ventriloquist dummies!

 

 

I LOVE game night at my house...need to plan more of these!

The girls enjoying the Oregon Coast

Matilda - my best dog ever!!

Nephews - DJ and Tyler

Connecticut - retirement place?

I still miss New Mexico - this is Pedernal

Cool dude son!

Brunch at a dear friend's home in Florence, MA

My brothers and me at Point Judith, RI for the dispersal of our mother's ashes at sea.

Jordan and her darling Sprout

Enjoying food in Korea

Sweet puppy Charlie

Fun in Florence, Italy