t.g.i.f.

OK - $81 Billion for
“Protecting the vulnerable”?
What? Why does this not make
us feel confident or protected?

Believe it or not…
+ A Louisiana woman is accused of trading
two young children in her care for a
pet cockatoo and $175 cash from a
couple who had been trying for years
to have their own child.

~ By the way, when did common sense &
common courtesy become endangered species?
Must’ve been around the time moral & ethical
behavior became a rare commodity.

latte art


~ As Valentines month starts to fade,
here is one last heart to share

Trees on giacomo.nodari's Flickr

~ such friends remind me of "Sisters"...

Have a great weekend!
b.q.

beach weather

“ When you tug at a single thing in nature,
you find it attached to the rest of the world. "

John Muir

~ as the wind blows, allergies burst into action.
Local flora must be so confused with
the sunny hot weather taking over
the winter chill.
Bloom, baby, bloom.


~ We had a friend who was a self professed landscaper.
He agreed to landscape our front yard
& install a sprinkler system,
in exchange for building an office addition
in his garage & painting his home.
He has a great office,
& his house has a beautiful paint job,
but then he changed his mind, &
never landscaped our yard.
So…we never considered him a friend again!
We had a great time creating our landscape
ourselves, & learned a valuable lesson
about the path taken
by some “friends”.
They may actually be on
a one way street,
with a blind curve,
right before the dead end.
Beware.

~ Inspiration to start the year::
The Last Lecture,
by the late Randy Pausch.
Read it soon.

~ Looking for local bargains?

Check out Julia Scott”s blog::
http://blogs.dailynews.com/bargain

~ We miss our secret cove.
~ Beach tomorrow? YES!

Life is grand.

be happy.

b.q.

Monday Musings

A tragic and insane train wreck occurred close to our home last Friday. It is painfully numbing and shocking; how could this happen? Our heartfelt sorrow & strength to all families & friends of the victims. A tremendous thank you to the brave first responders, who did an exceptional job. Embrace the sunlight a little more each morning. A reminder that you never know what will unfold, once you open your eyes to start each new day.

…Obviously…
~don’t ever get any YES! moments by trying to

hurt someone else.
…Realize…
~vampires can’t enter your home, & suck your blood…

unless you let them in.
…Remember…
~life is what happens, while you are making p l a n s.
…Discover…
~to embrace life is to l i v e. darkly backwards = e v i l.

~ discarded lavender cuttings…I rescued a few.

I welcome Autumn!

b.q.

Sisters

This is the Goof Troop that I love to roll with.
These are my sisters.
I smile cause they are my sweet, wonderful sisters.
I laugh cause there is nothing they can do about it! He He.

xoxoxo,
c.f.

neighborhood watch

Great concept; potentially worth the time & effort.

Our M.A.N. is the “Block Captain” of our

Neighborhood Watch group. He also says that

he’s the youngest member at the meetings.

Hmmmm. Apathy of young families?

Everyone knows there is increased crime in

all areas, with this dismal economy.

Last week, we had the catalytic converters

ripped off 3 Toyota trucks on our block!

Time to step up, & help protect your property & family.

Get to know your Senior Lead Officer,

& help develop the motivation and continuity

to protect your Family, neighborhood,

your home, & friends. If the Watch group

is not working, at least know your

neighbors – who can you trust?...

who should you steer clear of?

Sadly, we’ve found that the main glitch

with the Neighborhood Watch program,

is that some neighbors are the ones

who actually need to be watched.

Even in high-end, security gated areas,

there are undesirable neighbors.

Scary, sketchy, skanky – you name it!

Take the time to get involved and informed.

Sign up for e-policing, & know

what’s happening in your area.

Be cautious answering your door.

Security systems, including video cameras,

are a worthwhile investment.

Tell your family & friends who & what

to watch out for. Remember,

the best defense is a strong offense!

Be the difference; keep your precious

Family & Home safe & happy.

Be your own Neighborhood Watch.

Doesn’t hurt to have a BIG dog in the yard too!

b.q.

Life + Family

Fantastic Brother, Uncle, & Friend...
Back in the day, hours of piano lessons,

and a crazy making recital.

Dozens of parents & friends.

Nervous, palms sweating.

There we sat, my younger brother & I.

Our turn to play; a simple duet of GLOW WORM.

He was not a passionate piano player,

but how hard could a one hand simple melody be?

Hard enough for him to completely FORGET,

& sit on that hard piano bench motionless,

while I played my heart out, as loud as possible;

sure that the volume would hide

the fact that his part was lost.

Grand applause, as we took our bows.

Coulda drop kicked that guy right out the window!

Fast forward to 2008… that guy,

my wonderful brother is now

Dr B.} so incredibly brilliant,

with a black belt in karate, and

doing BRAIN RESEARCH at U.C.L.A.

Important work for mankind;

way, way beyond Glow Worm.

b.q.