growing up green

I can hear Dad’s voice every time

I discard something,
“IT’S PERFECTLY GOOD!”

We were raised living a life of recycling,

long before the ecology-conservation-green

idea was popular. Mom even

collected the white plastic strings that

were tied around the L.A. Times each

morning, & carefully crocheted cute purses.I remember my Grandma, Aunties, & Mom

braiding all their old nylon stockings,

& then stitching them together into

comfortable circular rugs. I still can’t

throw away any old tees that can be

cut into useful rags. C.F. walks her daughter

to & from school, even in the rain.

She frequently has neighbors remarking

about it; as if walking is the most unusual

form of transportation ever invented.

When Mom passed away, the one piece

of memory C.F. asked for, was to keep

her ‘Bachan’s jars, which were full of

assorted old buttons. Dad’s old work shop

is lined in old coffee cans & mason jars,

packed with old screws, washers,

and other odds & ends. We don’t dare

throw any of them away…

you’ll have a need for it,

as soon as it goes into the trash.

When we were young, an old orange tree

fell in the yard. Dad swiftly cut up the branches,

& built a magnificent tree house for us.

Even the ladder was made of sturdy limbs.

We spent hours with our friends

up in that tree house. I wish I had pictures

of that secret hideaway. To this day, my Dad’s

big compost pod stands weathered & splintered

in the back yard. My Brother lives in the

old Family Home now, & faithfully dumps

his organic scraps into the compost heap.

He also scatters his used coffee grounds

around the garden. Nothing seems to leave us

until it self destructs on its own.

So, for our Family, Green is just another name

for the way we’ve always lived.

Now the 4G ~ our 4th Generation of being Green.

b.q.

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.

Sparkles in My Mind

...a glimpse of things I love.
~ My Family!
~ Our celebrations & feasts, with
music & laughter all day long.
~ Excellent Health.
~ Watching my Girls take flight,
& soar to greater heights.
~ Mindful meditation.
~ My 2 Grandkids bursting with love.
~ The way my Family, including Grandkids,
sign “I Love You”, when we part.
~ My loyal pal, our German Shepherd, Bandit.
~ Music ~ a variety of everything.
[now playing – Back Door To My Heart…
John Corbett]
~ Adventures to new places.
~ Sampling a different cuisine.
~ Watching any Family member perform.
~ Being an R.N. for 30 years, & still loving it.
~ Our secret cove.
~ Weathering the tsunamis of marriage & family,
and knowing that I can hold my head
above water…always.
~ Learning, always learning.
~ The intoxicating fragrance of
my gardenias & lavender,
as I walk up our weathered brick
entry steps, & unlock the front door.

I am home.

b.q.

A General Contractor deserves a few Happy Perks

SPLASH!

First off, My M.A.N. is an amazing General Contractor.

All his jobs are by referral,

or new jobs for previous customers.

We haven't had to advertise since 1994; the year of the big Northridge earthquake. Every now & then, the Family gets surprise perks from the jobs.

Such as, a brand new jacuzzi!

A young professional couple in a high-end beach house

decided that they didn't want this jacuzzi,

as we completed their home renovation.

Why? They didn't have time to use it.

So, if M.A.N. could get it out of their yard,

he could have it.

Oh... OK, he thought he could work something out.

Meanwhile, at home, why was he taking up his weekend to pour a concrete slab in our backyard? What is that big truck doing unloading a huge THING in our driveway? Wow, is that a jacuzzi? NO WAY! Electrician? Pool guy? What...it's already hooked up? Bubble, bubble, bubble. Heat. Light.

GRANDKIDS.

SPLASH! Ahhhhhh. Life is Great.

We love you, my M.A.N. Arigato.

b.q.

School Dayz

As summer winds down, take a good look
at what your kids are facing in school.
Public School, or any school, for that matter.
We grew up in the Los Angeles area,
attended & graduated from public schools,
and went on to graduate from college.
That seemed to be the common path for all my friends
(except those who were drafted, & ended up
not coming back from in Viet Nam. Bless them.).
Anyway, recent news articles about
the state of our schools prompted me
to make this brief comment:
K -12. So, you call this education. Really?
L.A.U.S.D. 30% + drop out rate???
Give me a break – how are our kids going to
navigate successfully in life with what we
give them in public school?
IF they even stay in school.
HEY - Are you administrators still paying
your chauffeurs more than the teachers?
PTA? Do you just put your money in the envelope,
so your kids can get credit for the membership,
& win a class pizza party?
Even in the few great classes that I’ve seen personally,
there are always significant obstacles
for the dedicated teachers.
Such as:
> Little disruptive i-have-NO-respect-for-nobody
future gangsters who were hatched
in the wrong environment.
> Non-English speakers, who apparently come
from families that think learning English is
unnecessary in this country.
> Parents/Guardians who do not care to
reinforce education at home, & obviously
didn’t stand in the line for parenting skills,
but will scream all day long when their kids
fail the Exit Exam, & can’t graduate from high school.
> Guns in back packs
> Drugs - from the street or stolen from home.
> What is really in those water bottles?
You'd be shocked!
On & on & on.
Accountability.
b.q.

4 Generations, Takin' A Dip!

I succeeded, at great cost,
to rescue the Family Home.
It has to be at least 85 years old;
boldly sitting in the middle of an acre
of aging orange trees.
In the middle of the yard is our secret oasis...
a crystal clear swimming pool;
secluded, old, but beautiful,
& exactly the right size (20’ x 40’!).
The one creation our Dad invested in,
which has provided endless summer fun
for 4 generations of our Family.
Our Parents have both passed away,
but this everlasting pool is
part of their respected legacy.
We were all there yesterday,
for one of our last summer swims.
Laughing, sunning, racing laps,
teaching the 2 youngest to swim & dive.
It’s priceless. Life is great.
You can almost see the smiling,
beaming faces of our Parents;
watching the happiness grow,
the hours of endless fun in their Pool.
The wacky diving, jumping, splashing.
Everyone is content at the Pool.
The troubles and drama of the world wash away.
It’s always been the center of
summertime magic for our Family.
We love it!
















b.q.

My M.A.N.

M.A.N.~ my 1 & Only Husband’s initials.
And, what a MAN he is.
My partner in life, love, anguish, work,
& wacky adventures for over 35 years.
Very proud Father of our 4 amazing Daughters.
Thrilled as a Grandpa, blasting through
a daily Bowflex routine; gotta stay in shape to
keep up with our 2 incredible Grandkids.
A self-made man, successful General Contractor,
boat & camping lover, sports nut, fixer of all things,
Neighborhood Watch "Captain",
friend to many, foe to few.

He did come with a ton of horrible w/t baggage.
A product of a miserable & deprived childhood,
stuck with a fake back stabbing family,
that still pretends to be attached to each other
in some bizarre fashion.
bakayaros.

Full disclosure:
He still smokes outside, even though his dad is dying
from a cancer eating up his lungs.
He snores like a Harley without baffles.
Won't let our dog in the house.
Hasn't completed restoring my '69 Ford Mustang.
Refuses to eat any form of seafood
(traumatic fish stick episode as a child).
Can't seem to complete our
home improvement projects, even though
he is a top notch General Contractor.
It's a good thing he had his feet covered,
when I met him.
He is generous to a fault.
Has no character judgement.
He's absolutely a lunatic magnet.

Regardless, my MAN is a keeper.
He loves & protects us, works until he drops,
never gives up, & always steps up for our Family.
Love you always, my MAN.

b.q.