Los Angeles Sunrise for Pink Saturday

Thank you for sharing in the beauty of this recent sunrise outside my front door.



Happy Valentine's Day and may Cupid's arrow find you or at least something equally as delicious, like the blog, One Perfect Bite.

I would like to extend Get Well Greetings to Beverly, host of Pink Saturday, in addition to my appreciation for her hosting this meme.

Totem Poles in LA for the Color Carnival

I hope you enjoy these colorful totem poles from the Bel Air Community School. Why an elementary school has totem poles, I have no idea.




Thank you to Martha Menagerie for hosting the Color Carnival and wishing you a colorful week.

Paintball Birthday Party for Almost Wordless Wednesday

Providing suburban security since 2010.
You got to have balls, that is paint balls to run with this posse.

Notes to Self- Dog, Superbowl, and Work

I found out this weekend after a visit to the emergency vet, that there are serious consequences to having a Dog who is a Foreign Object Ingestor. (Right, Mr. and Mrs.Spit and Delta?) I also learned you can give canned pumpkin and petromalt to a dog with quite effective results. I don't think I have ever been so happy to have my dog do his "business".
Note to Self- No more stuffed toys or dog beds.

Our family hosted the Superbowl party by default because, well, no one else offered to, and that's just the way it goes with our circle of friends who are allergic to entertaining. We went with a New Orleans food theme, serving Red Beans and Rice, and Buffalo Shrimp along with great potluck deliciousness. I watched one commercial and about 5 minutes of the game, but got to catch up with a bunch of friends, so that's the real Win right there. Plus, I am beyond thrilled for my family in N'Awlins and the city too.
Note to Self- Move the Big Screen TV and satellite box a Day or Two before the party, Not Two Hours before.

I am having to bring my best game to work these days. I am dealing with stuff they don't teach you about in Nursing school like how to be present and listen to someone who is going blind or will never get off dialysis. I have learned that I can't fix everything as a RN, but I can empathize and advocate which is also healing.
Note to Self- After 28 years, I think I'm finally getting the practice, art, and science of this Nursing Profession down. But I am still learning.

Any notes to self for you?

Pink and Pumpkins round the Neighborhood

A most fun color combination is Pink and Orange which I captured in abundance last fall at our local pumpkin patch and neighborhood.

These Big Mac pumpkins have to be lifted by two adults, but this little girl looks as if she's game to give it a try.
This little piggy loved his ears being scratched and was very friendly at the petting zoo.
Here's my neighbor's "piebald" miniature daschund, Chloe. Doesn't she look adorable next to the pink azalea?


Thank you for your visit and to Beverly for the Ring Around The Rosy of Pink Saturday and to Yaya for Orange Ya Glad.

What are your favorite color combinations?

What I've Been Up to...

Here's what I've been up to-


Cleaning, decluttering, and purging my office of 9 years of accumulated stuff. It's humbling, I've put approximately 90 gallons of paper into the recycling bin. Hmm, about 10 gallons for every year. And that doesn't include the personal financial papers I am taking to be shredded. I regularly get rid of paperwork and dislike clutter, but my home office has become the Catch All for memorabilia, in addition to the home filing and financial center, disc jockey booth, workout and crafting room, and my professional work space. Decluttering and paring down requires so many decisions and the mind numbing sorting of what to Keep and File, or Donate, Discard, or Recycle. (And the Dusting!! How does it get so incredibly dusty INSIDE OF A Cabinet?!?) The hardest part, however, was getting started. Now that I am 75% finished, I am started to feel really great about the end result and I am looking forward to enjoying the results of my efforts.

In between sorting photos and bank statements, I am also posting about taking care of your "largest organ", (your skin), over at The Motivation Station today.

Thank you and please let me know what you've been up to...

It Takes a Suburb

In Africa, in the villages of Kijita (Wajita), there is a proverb which says 'Omwana ni wa bhone,' meaning regardless of a child's biological parent(s), its upbringing belongs to the community. This proverb recognizes the concept of humans as social creatures and is not a threat to parental authority, but instead supports it. This is anthropology 101, we are not raising our kids on some isolated island like the movie, Castaway, or the book, Lord of The Flies.

When our sons can express themselves politely and clearly to people of all ages, that's a village.

When I express my concern to another parent about seeing their child do something unsafe, that's a village.

To teach your child to respect their coach, teacher, or elder is giving them a gift, whether it takes place in an actual village in Africa or a suburb in Los Angeles.

I don't know want to know more about someone else's child than the parent does. It's not always pleasant, not always easy, but it's necessary.

Several years ago, my neighbor's 16 year old son was teaching the younger kids how to burn bugs with a magnifying glass. (Can you say, Serial killer in the making?) The only thing burning after I was done with him were his ears, face, and neck from shame.

About a year ago, this 16 y/o's younger brother "borrowed" my son's skateboard and conveniently told his mom that my son gave it to him. I disabused the mother of that notion and the young man also, and now he steers well clear of all of us.

Smart kid.

What does it take to raise the young ones in your neck of the woods?