Perfect Moment/Cousins

I love this picture of our two sons with their cousin in downtown Cambria, CA. Cousins are great, a bond like siblings without the rivalry. I went on a hike with my cousin today, I'm thankful she's in my life. Best to you and your extended family, especially the ones you can call a friend.

Keeper Books

Sometimes recommending a book to someone can be like setting a friend up with a blind date. Well, maybe not that bad, but you get the idea. You feel a personal sense of responsibility if they don’t like the book. So in addition to Will (as in Shakespeare), all of our dear Miss Jane Austen’s writings, and A.A. Milne’s complete Winnie the Pooh, here are some other books that shape my world. (Also, I have included an abbreviated book summary. Very abbreviated, Ernest Hemingway would be proud.)


Books about Health and Healing:

“A Different Kind of Health” by Blair Justice – Doing something good for someone else can make you healthier.

“The Dance of Anger”, “The Dance of Intimacy” by H.Lerner-Goldhor – These books helped save my life during some very dark times.

Interior Design:

“Feng Shui with What You Have” by Spurill and Watson – Clutter equals stress and chaos, surround yourself with things that bring you joy.

Great Business Books:

“How to Swim with the Sharks” by Harvey McKay – Little things don’t mean a lot, they mean Everything.

“Strategic Selling” by Miller, Heiman, and Tuleja - People are only motivated to buy to seek pleasure, reduce pain.


A Damned Good Read:

“Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follet - Cathedral building in the Middle Ages and you will not be able to put it down, I kid you not.


Spirituality:

“Man and His Symbols” by Carl Jung – The Collective Unconscious will be blow your mind and expand your perception of the human experience. Just the pictures alone in this book are fascinating and intriguing.

“The Way of the Sufi” – Short, sweet stories on living a mindful life from 2000 years ago.

“The Zen of Martial Arts” by Joe Hyams – There is strength in flexibility, power in yielding.


Thank you for checking out what’s on my bookshelf, and I would love to hear about any good books that you enjoy.

One reason to watch TV

I have never been one to pay attention to politics or watch much TV (except Project Runway and Hell's Kitchen), but I am becoming a CNN and MSNBC addict. Am I the only one who thinks John King, National Correspondent for CNN is kinda Hot?

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

Stillbirth Awareness and Research Act (House of Representatives) Bill H.R.5979

Preventing Stillbirth and Sudden Unknown Infant Death Act (Senate) Senate Act 3142

Today, October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. Please take three minutes out of your day to help create a change for good. You can go to your local phone book and there you will find the listing to call your State's Representatives and Senators in our U.S. Congress to pass these bills. You can make a difference for so many families. One phone call is the equivalent of 10,000 voters. Thank you for taking the time to care.

"Knowledge isn't Power, Action is Power."

Surrounded by Fire/Price of Paradise

Los Angeles is on fire in the Fall once again. What makes it so beautiful here is what makes it so dangerous. This is the Faustian bargain we make for living in paradise and despoiling it all at the same time. The combination of the dry, whipping Santa Ana winds that act like flame throwers and the tinder and fuel of our mountains has created two firestorms, one approximately 12 miles to the southeast and another approximately 7 miles southwest of our home in Northern Los Angeles county. The loud thumping of the “Super Scooper” Water Tanker aircraft was heard non stop yesterday as the planes flew between the fire and Castaic Lake to refill their water tanks. It is extraordinarily dangerous work to fly in these winds and through the mountain passes and intense smoke.

It is almost one year to the day that we were ready to evacuate with the wildfires two miles away and the air and sky was filled with smoke, ash, and flame. Last fall, my parents left their home in North San Diego for a week while the fire raged one block away from their house. They were spared any damage beyond ash clean up and a broken fence. The psychological damage is a totally different issue of course. It’s a balancing act between accepting the unquestionable power of Mother Nature, whether it’s an earthquake, wildfire, or rip current, and trying to maintain as much control as possible by being vigilant and prepared. Control can be such an illusion.

It’s eerie here actually; it is a beautiful, cloudless, crystal blue sky day with no smoke or ash. The fire is on the other side of the mountains from our valley and the powerful Santa Ana winds are pushing the smoke away from us. The “Fire Jumpers” as they call the pilots who fight fires are back at work today.

I would appreciate your good thoughts and prayers to all those dealing with the fires; my friends, neighbors, and our firefighters and first responders. Also for the four legged friends who are affected by the fire; pets, livestock, and our beautiful wildlife who also suffer greatly.

Thank you.



“Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men.” Martha Graham, dancer

Perfect Moments Monday/Weekend Update

Overall, it was a great weekend in San Luis Obispo with my husband’s extended family. The Bride and Groom who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary are delightful people and the party was wonderful. To see the love of this family is to see love and caring “in action”. It is a really great branch of the family tree.

This weekend there were neutral moments such as no drama with the SILs which I attribute to everyone being on their best behavior and therapeutic drug levels. Imperfect moments, when my DH and I had “words”, (lots of words, actually), which is unusual for us, but we got through it. And yes, quite a few perfect moments –

- Feeling my heart fill with love during the renewal of our cousins’ wedding vows.
- Becoming overcome with emotion along with the Bride when her Groom presented her with a hope chest he made and filled with letters from all of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
- Watching my son stand up on a surfboard for the first time.
- Seeing our puppy play in the ocean for the first time.
- Cherishing the sight of our older niece walking in the middle of our two boys with their arms thrown across each others shoulders.
- Looking at the reflection of the bright moon on the ocean.
- Feeling forgiveness from my DH and for my DH.
- Arriving home safe and sound to our quiet house and sweet cat.

Thank you for sharing in my perfect and not so perfect moments. I hope the scales of perfect moments tips in your favor today and everyday.

SLO here we come

I am in the throes of packing up including the dog to spend the weekend in San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast of California. We are attending a celebration of my husband’s cousins’ 50th wedding anniversary. It will be great to spend time with family, well, except maybe not my whack-a-doodle SILs who keep the psychopharmacology business prospering.
I send my best to everyone for a wonderful weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to my dear Canadian friends this Sunday.