First Of The Month Updates

The first month of 2012 is over, and it was a heck of alot better than January, 2011. Ron and I keep pinching ourselves to make sure it's real. He remembers back to last year, specifically to his first 11 days at Taft. When he does that he relives much of his prison experience, but there is so much he has already forgotten. His inmate number, for example. I asked him to tell it to me the other day and it took him a while to recall. This was a number he said 15 times a day for over 500 days, and he couldn't remember it! Amazing. Ron can remember telephone numbers from 20 years ago, yet he couldn't immediately remember his inmate number. I couldn't remember the address, and I must have addressed at least 100 envelopes to him. I think it's because we tend to forget or block out the negative and remember the positive.

Pepper has added so much to our lives. I was two years without a dog, and forgot what an important part of my life a dog is. He's a bundle of energy, love and kisses. We walk him alot, which is good for all of us.

Ron has been playing more duplicate bridge, sometimes with me, sometimes with other partners, and is thoroughly enjoying it, and I must say, getting pretty good. It's one of his favorite activities.

Work is slow to come, but it is coming, and Ron looks forward with enthusiasm to each tax return or consulting opportunity. I feel confident that his accounting work will continue. In addition, he is anxiously awaiting the start of baseball season and getting back to umpiring.

Oh! I forgot to mention he is now a gym rat. Well, not exactly, but he does go to Pure Fitness four times a week and walk on the treadmill. It's great for his physical and mental health. Diabetes is now under control. It's amazing what health benefits come from doing the right thing.

So all in all things are good. I will have my knee surgery this week and hope for a speedy recovery. In the meantime, I'll have a nice male nurse to attend to my every need. LOL. Our roller coaster ride is level right now, kind of the way we both like it. One thing I know for sure, there are ups and downs still to come. That's just life.

Buying American

I recently heard an interview with Todd Lipscomb, the man who started the website www.madeinusaforever.com several years ago. I didn't know anything about it, but after perusing the website, I'm sold. If you're like me, you're tired of buying poorly made toys, clothes and small appliances that are either completely or partially made in a foreign country. And if you're like me, you realize how critical it is to buy American, for many reasons. Todd has a new book out called Re-Made in the USA, where he answers alot of questions about the trade deficit and the importance of buying American made products.

Go to the website and check it out. They have over 2900 products listed on their website, from toys and games, to kitchen utensils, to health and skin products. And clothes. They have everything from jackets, sweathers, hats, tee shirts, jeans, shoes and so much more. They also offer gift certificates if you want to give a gift to someone who you know would appreciate and American made item but aren't sure what to get.

Here's just another way we can all do our part to help our country move in the right direction. Buying American is something I think we can all agree is a good thing.

Do you want an elegant meal to serve to family and friends that's easy, healthy takes very little time to prepare? Then take a look at this meal from my son Phil. He's an outstanding cook, and this is one of my favorite meals. He posted this on his blog a while ago, before he got so busy. I think you will love this meal.

Remembering The Hollywood Ten

One of the darkest eras in Hollywood took place duringthe mid-20th century, when screenwriters, actors, directors and musicians were denied employment in the entertainment field because of their political beliefs, real or suspected. Lives were ruined on the suspicion that an individual might be a Communist or be sympathetic toward the Communist Party. More often than not those blacklisted were deemed Communist sympathizers if they were involved in liberal, humanitarian, or political causes that enforcers of the blacklist associated with communism. Those that refused to assist investigations were often blacklisted because their name came up at the wrong place and time. Careers and families were ruined, friends were turned against each other.

The first systematic Hollywood blacklist was instituted in 1947, the day after ten writers and directors were cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to give testimony to the House Committee on Un-American Activities, better known as the Hollywood 10. Many of the these men served prison sentences. The blacklist was effectively broken in 1960 when Dalton Trumbo, an urepentant member of the Hollywood Ten, was publicly acknowledged as the screenwriter of the films Spartacus and Exodus. It is was not until 2011, that Dalton Trumbo was officially given screen credit as the writer of Roman Holiday, thanks to the efforts of one of his grandchildren.

My father came to California in 1946 to work in Hollywood. Fortunately he was untouched by the blacklist, yet many musicians he knew were in fact blacklisted. He would be getting ready to score a film and a trumpet player or violinist would call him and simply say, "I'm leaving town." One of my best friends had an uncle who fronted for many of the blacklisted writers. This was common practice. Lucky enough not to be listed on any liberal or humanitarian organization, he fronted for numerous writers on some very famous films. It wasn't until many years later that the real writers were credited with their work.

I remember seeing the movie The Front, by Woody Allen, many years ago. It was not not Allen's typical work. The serious subject matter had a profound effect on me. It showed how innocent men were accused and sentenced, often for something that didn't exist. It showed how fear can turn average men and women into hatemongers.

It was difficult to stand up to people like Joe McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover, yet a group of leading Hollywood figures, including director John Huston and actors Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Danny Kaye, organized the Committee for the First Amendment to protest the government targeting of their industry. Their actions helped to eliminate blacklisting.

We should never forget this dark period, when a few very powerful people took it upon themselves to rid our country of something they saw as a threat. It's important that men and women stood up for what they knew was right and got things changed. Had that not happened, it's hard to predict how far blacklisting might have gone. I'm happy to see the blacklisted men and women, for the most part, have finally gotten credit for the work they created.

Mad Maui Barbeque Food Truck

After spending the afternoon with some wonderful friends watching My Week With Marilyn, pigging out on cupcakes and popcorn and enjoying the movie and each other, I wasn't much interested in cooking dinner. Groupon to the rescue. Luckily Ron had been thinking about a Groupon for Mad Maui Barbeque food truck that we bought several months ago, but until today never had the opportunity to use. We used it on a recent Wednesday night and were not disappointed.

First, when you buy a coupon for a food truck, you have to go online and find out when and where the truck will be. Mad Maui is at Oceanside Farmers Market every Thursday night, but here we were on a Wednesday, so we had to track them down. They were in San Marcos, where they are every Wednesday from 5-8:30. They are in the parking lot of The Lost Abbey Brewing Company along with about five other trucks. You check out the food trucks, order what you want, then go into the brewing company's tasting room to eat and drink. Many customers buy their food from the food truck, then go inside and do a tasting of several beers while they enjoy their meal. We were the youngest people there by 30 years, but it didn't matter to us. We had a ball. I recommend this for the adventurous, especially for those who enjoy a brewski. Ron and I enjoyed our meal with a Diet Coke.

Mad Maui food truck has a wonderful menu. Lobster mac melt, trip tip melt, brisket sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, and maui wowee sliders. In addition, they have several variety of tacos ($1.50-$2.00), sweet potato fries and onion rings. They even have creme brulee ($4.00) for dessert. Ron and I split the lobster mac melt for $12.00, the most expensive thing on the menu. It's lobster mac and cheese with whole slipper lobster tails blended with three cheeses on sourdough and pressed like a pannini. Wow, what flavor. Half a sandwich was just enough, and the owner threw in an order of onion rings, just so we could try them. We're waiting for warmer weather when we will go to Oceanside, shop the market, then have some dinner on a warm spring or summer night. It's really a fun way to spend an evening, and the food's not so bad either. We'll be back.

It's Summertime in Iguazu Falls

Frequent travelers are always asked questions like, "What's your favorite city"? or "What city has the best food"? Whenever I'm asked about my favorite natural wonder, I answer, "Iguazu Falls."

It was in the early 1990's that Ron and I took a 10 day trip to South America. Our itinerary included Buenos Aires, Rio de Janiero, and Iguazu Falls. The two cities were fascinating, both Buenos Aires and Rio being among the top cities for food, and you know how I love food. But the highlight of our trip was the few days we spent in Iguazu Falls. One of the most beautiful parts of the trip was getting to the falls. We flew there, and the captain skimmed over the tropical rainforests of Brazil on his way to a touchdown at the Iguazu Falls airport. That plane ride was simply spectacular.

Our hotel was in the national park, with beautiful veiws everywhere. Iguazu Falls border the countries of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The falls were first discovered in 1541

by the Spanish Conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabez de Vaca. It has recently attracted botanists and biologists from around the world, who come to study the flora and fauna. For those of us who are not scientists, it offers beautiful vegetation, hiking trails and boat rides through the falls, all in a tropical climate. We met many university students in Iguazu Falls, there for a few weeks or months with a scientific expedition.

These falls are different than other famous falls, like Niagra or Victoria. Iguazu is somewhat U shaped. When you approach the falls by boat, which we did, you are almost surrounded by the falls at one point. Water is falling all around you at different heights and speeds. We took an inflatable boat into the falls, with the spray soaking us. The warm water from the falls cooled us on a tropical day, but left us drenched. We disembarked the little boat to find ourselves at the bottom of the falls, having to hike the whole way back. An Italian woman on our boat was in big trouble. She was dressed in a silk dress and high heeled shoes. Is that any way to go to a park? She ended up taking her shoes and stockings off, and hiking back barefoot. We all laughed.

Next time you plan a cruise or tour to South America, be sure and include Iguazu Falls on your itinerary. It is truly one of the wonders of the world, at least of what I've seen so far.

Bulgogi= Korean Fire Meat

If you're like me, when you think of Korean food you think of spicy. Kim Chi must be the national dish. It's spicy and garlicky. When I used to teach elementary school, we had a large population of Korean children, and they all came to school everyday, reeking of kim chi. That is powerful stuff.

Recently a friend of mine went to a Korean restaurant, and returned raving about bulgogi. I did not know what it was, but he carried on so about how delicious it was, I had to go out and try it. It turns out that it is one of the most popular food items in Korea.

Bulgogi literally means "fire meat" in Korean. This refers to the cooking method, over an open fire, not to the heat from the spices. Traditionally,the beef is grilled on a skewer over an open fire. Thin sliced sirloin or another prime cut of beef is marinated to enhance the flavor and tenderness. Sometimes cellophane noodles are added. Below is just one of many marinades you can try at home. Better yet, try a Korean barbeque restaurant for some new and interesting flavors. The spices are often served on the side, so you can add your own heat. Be sure to check with your server to make sure the dish is not too spicy. Bulgogi is often served with a Korean cucumber salad to cool you down. I think you'll really enjoy this typically Korean meal.


Ingredients
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (MSG) (optional)
1 pound beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped




Directions
1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, sugar, salt, black pepper, and MSG. Place beef, carrots, and onions in the bag; seal, and shake to coat the vegetables and beef with the sauce. Refrigerate for at least 2 1/2 hours. I prefer to marinate mine overnight.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove meat and vegetables from marinade, and place on a large sheet of aluminum foil; seal. Discard marinade.
3. Place on grill, and cook for 5 minutes, or to desired doneness.



Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 243 | Total Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 61mg

Locker Room Talk

I always love to listen to the locker room conversations. Topics range from women talking about the great workout they just completed, to health, family and politics. I recently overheard two women talking, and what they were saying really hit home.

I have often felt that so much of my life has been planning for the future, waiting for specific events before doing something for myself. That's exactly what these two women were discussing. One was saying that she was so happy that her high school senior could finally drive. Now the mom could come to the Y in the morning instead of taking the kids to school. The other mother was looking forward to the day her high school senior went to college. As soon as that happened, she and her husband were going to take a trip. They were waiting for the future, when their kids would be independent and out of the house, and thought that would be the end of their responsibilities.

So much of our lives is put on hold, waiting to get to a certain place, but it seems that something else always intervenes. For many men and women who retired or planned to retire, circumstances have changed and they either put off retirement or have gone back to work. The trip with their husband is again postponed. Most of these postponments are not due to finances, but life circumstances that cause a delay.

Just when you thought you and your husband were going to enjoy the good life together a child announces a divorce and comes to live with you. Or a parent dies and you bring the surviving parent to live with you. I think of the saying that says, "While I was planning for the future, life got in the way."

It's hard to walk away from responsibility. It can pop up at any time of life. But sometimes we have to think about ourselves. I remember in the late 1980's I had an opportunity to go to Africa. Ron wasn't particularly interested in going, but I was dying to go. So, I took 2 weeks off work, left Ron with 3 children and a house we were building, and went to Kenya. Had I not had a supportive husband I would not have been able to make the trip, and might have always regretted it.

There is never an end to the responsibilities of life. You get finished with schooling and are faced with family responsibilities. After the kids are grown, you have to worry about problems grown children might encounter, then it's on to the concerns of aging parents and affording retirement. Does it ever end? No, it doesn't. I think it's important to think about yourself once in a while, and take the trip you've always wanted. Plan for the future, absolutely, but realize that life will get in the way, and know that there will be unexpected twists and turns. Enjoy the journey. Make time for yourself.

January 1 Means Resolutions

It's that time of year again. Time to reevaluate yourself, your life, your goals, your dreams. It's time to set those dreaded New Year's resolutions. I've never been one to make resolutions. I set goals for myself all year long, rather than just at the beginning of the year. The reality is, most people break their resolution within weeks, if not days. Saying you're going to go to the gym 5 times a week is likely doomed for failure, as is losing 10 pounds in January. My feeling is that small goals set throughout the year are more likely to find success. Resolving to walk 30 minutes three times a week is more likely to be successful than saying that you're going to go to the gym everyday.

I was never much of a reader until about 10 years ago, when I decided I wanted to get back into reading. Rather than set a goal of reading a book every month, I set a simple goal of reading for 30 minutes each day. That was easy, and having great success, I upped my number of minutes from 30-45 minutes. I still read almost every day, and attribute it to not initially setting up a goal that was unreasonable.

I haven't set any goals for this year. There are many things I could resolve to do, but I dont' want to set goals so high that I cannot succeed.

Ron has resolved to eat right and exercise is 2012. He has to. Anyone with diabetes knows the rammifications of poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle, so his goals are big. He is off today to join Pure Fitness, and plans to work out there several times a week. He has already changed his eating habits and gotten his diabetes back under control. He has good reason to stick to his resolutions.

I went to the orthopaedist today, and have finally made a decision to have knee surgery for the second time. I have tried for four years to determine the cause of my pain, and today the Dr. proved to me that my leg pain is referred pain from my knee joints. I had an injection, and within minutes I had no pain in my leg. This means that when the pain in the knee was stopped, the pain in my leg was also stopped. I will have the miniscus repaired and the arthritis cleaned up in a few months. My goal after that will be to get back in physical shape and be pain free.

Go ahead and make your New Year's resolutions, but don't forget we can also set goals for ourselves throughout the year. Small goals are more likely to be successful. It's great to think big, but when it comes to goals, smaller may be better.

Cleaning Out The Pantry

If your house and refrigerator is anything like mine, you are constantly buying things that you already have in the freezer or stuck back in a cabinet where you can't find it. So you buy it again, and your kitchen is filled with so much stuff you don't need. So every year I go through and clean. I don't really throw out much, but I rearrange things, so that what's been sitting in the back of the cabinet or freezer that I forgot about, now moves forward.

I recently did this, and found, extra packages of cubed butter, frozen homemade soup, frozen lasagna, frozen Italian meat sauce, and juice bars and ice cream that I didn't even know I had. I often make big batches of soup, lasagna and chili, then freeze it in containers (usually old yogurt containers), but I don't label them so I have to guess what's in them. Not very smart on my part.

Now my challenge is to throw out as little as possible and use up all the things that have been sitting there forever. Luckily, I now have a dog, so very little will go to waste. It's a great way to lower your food bill for a month or so. Just use up existing food and fill in with a great salad or other side dish.

We had a barbeque in August, and as usual I overbought. I've got lots of frozen hamburgers and hotdogs, and can only eat so much of them. So, I take the frozen hamburger patties and turn them in to Italian meat sauce or ground beef for tacos. Occasionally I give Pepper a barbequed hamburger as a special treat. Eventually, I'll get the freezer cleaned out. Maybe I should get some labels so I know what I have. I think I know what I have, but the question is, can I find it?

Happy Birthday Elvis

If you grew up in the 50's or 60's, you were probably an Elvis fan. I was, but not one of those crazy girls that swooned and cried. I loved his music, his voice and his looks. I was lucky enough to meet him and watch him work on the set of the movie Follow That Dream, in 1962.

My next door neighbor growing up was Vicki Weisbart, daughter of film producer David Weisbart. He is best known for his work on Rebel Without a Cause, but he also produced many movies in the 50's and 60's, several of them Elvis movies. In 1962 David took his daughter Vicki and I to the set to watch a day of filming on the movie Follow That Dream. You can imagine how excited I was. Even though I had been around Hollywood celebrities most of my life, I had never met anyone like Elvis Presley.

My most vivid memory of Elvis is how absolutely gorgeous he was. He was clean cut, had slicked back black hair that was so dark it almost looked blue. He had impeccable Southern manners. He was gracious, took pictures with us, and spent time asking us about ourselves.

The funniest part of the day (most of it was boring, lots of down time on a movie set) was when Elvis was doing a love scene where he had to kiss a girl. Remember, this was the early 1960's and his movies were very clean cut, so a kiss was a big deal. They worked on that kiss for at least 2 hours. They just couldn't get it right. I can only imagine what it would be like to try to do a love scene with 30-40 people watching your every move. Anyway, the day was something I will never forget, and I recall it every year when I hear it's Elvis' birthday. I saw him once again in person, year before he died. We were in Las Vegas at a Wayne Newton show, and Elvis was in the audience just a few rows behind us. He didn't look anything like I remembered him. He was so fat I couldn't believe it. (all those prescription drugs, I guess). I like to remember him as the suave, handsome man with the beautiful voice, that kissed me on the cheek when I was 16 years old. What a great memory.

I heard about Elvis' death in 1977 when I was shopping with Brian (my son) at Sears. Brian must have been about 9 years old and we were buying him some new pants for school. Someone came in the dressing room and announced that Elvis had died. Funny how you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when some famous people died. I'm sure you all remember where you were when Kennedy was shot, Diana was killed and when John Lennon was killed.

Every once in a while I get in an Elvis mood and turn on Sirius radio to the Elvis station and get a good dose of his beautiful voice. He sure could sing. Then once a year, around his birthday, I remember the time I actually met him...

Our Year Celebration

Ron and I are not much for holidays and celebrations. We believe that Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, and other such holidays, should be EVERYDAY. I hope to be a good mother and daughter, wife and companion everyday of the year, not just one day to make the card companies and the chocolate companies rich. However, we decided to start our own holiday, and our first celebration will be on January 11.

January 11 is the day that Ron self surrendered to Taft, in 2010. This will be the first January 11 that he has been home, and we will celebrate the day. It's sort of a "I'm happy to be alive, to be free, to live in San Diego and to be healthy" celebration all in one. I'm still thinking of a name for this holiday, that is just ours, and ours alone. Other couples celebrate the day they met or the day they got engaged. We will celebrate our special day on the last day together before our separation.

Our plan is simple. Go to a nice happy hour, have a few hors d'oeuvres and a nice glass of wine, enjoy each other, appreciate what we have together, and talk about how difficult experiences have brought us closer and made us stronger. Sounds a little corny now that I'm writing it down, but for us I believe it will be meaningful. Often when life gets busy you need to reflect on where you are, how you got there, and where you're going. It's also just a nice time to be together. Too often we don't take time to appreciate each other, tell each other how much we appreciate them, and poof, life is over. Or someone gets sick and it's too late.

No, it's not a national holiday, but for us January 11 will forever be our "special" day. Please send me suggestions on what we should call this holiday. I don't have a name for it yet. Oh, and by the way, January 11 is also a special day for us, as it is the birthday of our daughter-in-law Deborah. Happy birthday Deborah.

Shut Down The Connyland Dolphinarium

I've written about dolphins in the past. They're one of my favorite animals because of their grace and intelligence. I wrote about a documentary called The Cove that I saw a few years ago on the slaughter of dolphins in Japan. Now I have another tragic story to tell you about dolphins at a dolphinarium in Switzerland.\

It seems the Connyland themepark in Switzerland allowed a two-day rave to take place just a few yards from the dolphin tank. As a result, two dolphins are dead. They died an agnonizing, drawn-out death, all due to humans who wanted to make money by allowing the rave to take place. Veterinarians say their deaths were likely caused by the ear-splitting music of the rave and drugs that ravers threw into the dolphins' tank.

Eight dolphins have died at Connyland in the past three years, and a 2010 investigation into alleged violations of Swiss animal welfare laws at Connyland is still pending. Meanwhile, the health of the remaining dolphins is deterioriating rapidly. This is due to illness and chemical poisoning, as well as claustrophobia that results in depressive behavior and sometimes self abuse.

The good news is that a global outcry over the disaster is fueling the longstanding domestic movement to get Connyland's dolphin tank-the last dolphinarium in Switzerland-shut down. Hopefully Swiss officials won't ignore the public outcry over this gross violation of animal welfare. They know that the world is watching, and they are expected to do the right thing.

Enclosing dolphins in small tanks is inhumane. These are intelligent beings that have feelings and a strong social order. Many of you are probably thinking that I'm being silly. They're only animals. They're meant to be free in the ocean, in their pods, not cooped up in a tank, dancing for our entertainment. I feel confident that Connyland will do the right thing, and shut down the last remaining dolphinarium in Switzerland. Unfortunately there are hundreds more throughout the world that remain, many of them right here in America.

Great Salads in LA

A few weeks ago I was in LA for the day. It was one of those trips that was never meant to be. I had planned a day in LA with a group of women weeks ago. We were going to go to LACMA to see an art exhibit, check out the Farmers Market and The Grove, go to happy hour at Street, a great new restaurant in Hollywood, then drive home. The trip fell apart, literally. One person had a foot problem, another got sick, another tripped over a suitcase and cracked a tooth, another had to deal with a family issue. In short, we cancelled at the last minute. But I had already made additional plans for myself. I was going to stay overnight in LA with my mom, as my son Phil was coming to LA the following afternoon for a business meeting, and I would have a few hours to visit with him. My mom and I had planned to spend the evening making cheese triangle appetizers together, something we used to make many years ago and loved.

So, I decided to go to LA the following day, spend the morning making appetizers with my mom, go out for a nice lunch, then visit with Phil for a few hours. That's exactly what we did, and it was a wonderful day.

Cooking with friends or family is a great experience. There's no pressure and the conversation is interesting. I often found us talking about events from the past. It's a real bonding experience. I look at Phil, who is already cooking with his 2 1/2 year old, and know that the time they spend together in the kitchen will be quality time. Anyway, we made 80 little cheese triangles, froze them, and saved them for a special occasion. Of course we each sampled one. They were just as good as we remembered.

It was lunchtime and my mom had heard of a new restaurant in Brentwood called Lemonade, that had recently opened. I felt like a salad, so it was just what I wanted. Lemonade has 6 locations in Los Angeles, and they'll soon be in Pasadena and LAX. I hope San Diego is on their radar. It's a cafeteria style restaurant, with all the salads, meats, and hot dishes beautifully displayed. Don't go there expecting to get a lettuce salad with tomatoes and other veggies. All the salads are prepared salads, and you pick out a variety of items and make a big plate. I had 4 different salads for $8.50 and had so much left over that I ate it for dinner too. I had beets, pickled onion, and hazelnut vinaigrette, watermelon radish, ahi tuna, snap peas and black sesame, ginger (delicious), red quinoa with veggies was a special of the day, and a declicious noodle dish. My mom had the butternut squash, chicken, holiday grapes and oregano, seared ahi tuna (5 beautiful slices for $5.50), cauliflower, golden raisin, almonds, and curry. Altogether there are over a dozen of these prepared salads. Then, there's the sandwich section, the seafood and meat section, with beautiful poached salmon filet, ahi tuna, chicken breast and poach albacore tuna. As if these were not enough choices, there were several pots called braises. This included brisken, moroccan chicken, short ribs, lemongrass chicken, and chicken basque.

If you have room for dessert, order the carmel macaroon. It's big enough to share, and oh, so delicious. It's sweet and salty and hard to resist.

Phil says Lemonade is like the Whole Food prepared food section with flavor, and it won't cost you an arm and a leg. You can't spend more than $10 unless you go crazy with wine and dessert. All the etrees are moderately priced. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they expand quickly and open in San Diego. For now, I'll eat at Lemonade when I visit my family. Don't try anything without tasting it first. They will gladly give you samples of everything before you buy. This is a real winner. Check their website at www.lemonadela.com

Homeless In Paradise

Since we moved to San Diego almost 10 years ago, we have thought of this area as paradise. Not so for everyone. The number of homeless in San Diego is over 8,500 and growing. Not every homeless person is pushing a shopping cart or carrying plastic bags with all of their belongings. They are not all haggard, drunk and dirty. There are many commonalities. Alcohol, drug addiction and mental illness are common in this population. Single men make up the largest group of homeless, but there are many families, and minorities are overrepresented. Then there are the veterans. This group, both male and female, is growing all the time. As I said, they're not all pushing shopping carts and talking to themselves. Some are families, living out of their car, or single men and women living in tunnels near freeways. Abandoned houses are also places the homeless can stay dry and relatively warm. There are shelters too, but most of them are on a first come, first come basis, and the person wanting shelter must line up early in the day if they want to get a bed for the night.

So what are we, as a society, to do? I moved here from Los Angeles, where there are over 25,000 homeless living in all parts of the city. It's not uncommon to see tents under freeways, just minutes from multi million dollar homes. It's a city of the haves and the have nots. In Brentwood, where we lived for many years, homeless men "own" their specific corner. Right in front of Vicente Foods, a specialty grocery store on San Vicente where you are likely to see Angela Lansbury or Dustin Hoffman anyday of the week, there is a Vietnam Vet, passing out poems he's written about the war and life, with hopes of making a few dollars. He's been there everyday for over 15 years, and must make enough to survive. My son David used to manage Koo Koo Roo (chicken restaurant) on San Vicente. They had one man who owned the corner, and according to him, made over $200 pan handling in front of the restaurant.

I was walking down Coast Highway recently when a 65 year old woman in jeans and a t-shirt, backpack on her back, and maybe a dozen or so plastic bags filled with clothes balanced on each arm, walked past me. My heart went out to her. What should society do with her?

I've heard that millions of Americans are just one paycheck away from homelessness. An illness, car repair or any big expense can send many people into poverty. I don't know the answer, but I commend the thousands of volunteers in our community that work so hard to feed and shelter the poor.

A New Kind of Library

"Necessity is the mother of invention". I thought of this proverb when I heard about a new kind of library, a kitchen tool library. In Portland, Oregon there are already several community tool libraries for those that want to borrow a power saw or a special drill and don't want to purchase it. Now we have a community kitchen tool library. Do you need a mortar and pestle for one specific recipe you are making? Or a dehydrator? Or a breadmaker or pressure cooker? Most of us don't want to go out and buy each and every gadget or specialty item. What a great idea! My son David has become quite a cook of late, and he is always buying a new gadget. Some of these he will use just once, then they'll sit in the cupboard for years, gathering dust. If you could try out a specific tool for a small fee, it would keep most of us from buying useless kitchen toys.

I can't count how many times I've been lured into purchasing a perfectly useless item. A food dehydrater, pasta maker and a salsa maker are just a few of the many kitchen tools I have bought on impulse and used only once.

The kitchen tool library started in Portland, Oregon. I think it's an idea we could all benefit from. Most of us don't live next door to Martha Stewart, so we're stuck if we're making something that requires a special tool. I'd be happy to spend a few dollars to borrow one of the kitchen tools and see if I really like it. If I do, then I can go out and buy one. Some kitchen tools are just needed for one particular item, and for those the kitchen tool library is perfect.

I was walking through Bed, Bath and Beyond a few weeks ago with my mom. She's very smart and so practical. She says that if a pot or pan or spoon or appliance only has one use, she WILL NOT buy it. I was looking at a mini cupcake maker and I commented on how cute it was. She asked me how many times did I really think I would make mini cupcakes? The answer was probably never.

Whoever came up with the idea of a kitchen tool library is very clever. I hope we get one in our area. I can definitely see borrowing from this library. I'm a great fan of libraries anyway. Why buy it when you can borrow it? How often do you reread a book you purchase? If you're like me, not often. This has me thinking what other kinds of lending libraries might be needed. I'll see if I come up with anything.

It's A New Year

Another year has come and gone, and if you're like me, you're looking forward to a better 2012. It's been a tough year for many. I try to look at the glass as half full, rather than half empty. Financially, many households have had a hard year. There are signs that things are picking up. I am the eternal optimist.

It's amazing how one's mood and outlook about the future can change so quickly. I have a bad knee that has been giving me pain for almost 4 years. I have been to many doctors and gotten many opinions on what to do. Last week I decided to go back to the doctor before the new year and decide once and for all, what to do about my knee. The doctor did an experiment on my knee to see where the pain was actually originating. When he had finished his little experiment he had convinced me that the pain was in fact beginning in the knee joint and that referred pain below my knee was what really bothered me. So now the solution is easy. Doing the knee surgery should decrease the pain in my knee and below my knee. In 10 minutes my attitude changed.

Now I'm looking forward to 2012, knowing this is the year my knee problem will be solved (or improved) and that I will be pain free.

The beginning of a new year brings new opportunity. Another chance to get it right. My motto is to keep positive, keep thinking, keep growing and keep working toward whatever you want. Ron has been home for 160 days now. To both of us it seems much longer. No, he's not counting the days as he did last year, in fact he had lost track of how long he'd been home. Last week would have been his parents 70th anniversary, and that got him thinking about how slowly and how quickly time passes, depending on circumstances. Time seems to be flying by, and before I know it, I'll be writing my first blog for 2013. Happy New Year All!!!