PEACEFUL PLACE!

(pic taken 4/15/10)

"Know what you LOVE

and do what you LOVE. 

If you don't do what you LOVE, 

you're just wasting your time."

~Billy Joel, musician

My WORK project is 

60% completed!

Now that I'm "in the groove"

it's hard to tear myself

away from the computer!

I took posted a copy

of this picture over

my computer...

this statue sits in the

"garden walkway"

leading to the "doorway" of my 

favorite place for a 

M A S S A G E!!!

I scheduled a

MASSAGE

for two weeks 

from now!

Whooo! Hooo!

Girl-Time TONIGHT!!!

 

Talked to SLE

oldest daughter -  chatted about

MB's guide dog ~ Sebastian

Sebastian's vet said he needs 

to stop eating 

"snacks" found at the dog park

"SNACKS" 

are "garbage treats" 

A NO-NO! 

Sebastian has been 

having intestinal problems!

Responded to ACE's email

youngest daughter - wants to get a dog

- doesn't want to move! 
trying out dog names

Talked to Mom

discussed plans for her upcoming 79th BDAY
 She had a "dog story" too ~ she told me
the theme for Katie's birthday is...
guess what...
DOGGIES!!!
She'll be 6 on a Cinco de Mayo!

I'm dog-tired!

Think I'll go to bed now!


~ AND ~
Mom
DOESN'T
want a 
D-O-G
for her birthday!!!!

UHHH! OHHH!

(cartoon from Toothpaste for Dinner)

http://toothpastefordinner.org/

OKAY!

I CONFESS!!

I'M SUPPORTING 

THE LIBRARY SYSTEM!

I've been returning

my library books 

LATE

for the past two months.

URRGHHH!

I think I should take a "break" from

checking out library books

until this summer...

(when I'm supposed to have more time

for leisurely reading).

I'm progressing on my 

WORK PROJECT! 

(see post from 4/23/10)...

Halfway done with

editing, formating

and 

C R E A T I N G !

In honor of today's cartoon post - 

- a quote about READING!

"The greatest gift is the passion for reading. 

It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, 

it gives you knowledge of the world 

and experience of a wide kind."

~ Elizabeth Hardwick, 

American novelist

IT'S ALREADY FRIDAY??!!

(pics taken 4/23/10 @ home)

"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, 

growing, taking risks, breaking rules, 

making mistakes, and having fun."

~ Mary Lou Cook, Renaissance woman from Santa Fe, NM 

It's the WEEKEND!

sun is shining!

flowers are blooming!

AND

instead of taking 

my camera outside

I   W I L L 

be focused on this...

working on the 

publication to celebrate

1 3 2 

FIRST PLACE WINNERS

in this year's 

county writing competition.

This is the FINAL year for 

coordinating this county

competition! 

(budget cuts to education have been brutal)

SO - 
I'm putting my 

"HEART & SOUL"
into

inserting graphics, borders

& edits into this project!

Here is a peek 

at last year's

book...

AND 

here was the cover...

SO...
even though I won't be
C R E A T I V E
using camera, pens, paper, 
glue or scissors


I WILL...
center my 
"creative efforts"
at the computer!

I can actually move the laptop
near the open door
or
on the back patio...

Plan to
ENJOY
the fabulous 
SPRING weather...

I added quite a few 
B L O G S
I'm checking
for 
"creative inspiration"
once the book
goes to PRINT!
(May 4th)

For those who don't know me or my job - this is really not
part of my job description. I taught myself to use 
PUBLISHER
and
this publication has "morphed"
from a plain text document with no pictures
to one with
borders, graphics and most of all 
a place where
I've been able to be CREATIVE!

 

A BERRY KIND OF DAY!

 

(pic taken 4/17/10 - JPE's Strawberries)

STRAWBERRY TRIVIA...

A strawberry has, on average, 200 seeds.

If all the strawberries produced in California, in one year, were laid berry to berry, they'd wrap around the world 15 times.

Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside. It is argued that for this reason, it cannot be considered a real berry, since berries carry seeds on the inside.

Ninety-four percent of U.S. households consume strawberries at least once a year.

Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in spring.

I ate strawberries for breakfast 

(pear, sliced strawberries, yogurt 

& Mom's homemade granola) 

& dinner (strawberries & Joe's O's).

HOW DO YOU EAT YOUR STRAWBERRIES?

I LOVE CHILI...

(pic taken 4/15/10 - Pismo Beach)

Took this picture

Wednesday evening 

as we walked 

to Scotty's 

for fish tacos.

I've lived in this area

for almost 38 years

B U T

my memory of this building 

has been...

...the PALM READER! 

I wonder if 

this discovery will change

the "karma"

of this

business?

BTW...

the FISH tacos 
were
Y U M M Y!

PLANNING!!!

(pics downloaded from internet)

"Do not wait for ideal circumstances, 

nor for the best opportunities; 

they will never come."

~ Janet Erskine Stuart, Roman Catholic nun, author & educator
http://www.rscj.org/about/rscjtoday/ourstory/janet_erskine_stuart_18571914.html 

PLANNING...

to see this...

get some exercise...

make this a daily treat...

& make at least ONE visit here... 

& will use this... 

to get around town...

flight is booked....

flat is rented....

Can't wait!!! 

Quality time w/JPE!!!

Until we can pack our bags....

I will enjoy looking at this....

(pic taken at Mom's condo ~ 4/9/10)

 SUCH ELEGANCE!!!

REAL WORLD!

(Big Bear Lake ~ pic taken 4/6/10)

"All intellectual improvement arises from leisure."

~Samuel Johnson, British lexicographer**

** wrote "The Dictionary of the English Language"

(which was considered the most pre-eminent British Dictionary; 

published over 150 years before the Oxford Dictionary)

SPRING BREAK 

has come to an end! 

back to work tomorrow....

spent my Sunday LEISURE time:

• WALKING   

refreshing, brisk hill climb

completed a 45 minute walk in 40 minutes

sprinkles w/a breezy wind 

• DOING LAUNDRY

 three loads of vacation clothes

love folding - dislike putting clothes away 

• BOOKING RESERVATIONS

booked 3 days in Big Sur 
(mountain & coastal area of Calif)

summer tent camping w/Lydia  - Yippeee!

• EDITING PHOTOS

downloaded photos from Spring Break 

• BLOGGING

today's post

developing several posts for the week

(will be traveling for WORK) 

• PLANNING for COMPANY 

JPE 's cousin will be visiting

Farmer's Market - Thursday night in SLO

Fish tacos at Scotty's - yum! 

• PACKING 

leaving from work tomorrow 
two day work conference 
(excited!! NEW learning) 

DIDN'T I JUST UNPACK MY SUITCASE?

When this week gets hectic...

I will remember "leisurely mornings"

spent drinking coffee

and reflecting on 

THIS...

and THIS....

AHHH...
Big Bear Lake

 

ENJOYING THE WEATHER!

(pic taken 4/7/10 ~ Big Bear Lake)

"NOTHING 
compares to the simple pleasure 
of a bike ride."

~ John F. Kennedy, 35th US President

JPE, Lydia & I are staying in a cabin, 

overlooking the lake in Big Bear.

After breakfast, we took off for a

bike ride along the lake.

What a leisurely way to spend

the morning with our

"favorite, 6-year-old granddaughter"...

Two days ago,

Big Bear Lake experienced 

a day of chilly rain & sleet ~

the bike path was littered 

with piles of snow

but most of the path was cleared.

The bike helmet was no where to be found.

We will advocate for another 

helmet to be purchased before

taking our bikes on a camping trip

this summer!

TEN FEET + TWO FEET

(pic taken 4/5/10 @ Discovery Science Museum)

 DISCOVERY SCIENCE CENTER ~ SANTA ANA

http://www.discoverycube.org/ 

JPE & I took four kids 

(ages 3, 5, 6 & 8)

to the Discovery Science Center!

A week ago, we called my niece...

"We are taking Lydia to the museum,

& will take your three kids, 

as long as we can borrow your van."

(we have two small compact cars!!)

She said, "Are you crazy?" 

after thinking for TWO 

(I said two) seconds,

she said,

"I'll clean out the van."

We traded our compact for the van; 

buckled four kids into seat belts;

and drove off in a drizzling rain.

It was pouring! by the time

we got the freeway.

The kids were troopers!

Dodging rain puddles, 

we RAN for the shelter of the 

museum entrance.

We had 30 minutes to explore
before the 
BUBBLE FEST Show...
It was entertaining - but too long!
we left the show after 35 minutes.
I guess the presenter didn't know 
that a person's attention span 
generally "mirrors" 
the AGE of the viewer!

Lydia's bubble...
(rain stopped about 12:30 ~
LUNCH was outside on the patio)

Lydia was an "EXPERT"
climber too!

We expended a LOT
of energy!
JPE & I
packed up the kids after 
5+ hours of discovery!


OHHH - the kids were
SOOOO BRAVE!
They also laid on a 
"BED of NAILS!!"

(Ten feet = four kids + me
two feet = JPE...
standing in line for the tickets)