California Girl

I am now a resident of sunny northern California since September 24th.  I absolutely love it here! I am near my grandchildren and every day is a sunny one. 

I live in senior housing and love the location and my apartment, which is roomier than my previous one. 

I feel like I am home and wonder why I didn't move here years ago. Oh, yeah, there are those grandkids I needed to be around. 

So Lucy still comes to visit on weekends when she can and Max won't come but he does love to see his grandma. The two littles and Joe who is a growing 15 year old are all happy and now have so much family around them.  There can never be too much love. 

I now live near my niece Valerie who also lives in the same community, Lake of the Pines, as does Devon and his family. She stops by once in a while and brings me things for my apartment or clothes she can't wear anymore and we visit. It is so nice to be here with all this family.

I already have my California driver's license and in February I will get a California license plate for my car. 

I have joined a group I found online called Auburn adventures and they do movies, hikes, go to fairs, so hopefully I will meet new friends and find new activities to enjoy. 

Just Lucy

Lucy started having sleepovers with me about a year ago.  She was so excited to come over and I was so excited to have her. Here are some pictures of her visits here.

Strike a pose

Sweet baby girl asleep in my bed on our last night

Max helping on their last day

On my laptop of course

Lucy has moved to California and when we had our last sleepover I told her I would miss her and she said she would miss me too but she knew I would be moving to California too.  She was consoling me. I miss my sweet little Lucy and her brothers Max and Joe. I hope I will be moving near them soon.

New Dog? Like Buying a House.

It has been over three months since I lost my little Nikki, whom I called "Poopoo."  I know, silly, huh? I found out other owners do the same, call their dog some affectionate term instead of their given name. The dog doesn't care, believe me.

I have been enjoying sleeping in, not having to go out for the dog, not having to take her on a walk. But I have missed not getting up earlier, not having a dog to take outside and not having someone to take walking with me.  So I think I am ready for new baby to love.

I have filled out applications at some dog adoption website, mostly Petfinders.com and have some dogs I want, like this little honey who is called Ellie Mae. She is a Malti-poo. Maltese and Poodle mix, about 8 lbs, which is the size I want. It seems every breed is mixed with Poodles because they are smart and as non allergenic as you can get.  

Ellie Mae

Then there is Candy, a chi-pom. Yes, Chihuahua and Pomeranian mix, about 8 lbs. She is young, only about a year, has already had a litter of pups and runs around some trailer park. She really needs someone to care for her. She may not be ready for apartment and leash life, however. Here is Candy.

Candy

The most important is that the dog I get will have to like other dogs and people and especially kids. They have to be Lucy and Max approved. Nikki bit Joe when he was little so we can't have that happening. Dogs are also supposed to help you socialize with other dog owners. But Nikki did not like other dogs so she pretty much isolated me from other dog owners.  

I am waiting to hear back about these dogs or maybe others I have applied for. Two are already adopted that I was looking at earlier. So these two are still in the running. 

Who knew adopting a dog was like buying a house and getting a credit check? I guess they want to be sure you will be committed to the dog. I had Nikki for 14 years and 8 months so I guess I was pretty committed to a dog who bit my grandson and isolated me from other dog owners, so I should pass the test.

Her Last Day

Sleeping on my bed

I miss her most tonight. I thought, "It is time to go to bed with my computer and books"  and then "but first I have to take Nikki out first."  But of course Nikki is not here anymore.  I miss going out at night with her, seeing the moon, the stars, the trees sighing and the slight fear that someone may be in the shadows. But I had my guard dog with me.  Some people are afraid of little dogs or any dog. They bark. They might bite. Mine would probably lick someone to death first. But I felt mostly safe with her.

Yesterday I took my little girl Nikki dog to the vet. I knew she was very thin, last time we went she weighed 11 lbs. She should weigh 15 lbs at least. Now she weighed 9 lbs.  I knew she was not eating anything anymore but her treats. I knew she was not strong enough to get up sometimes when she squatted to pee.  I knew she had a stage 4 or 5 (out of 6) mitral valve prolapse (heart murmur) for years and takes a pill for it.  I knew she had a tumor in her abdomen that had grown very large, so large I could grab it with my fist and not begin to get my fist around it. I could feel the ridges of it even. It was taking up space in her tiny body, pushing her organs out of its way. I knew she was not having fun anymore. She hardly noticed when another dog was around. Normally she would bark her head off at another dog and try to chase the squirrels in the yard.

I had made an appointment last week to see the vet and make sure it was time. But I cancelled it because I couldn't face it. And I was sad, crying and depressed all that day.  So when I described to the vet assistant what was going on with Nikki and then the vet, Dr. Endicott at Woodhaven Veterinary Clinic, came in, I said, "It's time, isn't it?" and she nodded sadly.  She told me we could do it right then, that day. Or I could come back later that day or schedule another day. I was not prepared to do it right then. But I knew if I left it would be even harder to go back. And I knew my little companion of almost fifteen years was not having fun being a dog anymore. Her quality of life was very low.
She now weighed 9 lbs. She had lost 6 lbs over the last year. Her muscle mass was gone, she was skeletal, she was miserable.

The vet, Dr. Endicott, was the very best vet I could have ever asked for. She told me that I had given Nikki a glorious life, that she was not the dog she once was and showed me the picture of her they have of her healthy and full of life. Dr. Endicott explained exactly what would happen, as I cried. She said "Have you ever had to do this before?" and I shook my head and cried some more. I knew it had to be done. But I looked at my little girl and all I could think was, she has one bow in her hair. She needs to be washed off again (she was peeing on herself when sleeping) and she needed brushing.  The vet pointed out these things would probably be stressful to Nikki. Yes, they would be.

I had been told I did not need to be in the room but I knew how frightened she would be if I had left. So I stayed with her. She had been with me for almost 15 years, and I would be with her until the end. 

So the vet gave her the first shot, of sedation, after which I would have ten minutes to be with her. The first shot went right through her skin and came out the other side. She had no muscle and was so thin. So the vet got another shot and gave it to her. I sat by her and laid my head on the table with her as she lay on a very soft fleece pad. I petted her and looked at her and talked to her. She looked at me and occasionally blinked. Then the vet came in and gave her the next shot which would be much faster and I was looking at her and touching her when her life left her.

Dr. Endicott held me as I cried, devastated.  I was told I could stay with her as long as I wished but Nikki had left. So I kissed her and went to Devon's to be with the family I love. We all went to the Farmer's Market in Issaquah and I had a pulled pork slider and a strawberry ice cream cone. Thanks, Devon and Annie for being there for me when I really needed you.

A new haircut

Not a big deal? Well, for me who gets a haircut every three months if I can, it is a big deal. And when I get it shorter than it has been since going brown, it is a bigger deal for me. So I took some pics of it. Not great pics but you get the idea. I like it for a change.

A day to remember

There are a few events in our lives that we know right where we were and how we felt when they happened.  This is one of those days.  President John F Kennedy was assasinated in Dallas, Texas on this date 48 years ago.  My neighbor came to knock on my door and tell me.  I turned on my black and white TV and saw Walter Cronkite cry when he announced "President Kennedy has been shot" and then "President Kennedy is dead."

We all watched as Mrs. Kennedy in her blood soaked pink suit stood nearby on Airforce One as Lynden Johnson took the oath as President. And for days our eyes were glued to the TV as the incredible funeral happened before our eyes, as Oswald, the shooter was shot by Ruby and the horror and shock continued. Then Ruby being shot. I hope that I never see such a thing again in my lifetime. There is no other event I can think of even comparable to it.  Yes, it was personal. Everyone loved him, he made us love ourselves and our country.

One date most of us can remember is where we were and how we felt on September 11, 2001.  That event changed our lives, how we fly, how we feel about being invulnerable and safe here in the  United Stated of America.   Every year we think of all the people who died, their families and how the consciousness of the country changed after being hit by a terrorist.  Even that does not compare to the death of a beloved President to me.
I have often wondered about the paths not taken by this country because JFK was killed.  Of course it is easy to romanticize someone after they are gone. But each year I weep over those possible paths not taken.

In the time of President John F Kennedy we were a country separated by racism, our enemy was "the communists."  In the south racism was overt. In the north it was covert. 
I remember going to a doctor for ear nose and throat. I was shocked to find out he was black and I never went back. When he called me to ask why I had not returned I don't even remember what I said. But I could not tell him "because I have never been to a black doctor before and I am very uncomfortable with it."  I have never told this before to anyone. It shames me still.

Did I consider myself to be racist? Of course not.  My heart was with the black people (I think we were saying "black" then and before that "negro" and now of course "African American" which all black people are not).  They marched carrying signs about housing descrimination near where I lived in north Seattle. I had two little children or, I told myself, I would be out there with them.  I remember the atrocities in the south, the bombing of the chldren in the church, the National Guard escorting the first black students to a white college. All of this while Kennedy was President.  I remember the white students and civil rights workers going south to help the blacks register to vote and to vote. They were beaten and some were killed.

President Kennedy was from a wealthy family, his father Joseph Kennedy from the Irish Mafia they say.  JFK was our first Catholic President (there was speculation back then about his Catholicism like there is now about Romney's Mormonism).  He was from an advantaged background but he was taught to  help those less fortunate and he truly believed in doing just that. When I heard him speak my high school girl self was enthralled.  It was the first time I had ever paid any attention to what was going on in the world or listened to a politician.

Yes, he had flaws, he had Addison's disease and was in pain constantly, taking pills we would not want our president or anyone else we know to take today.  He had affairs or at least "hooked up" with many women. But as a President, as the man we knew then, he was intelligent, well spoken and well meaning. 

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" was only one of many amazing things he said. He wanted to do what was right for the American people and for the world.

If only the candidates running for President today felt the same way.

Here are some Kennedy quotes:

There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.

Don't get mad, get even.

Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.

Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process.

One-fifth of the people are against everything all the time.

Man is still the most extraordinary computer of all.

Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.

You know nothing for sure . . . except the fact that you know nothing for sure.

All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetimes on this planet. But let us begin.


We must seek, above all, a world of peace; a world in which people dwell together in mutual respect and work together in mutual regard.

Moral courage is a more rare commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence.

When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters--one
represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.

Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.

The quality of American life must keep pace with the quantity of American goods. This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.

Democracy is a difficult kind of government. It requires the highest qualities of self-discipline, restraint, a willingness to make commitments and sacrifices for the general interest, and also it requires knowledge.

A 91st Birthday

My Aunt Marjorie will have her 91st birthday Sunday the 6th of November.  She has lived alone until a year ago when she went to live with her son Larry who is only 6 months older than I.  Our mothers lived together while our fathers were in WWII.  Our famlies were very close all the time we were growing up.
Then in 1995 when my mother died Aunt Marji was with me in the nursing home where my mom had been for a year since her stroke.  She was with me so much during that time, she was closer to me than anyone else at that time. Here is a picture of my mother and Aunt Marji taken about 1993.

Now Aunt Marji has had problems that caused her to be in a nursing home for 24 hour care. She has osteoporosis and a bone in her neck had broken. She had to wear a collar to keep her head up. Now she had the collar removed and Larry is looking for another place where she can stay for her care, where she can take care of what she can do for herself, which is most everything but her meds and meals.  I remember when Aunt Marji and I were looking for a home for my mom.  My mom was one of seven kids. Marji was the youngest and she is now the only one left.

Sunday is her birthday and I try every year to go see her.  I can only stay a couple days because the snow in the passes are coming any time. I went last year and this year I am planning to go too. It is a long drive but I have some audio books to listen to on the way.  And Larry will take me out again like he did last year and we will dance together and maybe I will meet up with the ex secret service guy I met last year who is Larry's friend. He just had his 55th birthday so he is just my type.

But most importantly at 91 I never know when this birthday may be her last.

Best new show

Since I am retired and don't have money for shopping or traveling, my two favored passtimes, I appreciate really good well written TV shows that make me think and question.  My favorite show right now is Homeland, on Showtime. I only subscribe to Showtime when Dexter is on. Dexter is also very good. But the big surprise was Homeland, about a CIA agent named Carrie, played by Claire Danes, who will surely win an emmy for her portrayal.

Damien Lewis stars as a marine, returned from Iraq after 8 years in captivity. He was believed dead and his wife has taken up with his best friend, both believing he is dead.  But he comes home. He is, however, very messed up.  And Carrie has received first hand info a detainee in I think Afghanistan that "an American POW has been turned."   Carrie thinks it is the newly returned marine and puts surveillance in his home for a while. She also takes medication for a mood disorder. So she is a bit on the edge all the time. So is the marine, understandably.

We watch the returned marine and his wife and kids, who hardly know him, try to pick up their lives. We watch his behavior, his every nuanced look and move, trying to figure out if he is indeed the terrorist. This guy has done some very bad things while in captivity, things he was forced to do by horrific torture.  He does not of course want any of those things known. But is he really a terrorist?

He portrays the war hero for the camera. We see him praying to Allah on a prayer mat in secret. But is he really the POW who was turned?

Then there is the CIA man of thirty years who is Carrie's mentor Saul, played by Mandy Patinken (remember the Princess Bride?). He tries to talk Carrie down from her very intense way of seeing everything. 

The last episode left us wondering WHO is the traitor? Or was this latest act done by a traitor at all? Why was this done? Who did it? It stays in your head.

This show hooks you and won't let go.  I can't wait to see what happens.

My second favorite show is about Zombies, on AMC, called The Walking Dead and was presented last year with only 5 episodes. It was so popular that it is doing 12 episodes this year I think and was the most popular Halloween costume.  It is one that makes you think. What if the whole world went to hell in a handbasket?  What if there were people who were turning into zombies either from a virus or whatever, and they needed to feed on live humans and if they bite you you will also turn into a zombie? You have to stay away from them or kill them. You also have to find food, water and medical care for yourself and the group you are with. It is the ultimate survival show. How would you behave in similar circumstances?

I love shows that make me think, ask questions that maybe have different answers. Or none.

So this is what I have been doing and I had to tell anyone who may read this: If you aren't watching Homeland, the best show on TV, you are missing some high drama.  Same with Walking Dead.  If you have time, and I realize I do and most don't, get with it!

Back home in the USA

Amanda Knox is home in Seattle, Washington, USA.  I am so very happy for her.

WELCOME HOME AMANDA!

Amanda and her mom and dad in Seattle right after arrival

She has been in prison, involved in the crazy Italian legal system for 4 long years. I have read books and followed this case in news programs detailing it over the years. I never believed she or Raffaele Solicito were involved at all. They were just two naive college students who got trapped in the Italian legal system by a Prosecutor who was being tried for corruption at the SAME TIME as their trial for murder was going on.

Amanda and Raffaele after the murder

The murderer of Meredith Kircher is Rudy Guede whose DNA was all over the crime scene and who got 25 years in prison and then, on appeal and upon changing his story and testifying against these poor kids, got his sentenced reduced to 16 years. Crazy? Oh yeah!

Rudy Guede, murderer

It is over and I am so very happy for Amanda and Raffaele and their families. 

For more info about this crime check out this blog by Candace Dempsey, a Seattle reporter who was in court during all the trials of Amanda and Raffaele and wrote a book on the subject with all the facts, MURDER IN ITALY.  Her blog is at: http://blog.seattlepi.com/dempsey/

Oh, and my new headphones work very well!

No more LOUD

Last week I heard a loud knock on my door.  I opened it to a lady who let go on me with all the frustration and anger she had stored up for months. I have only lived here 6 months so I imagine it was most of that time. She said the noise was going to have to stop, that last night there was noise until 4 am. Not really, but it was probably 3 am. She said there must be talking or my TV but if I did not stop the noise she would report me to the housing people.  I was stunned, my mouth must have been open.  But I got myself together and told her I was very sorry, it was the first I had heard of it and I would stop the noise. She reminded me that after 10 it is supposed to be quiet, that we are to even walk lightly. Well, the floor is carpeted and I am not huge so I don't think that is a problem.

She left and I immediately started looking for my headphones and that night I tried them out. They did not reach to my bed which is where I watch late TV.  So I finally found an extension cord at Radio Shack. My son Devon had suggested cordless headphones which I also priced at Radio Shack, They were quite expensive for a good pair. So I got the extension cord to get me by until I could check further,  The Radio Shack guy said Sony was their best set, the most comfy, etc.

So I priced headphones online, and at Target, Fred Meyer and Best Buy.  The best price for the ones I wanted was on Amazon. So I ordered them Friday and they arrived today. NO, I did not pay for two day delivery. Just standard. So I was impressed. I also ordered an electronic toothbrush from Amazon since mine died. I ordered it before I ordered the headphones and the tracking said it was in Kirkland on Oct 1 st, Saturday. But it is not here yet.

So I am very excited about my headphones. They are on the charger and the insructions say 16 hours for charging,. They have rechargable batteries.  I used my own audio cords. The ones with it had one prong to go into my TV's headphone slot and the other end goes into the charging base, representing left and right.. Mine have left and right going into the TV and left and right going into the charging base. I can't wait to try them out but for tonight I will have to use my jimmied together cheap headphones and extension cord. The extension cord and headphone cord do not fit snugly so I have to tape them together with masking tape. It works. I am a genius, heheheh. Well, maybe just a geek chic.

My new Sony headphones

My downstairs neighbor will never again hear my TV noise after 10 PM.
Hmmm, maybe I should send her the bill for the headphones?

Happy Birthday NIKKI !

Yesterday, October 1, my little companion Nicole was 14 years old.  She is the longest love relationship I have had.  Never married that long, never in a relationship with a man that long, never had an ongoing friendship with anyone that long. She has been with me since she was a little orange baby. I drove her home as she nestled inside my shirt on my chest.

 I already had a miniature poodle named Sammy who was bigger than most minis and was very energetic, caught balls in his mouth and retrieved them to be thrown again. Sammy loved playing ball. He demanded most of the attention so little Nicole aka Nikki sort of hung out in the background waiting for hers.  When I divorced and moved into an apartment with my two babies and had to go to work, Sammy did not adjust well. So I found a poodle rescue lady in Bellingham who took him and her daughter fell in love with him and they kept him. He had a ranch to run around on and other poodles to play with.

They loved going out in the boat on Lake Ballinger and swimming in the lake

Nikkie and Sammy in the backyard in Edmonds

Nikki and Sammy in the backyard in Edmonds where my husband and I lived



Then there was just Nikki and I. She was happy to get all the attention but she was never interested in playing ball or retrieving.  She just loved me, sat on my lap all the time, soaked up and gave love.

She was always very self protective, not liking her space encroached upon. She has bitten my grandson Joseph when he was a young boy.  So my son does not love Nikki.  Nikki mostly loves people, she will lick you before she will bite you. But she is not recommeded for young children. She is protective of herself and of me.

I have taken care of her all her life, from 6 weeks on. She was always a beautiful little girl.

She will always be my little girl and we have gotten to be old ladies together.  She has MVP (mitral valve prolapse) aka heart murmer and has taken a heart pill every day for three years. She also has a "mass" in her abdomen.  She doesn't like to sit on my lap much anymore.  But so far she seems to go along like the little puppy I have always loved.

Happy Birthday, NIKKI.

Nikki today

Day #2 of my Birthday

I decided today would be my birthday instead of yesterday. Or maybe it is day #2 of my birthday week. Today I was able to spend my birthday check that I got yesterday.  So up to the bank to deposit the check.  Then I decided I would get the haircut I so sadly need and so richly deserve, heheh.  My last haircut was kind of what you might call a witch cut. No layers, kind of goes out at the bottom, hard to turn under, kind of like a broom. It was free so can't complain. But this time I went back to the girl I like, Rebecca, and I love my haircut now. I have very thick hair so had her take some of that thickness out. Yessereeee!!

Before

After

Well. maybe you can't really see it but you can see the smile on my face in the after pic.
Happy Birthday to me day #2.

I also have brownies in the oven and when they come out I am having a steak! Then I am icing the brownies. Can you guess what I will be doing after that?

One Year ago today

One year ago tonight I was in Barcelona boarding a cruise ship. My niece Val who was traveling with me insisted we get dressed up and go to dinner on the ship even though we had been up for 36 hours and were exhausted.  It was, after all MY BIRTHDAY.  Then we went to our room, got into our nice cushy white robes provided by the cruise ship and went out onto the deck, noticed it was a bit rough. The spray was blowing up into our faces.  We thought, how cool!

Then we went to bed and slept like the dead. Next morning we go to breakfast to hear there was a huge storm and many got seasick. We slept through the whole thing and were very happy we had. We were glad to know we were not going to be prone to seasickness.

My sis Carol and I at San Francisco airport the first time

We had missed our flight to Barcelona the first time, standing in the wrong line until our flight left. We were panicked and finally found another leaving the next morning. So our night in Barcelona did not happen since we spent that night flying and arrived in Barcelona the day we were to board our ship. But we were happy we made it in time.

Val and I at San Francisco Airport

We did take a taxi to see the famous Gaudi church in Barcelona before we boarded our ship that afternoon.

In Barcelona at the famous Gaudi Church

The first morning after the storm we went into Montecarlo in Monaco. We climbed some very old winding narrow stone steps up to the castle where we could look over the bay and see the Bond Casino.

The Palace of Monaco

Overlooking Montecarlo from the palace

The Palace

By the way, there are no beaches in Montecarlo so the rich people lay here to sunbathe

The on to Florence the next day, which has so much great art and the Duomo which has the tombs of many great artists and writers.

inside the Duomo in Florence

The fake David

Florence where it rained and I got this hoodie

The next day to Rome

The coliseum

The Vatican

The pope on the big flat screen outside on St Peter's Square

Inside the Vatican the ceiling in the hallway above the crowds. It's all beautiful in there. We could not take photos in the Cistine Chapel but it was so crowded you could hardly breathe. Our guide told us all about the history of Michaelangelo being chosen to paint it based on the pope at the time being impressed with La Peita scuplture. Michaelangelo was a sculptor, not a painter. But he did both well. The Cistine, the David, La Pieta and much more,

St Peter's Basillica where the sculpture La Peita is

It is the most touching sculpture I have ever seen. It is the mother of Jesus, Mary, holding the body of her crucified son.  The lighting was horrible so my own pics did not turn out too well.

La Pieta

by Michaelangelo

This sculpture was attacked a few years ago but is restored and protected by glass now.

Then on to Naples. Val and I heard that Capri was the place to go so we took a boat to Capri where we could see Mt. Vesuvius across the water in Naples. Capri had some of the most beautiful scenes ever.

Arrival in Capri where I bought a hat

We went to the top of the hill/mountain and could see Mt Vesuvius across the water

Capri

Capri again

Another Palace on Mallorca

And on to another Palace on the Island of Mallorca.  We went through the castle.

Mallorca

Palm trees on Mallorca, a beautiful place

The palace at Mallorca

Then we had a free day sailing back to Barcelona.  We had time to have lunch on the deck.

It was an amazing cruise and the food was fantastic. We had guides to show us the sites when we stopped at the cities. Rome was a couple hours to get to the vatican on a bus.  The lines at the Vatican museum are VERY long and you really need a guide to get you in and tell you about the art there. There are over 7 miles of hallways there and we saw only a few highlights.  I would love to spend days and weeks in Europe but unless you are a young college student and can sleep in bed and breakfasts it is very expensive. So this was the way to go and I would do it again in a heartbeat. And again and again. Maybe someday.

But if I never do again I will always have these memories. No one can take them from me.