There Are No Coincidences

The other day I was browsing through my Facebook feed when I read a comment from someone I didn't know (which he had written on my Friend's wall) that he was sorry to hear of her mother's passing.  The Friend was someone I was close to several years ago, and occasionally still bump into, but we haven't seen each other for quite some time.  I hadn't even known her mother was ill.

Immediately below that post was an update from a person who's mainly posts inspirational posters and sentimental tidbits.  Normally I look right past them, but when I saw this one I did a double-take.

Your mother is always with you...

She's the whisper of the leaves
as you walk down the street.

She's the smell of bleach in
your freshly laundered socks.

She's the cool hand on your
brow when you're not well.

Your mother lives inside
your laughter. She's crystallized
in every tear drop...

She's the place you came from,
your first home.. She's the map you
follow with every step that you take.

She's your first love and your first heart
break....and nothing on earth can separate you.

Not time, Not space...
Not even death!

Author: unknown

I rarely forward things, but in this case I thought I should make an exception,  I re-posted it on my grieving friend's wall.  Judging by the "Likes" it got, other people thought it was nice, too.

Emergency Zit Zapper

As I've gotten older my acne outbreaks are few and far between, but last week when I was on vacation I noticed a large pimple starting right next to my lower lip. Because I hardly ever have a problem I didn't bother to bring any treatment medicine. What to do?

I vaguely remembered reading that toothpaste could be effective in drying pimples up. Figuring that I didn't have much to lose I put a tiny dab standard white-colored toothpaste on the spot right before I went to bed.

When I woke up the offending area was much clearer.  I don't think I'd rely on toothpaste to clear up my skin on a regular basis, but it sure saved the day this time!

Five years ago today: Give Me Liberty

All Good Things Have To End

Today Hubby Tony and I had to get back to reality and board a plane to return home from our San Francisco experience. Although our flight didn't leave until the afternoon, we got up early enough to say goodbye to DIL Nicole before she left for work. After breakfast Tony and I decided to take one last walk through the area before it was time to go to the airport.

Brian and Nicole's apartment is close to an area with lots of shops and restaurants. It was too early for most of them to be open, but that was good; it meant the sidewalks weren't crowded and I could look around without worrying I was going to run into someone. We stopped at the deli counter of a small grocery store and had a sandwich made to take to the airport. With lunch figured out, we kept walking down the commercial area and a few of the side streets. The houses looked modest, but thanks to our conversations with Son Brian and Nicole I knew they were very expensive.

When it was time Brian drove us to the airport.  Much to my surprise the departure area wasn't busy and we were through the Security line quickly.  We bought coffee and found a place to eat lunch, then walked to the posted gate...which ended up being changed three times before we left.  As we waited to board the plane I started talking to the group behind me and learned that their connecting flight from St. Louis to Boston had already been cancelled because of the impending snow storm on the East Coast. 

We left from San Francisco at 1:15.  Because of the time changes we arrived in St. Louis at 7:15.  Thanks to all the cancelled East Coast flights the airport looked like a ghost town.  I felt sorry for all the people who'd had  their plans interrupted because of the weather.  When we got in the shuttle to the parking lot I felt like our vacation was officially over.

Five years ago today: Jammies!

San Fran

Another day, another San Francisco area adventure.  After an early breakfast, once again Son Brian, Daughter-In-Law Nicole, Hubby Tony, and I all piled into the car.  This time we headed north towards San Francisco.

Twenty-five years ago when Tony had a business trip to San Francisco I came along and played while he worked.  I'd seen quite a few sights on that trip, but one of the ones I missed was Alcatraz Island, otherwise known as "The Rock".  When Son Brian asked us what we'd like to do on this visit that was at the top of the list.

Our reservations were for one of the first tours of the day, before the temperature had a chance to warm up. Because I knew it would be even cooler on the island I dressed in every layer I'd brought with me...a long sleeved shirt, sweater, and a light jacket. I could have used more. The trip to Alcatraz starts with a 15-minute ferry trip.   It was very chilly waiting at the dock to board, and not much warmer on the island.

The Rock

When we arrived at Alcatraz we were greeted by a National Park Service representative who gave us an orientation, then we were free to explore. First we watched an informative video about the history of the island, then we headed up to the main building to pick up the audio tour that was included with our ticket.  The very interesting tour led us from one section of the infamous federal penitentiary to another.

If we'd had more time I would have liked to explore some of the island's hiking trails, but it was coming up on lunch time and everyone was hungry.   Thankfully, our return trip on the ferry was warmer. After we got back to the mainland we had lunch, then walked through Fisherman's Wharf and up to Ghirardelli Square. Of course we had to stop for ice cream. The line to order was long, and the wait for the order was even longer, but once I tasted my sundae I decided it was worth the wait.

Five years ago today: Send A Message

Forest and Beach

Saturday was another jam-packed day of our San Francisco Bay getaway.

After breakfast we all went our separate ways.  Son Brian and Hubby Tony went to the apartment complex gym, and DIL Nicole went for a run.  I walked to the market to pick up some produce.  When everyone was back home and cleaned up, we piled in the car to start the day's adventures.

It was the nicest weather day so far. The sun was shining and the forecast called for a high of close to 70 degrees.  Our first stop was a state park south of the Bay area that had a nice walking trail through a grove of giant redwoods. It was awe-inspiring how tall and old some of the trees were. Before we left the apartment Brian and Nicole made sure we had enough layers to keep us comfortable in the cooler forest. When we got out of the car the t-shirt I was wearing was warm enough. As I entered the shady area I added a sweater, and then a light jacket on top.

After our redwoods adventure we got back in the car and headed farther south to Santa Cruz, a city on the Pacific Ocean.  Our ultimate destination was the boardwalk and beach.  Even though it was only January most of the rides, food booths, and shops were open. We passed on those, though, and headed toward the beach, where we sat down on a couple of beach towels and enjoyed the warm sunshine. I got brave and rolled the legs of my pants up so I could walk down to the shoreline. The first few waves were mild, so I moved a little closer and was unprepared for the next bigger one that soaked the bottom of my pants. It was all good, though, because the sun dried them before I left.

Eventually it started cooling off, so we packed everything up and headed back to the car. The ride back was uneventful. When we reached the apartment we regrouped, then went out to dinner at a Israeli restaurant. The food was Middle Eastern with a twist. We ordered hummus, chicken and vegetable skewers, and several sides. When the food came we put all the plates in the middle of the table and everything was fair game.

Old Friends Are The Best

Day Three of our San Francisco Bay trip brought even more adventure. After breakfast Hubby Tony and I got ready for our day's plans.  We were going to meet up with Sue, a friend of mine from high school who's lived in San Francisco for the past 33 years.

Because we were staying quite some distance from Sue's house and we didn't have a car, we decided to take the Caltrain commuter train and meet her in San Mateo, about a half hour to the north.

We walked to the Caltrain station, which was about ten minutes from the apartment.  It was easy to navigate the ticketing system, and before long we were waiting on the platform for the train to arrive.  The ride was uneventful, and the driver did a good job of making announcements for the upcoming stops (which is always important when you're in an unfamiliar area).

Sue had picked a nice Asian restaurant for lunch.  While we ate we caught up.  I hadn't seen her for a couple of years; she used to come to see her family every year for the holidays, but several years ago her parents moved to a retirement community out of the area.  After we ate she put on her tour guide hat and escorted us around in her car.  

We made our way to San Francisco and walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, drove through Fisherman's Wharf, navigated down the hairpin turns of Lombard Street, walked around the perimeter of the Coit Tower, and stopped at Ocean Beach, where I took off my shoes and walked on the cool sand.  The day was much too cold to think about sticking them in the ocean!

On the late afternoon Sue drove us back to San Mateo, where we got a quick snack before it was time for Tony and to get on the train for the trip back. 

The Rub-Down

This was Day 2 of our South San Francisco Bay adventure. Daughter-In-Law Nicole had to work, so after we took her to her office, Son Brian, Hubby Tony, and I started on our day's adventures.

As we drove around the area I saw a Who's Who of tech companies....the headquarters for Yahoo, Google, LinkedIn, and Intuit, as well as a huge Microsoft building.  A freeway exit pointed toward Cupertino, the city where Apple is located.  (Not everything in the area is tech.  There was also a NASA research center and a sign that pointed the way towards Lockheed Martin.)

Our first stop was Shoreline Park, where we walked on some of the trails and looked at the San Francisco Bay.  For lunch we went to a Mexican restaurant, then came back to the apartment for a short rest.  Then it was time for the highlight of my day.

For my birthday, I'd received a promise of a massage from Brian and Nicole.  The studio I was going to did all types, but when Brian mentioned how nice the traditional Thai massages were I knew I had to try it.  Yet another unique activity to add my list.

When I checked in at the front desk the receptionist handed me a laminated card that asked for contact information, what type of pressure I wanted for my massage (I chose medium) and a diagram of a body where I could indicate the parts that needed special attention (always my shoulders and lower back).  After the preliminaries were out of the way I was escorted into the studio, which was a dimly-lit hall with curtained rooms set on each side.  I could see that each room held a massage mat set on a raised platform.  Serene music was playing softly in the background.

When we reached one of the rooms I was instructed to change out of my clothes into loose cotton pants and shirt, then lay down face-first on the mat.  The masseuse entered, greeted me, and got started.

I'm used to deep tissue massages where you can relax and zone out.  This was NOT like that! 

The masseuse could lean over my body, and she put her full weight into her work. When she got to my shoulders she vigorously pressed on all the sore points until I was ready to call Uncle.  It hurt, but at the same time it also felt really good.  The same thing happened when she started on my lower back.

Laying on my stomach I wasn't able to see the technique,  but a couple of times I felt her climbing over me to get to the other side, and I think she might even have used her knees a couple of times.  Eventually I rolled over on my back and my arms and legs got the attention they craved.  However, I wasn't expecting that my fingers and toes would get pulled until the knuckles cracked.

All too soon my time was up and I had to get dressed and return to the real world.  When I returned to the reception area I received I cup of hot tea and a small jar of Thai smelling salts to take home.  Brian and Tony were waiting in the car for me in the parking lot.

Five years ago today: The Right Note

Strange Fruit

Back in October when Son Brian and Daughter-in=law Nicole moved to California Hubby Tony and I told them we'd be visiting soon.  This week we hopped on a plane to do just that.

Our flight left St. Louis mid-morning.  Thanks to the time change we arrived at the San Francisco airport mid-afternoon.  Nicole had to work, but Brian picked us up at the airport and drove us to their apartment in the South Bay area.  We got settled in and went to lunch.  Later in the afternoon Brian and I walked to a small ethnic grocery store to get some ingredients for dinner.

We were wandering through the produce section  and talking about unusual items when I found a display of large, bright yellow football shaped fruit that was new to me.  The tag said it was a Canary melon.  I suspected I knew what it would taste like, but even if I was off base and didn't like it, at 79 cents it was cheap enough to take a chance on.  I threw it into my bag.

When I got home I did some research.  Wikipedia said:

The Canary melon or winter melon is a large, bright-yellow elongated melon with a pale green to white inner flesh. This melon has a distinctively sweet flavor that is slightly tangier than a honeydew melon. The flesh looks like that of a pear but is softer and tastes a little like a cantaloupe.

The melon ended up being quite tasty.  I cut it into chunks and put the chunks into a bowl.  We snacked on it the rest of the afternoon, and finished it off with dinner.

Source

Gurgitate

On Monday Pepper the cat started throwing up his (mainly undigested) food after each meal.  He didn't look or act like he was sick, but that night shortly after I went to bed Pepper let out with several scary blood-curdling howls.  Even though he settled down after I got up and spent some time petting him,  I figured I should get him checked out.  Yesterday I made an appointment to take him to the vet.

A couple of hours before the appointment I got out the cat carrier and set it on the floor in the kitchen.  Pepper had been lethargic all morning, but when it was time to put him in the carrier he suddenly had enough energy to put up a fuss and stick his paws out in four different directions. Hubby Tony helped me get him in.  As soon as the door was latched Pepper launched into his "please let me out of here" yowl, which lasted through the three-mile drive to the vet's office. 

The vet tech came in and took his history, then we waited a few minutes for the vet to arrive.  She poked and prodded Pepper, asked a couple of questions, then decided we should leave him there for some diagnostic work.  Several hours later we received a call from the office.  Pepper's blood was normal, but the x-rays showed a lot of gas in his stomach.  The official diagnosis was gastroenteritis.  Best the vet could figure out is that Pepper had been munching on my houseplants...particularly the flopping shoots of the asparagus fern in the bathroom.  (Before we picked Pepper up I trimmed the plant back so he can't reach it.) 

Pepper now has a shaved spot on his neck from where they took his blood, and his chest hair looks tousled from the antiseptic they used.  The vet sent us home with antibiotic liquid, anti-nausea pills, and easy-to-digest food that Pepper's supposed to eat for the next few days.  He's a typical finicky cat who doesn't do medicine well, but I'm hoping this round will go better than our previous attempts.

No Snickering Allowed

When Hubby Tony and I brought home our paintings from our paint and sip adventure on Friday night I wasn't going to let them see the Internet light of day.  After I read your encouraging comments I started rethinking my decision.  So....

Here's my canvas

Tony passed on sharing his.