Friday, August 28, 2015

MY TOP 10- MOST POPULAR POSTS FOR 2015!

Life is busy for all of us, especially those of us who are addicted to technology. I admit it I love all of the cool, techy toys and apps available to us - texting, emoji, email on the go, Facebook and of course blogs! Silly me - I even taught myself how to text like young people:-) My thumbs are quite speedy now!!

Life being so busy, I have been asked which are my top 10 most popular posts this year. Here is the list according to page views from Google Blogger:

February 13    The first day of the rest of my life
February 15    What does your past say about you?
February 17    Online dating is not for the faint of heart
March     23    Late bloomers unite
March     24    I don't care what others think about me!
March     31    Rekindle the light everyday with gratitude
April       27    What, not those ugly grandma stockings?
May          2    A month of good byes
June        23    I was adopted and didn't know it
August    26    My friend is a horror film star!


Wednesday, August 26, 2015

MY FRIEND IS A HORROR FILM STAR!!

Today was one of those days when my mind wanted to wake up at 5 am, but my body said "Are you kidding? No way, I'd rather toss and turn." So that was what I did....until I gave up and got out of bed a half hour before my alarm. The night before I had written down my schedule, because it was going to be a busy day.

There are 3 cypress trees in my back yard and one has to be taken down because it is seriously leaning on my neighbors garage. Yesterday I called my favorite tree guy, Bill, and he was my first appointment at 8:30. This post is not about the nonsense I did today, but about my friend Bill.

Bill has done several tree trimming jobs for me over the last 10 years and I just adore him. He is ruggedly handsome, has silver hair, about 6'1", slender and strong, and is the nicest guy. He is a wild man, climbs like he was born and raised in the wild. He is polite and handles himself professionally. He also recently married a long time friend and they are great for each other.

We had to visit because it had been 2-3 years since we last saw each other, so we sat in my kitchen over coffee. He shared with me he has stomach and liver cancer and right now he is doing well with his meds, etc. He looks healthy and strong, but it wasn't the case a year ago. He has a wonderful attitude and his wife is his best advocate, keeping on top of all the doctors, reports, labs, meds, etc.

He loves life and looks like the epitome of health. I hope and pray they caught it early. When we went outside, I noticed he had a different car and I asked him about that. He needed a bigger one, an SUV, and said he gave his other car to an employee's wife, and he pays their car insurance. Isn't that something?

I have saved the BEST for last. Bill isn't only a tree trimmer, that's his gig he does when he isn't busy making movies! Yes, he has been acting for about 20 years, doing, and I quote, B horror films. Not my favorite movies, but he always is so fun to talk with and has the most interesting stories to tell. Only in California, I always tell my kids! If I ever move away from California, I will definitely miss the diversity of people here!

This is another instance where I feel very blessed. Bill is a friend I can count on to make me laugh, and I can call him if I need help with anything. Good friends are a very special gift!

Thank you, good night and God Bless!    Aleta

"Friendship doubles our joy and divides our sorrow."   Anonymous







Tuesday, August 25, 2015

HUMOR!!

Is it just me, or are we all a little weird? Haha, I can hear a few friends saying "It's just you, Aleta." I love humor. Sometimes I like to say I am my own home entertainment system! I like being a little  different, it's healthy, and wouldn't it be boring if we were all alike? Humor is cathartic and bonds friends.

CBS Sunday Morning interviewed Jerry Seinfeld recently and it was great. Have you ever seen comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com? Jerry Seinfeld is joined by friends for a cup of coffee and it's always in a classic car. And of course all of his friends are comedians, and they share stories either in a car, or a coffee shop. A few months ago I got to watch this on an airplane flying back home. I happen to like Seinfeld. You either do or don't I suppose. But getting to listen to 2 comedians kibitzing is the best! For those of you who don't know 'kibitz', and don't want to google it....it is Yiddish for chatting, or to offer unwanted advice, being a busybody. Years ago while living in the Bronx, I learned some Yiddish words. A Jewish friend warned me Yiddish is a dying language - and he chuckled with my response "Oh great, I'm learning a dying language." Chutzpah, yenta, and kibitz are my favorite, I often use chutzpah. Chutzpah is a great word when you want to say someone is very courageous or brave. Yenta is generally used for an old gossip.

In the interview Seinfeld said "a laugh is such a pure thing." It's so true and very healthy for our bodies. Laughter creates endorphins which are natural pain and stress fighters. Please google it for more techy information. After about 15 minutes of fairly strenuous exercise, endorphins are released into the body. It leads to feelings of euphoria, decreased appetite, enhancement of the immune response, and decreased feelings of pain. Our bodies are amazing - I love those endorphins, I'm going for a brisk walk!

Thank you, good night and God Bless!    Aleta

"Exercise? I get it on the golf course. When I see my friends collapse, I run for the paramedics."
Red Skelton  -  comedian extraordinaire

Monday, August 24, 2015

MY FIRST TRAVEL WRITING - THE HOTEL FIGUEROA, LOS ANGELES

This past weekend I was busy flying into Los Angeles Friday and leaving Saturday night. I took a workshop to learn about travel photography. It was well attended, maybe 75 people. We were taught by the director and two accomplished photographers - great information and I took lots of notes, though my emphasis is travel writing. The key with anything new is to "Just Do It" as Nike quotes. Here goes - my first travel writing.

The Hotel Figueroa is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The front of the hotel is very unassuming. Upon entering you are pleasantly surprised with a Moroccan theme. Beautiful Turkish rugs, tile floors, large, lush green plants, and a friendly staff. My room was small, but had a king size bed, wonderful linens and 4 lush pillows - the bed and linens is most important for me and they rated a 10! The cable tv was good. By the way, I got a stellar deal for a Friday night, $168.00.

After settling in, you will want to visit the pool and restaurant-bar, the Veranda. At 5:30 in the evening it was filled with people enjoying a drink with friends, or sitting by the pool. It was a lovely oasis far from the downtown traffic just outside the doors. The menu is not very large and they have something for everyone's taste: pizza, steak, pasta, chicken, and salads. I decided on penne pasta with shrimp with a glass of red wine, and I was not disappointed. The pasta was delicious, al dente, not smothered in sauce, and served with several medium sized shrimp. The choice for desserts looked good but knew I didn't want to get too full. The bartender was polite and helpful, offering me chips while I waited the 20 minutes.

In all fairness, I have to mention some negatives. The toilet had a little puddle behind it, perhaps a slow leak. And flushing took 3 times to work. It is an old building, part of its charm, and I chuckled when handed a key. How many years has it been since hotels used keys? Unable to turn on the cold water, I had to get in and out quickly. Lastly, I had to call and ask for a hair dryer, and then it kept turning off after 3 minutes. A woman is undeterred when she is getting ready in the morning - a working hair dryer is a must.  Eventually my hair was dried and I was ready to greet the world.

Would I stay at the Hotel Figueroa again? I would have to say probably yes. The young woman who checked me out and gave me my bill deducted $26.00 for my problems, and she was quite empathetic. Everyone I dealt with was fabulous, the bed and linens were wonderful, the dinner was delicious, I loved the ambiance, and all the other hotels were $300-$400 a night. I was fortunate finding the good rate, persistence and simply asking always helps.

Thank you, good night and God Bless!    Aleta

"If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness,   selfishness and fears."  Cesare Pavese  -  Italian poet and novelist






Thursday, August 20, 2015

OFF TO LOS ANGELES

I am off to Los Angeles tomorrow to take a one day class on travel photography. Writing and photography are two hobbies of mine, and this is a fun way to learn more - writing, photography and travel - what could be more fun!

Most of the workshops are for 3 days and in other states or countries. I have been waiting for a 1 day workshop and it was laid in my lap. Wish me well! Ansel Adams I am not. But I do have a good eye and I am a big dreamer!

Good night and God Bless you!   Aleta

"A good photograph is knowing where to stand."   Ansel Adams - American photographer and environmentalist

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

AND LIFE DOES GO ON.....

And life does go on....I have had a small bump on the side of my nose for many years, no change, until recently. I even had a check up a year ago by a dermatologist. She missed it, I will have to mention it on the visit next month. But I was able to get in to see her physicians assistant right away.

She stunned me saying "I will take it out today and send it in for a biopsy." I went in knowing there was a chance it might be basil cell cancer, but was not prepared to get it taken out 5 minutes later. The  shots to deaden the pain were barely felt, and I felt nothing from the little surgery. A few hours later all I needed was Ibuprofen for discomfort. By the way, if it is basil cell, I will have to have a deeper surgery to get out all possible cells.

Just 2 days ago I was writing about my shoulder surgery and I was grateful for no cancer. I spoke too soon. Basil cell cancer is a very slow growing cancer, it came from too much sun, perhaps my teen years. Once taken out, patients need to go back for yearly check ups. The bump is about the size of a small pea. I had my first one on my back, which my doctor took out last July.

My point being, it threw me for a loop - I was stunned and felt pretty spacey. Rather than go home, I went to Trader Joe's and TJ Max until I felt like I could drive home safely. All I bought was a frozen pizza and tortilla chips - comfort food I suppose. We cannot take our health for granted and always must be grateful for every day!

Over the years, I have wondered how I would react if told I have a terminal illness. Maybe that is a perverted, sick thing to think about. But remember I am a writer and though very expressive and emotional, I am also a thinker. Now I know my first reaction would be fear. But I hope and pray that I could spend time with my children and grand children. I am also a pragmatic person and would make sure everything was in order (of course I have had a will for years).

Thank you, good night and God Bless!  Aleta

I am in the mood to give you a bunch of favorite quotes!!

"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and DANCE like no one's watching." Satchell Paige, African American Major League Baseball Player, and colorful character.

"I would always rather be happy than dignified."  Charlotte Bronte, English author.

"Be yourself, who else is better qualified."  Anonymous


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

LIFE GOES ON...

Today was a typical Tuesday - no gym, that was yesterday. But I did have a doctor's appointment for a sore shoulder. Last week was my first MRI and I was grateful it was an open imaging machine. I have heard they can be loud and very uncomfortable. Honestly, I can do just about anything, I just want to get it over with. However, the thought of getting inside a big cylinder, and one with loud noise for a half an hour, unnerves me - a great deal. Yes, I am a claustrophobe! 

The good news is I decided to close my eyes the entire time and focus on the music playing. The technician was good at his job and asked if I had a preference to certain music. I said Oldies but Goodies would be great. Focusing on the music made the time fly and I was relaxed when it was over.

Back to the doctor's appointment. I like my doctor, he is an orthopedic surgeon and very personable and outgoing - not your usual serious, formal doctor.  He is very expressive, he could not hide his disappointing news "you have a torn rotator cuff" and need surgery. I chuckled and said, "Wow, I read it on your face, that something was wrong. But it's actually good news because after the surgery I won't hurt any more. And I will certainly sleep better." 

It was diagnosed as shoulder impingement, with a rotator cuff tear. It's a common diagnosis and comes with age, starting decades ago. The way I learn and remember information is to write it down. The collar bone and acromion are now touching, creating a bone spur, therefore digging into the top of the tendon. Hence, tearing the rotator cuff (a tendon). He showed me amazing photos from his library, and then the photos from my MRI. My tear is all the way across the tendon.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to being healthy again. No shoulder pain! Surgery early October then a sling, and about a month of physical therapy. My body responds well to exercise and physical therapy, having broken my wrist 2 years ago.

The really good news? I have something that can be fixed, fixed with surgery, exercise and therapy. I don't have cancer. Lately I have been a little irritated having some new aches and pains, frequent aches that never bothered me before. But why shouldn't I get sick? What makes me think I deserve a life without physical maladies? Especially with so many people dying of cancer, or heart disease. 

I am blessed - I say that a lot and will always say it because it is true! I have great health, 3 sons I was told I couldn't have, wonderful daughters-in-law, now I am a grandma, and many great friends. Oh, and I work with wonderful people in my volunteer job - we help people in the community. What could be better? I have 2 favorite quotes today!

Thank you, good night and God Bless!    Aleta

"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but by how we REACT to what happens to us." Wade Boggs   - He was a Third Baseman for the  Boston Red Sox- with a great attitude!

"Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will."  Zig Ziglar, a motivational speaker and author








Wednesday, August 12, 2015

WASHINGTON - MONTANA - NORTH DAKOTA, PART 1

It was a whirlwind trip. I flew to Washington where Julie lives, and 3 days later we piled into her Nissan, including clothes, shoes, and everything a woman can't live without. Our first stop was Montana. The trip was about 10 hours. Grueling, yes, but nibbling on licorice and Fritos, and drinking iced tea, sustained us. We stopped every 2-3 hours to either fill up with gas, food, or make a pit stop, change drivers and stretch our legs, or all of the above.

Montana is gorgeous with green, lush mountains and trees, lakes and rivers everywhere. We didn't have any car trouble and were always able to receive some radio station, not always the case with cell reception. Once in awhile we called someone and asked could they please entertain us!

There's an old expression: ignorance is bliss. We had no idea how much driving we would be doing. No wonder we slept like babies some nights. After arriving at her daughter's home and visiting for the evening, the next day Julie, myself, her daughter and her 11 year old grand daughter all piled into Amy's car and headed for North Dakota. Amy's twin lives there, and of course Julie wanted to visit with Lisa, too.

North Dakota is not as scenic as Montana, more flat, not as many trees, more brown than green. However, we passed some beautiful rock formations, including the Badlands. They were named by the Lakota people because of extreme temperatures, lack of water, and exposed, rugged terrain. President Theodore Roosevelt loved the Badlands and the freedom of the western way of life. There is some interesting history on Roosevelt and the Badlands, which I won't go into now.

While in North Dakota we had several days of fun family time, enjoying home cooked meals, and an artists fair - basically relaxing. One highlight was a rodeo with bronco busting, lassoing cattle, and young kids riding small horses (the kids wore helmets). It was a small rodeo, guessing maybe 150 people. We were really close, about 20 feet from the fence. Some of us got really worried the horses were getting hurt - when you are that close and the horse crashes into the fence, you think two things: is he getting hurt?, and I hope he doesn't come crashing into our laps!

The one thing we missed while there was a country western dance. Boo hoo! We went to the rodeo on Saturday evening and planned to stay for the dancing, but the popular band performed the night before, Friday.  The only dancers were under 3 years old! We left with high hopes because we still had several days back in Montana, or so we thought.

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow. Thank you, good night and God Bless!     Aleta

"I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!  -  Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the U.S.








Tuesday, August 11, 2015

WASHINGTON - MONTANA - NORTH DAKOTA

It appears I have learned how to vacation, but haven't learned to let my readers know I will be off! Please forgive me. My grand daughter had her first birthday, and of course I couldn't miss that. And then I made plans (months ago) with my friend, Julie, to go to Montana and North Dakota. We went to see both of her daughters and their families, also her brother and his wife.

This writing will be short, kind of like an introduction. Honestly, my head is spinning with stuff to catch up on, and with all the driving we did (we started in Seattle area), I am now tired. I think my posts this week will be in parts. Sometimes I get carried away and it is too long.

Our trip was fabulous, of course sharing the drive. Western Washington is beautiful, lush and green, and evergreen trees everywhere. (Hence lots of rain.) Eastern Washington is quite dry and a very different landscape, little trees. Montana was my favorite, with mountains, lakes, trees, and lots of wild life.

The next post, tomorrow, will be on a Harley ride, Rhino utility vehicle ride, and target practice - yup, I learned how to shoot a gun. It seems out of character for me, being a non-violent person, but I have wanted to learn how to handle a gun for years. I think it's because I don't want to be afraid of it, rather be able to hold it and manage it if I have to.

Thank you, good night and God Bless!    Aleta

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."   Dr. Seuss