Z is for Zeus! 🐾

                    I saved the best blog for last...this my friends, is my grandpup Zeus 🤎                                                                       

                               

                                                                    "I'm bored..."

                                                              "I'm a handsome boy"

                                                                "I'm a lucky grandpup"

                                                                       Baby Zeus 😂

    Zeus is a very special member of our family. Presently, he is at 150 lbs. He is a Rottweiler/Bullmastiff breed. He basically looks like a giant Rottweiler and is one big hung of love. Can I repeat that? He is one big hunk of love! Zeus is the sweetest dog I have ever known. He is also the best guard dog I have ever known. His bark is one that if. you were a prowler around our home and you heard Zeus bark - you would immediately head in the opposite direction. He can sense any movement outside the home during the night. It's interesting how when we would go to bed, he would assume two different positions in the house and go into guard dog and protector of the home mode. We raised him a good deal of his life. He presently lives with my son, whom he adores, in Monterey. They are the best of buds and go on many adventures together. 

    Quite often, we look at Zeus, shake our head and say "Zeus - you're such a goober..." truly one of a kind and a star wherever he goes. When we walk him at the beach, were told quite often that he looks like a bear. He really does! Many dog walkers with their little pooches see us approaching and will literally cross the street. Little do they know, Zeus would love to introduce himself and politely say, "Hi, I'm Zeus. What's your name?" 

    We're about due for a visit with the big guy. I hope it's soon, this blog is making me miss him so! 

Y is for yarn

 

    In an earlier blog, I wrote about my collection of pens and pencils. Well, I also love to buy yarn. The yarn store nearest me is Beveryly's Fabrics. They do sell fabric, but they sell lots of yarn too. Currently, I am working on some blankets for our new home; specifically, throw blankets for the my son's beds and one for the sofa. The color scheme in our house is mostly natural tones, as you can see by my yarn.    

I learned how to crochet when I was very young. After school, I would stop at my grandma's house before walking home. She would always make me a bowl of chicken with rice soup and sometimes I would get a crochet lesson. She used to crochet doilies with a very small sized crochet hook and medium weight thread. She must have had amazing eyesight now that I think about it. I used yarn and she used thread. She didn't hold her crochet hook in the traditional fashion and neither do I. I've tried to hold it the way it is shown in all the "how to crochet books" and videos, but I just can't do it. I hold my hook the way my grandma showed me.

    I have made hats, scarves and baby booties, but blankets are my favorite. I have read that crocheting is a form of meditation and I truly believe it. Crocheting forces me to be still, focus and breathe. I find that it's a great way to relax. 

    I enjoy crocheting gifts for others. This is a baby blanket I was working on in an airport waiting for our flight. It was for a teacher at my son's school who was expecting. 

    I have been to some amazing yarn stores! There is a quaint one in Carmel, Ca that sells very high end yarn. I bought some hairy yarn at this store and made some fabulous scarves for Christmas presents. My next favorite yarn store I've been to is in Cambria, south of Big Sur, Ca. I'm sure there will be many more yarn stores to discover in my future 💚

    What can I say, I love my hobbies!

X is for xu

        The letter "x" challenge took an unexpected twist for me today... I am a nightly "words with friends" player. I currently have about 15 games going. It's a great way to unwind at the end of a long day with something I love to associate with - words! I have often been using the word "xu" when I am in a predicament with my letter x sitting in my letter bank. I use it all the time! To think that all these times I have used this precious little word to get me out of a bind and land my x on a triple letter square (24 points), and I knew nothing about what this word meant. Today, I was going to find out. 

    Okay, so some of you smarty pants out there may already have known what the word "xu" meant, well I didn't.

    Xu is a coin formerly minted by South Vietnam equivalent to one cent (now little seen or used), forming a hundredth of a dong. 

   The dong is the currency of Vietnam

                  And there you have it - this blog has been brought to you by the "letter "x"

        

W is for Winter time

     Because of Covid, we didn’t do any traveling, but we are fortunate to have a home in Incline Village, Nevada - so that's where we went when we felt the need to “get away.” My husband is an expert skier so winter time means many ski days for him. I enjoy skiing too, but not at his level. I’m a content little intermediate skier. I just enjoy the view on the way down the mountain.

     I appreciate the cozy winter days spent in Lake Tahoe this year.

                                      Northstar Ski Resort, Lake Tahoe in the distance

                                                               home away from home

                                              My husband - he helicopter skis too 🚁

        

V is for vaccine

    Who would have thought that I would be getting vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus because of a global pandemic. I remember when the first cases were reported in the United States. Never, did I think the next 12 months would be that of quarantine, face masks and hand sanitizer. 

    Where I live in Santa Cruz County, we are in the red tier and headed for the orange (fingers crossed). Thankfully, my family has remained healthy. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones to the virus and who have suffered with the illness. Some are dealing with the long term respiratory damage and other side affects from contracting the virus.

    This day and age of technology through Zoom and email has allowed many to continue working from home. I have never spent so much time at home and quite frankly am loving it. We were starting to travel a bit pre-pandemic and though traveling is fun, I don’t miss the hustle and bustle of it. I’m a home body at heart. 

    Life as we knew it before Corona is presenting itself again.

    Hopefully, our take away from this human experience is gratitude.

    

    

U is for umbrella

                                                         vintage smiley face umbrella

    I was about 9 or 10 years old when I was blessed with this umbrella. With the rainy season approaching, I had hoped that with my birthday in October and Christmas in December, that I could have the one thing in the whole world that I so badly wanted - a smiley face umbrella. I must have seen it in the toy section of the Sears catalog or perhaps advertised on TV. All I knew was that I wanted it! I would dream of the day I could glide through the school yard one morning with my smiley face umbrella, for all to see,  protecting me from the rain; the world! 

    Well, the day came and I cannot honestly remember whether I got it for my birthday or Christmas, but this umbrella was gifted to me. Then, I prayed for rain. The rain finally came. On that morning, from the back seat of my mom's car, I opened the door and carefully stepped out, popped open my smiley face umbrella and I would continue to promenade through the school yard of St. Mary's School and enter my classroom. My life was complete. 

    That's all it took... an umbrella with a bright yellow handle.

    My, how times have changed. The memory of this season in my life, takes me back to a much simpler time.

    

    

T is for the three amigos...

 

                                                                     the three amigos

    

       Here is a picture of my first three born: Aaron, Daniel and Joseph (Joey). It's one of my favorites. They look like little gangsters or renegades. They kept me on my toes, but they're really good kids and were a blast to raise. It's an honor being their mom. 

    This was taken during Aaron's first year of college at California State University at Monterey Bay. Daniel and Joey were in high school. This was taken on a spur of at the moment trip to Disneyland. We called Aaron at his dorm on Friday morning, told him to throw some clothes and a toothbrush in a bag; "we're going to Disneyland!" and we were out the door with the rest of the family by late Friday afternoon. The eight of us piled up in the suburban, bigger kids with their headphones on and a bag of snacks in hand for the younger ones on and we were off.

    We had a great time. We stayed at the Embassy Suites (best place for large families), not far from the park. We especially love their happy hour snacks (unlimited popcorn and pretzels) and drinks. We ventured over to California Adventure Park after a day at Disneyland. That was probably the last time we went on a trip as a family.

    Aaron transferred and graduated from University of Nevada Reno, Daniel is in the construction business (like his dad) and Joey earned a degree in microbiology at San Francisco State. Aaron is marketing online and Joey is my little surfer-scientist, working for a bio-tech company. 

    Love these guys. I think I'll give them a call today 🖤🤍🖤

S is for "Sara" by Fleetwood Mac

 

    I consider Stevie Nicks to be a part of my life growing up. There is a lot of music in my family. With a brother 14 years older than me, who was a drummer and a sister 10 years older than me who was a Beatles fanatic - I grew up listening to and absorbing music.     

    My sister turned me on to Fleetwood Mac, before Stevie had arrived. I loved their sound and when Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham came on board...it was magic. I've seen Fleetwood Mac in concert 3 or 4 times. When Stevie broke away from Fleetwood Mac and went solo, I continued to follow her music.  Bella donna was probably my favorite solo album of hers. I saw her as a solo artist in concert several times also. All were phenomenal shows.

    Fleetwood Mac is my favorite band of all time and Stevie Nicks my favorite female artist. This is the official video for "Sara."

    "Sara" is written by singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks and a single from the 1979 Tusk album. She states this was a very personal song for her; a combination of things that were going on in her life.

                                  "....and when you build your house, call me home."

R is for Rocky and Rosie

 

                                                                Rocky and Rosie

    I had six kids and two of them in diapers. I'm at home and my husband calls me and says, "hey, you gotta' come down to Pet Pals and see these Boston Terrier puppies." I am thinking - "you've got to be kidding me." All I need is a puppy to potty train and clean up after. Those were my first thoughts instead of thinking about the joy a dog could bring to our home.

    I pulled the double stroller out of the suburban, put my two little ones in it and went into the pet store. There was a puppy play pen with half a dozen baby Boston Terriers scampering about. "oh my goodness, I thought." This was a play pen full of black and white adorableness! After observing for several minutes, we noticed this one little guy who kept picking on his brothers and sisters...harassing everybody. He was a gangster alright and he was the one for us. After the paperwork (and writing a check), he went into the stroller with my other two babies, and back to the house we went. Well, now I had 3 in diapers (so to speak).

    Rocky was a gem. He was house trained in three days. Yes, three. He was just the cutest little thing. He indeed brought joy to our home. He was our family pet 🖤. A few years later, we decided Rocky needed a friend. At the time, we were living in Carmel Valley. We contacted a Boston Terrier breeder from Santa Cruz, who agreed to bring a litter of pups for us to choose from. He brought a group of 6 or 7 pups into our back yard for us to observe. They were running around playing and having a blast. We noticed the smallest pup that didn't seem to mesh with the rest of the gang. She was just off to the side sitting by herself. Naturally, we were drawn to her. We held her and kept her. We named her Rosie. She didn't house train in 3 days. It seemed more like three years. She had more of a nervous and shy temperament, whereas Rocky was a "ready to go party" kind of guy. They got along beautifully.

    Rosie is now 15 years old and sadly, Rocky passed last year. He died a natural death. In the end - one early morning, he was in far too much pain. We called the vet to immediately bring him in so he wouldn't have to hurt anymore. He took his last breath in my husband's arms as he lifted Rocky out of the jeep to take him inside. This is the hardest part about having a pet.

 There is no way to measure their gift of friendship and unconditional love they give.

                                                                 Rocky in his prime

                                    

    

Q is for question

 

                                                                       Q uest

                                                                    U nderstand

                                                                    E xplore

                                                                    S eek

                                                                    T hink

                                                                    I magine

                                                                   O pen

                                                                   N aw

I haven't written an acrostic poem in years. Mine are done swiftly without too much thought.

P is for pens and pencils

     So, I have a little fetish for all writing implements. I do! In my defense, I do use them and I know how to use them properly. (But, I have too many of them).

    I love to free draw, portrait sketch, do zentangle, calligraphy...I even like to color - kid coloring and adult coloring. Since the first time my tiny little hands ever met a pencil and paper, I was in love. When I got my first coloring book and crayons - well, I basically thought I died and went to heaven. My life was complete.

    On a serious note, I find a freedom in the creative outlet of writing and drawing. It's like a form of meditation for me. It is a personal journey into another part of myself, where I enjoy to be. 

    I find that the hardest part of doing the things we love is finding the time do them. I think if we look hard enough, the time is there somewhere in our day - we just need to reserve it for ourselves.

    By committing to doing this A-Z blog, I have done just that. I am carving out a little time from my day to write and create a blog. I love this medium of writing, it just flows from my mind to my fingertips and onto the screen before me. It feels good to connect with the things I love; for what I love is who I am.

                           

                                                      Pencil sketch with a no. 2 pencil

                                                  Zentangle with micron 01 ink pen

    If there are any fellow artists out there, would love to see some of your doodling or drawing too!

    

    

O is for Ocean

    I mentioned in an earlier blog that I live along the coast here in Santa Cruz County. To be precise, I live 10 minutes south of Santa Cruz, in Aptos.  Many people around here call Aptos "paradise." We have a beautiful forest on one side and the ocean on the other; with what I call, perfect weather. Even a foggy day here is gorgeous. 

                                                            

    Our favorite walk at sunset starts out at Rio Del Mar State beach and also covers Seacliff State beach, which is right next door. It's about a 5 minute drive from my house. There lies the "Old Cement Ship," an icon in Aptos history. It used to be the US Palo Alto. It is a concrete ship and what is left of it sits at the end of the Seacliff State Beach Pier. It just had its 100th year birthday. It was built in 1918, designed to refuel other warcraft at sea during World War I. The war ended a few months after it was launched, never being able to be of service in the war, it sat in the U.S. Navy shipyard in Oakland until Seacliff Amusement Corp. bought the ship in 1929. It has weathered some heavy storms over the years and taken the blows of many massive waves, but its remains are still afloat. It is now a haven for marine life.

                                              The old cement ship at the end of the pier

                                             and referred to as the "Guardian of Seacliff"

                        

    Back to our sunset walks - there is a promenade for walking and biking up from the shore. From one end and back is 2 miles. It's a nice walk. I enjoy passing by the campers in their RV's, critiquing them all, like we were in the neighborhood of shopping for one. The joy they're having from their beach experience is transcending. My favorite beach sign reads, "the best part about being at the beach is doing absolutely nothing." Isn't that the truth! 

                             You can see the campers on the left as we are heading back   

                                         The star of the show in all her dramatic flair

                                                                         Sunset

    I'll leave daytime ocean fun for another blog. We're headed for some amazing weather soon and I'll share a day at the beach with ya.'

*photo credits: me

N is for Nature at Nisene Marks

                                                        

                                                                    Nisene Marks

    This is a very beloved forest in Aptos, California. It is known for some of the 32 hiking trails, running, biking and walking trails in the county. If you're ever visiting Santa Cruz, you'll find Nisene Marks in the heart of old Aptos Village. It's a sweet spot.

    I have only walked the trails at Nisene and must admit I have barely scratched the surface of it. A few weeks ago, I went there in the early morning with the intention of taking some photographs. I was walking along the trail like I always do and this time I decided to just stop and take in the moment. As my body came to a halt, I got in touch with my senses. There was still morning dew on the wild ferns growing and I looked up, up, up to the tallest trees - held up by their giant trunks. Then I listened...first I heard a few birds and I could differentiate from their own unique sounds. Within a few minutes, I could collectively hear over half a dozen different birds and it became louder and louder. I definitely did not feel alone and there wasn't a person in sight. What a way to start the day.

    The photo below is a picture of Maple Falls. I'll need to take the Bridge Creek Trail to get there. It's a popular destination for many hikers and visitors. 

    There is something very spiritual about Nisene Marks in Aptos. I have the forest on one side of me and the ocean on the other. I'm very blessed 💚

                                                                            

M is for Mother's Day

     

                                                                        Miss you mom

 It's hard to face Mother's Day

without you here

Your depart from us

was gradual

and I sensed 

your fear

In the past 

you would call 

with a problem

that I could easily fix

Powerless, am I now

because this time

 I haven't the tools

to repair 

your weakening mind

Watching you forget

and become 

a space in time

There is no one

to blame

Long I have grieved

But I will never 

stop missing 

the life you and I weaved

We were as close as 

mother and daughter 

could be

And I am grateful

that I can still 

join your hand in mine

And I know  

In your mind

You see

                                                                                                        

                                                                        me and mom

                                                                              2016

My beautiful mother has advanced dementia and lives in a loving memory care facility in Santa Cruz, Ca.

L is for Larisa

 

                                                                               Larisa                                                                            

    This is my late mother-in-law, Larisa. This is a framed piece of art in our home; her portrait in a wood burnt sketching. It was done in Germany in 1949. She was born in Kiev and grew up in Russia. She met my husband's dad, Marvin - after the war in Germany. Marvin was a sergeant in the U.S. Army. She was in Germany because she had just also been set free, as she was a domestic slave for a German dentist. Larisa's family was killed, but at the age of 13 she was put on the "right train" and worked until the war for the dentist until the war had ended. 

    She and Marvin met at a Jewish Community Center and became inseparable. They saved each other's o to speak and began a journey to the United States, then Alabama, Monterey, California and their final stop in San Jose, California. They went on to have five children and remained together until she succumbed to Cancer at the age of 63. 

    I learned a lot about cooking from Larisa. She was a gourmet cook and baker. Her skills were that of any professional cook on TV. I remember one time she and I were watching Julia Child's cooking show together and she got a little angry (in her strong Russian accent) because JC wasn't using the proper cooking tool for the task at hand. She was a strong charismatic woman, a loving devoted wife and mother, always gushing over her grandchildren. She was so proud of her family. 

    She never spoke of her past.

K is for kayaking!

                                                              Kayaking at Moss Landing

    Kayaking has been on my bucket list time for quite some time now. You would think that from living in Monterey and now in Santa Cruz, that I would have done it by now. Now that my youngest children are older teenagers, it’s time to start doing all those little things that I’ve been wanting to do. I’m at this point in my life where I want to live fully and explore new things,

    Anyway...back to kayaking. I love being near the ocean. I always have. I find a peace there that of course is influenced by the sounds of the waves, the barking of seals (sometimes, depends where you are) and the noisy seagulls flying overhead or hanging around your beach towel, looking for an open bag of chips, the salty smell,  and the deep inhales of fresh cool air.  

    Beach activities are fun too. I do paddle board, but I have yet to kayak. I live about 20 minutes south of Moss Landing. It is more of a fishing harbor with a few restaurants and cool little shops. It is known for the Elkhorn Slough. Many animal lovers come to the slough to photograph and take pictures. Lots of wildlife. It’s a birdwatcher’s paradise. This is where I will Kayaking. They offer lessons and kayaking tours for groups. That’s what I’m thinking I’ll do - a group lesson. When I get confident enough,, I’m going for the gold and kayak while the sun goes down. I want to feel like I’m literally paddling into the sunset.

I also have this thing for sea otters and pelicans - plenty to see at Moss Landing State Beach

                                                          

                  You can even get fit while paddle boarding if you’re into that. I plan to do this too

    We have this one life to live. This is kind of where I’m at today, and to trying to be of human service to others along the way. 

    If there are any experienced kayakers out there, I would love if you would throw any advice or recommendations my way, because this is happening soon! 

J is for Jeep

     I love my Jeep Wrangler! It’s the 2018 model and it’s red with big tires. It’s a bit of a rough ride, but that’s partly why I like it so much. I could’ve gotten a luxurious riding car, but nah....I wanted a Jeep. I love the outdoors, so it fits my personality. I can put my paddle board inside (or on top when I get my rack), my bike fits nicely with the back seats folded down and the top comes off for fun in the sun.

    It's kind of funny...I'm 5' tall (short person) and I love driving big vehicles. I don't know if there are any smaller gals out there that share that same feeling. I suppose it makes me feel "big" and somewhat in more control. Whatever the case, I enjoy sitting high. My past cars have been a 9 seater Suburban and a Yukon XL. We're a bit of a car family. We have a few fun sports cars we enjoy zipping around in on the weekends too. I can talk cars with the best of them.

    Back to my Jeep Wrangler - I have had it a few years and the only maintenance I've had on it was for a replaced bulb in my tail light and my cigarette lighter wasn't working, which I sometimes use for charging my phone. It's not terribly bad on gas mileage. Since the pandemic, I hardly go to the gas station anymore. I have decided that after this Jeep, I will definitely get another.

    This is my jeep ❤️   

                                                                                        

            

                                                                

    

 

“I is for Ice Hockey”

    I sat here for 10 minutes, not able to come up with a blog for the letter “I.” I look up at the TV to see what the score is and realize I’m watching an NHL game. Ice Hockey!

    We have had season tickets for the San Jose Sharks for 25 years, up until Covid. We love our Sharks. I had never been to an ice hockey game until the Sharks came to be in San Jose, California. They play at the SAP center (better known as the Shark Tank) in downtown San Jose. It’s a great venue and you can really make a fun night out of it by eating at one of the fine restaurants downtown or local pizza joints. 

    The Sharks played their first game ever in 1991 against the Vancouver Canucks. Our season tickets were affordable because they were in the nose bleeder section. One night, my husband and I were treated to tickets on the ice where the “pretty people” sit. Haha. It was fun and all, but you know what? It was cold and the view wasn’t as good as it is way up top. The benefits of the nose bleeder seats? One, your legs get a good work out getting to your seat. Two, you can see every corner of the ice and see the puck at all times and finally, the people are way more fun up there! They cuss, chant at the ref and are super rowdy. 

   The way the Sharks come on to the ice at the beginning of every home game is very exciting and dramatic. As you can see in the picture, they skate out form a shark’s head with red glowing eyes and music blaring. It’s pretty cool.

 I was stunned at my first hockey game when two opposing players started beating each other up on the ice. And the referee just watched for three or four minutes before separating them. I learned the fans love a good fight! Learning the cheers and chants were fun too. Let's not forget about the junk food and snacks. Why do nachos taste so especially good at a hockey game? We took our kids to many games throughout the years. Good memories.

    The San Jose Sharks have a special place in our heart ❤️

     (By the way they lost to the L.A. Kings tonight, 2-4)

H is for Hawaii

     I finally visited Hawaii for the first time in 2019. We took our son David and had a wonderful time. It was one of those vacations where you hang out at the resort and chill. We stayed at the Fairmont in Maui. I'll never forget the entrance into the hotel that opened up to the breathtaking view of the ocean. It was warm, a slight breeze and a refreshing tropical drink was given to us. "I really had arrived," I thought.

    The colors and variety of the flowers and plants were beautiful. You just knew you were far, far away...and the temperature of the water. Well, when you come from the waters of Santa Cruz, California - you can really appreciate warm ocean waters. 

    My husband swam with the turtles. I stayed near and in the water with my son. Maui has a very happy and easy going vibe. It's all about living in that moment and indulging in it.

    The two of us are going back in June, just the two of us. My assignment is to find accommodations, which I had better get started on pronto uno. If any of you reading this blog have any suggestions, send them my way!    

    We'll be fully vaccinated by then. It's hard to believe we've been quarantined for a year. I'm excited, yet a little anxious about going out into the world again. Ready to lose the mask.

                                            Bennie swimming with the turtles in Hawaii (Maui)