"Getting Older"

 

 I wonder how many more sunset walks like these we'll take. This is a shot of our walking route. It's a 2 mile walk down the Esplanade at Sea Cliff State Beach. We have been watching the sun set here for years. That is my husband taking in the moment. There have been times when the sky looks like it's on fire. 

Every sunset is different, the same like every day of our lives is never the same. 

For me, I am at the stage in my life where not only am I aware that I'm getting older, but I am feeling it. This year, I have been overcome with feelings of no longer caring about what the world thinks of me, but caring more about me being true to myself. The days of keeping up with the latest of everything are behind me. I'm also not worrying about things I have no control over and accepting that every person is entitled to their own journey. I have had my share of worrying raising six children! Over it. I do what I can and ask God to watch over them. 

I had long hair and chopped it off two weeks ago. I no longer have to fuss with it in attempts to style a big hair look and constantly feel frustrated that it just doesn't look or feel right. Well, now I know why - because that wasn't me. I felt a sense of liberation  when I cut my hair into a very short layered bob. And I love it. My husband loves it and he loves me. He just wants me to be  happy. I let go of my hair. Is that how we achieve happiness, by letting go? This blog could go in so many different directions.

I was wondering if men go through a mental and emotional transition  or awakening as they enter their late 50's or early 60's. I know for my husband, he is more eager now travel. He wants to enjoy life and is more motivated today to be physical and socially active than ever. It can get kind of tricky when he is an extrovert and I am an introvert. We make it work. Again, another blog topic...

This has been a good year for me. I suppose I am thinking of myself less, in service to my community, keeping things simple, letting go of things and thoughts that don't serve me and letting the universe open doors I'm supposed to be going through. 

And yes, I do have a few physical pains, a couple of achy joints and I endured a double bunionectomy/osteotomy in early November of 2021. I have new beautiful feet and I push through the morning pain. Once I start moving, stretch and give thanks for another day - I am good to go! 

This getting older thing isn't so bad 🧡

"Man Fishing" (haiku)

 

 

                                                                                                                        

                                           Early Morning Fisherman on the pier

                                                      Foggy morning on the pier

                                                   Another attempt to reel in a fish

                                                         Maybe today is his day

"The Eagles"

 

    My husband I enjoy going to concerts and have our favorite bands of the 70's. What a great year for rock music!  The Eagles are one of our top three bands. We have seen them numerous times. We flew to Vancouver to see them. We read they were playing at Rogers Arena and found it a great excuse to go to Canada. Great concert in a great city. It was a treat seeing Vince Gill as a new member of the band too. He fits in perfectly.

    The photo above are the Eagles playing at the Chase Center in San Francisco. We saw them October of 2021. It's been a bitter sweet couple of years for the Eagles, losing their long time band mate Glen Frye. That's been the bitter part of their story. The sweet part is mid-center of this photo. The young man wearing the black hat, white shirt and black vest at the mic, is Glen Frye's son Deacon. The beginning of the concert started with a monologue from Don Henley, giving a little background on the band and bringing the audience up to date on where they're at now. Of course, they mentioned their brother Glen Frye and his passing and introduced his son Deacon Frye, who is now a member of the band. He is literally walking into his dad's shoes on stage with the Eagles. I got chills listening to him sing "Take it Easy;" a classic that was sung by Glen Frye. Also, in the monologue, stories were told of Deacon being a little boy showing up at band practice with his dad all the time. Little Deacon was soaking in the music and building dreams.

    We never know what plans the universe has for or where dreams start and dreams end.

                                                  

*(ironically, as I was typing this blog, I learned that today Deacon Frye made the decision to leave the Eagles Band)

"The Dogs in My Life"

 

    I have three dogs in my life: Rosie, Zeus and Kona. 

                                                                            

    Pictured here is our Rosie. She is a 13 year old Boston Terrier. As you can see, she is in pretty good shape. Her brother Rocky passed two years ago. We used to call him Old Man Rock, because as he was starting to age - he began to act like a little old man. We sure miss him. It was sad the way Rosie appeared to be a little lost without him. She would look around his bed area and we know she was wondering what had happened to him. Rosie weighs 17 pounds and has the personality of a pit bull. She likes to be around humans, but has disdain for other dogs that are outside of her home-dog family. If she is unleashed and is within running distance of another dog - they're basically prey for her. We have had to pay a vet bill of wounds she inflicted upon a dog that was five times her size. For Rosie, the bigger the dog, the more satisfaction she gets from the attack (I guess...) I hardly take her to the beach anymore, because my purpose for a walk at the beach is to claim some serenity and peace. Taking Rosie to the beach is very stressful. When she sees other dogs, she makes these strange crying type sounds and I am constantly restraining her with the leash. For now, we go on peaceful little walks around my neighborhood, down the street to the nearby junior college. There are some nice trails there. This is her in my front yard. I just know she is scanning for the presence of other dogs.

                                                                                

    This is my handsome grandpup, Zeus.  He is now 8 years old and lives with my son Daniel, in Marina, Ca. The big guy has multiple non-serious health issues; recurring ear infections, dermatitis, off and on gastric issues and he requires eye ointment now and then for eye irritations. His vet doctor is near us, so I shuttle him to and from his appointments while Daniel works.  Zeus is a Rottweiler Bullmastiff breed and the sweetest, most affectionate dog you have ever met (well,. that I've ever met). He is a joy to take to the beach. He's so friendly! The problem is, when we're walking the esplanade with him, other dog walkers take one look at Zeus and either pick up their little pooches or cross to the other side. Little do they know, Zeus just wants to walk up to their dog and say, "Hi, I'm Zeus. What's your name?" (with his little stub wagging) He's such a goober.

                                                                                    

    My next grandpup is named Kona. She is a husky and black lab mix. She belongs to my son Joey and they reside in Seaside, Ca. My son is a surfer, so Kona is a beach dog. She always goes with Joey to catch some waves. I went to watch Joey surf one day and I was amazed the way Kona watched Joey as he walked into the ocean with his surfboard. She didn't take her eyes off him the whole time. When he was done surfing and approaching the shore on his board, she knew. Keep in mind that all surfers look alike with a black wetsuit on, but she knew it was him and would meet him where the surf meets the sand. Kona has a great personality and always ready for another adventure. 

    When I think of dogs, I think of unconditional love. I think they enjoy giving love as much, or if not more than they do receiving it 🤎

                                             

                                           This blog is dedicated to our beloved Rocky

"Carianna"

                                                                                    

                                                 
                                          "A toast to Carianna and Aaron's new home"
  

    This lovely girl pictured above is Carianna. The young man next to her is my handsome son, Aaron. He is my first born. This story is not just about Carianna, who I have found to be a kind and authentic young woman, but it is about one of the hardest things that comes with parenting: letting go and hoping your adult children find true happiness with a forever partner. 

    Aaron and Carianna are not married and have been each other's person for a couple of years. This picture is the day Aaron bought his first home and together they share the responsibility as homeowners. Aaron graduated from the University of Nevada Reno and moved to Texas, seeking opportunities in the field of marketing. Not only did he find a job he loves, but he also fell in love with Austin, Texas and a girl named Carianna. Her family is from Corpus Cristi. I have met her mom and I can see where Carianna gets her warmth and genuineness. I Guess we're off to a very good familial start; although, there has been no talk of marriage. I am all for younger folk taking their time before making a lifelong commitment. My how times have changed! My wedding rehearsal dinner was the last night I lived with my parents. After my honeymoon, I lived in an upstairs, very small apartment with my new husband. Did I say very small apartment? 

    I am a native Californian, but I must say that I  love Austin, Texas too! My husband and I fly to Austin every couple of months to visit. Yes, Texas barbecue is the bomb and Austin downtown is vibrant. You can find live music on every street. The warm weather and humidity doesn't bother me a bit. It's a treat to go anywhere where I can enjoy outdoor dining in a tank top or sundress and be comfortable. 

     He and Carianna have a tight knit friend circle and seem to be enjoying life to its fullest. Aaron is on his own journey now. For a parent, there is no better feeling than knowing your adult son (or daughter) is  able to provide for himself and content. 

And the journey continues for us all.

"Bally's"

 

                                                                                    

                                         Tower of Power performing at Bally's Resort Casino
                                                  

    Recently, my husband and I went to see one of our favorite bands, Tower of Power at Bally's Resort Casino in South Lake Tahoe; formerly known as the Montblue. I had never been to this venue and as we entered into the theatre, I immediately was drawn to the fact it was still in old school dinner style theatre. It was dimly lit, but how could I not notice the deep red velvet-like interior. The stage in the horizon, twenty or so rows of seating, and a partition behind, with the classic dinner theatre round tables and chairs. There was still more upper seating past the dinner floor. This particular event was not a dinner show, as a matter of fact - I'm not sure if they have dinner shows. But, I certainly hope so. We had a five star dining experience next door, at a restaurant named Sapori Italian Kitchen. Just throwing it out there in case you're ever in the South Lake Tahoe area and craving some good Italian food. Did I mention the service? Outstanding. Light hearted moment...my husband is on his off and on low-carb diet. He wanted a cocktail and told our waiter that he usually enjoys a dark Bacardi and diet-coke, but rum has carbs. He recently read that vodka has zero carbs. He asked our waiter if he could come up with a vodka carb-free cocktail. The waiter immediately had a creative vodka diet cocktail idea. Bennie (my husband) says, "but what would we call it?" He looks at our waiter's name tag and says, "Yes, I'll have a Jacob!" The Jacob is his Bennie's no-carb vodka cocktail. And he will be sure to order a Jacob the next time we dine at Sapori. Just thought I'd share.

    I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the band "Tower of Power." If you're 50 years plus, you might be familiar with their music and if you're much younger (20-30ish), you might recall your parents listening to them. I describe their music as funk, soul and jazz. In the Bay Area, they're known for their "East Bay Grease" style. They're a good story of band resilience through the crazy and challenging times of drugs, booze and rock 'n' roll. The founder and lead band leader is Emilio Castillo. He is now 35 years sober. I thought this venue fit them perfectly. They wore it well. 

    We are looking forward to our next concert at Bally's on June 11th. We'll be seeing Bozscaggs. So, now you all have a good idea of how old I am, haha.

    Lake Tahoe is truly a beautiful place on earth, from the north shore to the south shore. I wonder how many of you have visited? I live in Santa Cruz, California. We now have a home away from home in Incline Village (north shore). I'm hoping to explore some hiking trails there this summer. 

    I think I covered all my B's: Bally's, bands, Bennie and Bozscaggs.

                                                                                

                                             Bally's Resort & Casino in South Lake Tahoe

Leave me a comment and I'll return the favor!

                       

                            

"Art(ist")

                                                                     

                                                                                   

                                                                              Art(ist)

    When I began thinking about the letter "A" for the first day of our blogging challenge - I could not help, but think of myself and my relationship with art. I wanted to start off by writing, "I am an artist..." Then I thought to myself, but Am I? I could say that I am a non-professional artist, because that is what I usually say. I love art and I have always loved to draw. I have never earned money from any form of art I have created.  So, I went to Safari and looked up the definition for the word artist. It was time to refer to myself in the proper manner, so I can claim it from here on out. 

artist:  * a person who produces paintings or drawings as a profession or hobby.

            * a person who practices any of the various creative arts, such as a sculptor, novelist, poet or 

              filmmaker.

             * a person who creates art: a person who is skilled at drawing, painting, etc...

    Okay, I'm convinced and give myself permission to refer to call myself an artist. Since I was old enough to hold a color crayon and a number 2 pencil, I have loved to draw. I'm going to date myself, but when I was nine or ten, I had a 'magic slate' (for those of you who know what that is). It is a slat tablet with a red plastic pencil. It was magic because you draw on the top sheet and lift up the sheet beneath it, along with the top, and it would erase the drawing. One summer afternoon, I asked my best friend to sit down so I could draw her profile view. We sat on the gold carpet in my family room. My mother would always doodle profiles of girl's faces. She just did; henceforth, I drew my friend's profile. I captured the characteristics of her face. The measurements of her facial features were pretty much spot on too. I realized that day that I could draw faces. Today, we call it life drawing. But, I drew anything and had stacks of  binder paper and color books. 

     What does my art practice look like today? I never really got a chance to develop it, but I did take some life drawing and composition classes in junior college. I raised a large family in my early twenties, while my art remained on the back burner (always lit). So where am I going with this - well, last November I had foot surgery. I had a bunionectomy and osteotomy on both feet at the same time. With a long recovery ahead of me on my bed with my feet up, I packed a bag of drawing supplies and put it at the side of my bed. This consisted of drawing pens, markers, gel pens, color pencils, calligraphy workbooks and blank sketch books. This was going to be my recovery pass time and a golden opportunity to study and draw. I was confined at last and could not deny my yearnings to engage in art any longer! 

                                                                                    

                                                   (Koi water colors), pocket field sketch box)                                

    Where this has led me today is on a sketching journal journey and getting my feet wet in water colors. I follow a wonderful young artist named Becky Cao. Her YouTube videos are informative as well as meditative. She connects her journal drawing and painting to slowing down and being in the moment. She draws the same sunset outside her window quite frequently and claims it never looks the same. 

                                                                                    

      Journal drawing is like keeping a diary, but in sketching form. It's about capturing a memory or two from your day and drawing them, with a little notation next to it about the experience or simply naming what you've drawn. Then, bring it to life with watercolor. This was very intimidating for me as I had never used this medium. Becky coached and eased me into it. She emphasized the idea that the intention for creating your page is not to make it perfect, but to put your personal impression on the journal of what you are seeing AND feeling at that moment. My goal is to fill all the pages of this journal and many more. My kids might like having them someday.

    Here are a few pages from my sketch journal, a little rough - but one cannot improve without trying and practice. I plan on revisiting portrait drawing too. 

                                                                    

                                     (initial sketch with water resistant ink pen, before watercolor)                                                                                                                                                                               

    What I appreciate most about making art a part of my life again, is that it has put me in touch with that inner part of myself, I'll call my soul - which I believe, is all that I am.