"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.

       

A - Z Blog Reflection

 

                                                  Moon Reflection at Capitola Beach

    My first thought upon reflecting on completing this challenge was..."I did it!" I haven't blogged since 2014. I knew coming into this, I wasn't blog savvy - but I wanted to write. I love the creative process of blogging.

    How did it feel? Well, it felt like a duck to water as far as putting my thoughts on my blog, but I really need to study some YouTube videos on setting up my blog and making the most out of my layout. It was a lot of fun. I'm in school full time too with a family, so it was a "challenge." I wish I had more time to read more blogs because I enjoyed each and every one that I did read. We're all so different and it comes through in our writing.

    Thanks to each and every one of you that stopped by to check out my blog page. You got to learn a little about myself and my life here in Santa Cruz County.

     I wish you all well and a fantastic summer. It was a pleasure 💙

            Linda

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!