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.