06/30/2023. My brother-in-law took me for a nice walk along the beach (steps = 4.6K). I packed up & left and was home by 2:30 pm. There was no traffic! My Santa Cruz friend called me to see if we could get together and I told him I was already home! Bonnie from Mission Floors called. She suggested that I replace all the pressboard underlayment with plywood. This will cost an additional $3K. I decided I’m going to have her seal it instead and then add a visqueen moisture barrier. The house does have a smell but that is because the water table on the Westside is VERY high: only1 foot below ground.
06/29/2023. I had a nice walk along the beach with my brother-in-law (steps = 5.2 K). My husband drove over and he and my two nephews had a wonderful lunch at Namaste, an Indian restaurant in Santa Cruz. It was delicious. Then we all drove over to Pelton and my oldest nephew inspected the house thoroughly. He gave me very helpful advice. I add an appointment to have a termite inspection next Wednesday.
06/28/2023. I didn’t sleep well last night ion the living room couch. My sister & I met the painter at Pelton & selected colors. My brother-in-law and 2 nephews also visited. The place looks worse than ever with all the flooring removed. We also met with the flooring company & Bonnie helped us select a nice vinyl. See first met at her shop & selected some samples. Then we took them to Pelton & made a final selection.
I had a nap 😴 & met a friend that I hadn’t seen in many years. We had a lovely dinner at the Crows Nest on the Yacht Harbor. We had a wonderful seat outside right near the window. The sailboats were coming in from their Wednesday night races.
Afterwards, I took him back to the house so he could see the family. We all went on a cruise together in 1998!
06/27/2023. I finished watering the inside plants & the tree trimmers arrived today. I packed & got ready for Santa Cruz & left. In Santa Cruz, I had a nice visit with the family: sister, brother-in-law, two nephews, the niece and nephew-in-law, the great niece & nephew and Taz, the doggie! I gave everyone the various memorabilia I collected for them & the Taralli. An apportionment battle broke out over the Taralli packages 🤪.
We drove to the local pizza shop to buy the family a very large pizza. The weather is beautiful. I also learned how to use ChatGPT. That’s a very impressive tool!
06/26/2023. I had a nice shower🚿🧼 and watered the outside plants. The husband and I picked pluots, they are so wonderful. I saw my wonderful hairdresser today 💇🏻♀️. I shopped at Crossroads and bought 7 more packages of Taralli to bring to Santa Cruz & FT'd with my sister. I also washed clothes and watered all the indoor plants.
Another of my hairdresser's client brought her doggy. She said she adopted it as a senior doggy and it's now 11 years old. He was so very sweet and was happy to sit in my lap! Of course, I fawned all over him to let him know that he is very handsome and adorable!
06/25/2023. The husband and I visited with our lovely new neighbors across the street. Their mother was visiting from Chili, also, a very lovely person. The youngest daughter made coasters for the husband and I and showed us their "wandering" tortoise, Shelby. Shelby escaped last week and was found at a neighbor's home, 5 homes away. Amazing, because Shelby is just a little thing.
We gave them a tour of our yard and fed them fresh cherries and pluots. I gave one of their girls some cuttings of my scented geraniums to plant for her father.
I also topped off the water fountains and power washed them with the hose.
I updated the FF web site.
06/24/2023. I woke up very feverish and with achy bones from my Reclast infusion so rested all day.
06/23/2023. The husband took me for a walk around the 'hood (steps = 6K). I also rinsed off and filled the two water features.
Flowers around the 'hood
06/22/2023. I FT'd with my sister. I had my reclast infusion today. I dreaded it, but it went just fine! The husband and I watched "Skinwalker Ranch", ie high strangeness, etc, etc. 🤣🤣🤣. I finally finished watering my indoor plats.
Lots of bees ipollinating the blackberries
06/21/2023. I showed up for the FF meeting and I had the wrong time and date.
I had a bit of a crises with one of the Pelton vendors who miscommunicated with David.
I had a nice shower 🚿🧼, studied the Plus calls and attended Club. Tonight I had a great time!
06/20/2023. The husband took me for a nice walk in the hills (steps = 10.4K). I picked up two takeout meals at Apna Bazaar. I planted 21 tomato 🍅 plants & finally 6 cyclamens. I also washed 2 loads of clothes.
View of the bay
Paddle cactus (Opuntias) in bloom
Two deer just resting
Sound up! We came across this swarming hive in Los Altos Hills and let other hikers and bicyclists know.
Lavender & poppies in the hills.
04/16/2023. I attended the “Top Ten Callers” ballot counting for the SCVSDA. It was quite fun! Afterwards, I shopped at Rite-Aid & scored three bottles of the hair gel that I like. That’ll last a while 👍. I also shopped at Wal-Mart, TJ’s, & Safeway. My sister & I FT’d. She’s still undergoing tests to get to the root of her back pain. I worked on the office, washed clothes, and watered the phalaenopsis. I also spent a few hours sorting through my office.
04/14/2023 The husband took me for a nice walk around the 'hood today (steps = 6.2K). I purchased a new bed for the downstairs bedroom. That is way overdue. I also finished phase 1 of the office project: cleaning our 5 4 drawer file cabinets 🗄️. I committed to sorting 2 boxes per day and now I'm done.
v
06/19/2023. I had a nice walk with our hiking group today at Rancho (steps = 10.4K). We had coffee ☕️ at Peet’s, I did some banking & shopped at TJ’s. I did a tiny bit of cleanup on the MBR project. I FT’d with my sister & arranged & re-arranged appointments for Pelton. I watched “A Man called Otto” on Netflix, a really great movie 🎥!
Views of the bay
Another downed tree from the January storms
Newborn baby goats
06/18/2023. Happy Father's Day to our Dad in heaven. We love you and miss you every day. I posted some pictures of Dad on FB. I watered the phaleonopsis.
The husband and I shopped at Costco and I rested most of the day.
06/17/2023. I had an SCVSDA meeting from 10:30 am until 2:30 pm. It was very productive. The husband took me for a walk around the ‘hood (steps = 4.4K). It was. 3 dog walk & we met a wonderful woman who is visiting from Brazil. Although she only speaks Portuguese, we managed to have a lovely conversation. The phone translators are great! I updated the financials & I was quite far behind! I also updated the FF web site.
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| Magnolia tree flower |
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| Magnolia tree flower |
06/16/2023. The air conditioner folks worked all day and we have A/C 🎊🎉🥳! I updated the FF web site and worked on paint colors for Pelton. I will need to go over there and see samples.
Views of the new A/C. Notice the cover going up two stories. This contains the new copper and drain lines!
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| View from front of house looking back |
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| The unit: 3 ton |
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| View from back of house looking to street |
06/15/2023. The air conditioner folks returned today and they worked all day to get the drain line & copper line installed. They charged the system & it held the charge! The crew is extremely competent, hard working, and kind!
I shopped at TJ’s and had a long FT with my sister. I got my blood draw 🩸 at Stanford & the husband took me for a nice walk after it cooled down (steps = 6.1K). My lovely cousin from Cody called and we had a wonderful conversation. She and her family really do everything right!
I submitted my report to the SCVSDA for this Saturday’s meeting & added up the Pelton costs, now at 50K.
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| Roses in the 'hood |
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| Blackberry blooms |
06/14/2023. Today was exciting. The A/C folks arrived to do the installation. They discovered that the pre-installed copper line in the wall has a leak in it so we had to figure out a whole new approach! The owner of the company, Henry, also stopped by to discuss this. None of us are happy about this, but it’s not entirely unexpected. The line was never tested!
I updated the FF web site several times. I also worked on the Pelton project for a bit. I worked out a few few things with the president of Bows & Beaus & have an action item.
I studied the Plus calls and attended club. I didn’t dance much so it wasn’t very much fun 😢. I drove a friend home also.
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| Dinner! |
06/13/2023. I took the husband to drop off his car at Sunnyvale Foreign Auto Repair. I was very disappointed because Xander, the dog, was not there. However, when Wei drove the husband to pick up his car, Xander was there and ran right over to me! He placed his paw on my foot and his pet parent told me that that means he loves me! He is a gorgeous golden retriever. Then I asked his pet parent if he had any treats that I could feed Xander, and he did! I looked for him before I left, but couldn’t find him. The husband said that as I was driving out Xander came out looking for me!
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| Xander with his paw on my foot 💕! |
Our wonderful cleaners came today & the house looks great! I watered all the plants and had a nice shower 🚿🧼. I also did some major updates to the FF web site. I washed the throw rugs and rags.
06/12/2023. I had a great hike at the Alviso Marina Park at the trails running through their marshes (steps =12.5K). There were only two of us. I did some additional work on Pelton… the 6 screens are finished! I watered the phalaenopsis. I am very tired 🥱 today because I didn’t sleep well last night.
Alviso Marina County Park
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| Moffett Field |
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| Dinner made by the husband |
06/11/2023. I worked on the upstairs office project! The floor is almost clear 🎊🥳🎉! I updated the FF website also.
06/10/2023. I had a nice shower 🚿🧼, studied the Plus calls & attended Katydids. Unfortunately, the club is permanently closing 😢. I finished my final Pelton orders: two toilets & 2 outdoor light fixtures. The husband took me for a walk around the 'hood (steps = 6.7K steps).
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| Egg Yolk Plant |
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| Lots of strawberries in the garden |
06/09/2023. I saw Dr. Vaughan, my wonderful sinus doctor 👨🏾⚕️ that relieved my horrible migraines. I shopped as Outdoor Supply Hardware & they had Sun Gold tomatoes in, so I purchased 15 plants. I filled up the van with gas ⛽️ at Costco.
I updated the FF web site. The coordinator is now hosting events every Friday “Fun Fridays”, so this is going to require a lot of updating!
06/08/2023. I ordered new towel bars, two bathroom light fixtures + lights, 2 bathroom hooks, & a medicine cabinet for Pelton. There was a lot of studying required 🤪🤪🤪! I selected the company to install our air conditioner & scheduled the installation.
06/07/2023. Our tree arborist came by to give us an estimate on some major pruning of our cedar tree and other trees that need work. We had a “Zoom” call with our sister / sister-in-law. I skipped dancing tonight because I’m overwhelmed. I watered all the inside plants.
06/06/2023. I updated the FF web site, the husband & I shopped at Costco, and I sorted the MBR a bit. I also worked on Pelton …. So many decisions 🤪🤪🤪!
06/05/2023. Our group (four of us) had a wonderful hike 🥾 today at Rancho (steps = 13.3K). We had coffee ☕️ at Peet’s & I shopped at TJ’s. I made a lot of business calls.
06/04/2023. The husband took me for a short walk around the ‘hood (steps = 5K). I had a nice shower 🚿🧼 & saw my wonderful hairdresser 💇🏻♀️! I added water to both water features & cleaned off the algae. My sister & I FT’d & I made my air reservations for Yellowstone!
I did the big monthly change to the FF website.
06/03/2023. I worked on the office today, FT’d with my sister, & watched an old episode of Skinwalker ranch” with the husband. I was pretty depressed today; the husband & sister both feel that I should sell Pelton 😢😢😢😢.
06/02/2023. I worked on the office upstairs for over an hour. I’m happy I made some progress! I updated the FF web site & also worked on the Pelton project. I’m unhappy with the electrical findings that say I cannot have a light over the bathroom mirrors … not OK!
06/01/2023. The husband took me for a lovely hike 🥾 in Los Altos Hills (steps = 8.6K). I also had our WONDERFUL landscapers stake up the pineapple guava and the husband is VERY happy about that! We had our final estimator over for the Air Conditioner, DG HVAC.
I updated the FF web site.
I ordered some supplies for the Pelton rehab also. The husband & I watched a rerun of Skinwalker Ranch & I FT’d with my sister.
05/31/2023. I shopped at TJ’s and then we had a “Zoom” call with our sister / sister-in-law. I studied the Plus calls and attended our 5th Friday Free dance. There were 10 squares with a lot of people sitting out so at least 90 people attended! WOW 🤩!
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| California Poppies planted by the husband a long time ago! |
Pineapple guavas, a lot of blooms. The squirrels are feasting on them 😩!
I sent a message to our landscaper about some work that needs doing & I updated the FF web site.
05/30/2023. The cleaning folks arrived today, 1-1/2 hours earlier than I expected 🤪! Fortunately, they were understanding. I ran around & got everything ready, watered all my plants, & had a nice shower 🚿🧼! The house looks great. I washed the throw rugs, rags, and the micro-fiber mop covers. The house looks great. I selected some towel bars & toilet roll holders for the Pelton renovation.
05/29/2023. I had a wonderful walk with our hiking group out at Quarry Park (steps = 13.4K). I studied toilets and towel racks for the Pelton rehap project. The husband and I watched the last episode of "Whitehouse Plumbers", the Watergate story. It was very interesting.
Recentlyfallen tree. Split in two
My favorite tree, Madrone
Heart shape ❤️! I love this!
05/28/2023. I worked on the room clean up project & also studied the new TV again, I backed up the iPAD and iPhone.
1,000 piece puzzle completed by the husband
05/27/2023. I studied TV’s & the husband & I purchased a new one at “Video Only”. Our salesman, Fred was very knowledgeable & helpful. The old, broken TV was 15 years old. It took us quite a bit of time to assemble the base stand; then, I connected it to the Internet 🛜, set up Netflix & Prime video, & programmed the Comcast remote control to work with the TV. This setup took many hours. A YouTube video finally helped me figure out how to program the Comcast remote. That was the most time consuming part of the set-up activity!
The husband finished his 1,000 piece puzzle in record time!
05/26/2023. The husband took me for a lovely walk around the ‘hood (steps = 6.5K). We took him to “Five Guys Burgers 🍔 “ & then we shopped at Crossroads Specialty Foods. I bought 6 bags of Tarallini with fennel seeds for my family. They taste a lot like viscuit! I worked on the upstairs office a bit too!
Pink and white roses!
05/25/2023. We "Zoom'd" with our sister / sister-in-law. I had my annual Terninix inspection today, no termites. I received a bid for the subterranean termites attacking our shed & the bid came in at $1200 😧, not what I was expecting.
I finished selecting the blinds and Pelton and got them ordered. I also set up for a roof inspection & updated the "repair list" spreadsheet. The overall cost for this refurb is staggering!
I waterered all the plants and the Sony Bravia TV no longer operates. I've done all the diagnostics and I'm sure we are going to need a new one. It's OK because this one is 15 years old.
The sister met with the spinal doctor today and they did get to the source of her pain. Hopefully, some shots will fix it.
05/24/2023. I had a nice shower 🚿🧼, studied the Plus calls and attended round dance class and square dance club. I also drove a friend to his home.
The husband and I watched "The Secrets of Skinwalker Ranch"; it's quite amusing.
05/23/2023. My husband woke me up because he was having 2 emergencies: The Internet was down & he went out an incorrect link on his survey. We resolved both problems with the help of his vendor 🎊🎉🥳! My sister & I also FT’d.
I updated the Pelton repair list and sent it out to David, who is managing it for me.
I was exhausted 😴 today & my knees hurt 😞. I know I’m going to have to have surgery. I worked out in the garden for a bit & rested. The husband shopped at Costco. I updated the FF web site & did a bit of sorting.
Our resident hawk (may be more than one. They are hunting our bunnies 😧 )
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| Strawberries |
Mock orange
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| Smoke Plant (it's smoking) |
Blackberries
05/22/2023. I hiked at Rancho San Antonio with three friends ((steps = 13.1K). My friend taught my how to use the “Find My” app to ping my phone 📱 & all my devices! We had coffee ☕️ at Peet’s, I did some banking & shopped at TJ’s. I did some sorting.
Ducklings in the pond!
05/21/2023. I did some major updates to the FF web site and took a walk around the ‘hood with my husband. I watered the phaeleonopsis.
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| Cassie in bed with the husband. She also now climbs into his lap! |
05/20/2023. The husband took me for a lovely hike in the hills & it was mostly hills (steps = 6.2K). We got another surprise during our walk: someone was giving away FREE tomato 🍅 plants! I took six of them & we left her a thank you note. I did a little bit of sorting upstairs.
05/19/2023. We had a “Zoom” meeting with our sister / sister-in-law & I FT’d with my sister. I was mostly depressed thinking about all the work that the Santa Cruz home is going to require.
By the end of the day, I had a handle on it, though.
05/18/2023. The husband & I drove to Santa Cruz to inspect the rental. It’s a real mess. While it’s tidy, everything needs doing: painting inside & outside, new gutters, new blinds, new carpet, new vinyl, electrical upgrades, new towel racks in both bathrooms, some new light fixtures, and repairs to the sprinkler system. It’s overwhelming. The husband & I had a WONDERFUL hike along West Cliff drive (steps = 9K) & I petted at least 5 dogs 🐶!
We ate dinner at Las Palmas Taco Bar, our favorite place 😋 & it did not dissapoinnt. We got gas ⛽️ at Costco on the way home.
It was a beautiful day at the beach. Some of the road fell into the ocean and is closed.
05/17/2023. I slept 🛌 in because I was VERY tired 🥱. The husband & had lunch with friends at “City Pub” in Redwood City. The food was OK, nothing really special for me. We were talking about “life” and one of the friends, who is very wise, said that he tries to do 2 little things each day, one of them physical, such as walking or hiking 🥾, and one of them mental, such as learning a Japanese character. Before he goes to sleep each night he reflects on these things & then plans his 2 things for the next day. That is a daily habit that I’m going to adopt!
The other friend unfortunately is in constant pain due to a hip replacement 😥😥😥! I’m very sad about that & plan to keep in very regular contact with her.
My sister had her big procedure today & they found no problems either with polps or with the lining. Hopefully, the spinal doctor will get to the source of her pain.
The other adventure was that I lost my phone 📱! I called it by ringing th number using my other phone 📞 in all locations in the house & the husband diligently looked for it. My sister has my location turned on & it said the phone was in the house. Finally, the husband found it in his car were I’d dropped it to the right of my seat💺. The ringer was turned off & that is why I didn’t hear it 🤪🤪🤪! The last time I remember turning off the ringer was at the services for my cousin weeks ago!
I studied the Plus calls, attended round dance lessons, and attended club. I almost fell, but two dancers caught me, thankfully 😅! I drove a friend home & the husband & I watched “The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch”. Basically, that show goes no where, but it’s fun to watch! I’m very much enjoying the Shonda Rhimes Bridgerton series on Netflix.
05/16/2023. I had a nice shower 🚿 🧼, watered all the indoor plants & prepared for the cleaners. The house looks wonderful! I also met with an HVAC company to get another bid for the A/C unit installation. I washed the throw rugs, kitty towels, rags, and the microfiber cleaning heads.
I continued work on the office sorting project.
05/15/2023. Our group had a wonderful hike today at Rancho (Steps =11.9K). Two friends from Australia joined us & it was great to catch up with them, We had a long visit at Peet’s coffee ☕️. I shopped at TJ’s & washed my bedspread & cover blanket because I spilled coffee ☕️ on them when I fell asleep 😴. I updated the FF web site & filled out 7 “test” surveys for my husband to evaluate. I finished sorting the papers on my table & began sorting the next box.
The wildflowers are out and the pond is still full 👍🏻!
05/14/2023. Happy Mother’s Day! I sent out 15 Mother’s Day texts. The husband & I had a business “Zoom” meeting. I finished the final box 📦 and there’s quite a stack on my table left to process. I also dug out the lease from 2007 & sent information off to the tenant who is leaving.
This is the rose from which I made my wedding bouquet. I transplanted it when we demolished the old house and this year it had wonderful blooms!
Birds of paradise in our garden
05/13/2023. The husband took me for a nice walk around the ‘hood (steps = 6.8K). It has suddenly turned quite warm here; it’s like a flip was switched from winter to summer with nothing in between.
I visited my wonderful hairdresser 💇🏻♀️. I’m still working on the one box 📦 full of cards & have only 1 folder 📂 left to go 🎉🎊🥳!
I made a Mother’s Day collage for our Mom.
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| The stream has lowered significantly |
05/12/2023. The husband and I had a wonderful lunch at the Alpine Inn with our friends. As usual, I got a big pretzel 🥨 & two sides of cold-slaw.
I FT’d with my sister also.
05/11/2023. We had a nice hike around the ‘hood (steps = 7.9K). We shopped at Costco and an HVAC person visit to give us a bid on installing an A/C unit upstairs. I’m still working on 1 box that’s full of cards and sorting is slow. My youngest nephew called & we had a nice conversation. He gave me some ideas about installing a security system at Pelton.
05/10/2023. Happy 26th wedding anniversary to us 👰🏻♀️🤵🏻♂️🍾🥂💐💕! I’m so very grateful to have such a wonderful husband for all these years. I posted about our anniversary on FB and we received lots of congratulatory messages. We also received several cards.
We had a nice “Zoom” meeting with our sister / sister-in-law. We had it earlier than usual so that we could spend the rest of the day celebrating our anniversary. Of course, the husband & I exchanged cards and he got a beautiful one for me. My sister & brother-in-law called, and we received text messages from both nephews and the niece.
To celebrate, we had a lovely walk in the hills (steps = 8K), then we picked up lunch at an Indian grocery store / takeout, Anna Bazar in Sunnyvale. This was recommended by our friend who makes me dumplings & we both loved the food! To round out the day, we watched “Skinwalker Ranch”. This episode was pretty good!
I watered all the indoor plants, made a few business phone 📞 calls, and updated the FF web site for June.
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| Cinco de Mayo! |
Lavender plants in our yard
05/09/2023. We talked to our German friend & I had my “forgotten” dentist 🦷 appointment. They forgave me, since it’s only occurred once in the over 40 years that Dr. Martin has been my dentist! I sent the husband comments on his survey.
I placed a deposit for installation of one window & a sliding door at Pelton.
05/08/2023. I had a great hike with my hiking group, three of us today (steps = 12K). We had coffee ☕️ at Peet’s, I did some banking 🏦, & shopped at TJ’s. The husband!s client from Austria visited and we worked on his survey project. Then I had a nice nap to make up for the poor sleep I got last nite.
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| The lake is still nice and full! |
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| Ducklings with their Dad |
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| Baby goats! |
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| That’s Mom. Earlier her kids were suckling on her! |
05/07/2023. The husband took me for a nice walk around the hood (steps = 9K). The poppies are glorious. Sorting project: processed one box 📦 & staged the next one. I watched the “Coronation Concert. It was held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace and 20K people were in attendance. The light and drone show were magnificent, the show itself, average. I was surprised that stars like Sir Paul McCartney, and The Rolling Stones did not participate.
I watered the phaeleonopsis and washed clothes. I didn’t sleep well at all.
Glorious flowers along our neighborhood walk. This was the California poppy tour!
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| Cassie in a box! |
05/06/2023. Today was the coronation of King Charles III & Queen Camilla. I recorded & watched the proceedings, very interesting. The husband took me for a walk around the ‘hood (steps = 4.4K). We met our neighbor & walked with her & her dog Max. The husband made chili & tofu for dinner. Later the friend visited with Indian dumplings 🥟 and a dipping sauce. I will enjoy this a lot!
Sorting progress: I got through one box & I’m sorting through another one.
Flowers in the 'hood
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| Vegetarian chili with tofu |
05/05/2023. The husband took me for a walk around the hills (steps = 7K). We met & pet 2 dogs & 2 horses 🐴! I moved files around the five file cabinets and started sorting. This box is very SLOW going because it's a lot of memorabilia.
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| Still water in the streams in the hills |
05/04/2023. Our friend from Austria visited today & the husband & he went over some business items. I finished processing all the items on my desk. I’m VERY STRESSED 😩 about this project. So far, I’ve forgotten my dental appointment (today), failed to cancel Amazon “subscribe & save”, and missed the notice that I had squarehead duties. My stress is caused by sorting through all the memories & recognizing that I have file cabinets filled with the death certificates of both parents, my resume at 23 years old and many other reminders of how life has flown by. As my friend at work used to say “the runway is short”.
However, my friend at dancing says, don’t worry about tomorrow, it’s about the quality of life today or “yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a mystery, today’s a gift, that’s why it’s called the present 🎁!
The husband & I watched “Skinwalker Ranch”. We both know it’s an odd show, but we enjoy it!
05/03/2023. The husband took me for a lovely walk around the ‘hood (steps = 8.3K) with dancing. We had a “Zoom” meeting with our sister /sister-in-law”, I studied the PLUS calls, & attended round dancing class & club. I took a friend home also.
Flowers in the 'hood
05/02/2023. I had a nice shower 🧼🚿, and watered all the indoor plants. Our wonderful cleaners came today. I straightened out my office a bit and told them to work around the temporary clutter. I washed the throw rugs and rags and shopped at T.J.'s.
05/01/2023. I rested today and updated the financials. I also washed clothes.
Cassie is now climbing into the husband's lap and napping there. Of course, he's delighted!
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| Pebbles in her "cave" |
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| Cassie, now a lap kitty! |
04/30/2023. I travelled to Monterey to attend Father Ronald Shirley's 50th celebration of his being ordained a priest. Five of my classmates also attended. There were at least 300 people there. Father Shirley said a full mass and it was followed by a reception. Every imaginable kind of food was served: make your own tacos, make your own hot dogs, relish, cheese, meat, and shrimp trays, and delicious dessert.
It was so wonderful. By the time I got home, it was almost 7 pm, 7 1/2 hours. I was extremely tired.
I manager to water the phaeleonopsis.
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| These are homemade cookies |
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Homemade cross: The mass never ends, it must be lived Your dedicated service over the past 50 years has been a source of comfort, inspiration, and strength for the people of God |
Happy moments, praise God
Difficult moments, seek God
Quiet moments, worship God
Painful moments, trust God
Every moment, thank God
04/29/2023. The husband & I took the 10 boxes of shredding to today’s shredding event. Then we shopped at Costco.
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| Azalea given to my by my sister! |
04/28/2023. We attended the funeral and celebration of life for my beautiful, kind, sweet, and wonderful cousin. The mass was held at Sacred Heart Church. Our family has attended this church ⛪️ since the early 1900’s. This was followed by a celebration at the famous Coconut Grove at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I loved all the pictures, the slide show, speeches and stories about her life. The meal was absolutely delicious; they served homemade mescolanza (an Italian liqueur), Cesar salad, grilled veggies, chicken dish, and both cheesecake & tiramisu for dessert! We got to visit with many cousins and friends too and that is exactly what my cousin would have wanted!
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| Her dress and basket when she was a flower girl |
Afterwards, the husband and I visited Pelton. There’s so much work to do! We also stopped at Costco for gas because I’m driving to Monterey on Sunday.
04/27/2023. The husband & I picked up the flowers 🌸 🌺💐 to bring to the funeral tomorrow. They are very beautiful! I worked on the office for many hours today sorting piles of old Christmas photos!
04/26/2023. We had a “Zoom” meeting with our sister / sister-in-law. I studied the Plus calls & attended round dance class & club. I was supposed to have square head duty, but didn’t read my e-mail. It all worked out though! I really only dance at the round dance lesson because my toe hurt!
I worked on my upstairs files 🗄️ & the husband & I watched “Skinwalker Ranch”. It get a kick out of that show even though it’s on the unbelievable side.
Scented Geraniums
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| Doggy at Square Dancing. He's very popular! |
04/25/2023. I watered the plants, had a nice shower 🚿🧼, & got ready for the cleaners. Unfortunately, they were sick 🤒 & had to cancel. I washed the throw rugs and processed one box today.
04/24/2023. I skipped hiking 🥾 today because of my toe. I fixed a sprinkler head outside & noticed that the squirrels 🐿️ are chewing on them 😡. I got thru one & 1/2 boxes 📦. It’s slow going!
04/24/2023. I skipped hiking 🥾 today because of my toe. I fixed a sprinkler head outside & noticed that the squirrels 🐿️ are chewing on them 😡. I got thru one & 1/2 boxes 📦. It’s slow going!
Tree Blossoms in the orchard
Roses
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| Lavender first time it bloomed! |
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| Azaela gifted by my sister |
04/23/2023. I talked to my sister-in-law and FT'd with my sister. My stubbed toe is MUCH better 🥳🎉🎊! I found some more old pictures, made sure they were already scanned in and scanned in those that were not yet scanned. I finished sorting 1 3/4 boxes, updated the FF web site, and watered the phaeleonopsis.
04/22/2023. My toe really hurt! I took ibuprofen, iced the toe and rested all day. Fortunately, my sister-in-law called me as did my youngest nephew. It helped distract me from my pain!
I was able to help the husband fix his computer too. All that required was a little research on the Internet.
04/21/2023. I had a nice shower 🚿🧼 and visited my wonderful hairdresser today. One of my dear friends was also there and we had a great time catching up!
I updated the FF web site to reflect May. I found the rest of the pictures from Mom's funteral, sorted them, and inserted them into their albums. Unfortunately, I stubbed the toe on my left foot and it's very sore 🤕!
04/20/2023. The mattress folks came and lowered the bed. It's much better. The husband took me for a walk in the hills (steps = 5.4K).
We worked on binders today and now have recycled the contents of 27 binders!
Flowers on our walk today.
Contents of 27 binders!
04/19/2023. I cleaned out 7 binders. We had a. “Zoom” meeting with out sister /sister-in-law. She is still, understandably, sad about the untimely loss of her ex-husband.
I repaired an outdoor hose and topped off our two water features. I had a nice shower 🚿🧼, studied the Plus calls and attended round dance class and Club, all great fun!
I like the new bed, but it’s too high. The mattress company is coming out tomorrow to adjust it.
Seven binders of recycling!
04/18/2023. In preparation for the new mattress, I washed the blanket. The new mattress arrived today & I like it. I replaced the very old mattress cover with a new one ordered from Amazon. The mattress can have the head and feet raised and lowered separately, very cool!
I finished returning the pictures I pulled from many albums for my Mom’s funeral in 2015 to their albums. That was quite a difficult 😣 undertaking and I’m glad it’s done ✅.
The new bed: adjustable head & feet!
04/17/2023. I hiked 🥾 with our group at Rancho San Antonio (steps = 13.1K). There were only 3 of us today & two of us had coffee ☕️ at Peets.
My sister’s latest test showed severe problems with her spine, probably the cause of her back issues. Now she can consult with a spinal doctor. Today she was in pain & cancelled her trip to Carmel & to visit us 😢. I understand, but I’m sad. I did more research on mattresses today, but really didn’t come up with anything new. The new mattress will be delivered tomorrow.
I worked on my office, on the pictures. That is very slow going, so I’m going to work on it only for 1 hour at a time.
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| Cassie & Pebbles cuddling |
04/16/2023. I attended the “Top Ten Callers” ballot counting for the SCVSDA. It was quite fun! Afterwards, I shopped at Rite-Aid & scored three bottles of the hair gel that I like. That’ll last a while 👍. I also shopped at Wal-Mart, TJ’s, & Safeway. My sister & I FT’d. She’s still undergoing tests to get to the root of her back pain. I worked on the office, washed clothes, and watered the phalaenopsis. I also spent a few hours sorting through my office.
The wild duck who hangs around their pool. She is feeding him!
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| My firend's yard More beautiful wisteria. Smells wonderful! |
04/15/2023. The husband took me to Hobees’s for lunch to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of the office project. I spent several hours working on Phase 2. There are photos involved in Phase 2 making it challenging to sort!
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| Shake for the husband! |
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| Whipped cream just for me! |
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| My favorite breakfast: Hobees tofu scramble |
Spring flowers in the 'hood
04/13/2023. We had a Zoom meeting with our sister / sister-in-law in place of the one we usually have on Wednesdays. I updated the FF web site to reflect May. We contacted all of our neighbors and was able to use their recycle bins to recycle our 10 bags and books!
04/12/2023. I talked to our sister / sister-in-law again today about some financial matters relative to the death of her ex-husband. She continues to be understandably very upset 😢.
I had my DEXA exam at Stanford today to investigate my bone density. The results have returned that it’s not changed since last year, a good thing 🎉🥳🎊!
Springtime at Stanford Hospital!
I finished configuring the new iPhone 📱, with help from my friend: moved files over from my computer, updated the OS on the watch, paired the iPhone with the hands-free link on the car, synced the watch & changed pictures on the watches’ pictures.
I worked on the filing cabinets 🗄️ in my office some more. The husband doesn’t think I’m making enough progress 🙁. I called my sister, studied the Plus calls and attended round dance 💃 lessons & club. It was wonderful!
04/10/2023. I had a wonderful walk with my hiking 🥾 group at Edgewood Park in San Mateo County (steps = 10.2K). There were 4 of us and afterwards we had coffee ☕️ at the great Emerald Hills Cafe & Roastery. Two of us had their magnificent maple scones 😋😋😋!
04/11/2023. We talked to our sister / sister-in-law today who understandably is very upset about the passing of her ex husband.
I talked to our lovely neighbor; she checked in with me to see if I waned more Indian dumplings & dip. I’m quite stocked up at the moment, and we had a lovely conversation. I got ready for our cleaning folks, watered all the plants 🪴 & had a nice shower 🚿🧼. The house looks great! I washed my robe, the throw rugs, and rags.
I worked on my office also & the husband & I shopped at Costco. The husband is frustrated that I’m not making more progress. However, I’ve been accumulating this stuff for 40 years & it’s going to take time to sort.
Unfortunately, I received the new iPhone 📱 & opened it. Of course that led me to configuring it. With T-Mobile’s help, I activated it & used the automated tool to configure it using my old iPhone. Then I spent a lot of time getting it to recognize my watch.
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| Kitty present sent to me by my cousin. She made it! Dad's clivia! He started it my collecting seeds from the plants |
We got a hold of our sister / sister-in-law to let her know that her ex-husband of 33 years passed away a week ago. Understandably, she’s very upset 😢 as are we all.
I worked the filing cabinets. I have one drawer & one more cabinet 🗄️ left to sort.
The price of Photoshop Elements dropped & I ordered it!
Many spring flowers in bloom at Edgewood Park
A wild stream running through the hills
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| Notice the bee collecting pollen |
Views from the Park
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| Bird at our fountain. Eyes are red! |
04/09/2023. Happy Easter 🐇🐰🐣! I worked on the reorganization project & had to quit when my back pain became overwhelming. Our lovely friend visited with delicious 😋 cheesecake for the husband. I watered the phalaenopsis & washed clothes. I pushed the button & ordered my new phone 📱! There was a special deal today!
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| Bunny cake made by the great - niece and her boyfriend |
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| Seen in the hills |
04/08/2023. Happy Birthday to me 🎊🎂🎉🎈🥳🎁! Tbe husband took me for a nice walk in the hills (steps = 7.5K). I reeived lots of happy birthday cards, phone calls, texts, e-mails, and Facebook posts 😃😃😃! I took a break on the organization project today and will commence tomorrow. I sent out the holiday greeting in which I announced my retirement from sending them out!
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| Huge fallen eucalyptus tree |
04/07/2023. Here's picture of the big re-organization! Today I only finished sorting 1/2 drawer plus about a 2 foot stack of Smithsonian and Consumer Reports magazines.
The husband took me for a walk around the 'hood (steps = 6.5K).
I completely forgot that today was FF so I quickly made three updates 😅!
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| Part of recycling |
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| Bookcases moved downstairs |
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More recycling
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| Shredding |
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| Upstairs hallway |
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| Office |
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| Office |
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| Office |
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| Office |
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Office
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Spring is a glorious time in the 'hood!
Wisteria smells so incredibly fragrant!
04/06/2023. I completed sorting for 3 1/2 file cabinet 🗄️ drawers today. My back hurt so I had to rest for a while. I FT’d with my sister.
04/05/2023. Happy birthday 🎊🎈🎉🎁🎂 to my friend! We’ve made plans to celebrate at Hobbes in a few weeks. The husband & I had a nice walk around the ‘hood (steps = 4.8K). We had a nice “Zoom” meeting with our sister/sister-in-law. I studied the Plus calls & had a nice shower 🚿🧼. Unfortunately, I got a bout of diarrhea & elected not to attend club. I determined that this occurred due to eating the frosting 🧁😩!
I updated “SD-bayarea” with two upcoming dances for our club. I sorted more file cabinet drawers 🗄️. We now have 1 completed ✔️ & 3 more to go!
I watered all the plants, 1 day late!
04/04/2023. Our wonderful neighbor called & my soup & dumplings are ready ! I’m looking forward to eating them! I enjoy visiting with her so much! The husband & I shopped at Ace hardware to purchase our new dish rack. We love it! The old one was grimy & couldn’t be cleaned any more. We also shopped at Costco. I continued sorting through the filing cabinet drawers 🗄️.
Our beloved cousin passed away early this morning. She was in hospice care, but it is never easy to lose such a lovely, beautiful and kind person.
04/03/2023. I hiked 🥾 with our group today (steps = 13.3K) & there were 4 of us. We had coffee ☕️ at Peet’s & celebrated the birthday of one member of our group. I shopped at Ace Hardware & TJ’s. The husband & I worked together in my office on the filing cabinets 🗄️ for 4 hours. He’s been working on it all day! There’s still a lot to do!
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| The birthday boy! |
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| The creek running through Rancho |
04/02/2023. The husband took me for a great hike in the hills (steps = 9.4K). I continued working on the binders & the upstairs file cabinets🗄️. I washed clothes & watered the phaeleonopsis.
Friends wisteria. It smells delicious!
The creeks in the hills are still running!
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| Dinner |
04/01/2023. Happy April Fool’s 🃏Day. I pranked my husband, sister, & 2 nephews. The niece caught on to me!
I had a nice shower 🚿🧼 & saw my wonderful hairdresser 💇🏻♀️ for a color & cut. I skipped the Bows & Beaus meeting, Afterwards, shopped at Wal-mart, bought a can of frosting 🧁 & ate 1/2 the can (900 calories 😳😲. I worked on the binders.
Doggy at the hair salon!
