Thursday, December 31, 2009

Last Day of 2009!

I know a lot of people who are glad that this year is ending.

It seems as if everyone on the planet has experienced some sort of major change in their lives this year.

I personally think it is ending too fast. I mean it just seems like 3 or 4 years ago we were all worried about the new millennium meltdown and that was a decade ago!

2009 was the year of my major cross country move from the west coast to the east coast. Followed by 2 months living in Wilkes-Barre and then a move to Bloomsburg. Humm.... 2 moves in one year and I am not settled. One more move and then I will be settled. That move will take place sometime between March 2010 and July 30, 2010. I don't know where it will be to and am not even contemplating looking until March.

The snow arrived while I was sleeping last night. Kinda magical how that happens. I went outside to shovel off the side walk and it was quiet. The only thing I heard were other shovels scrapping the sidewalk and the smell of fireplaces burning filled the air. I like it! I got in my car and went to the store to get the traditional corn beef and cabbage to throw in the crock pot tonight. I am very proud of myself for sticking to resolution of not becoming immobile because of the snow. I have kept moving and living and going with life.. and I don't think I have gained a pound...lol...lol...lol..

My new friends, Eric and Sara, are having a New Year's Eve party complete with live band. They invited me to join them. I have declined. Eric and Sara are young. Up until around the age of 30 you think that you have to be awake at midnight or you will miss something. After the age of 30 you go to parties and sit around looking at your friends asking each other "Is it midnight yet?" You just want it to be over so you can go to bed and go to sleep. Around the age of 40 you realize that New Year's is going to get here and be the same even while you are sleeping....lol..lol...lol..

The last thing I am going to do this year... is going to be something I have never ever done in my life. My neighbors have invited me over, in the early evening...lol..lol.. to play Wii. I have never done it before and have heard it is a ton of fun.

Be safe and have fun ringing in the new year!

Ciao

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

How Small is Bloomsburg?

A good time was had by all last night at my first dinner party in Pennsylvania! The food was good and the conversation was grand. Everyone had a lovely time.

I invited Eric and Sara who are a younger couple and live above their store on Main Street. I met them while on my walk on Christmas Eve. Come to find out, my neighbor John, who lives across the street, plays golf with Sara's Dad on Sundays.

I was told that the population of Bloomsburg is approximately 12,000 with 8,000 being University related.

Yesterday I walked into the post office and the lady in front of me had given the postal clerk a change of address card and then turned and walked out of the post office. The postal clerk looked at it and then looked at me and said, "She didn't sign it. Dottie wait right here." And she ran from behind the counter and out the door and down the street after the lady to get her signature. I was in shock. There were people in line who all acted as this this were normal. I was shocked on two accounts; 1) The postal clerk knew and called me by my name, and 2) She ran after a customer!

In Los Angeles it was literally years before the people at the post office acknowledged that they knew me and began calling me by name. Which shouldn't be outrageous since I am there every single day! I do realize it is harder to make personal contact with the people in Los Angeles, at the post office, when there is 3 inches of plexiglass between you and the postal worker. You would put your mail in a window and lower the door and only then would they be able to open the window on their side and get your mail out. It was all so impersonal. I would joke around and say that the reason the plexiglass was there was to prevent us, the public, from being hurt by one of the clerks should they decide to go "postal."

At the downtown Los Angeles post office there were six psychologist "shrinks" on staff for the postal workers to go and talk to if they felt like doing anything crazy. One would really have to wonder about a job where they employee six doctors for your mental state. That's wild!

The picture was taken of me in New Zealand. I am at a deer farm and I am holding up a pair of deer antlers. I had no idea they were fuzzy like a peach. The deer antlers have thousands and thousands of blood vessels in them. They are sliced very thin and sold to the Chinese who believe that putting the deer antlers in their tea and drinking it will help with a variety of health issues.

Ciao

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

OMG I am a People Person

I have long thought that I am NOT a people person. I think I got this idea because it was so difficult to connect with people in Los Angeles. Not only difficult because of time, traffic and jobs but because of hidden agendas. In Los Angeles, because time is so valuable there's got to be some reason for people to go out of their way to spend time with you. I found it not only difficult but exhausting to connect with friends.

Many years ago I had a friend who lived about 6-7 miles from me. We would send emails back and forth to schedule lunch or a quick hour at Starbucks and every time the date would arrive she would have to cancel (i.e. her dog is sick and has to go to the vet, car trouble, don't feel well, got to run errands for her husband, blah, blah, blah). After 1 year of excuses and no meeting. I called her and said, "It shouldn't be soooo difficult to connect with a friend. This is not normal!"

My stock broker said to me, "Dottie you will do very well on the east coast. You are friendlier than the average person." I don't think I am friendlier than the average person. I think I am probably as friendly as the average person.

Well, I have been in Bloomsburg for 5 months and I am having my first dinner party tonight. I have invited 3 sets of neighbors over for dinner. It should be fun and I am really looking forward to it.

I was having dinner on Christmas Day with one of my neighbors and I mentioned that I love to cook Braciola once a year so that I don't forget how to make it. It's a famous Italian dish that I learned to cook while visiting Bari, Italy in September of 2005. I told my neighbor that I had not had a chance to make it this year and he said, "You still have next week." So I decided to throw together a last minute dinner party so that I can cook the Braciola in 2009.

This picture is of a common sight you see in the fall. Unharvested corn fields... go figure. With all the supposedly starving people on the planet, the government pays farmers not to harvest their crops. I tried to find out some inside dirt on this, on the Internet, but wasn't able to find anything substantial. Just doesn't make much sense to me.

Ciao

Monday, December 28, 2009

Mercury's in Retrograde

From December 26th to January 15th lots of changes will be taking place. Remember it's important not to REACT. Wait until the dust settles, after January 15th, and then see what's left on your plate. Know that it all is happening for the best of everyone!

I am pretty excited about us having a Mercury in Retrograde at the end of the year. The clutter of our life gets cosmically cleaned and removed so that we can begin the new year with only what is truly important and necessary for us will be left.

I am a fan of "weeding the friendship garden". Sometimes we have outgrown friendships or they have decided to take a different path than we have or we have decided to take a different path than they have. I see value in blessing people, being thankful for the time we shared on this planet and wishing them well and moving on. Does that sound cold hearted? Trust me, I don't have a cold heart. I actually have the warmest heart on the planet. I am just a realist I guess. I like to call those spades a spade..lol..lol..

This picture is one that I took during the beautiful fall here. A lone red leaf tree amongst the green. Truly breathtakingly beautiful!

Ciao

Sunday, December 27, 2009

The Snow is All Gone!

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, sunny and 50 degrees (10C). There were dark clouds and a few sprinkles but nothing to ruin the day.

I talked to a friend in California yesterday and she said "It's cold here, it's 50 degrees". I laughed and said "It's warm here and it's 50 degrees!" 50 degrees just doesn't seem all that cold to me after experiencing the 20 degree (-6.6C) weather. I ran my errands yesterday with just a turtleneck sweater on, no coat, no scarf and no gloves. I think I am learning that I am more adaptable that I actually thought I would be.

The sun is shining right now and we might get some snow tonight and/or tomorrow. I have now figured out... snow is like rain! And sometimes we get more rain than we should and sometimes we might get more snow than we should. I was really under the impression that once it started snowing it snowed for days, weeks and months. I had no idea that it was pretty much like rain.

This picture was taken during the month of November right when the leaves started to change. What a beautiful golden color they are. I am still in awe of the colors I have seen here.

Ciao

Friday, December 25, 2009

It's Christas Day!

My wish for you is that no matter where you are, who you are with or without, that you are going to do what makes you happy! Because the bottom line is that it doesn't really matter where you or who who you are with or without... the main thing is that you are Happy!

And since true Happiness comes from within.. well that shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?

I didn't put up an holiday decorations inside my house this year. I instead decided to put up the giant 3 xmas ornaments outside and the huge lime green glittered bow on the front door. Here's a picture of it.

Ciao

Thursday, December 24, 2009

A Year ago Today - Christmas Eve

It's funny how some people's lives change dramatically from one year to the next and others lives don't. Sometimes that change is executed by our hands and sometimes it is because of circumstances beyond our control.

Some people like the predictability of the future. And while the future is NOT, in the least, predicable, a lot of people live as if it is and are devastated when they find out it isn't as predicable as they thought.

This time last year I was on the beautiful Hayman Island in Australia. The weather was warm 90+ degrees (32.2C), the water was clear teal color and I sat on the white sandy beach thinking it was not like any Christmas Eve I had ever experienced in my 50 years on this planet!

I had no idea that this year I would be sitting in my bed and it would be 23 degrees (-5C) outside.

One of the major differences I have seen this holiday season is that people in California don't go to the store to shop with a list in their hand. I noticed while running errands the other day that it appeared everyone, in Target, had a list in their hand. Small children, men, grandma and grandpa, they ALL had list. I thought it was sooooo sweet. It really touched my heart. Our economy is suppose to be in the toilet and yet there are people who make list of special people and special things to get for those special people. That's amazing!

This picture is of my special friend Kelly who I reconnected with in Australia last December. Although we had only met for the first time then I say "reconnected" because I believe that we have soul mates. People who we love dearly and we decide that we want them to be part of our new life experiences so we make a pack with them that we will cross paths in this lifetime. And when we do it feels like we are "reconnecting" and picking up the friendship where it left off in the past lifetime. It doesn't feel new or different or strange. I am blessed to have had this experience quite a few times, so I am fortunate enough to recognize it. In the picture Kelly and I are celebrating Christmas Eve!

Ciao

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A Light in the Window

This is something that you never ever see in California.... a lone light in the window. It is done a lot here, mostly during the wintertime. A lady at the store told me that it began many many years ago before there were street lights. A house with a lone light in each window feels so warm and inviting to me. It's like you just know there must be fireplace, bowl of soup and good book inside.

While searching for lights I found that there are two kinds. The ones with cords, which are a royal pain and the ones without. The ones without are on a sensor. They are off for 16 hours and on for 8 hours and last about 3 months. Then you just change the batteries and are good to go. About 1 percent of the people who put lights in the windows leave them up all year. I think I will pack mine way when spring arrives.

The weather here was nothing like they said on the television. Which is pretty amazing. Philadelphia is 3 hours south/east from where I live. They received 23 inches of snow last weekend. We got 2-3 inches of snow.

Yesterday the high was 33 degrees (.05C) here and I took a walk. It reminded me of my trip to Iceland which was done in the month of February. I was out walking around in the cold everyday all day on that trip. The minute the sun started to go down which was around 4:00pm or 4:30pm, it felt like the temperature dropped 30 degrees instantly. And going out at midnight, standing in the middle of a field for 2 hours to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) was the coldest I have ever experienced. But it was soooo worth it and I would do it all in a second!

Ciao

Monday, December 21, 2009

Shoveling Snow is a Social Thing Here

So yesterday morning I walked outside and within minutes ALL of my neighbors where out. The sun was shining and it was sooo beautiful. Lots of chatting going on and a little bit of shoveling. Other than the chatting... it was super quiet!

It really wasn't as bad here as they said it was on tv. It went up to about 40 degrees (4.4C) and the sun was out for most of the day. I actually got in the car and ran a couple of errands.

It's funny... in October my neighbors said "November is when the weather gets really nasty." And that didn't happen. Then they said, "December is when the weather gets really nasty." And well.. that hasn't happened. And now they are saying, "January is when the weather gets really nasty." Okie..dokie... I'll just sit back and wait for that nasty weather to arrive!

Well, it's going to be a short but busy week. Only 3 work days. Lots of people will be on the road Thursday, Christmas Eve, or running last minute errands.

Another techie picture of Mario. I was looking all over for my remote!

Ciao

Sunday, December 20, 2009

I Now Know Why I Like the Snow

I LOVE the silence that comes with the snow. I think it's magical. And when I look out of the window and see a guy walking his big black dog it just seems so serene. The only thing I hear right now is a crow and that's fine with me. I tell you.. the older I get the more noise bothers me.

I don't really understand people who let the weather affect their moods. I never moved to California for the weather. Lots of people live in California for the weather. And lots of people live in Pennsylvania for the seasons.

I took this picture an hour ago from my bedroom window. (taken at 8am)

I see one of my neighbors is out shoveling the snow off of the sidewalk, although I think I still see a flurry here and there. The city ordinance is that you must shovel the snow off of the sidewalk in front of your house within 12 hours after the snow has stopped, or you get fined. My landlady emailed me that information last night. So I am off to shovel.. I mean get some exercise....lol....lol...

Ciao

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Create, Create, Create

It's what I live for!

Eckhart Tolle, who wrote the books 'The Power of Now" and "A New Earth" said during the first online interactive course (the one he did with Oprah for the book "A New Earth"), that he had to move to California before writing his book "A New Earth" and that that is where the energy was for him to write the book. Did he say that there are places on the planet where there isn't any creative energy? No. But one would assume from that statement that the energy is greater in some places than in other places. I don't know how true that is. Maybe it's one of those things that is true for the individual and what he believes. I am not sure I believe this. I think that some places might be stressful and you may have a lot to contend with, and that might interfere with your creative flow. I am sure a calming environment would be one that is easier to create in.

I would absolutely love to be able to create everything that pops into my head. A few years ago I had a dream about these special lollipops. I have never tried to make candy before and I have never seen the kind of lollipops that were in my dreams out in the real world. I just did some quick Google search and think that I can actually get what I need and try to make them. Hummm... we'll see...

Yesterday I was talking to a friend in California and we were talking about my YouTube channels and he asked "What are you getting out of it? I mean you are spending so much time, are you making any money? Is it worth your while?" I told him that everything I do in life is not for the almighty dollar and that I really enjoy making the videos and that's my main reason for doing it. He said, "I understand sista." But you know what? I don't really think he did.

I don't think you can put a price tag on creativity. If you are truly a creative person you can create any and everything. You can create yourself into a corner or out of one...lol..lol... I think that if you can think creatively, you can think outside of the box and these days thinking differently makes all the difference.

The picture is of a sequined calendar that I make my Mother every xmas. I have been making them for what could be 30 years (I don't remember when I actually started). She had a very large nail in her kitchen and every year she would hang the new one on top of the old ones. It was a great idea because you could just flip through and see all of the older ones. Well, hurricane Katrina came and wiped them all out so now she only has 6 on a nail.

Ciao

Friday, December 18, 2009

It's 17 Degrees Out (-8.3C)

I think when I was here last January the temperature got down to somewhere around 5 degrees (-15C) and I remember thinking to myself, "Anything below 10 degrees (-12.2C) feels uncomfortable to me."

In California, I remember the magic number was 110 degrees (43.3C). Any higher the temperature and I began to feel sick to my stomach.

Today the high will be around 32 degrees (0C) with some sunshine. And then snow tomorrow and tomorrow night.

Did you know that I am a "book reviewer"? To date, I have posted 385 book reviews on amazon. You can see my profile by clicking here http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AIJ6XU28MF3B/ref=sv__4.

I also post my book review on my YouTube book review channel www.youtube.com/Readerofeverything.

I have loved reading since I was a kid. If I go about 3 days without reading something I start to physically feel weird. I read just about any and everything. Nowadays, people send me books asking for me to read and write a review. And since I LOVE books... I literally have at least 100 sitting here for me to read. Out of all of the books that I have read, I think, only 5 I could not post a review of. If a book is really bad, (i.e. jumps all over the place, doesn't make much sense, no point to it at all, or disgusting.) I will return the book to the author with a note that I don't feel comfortable posting a review. After all, reviews are my personal opinion and not fact.

The picture is of my techie cat, Mario. Thank God, he is not a kid or he would probably be asking for every techie product out there for xmas....lol...lol...

Ciao

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

It Snowed Last Night

Once again I woke up to find about an inch or two of snow on the ground. It's so weird cause it wasn't raining when I went to sleep and I just didn't hear a thing. It wasn't snowing when I woke up and it didn't snow today. In facts, the sun came out.

And once again, I went outside with shovel in hand, to shovel the sidewalk, and there wasn't any snow on it. My sister says that the people who lived here before me must have put a ton of salt on the sidewalk. Yipppeeee... lucky me.

Remember I told you that I really am a seasonal worker, well ... I have been working my ass off. I have, from day one, had problems with the office I got in Delaware in June of this year. Well, earlier this week I found another place so I spent part of Monday and yesterday changing the address on lots of things, (i.e. bank accounts, business cards, labels, stationery, etc.).

Well, I haven't been happy with the website for my legal business, Professional Legal Assistors, so today I decided I would build a new website, from scratch, by myself. I tell you, GoDaddy has this down pat and first class customer service. I called this morning, with my list of questions in hand, and the guy at GoDaddy not only answered all of my questions but pointed me in the right direction and emailed me some great useful information. I began at 8am and stopped for 1 hour to put a roast in the oven and then went back to it. By 8pm the new website was not only complete but up live! You can see it here www.biz-usa.com.

Tomorrow I will be busy doing legal jobs that came in today but I didn't do because I wanted to get the website done.

I told my sister this morning, "When I get this website done I am going to feel so empowered. I am going to feel like I can fly!"

Ciao

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

It Seems Like Yesterday...

This time last year I was visiting beautiful New Zealand! It was an amazing trip that I will never forget.

Well, it appears that my friends and family are all thinking about me here in a much cooler climate than I have ever lived in. Gifts of scarfs, gloves, pjs, long underwear and down filled robes have arrived! I am truly a lucky girl!

The cold hasn't bothered me yet. Maybe I am more adaptable than one might imagine. Today the high was 42 degrees (5.5C). Tonight it will go down to 24 degrees (-4.4 degrees). Tomorrow the high will be 28 degrees (-2.2C) and for the rest of the week it will not get above freezing, 32 degrees (0C). We might get some snow flurries tomorrow.

I am lucky that I don't really need to get out and drive in the weather. So I can schedule my errands on days that are driving friendly..lol..lol..

I was thinking the other day that most of my vacations have been when the weather is cool. I wore a coat in Spain, London and definitely Iceland.

Lets see... what's going on in Woodland Hills, CA... well, Walt Disney's grandson, Patrick Disney Miller, was arrested, in his Woodland Hills home, on suspicion of illegal gun possession....lol...lol... No really seriously.... sorry about the laughing... it's just so LAish..lol...lol...

Hummm.... Bloomsburg, PA news... well a couple of cars slipped off the road when they hit a patch of ice yesterday.

I don't know about you but I would rather have weather related news any day than some hearing about some Dude hiding guns!

Ciao

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Reason, Season and Lifetime

Have you seen that poem? It's great and I am going to post it here for you today.

Some news.... I have been bad this week about blogging... but promise to be better ;-)

Lot's of changes going on... the weather has changed and gotten colder and not much snow so far. It snowed one night but since the sun has come out all of the snow is gone. I went to Wilkes Barre and Williamsport, both are a bit north of here and they must have gotten a lot more snow because people's front lawns are still blanketed with several inches. On Friday the high was 27 degrees (-2.7C). I was out running errands. Yesterday the high was 37 degrees (2.7C) and that seemed a bit warmer to me, instead of just plain cold. I hear it is raining in Woodland Hills, California.

Besides the weather changing.... there have been other changes in my life... "special guy" has gone to North Carolina to be his special self. And the #1 question I have been asked is... "Are you going back to California?" And the answer is, "NO." I did not move to Pennsylvania because of him. I am eternally greatful that we met and he provided the opportunity for me to get to see and know this place.

Check out this beautiful poem. Ciao


Reason, Season and Lifetime


People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.
When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need
you have expressed outwardly or inwardly.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty,
to provide you with guidance and support,
to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrong doing on your part
or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something
to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met,
our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered
and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON,
it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.
They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
those things you must build upon
in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson,
love the person/people (anyway);
and put what you have learned to use in all
other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

~Author Unknown

Saturday, December 5, 2009

More About the Ferrets in California

So today I turned on the television and their was a program on called "Extreme Dr. 90210". On there was a girl whose nose and top lip was missing. When she was a child she was attacked by a ferret. She lives in California and has spent the rest of her life, after the incident, lobbying the State of California to keep the law in place wherein it is illegal to own a ferret. Pretty wild stuff I tell you.. pretty wild stuff.

It is snowing outside! It has been snowing since around 10am this morning. It's really beautiful. I had some errands to run this morning and was a bit hesitant because ..... well.. it's snowing. It snowed in Houston yesterday and some of the freeways were closed. Snow can close roads in areas where people aren't use to it. I looked out of the window and saw 2 little old ladies, with their red hats and coats on, walking down the street in the snow like it was no big deal. And I remembered the promise that I made to myself that I would live life normally and not become paralyzed by the snow.

I noticed about a dozen birds sitting on an electrical wire outside in the snow. It was amazing.

Ciao

Thursday, December 3, 2009

The Weather is Just Crazy

Just so you know... I am not ill.. I don't have the flu... I have been super busy and that is why I haven't been able to post to this blog for over a week.

In October everyone here said, "Wait until November, the weather will be really nasty."
Well, November came and went and the weather was gorgeous!

It was almost 60 degrees (15.5C) today. I talked to my sister who lives in Houston, Texas and my friend, Luci, who lives in Galveston, Texas. Galveston is 1 hour south of Houston. Both Galveston and Houston will get snow tonight! How wild is that? It's going to snow in the deep south before it snows here. That's crazy!

The joke here is that the weather has been so lovely because I am here....lol...lol...

The picture is another one that I took while the beautiful autumn leaves where changing.

Ciao

Friday, November 27, 2009

Black Friday and YouTube

Hahahah... I bet you are wondering what Black Friday and YouTube have to do with each other... well, nothing, really... However, they are both two important things I want to cover in today's blog post.

I am excited that my blog is read by my friends in The Netherlands!!!! Thank you all!!!!

So there is no Thanksgiving in The Netherlands... hence, no Black Friday!

Today is Black Friday. It is the biggest shopping day of the year. Some of the department stores opened at 4am. The stores offer unbelievable savings on things for people who dare to get up and go to a store at that ungodly hour. A lot of analysis use this day as a predictor of how our economy is doing and what this holiday season will be for retailers. You will be able to hear about it on any news channel next week.

I am sooooo excited!!!!! I have been working on my YouTube videos and building my YouTube channels with the hopes and dreams of becoming a YouTube Partner. That means that YouTube will put ads on the screen when my videos are watched and I get checks in the mail! I completed an application to be a YouTube partner a year ago, but was turned down. My goal was to submit another application on January 1st. However, surprisingly, a couple of weeks ago I got an email from YouTube telling me that they were "sending me an invitation" to complete the paperwork. I completed it and today I found out that I am now a YouTube Partner. The ads are currently on 2 of my most watched videos.

It's all good I tell you... it's all good :-)

Ciao

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Thanksgiving Holiday

It's been around 50 degrees (10C) the last couple of days and a drizzle of rain. The weather website indicates it will be like this through Friday and then the sun will return on Saturday and Sunday. The weather website indicates that snow will come on December 9th. We all know from past experiences that anyone can predict the weather, it's like betting horses. You make your best prediction and then see what happens.

Today it will be around 80 degrees (26C) in Woodland Hills, California, and well... it won't change much in the next 15 days.

A lot of people will be traveling today to get to that special place for tomorrow. As a general rule of thumb, I very very rarely travel during the holiday time. Because I am self-employed I have the luxury of traveling anytime so I don't need to do it when lots of other people only have that this time to do it.

My special guy and I are going to his mother's house tomorrow. I am bringing a traditional pecan pie from New Orleans. I love the Internet and I love Gambinos Bakery in Nawlins! I have ordered lots of cakes from Gambinos over the years and they are absolutely great!

Yesterday, I switched my summer clothes in the closet for winter clothes. This is something that I have never really done before because in Louisiana and California the winter is so mild you can get by with your summer clothes. Our attic is somewhat finished and there is a large rod for clothes, so I hauled all the summer things up there and brought all the sweaters downstairs.

The picture is of another absolutely beautiful tree I photographed in my neighborhood.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Ciao

Monday, November 23, 2009

More Interesting Stuff from the Fair

Have you ever heard of "raindrop therapy"? I hadn't until yesterday. It's a combination of using essential oils and Reiki.

I also heard, for the first time, about quantum touch healing. Healing at the speed of light... which I think is wild!

I met this girl at the fair who gave psychic readings and she told me that she lived in Jim Thorpe borough, which is about 2 hours south from here, and that it was illegal for her to give readings there and that the City Council thought of it as paganism. I was surprised and asked her, "What year it is?" She said that there was a missing child and that she was thinking if she went to the police and offered up what she saw and helped them find the missing child that that might help the City Council to change the law. I wished her luck.

And in today's news.... my mother turns 85 years old today! I spoke with her this morning and she said that she has been telling people for years that at the age of 85 she was going to stop cutting her own grass. However, she looked out the window this morning and decided that it needs to be cut so she was going to go outside and cut it. She then said that she was now going to inform everyone that she would stop cutting her grass at the age of 90! My Mom is really the picture of health. She is a bit frail looking as older folks don't care to eat too much, and yes, she eats like a bird. She doesn't have arthritis. She does have a heart condition which is kept under control with medication. This morning she said that she thinks your memory goes with age.

It's 47 degrees (8.3C) right now and sunny, which means it's time to go for a walk!

The picture was taken a couple of weeks ago. These leaves were in my neighbors yard across the street. I love the colors!

Ciao

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Greetings from the Mind, Body & Spirit Fair

It's wild how two unexpected events seemed to creep out of the wood-work this month. First, the radio interview and now this show. Both events sought me out at the last minute to fill in for someone who couldn't make it.

The event here today is interesting. There are about 25 vendors, 5 of who are psychic readers and healers. Okay, so there is a guy here name Ted and I saw these women sitting at Ted's table and he was stroking and looking at their hair and I have never seen anything like this before. I am shocked. I spent 23 years in cutting-edge California and I have never seen a psychic reading someones hair. Hell, I didn't even know it existed. Ted walked over to my table, where I have all of my books displayed, and he told me that he does hair readings, he uses sight and touch. Okay, so suppose Teddie has a hair fetish and he is using "reading" as an excuse to get off on running his fingers through the women's hair. I mean... I haven't seen one guy sitting down to get a "hair reading" from Ted. I would love to see him running his fingers through a guys hair.

There are also a couple of people selling these drinks. One drink "Ningxia Red" claims that drinking one ounce contains the same vitamins as if you had eaten something like 2 tons of fresh vegetables a day. Okay, not 2 tons... but pretty damn close.

And there is another guy who is selling "Euforia" which also claims that drinking one ounce contains one ton of fresh vegetables. This is a start up company, this year, and he is really looking for people to purchase distributorships.

Then there are the candle, picture, crystal, incense selling vendors.

Do you know what a witch ball is? I am shocked that I had not heard of it before. Remember I AM FROM CALIFORNIA!!! Well, it is this big glass ball that you hang in a window and it absorbs all of the evil energy before it gets into your home. The lady selling them is on the side of me. And people are purchasing the witch balls. It's wild!

There is one girl who is next to me that is literally raking in the money. She actually has a waiting list at her table. She starts off doing Reiki and then goes into reading the tarot cards but says that she can get messages from the other side. She charges $40 for 15 minutes. That's like $160 an hour. That's wild! No one here is doing as well as she is.

It's all interesting... I tell you... very interesting.

Ciao

Thursday, November 19, 2009

There Should be a Law...

No Christmas lights up before the Thanksgiving holiday! Thanksgiving is next week and for a week now I have been seeing more and more houses with Christmas lights. I just don't get it! There are lots of Thanksgiving decorations that can be up up. So when the family comes to Thanksgiving, does it feel like Thanksgiving, or Christmas?

Last night we drove through a little town just northeast of here and the town had Christmas lights up on the lamp post.

Don't get me wrong... some of these displays are spectacular and it's great that someone will go through the work and cost for something others enjoy seeing. It's just a bit too soon... if you ask me.

Okay so here's some CA and PA differences on holiday decorating. In California most people who decorate elaborate houses do not own the lights or do the decorating themselves. They actually rent the lights and the company that they rent them from comes out and installs them and removes them. Not everyone does it this way, but I know quite a few who do.

In a certain part of Beverly Hills/Bel Air area there is a law that you cannot put color Christmas lights on your house. The lights must be a gold type. And yes, these houses literally look like they are dripping in gold. It is truly an amazing thing to see. On the rare occasion that my Mom or other family members came to see me around Christmas I would take them to see the Bev Hills Christmas lights, McMansion after McMansion dripping in gold lights.

The picture is one that is going around the internet through email. Pretty funny.

Ciao

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Have You Ever Seen a Pink Tree?

Check out this hot pink tree. It looked so pretty against the white house. I have never ever seen a tree that color before. I think it is just wild!

I try to never leave home without my camera. I say "try" because 2% of the time... I do. And it is when I go to some unassuming place that I see something that is picture worthy. Yesterday I left home without my camera because I took the battery out and put it in the charger. Today the camera will go back into my purse. And when I go for a walk, the camera goes from my purse to my pocket.

My energy level feels a bit low today, like I might be catching a cold. It's time to amp up the vitamins. I have a recipe for this "Super Duper Auto Immune Boosting Soup"... in a box... in the attic. The recipe calls for 50 different vegetables and herbs. It takes hours to chop everything up and then hours to cook and you have a ton of it. The last time I cooked it, a few years ago, I had so much my freezer was filled and my friend, Robyn, came by and picked up a ton. I am thinking that a trip up into the attic to get the recipe might be what I should do. If anyone wants the recipe just say so in the comment box. I can't remember the last time that I got sick with the flu.... which is a good thing ;-)

I would love to stay in bed today and read all day! I am reading a great book called "The Monsters". It's a true story about how the story of Frankenstein came about. Talk about interesting.... it's wild!

As much as I would like to... staying in bed all day isn't an option for me today. Saturday and Sunday I have a table at a fair at the Ramada Inn. I will be selling my books and also be a guest speaker. I have 4 days to get an inventory of my books together, make fliers for the book specials and gather up my table decorations. I would love to get all of that done today... if not then by tomorrow and maybe I can spend Thursday or Friday lounging around.... reading a great book ;-)

Ciao

Monday, November 16, 2009

Only 7 Weeks Left in 2009

It's hard to believe that in less than 2 months we will beginning a new year.

Yesterday we didn't make it to Worlds End State Park, instead we went to Ricketts Glen State Park. Driving along one of the roads in the mountain we saw about a dozen Amish, with their families loaded in their buggies. I couldn't tell where they were headed or where they had been. People waved to them as the buggies went by.

The weather is beautiful. It is suppose to be sunny and in the 60's (15C) this week. Next week the high is suppose to be in the 50's (10C) and on November 28th the weather website is predicting snow and then the high for the week will be in the 40's (4C). The weather sounds reasonable to me, after all we still have 5 weeks till it is officially winter (December 21st).

It's funny because last month the weather was gorgeous and everyone kept telling me "Just wait until next month, November, it gets really nasty." Yipppeee... I got lucky. November turned out to be a beautiful weather month too!

I woke up with the urge to write again. Not a strong urge just more like a thought. 2007 was the massive writing year for me. I got lots of books out into the world. I have been asked quiet often, "What are you working on? Are you writing?" And I am flattered when asked those questions. My thoughts have been that I really don't want to begin writing until the weather does get nasty. Then I will have nothing to focus my energies on except writing. Right now everything here is still very new to me and I want to get out and see and experience it all.

I took this picture last week. I think you'll agree, this beautiful tree just stood out from the rest.

Ciao

Sunday, November 15, 2009

What to Blog About....

Hey it's funny.... I woke up this morning thinking about what I was going to blog about. I turned on the computer and ran across Louise Hay's blog.

In case you don't know who Louise Hay is.... well, she is this woman who healed herself from cancer like decades ago and wrote the book "You Can Heal Yourself" which has sold like a zillion trillion copies.

Anyway, I ran across her blog and she wrote about eating fish, how often she eats fish, and how much she loves eating fish and about how taking the entire bone out of a fish in one piece is right up there with the ultimate sexual experience, or seeing god, or something unbelievable.

And then I thought..... "Well, alrighty, that takes any pressure off of me to write something brilliant!"....lol...lol....lol

I noticed that a few of the people in the neighborhood like to write notes and put them on their front doors. A couple of blocks away there is a note on a door that reads, "If you are any member of your family has been sick for more than one week, please visit my phone. Thanks, Linda." And then there is another one that says, "Chris - stay off of the porch and wait in the truck -". I never saw notes like this in Louisiana or California. I think it's wild!

Okay, confession time... I hear sirens almost every day here. It's only once a day vs. the 6+ times I would hear them in California on a daily basis. The sirens I hear here are firetrucks. I Googled "Pennsylvania Fires" and well... they have a lot of them here.

The fire that burned 4 buildings in the next block started by a "kitchen mishap". The newspaper article said that something fell off of the stove and set the wall on fire. Well, I am wondering, "Why would anyone be cooking at 4:00 in the morning?" I would bet my money on drunk college kids.

Remember the picture I posted about 3-4 weeks ago of the beautiful mountain covered with multi-colored trees? Well, here is what it looks like now. It's not cold here yet. We are thinking of going hiking at Worlds End State Park.

Ciao



Saturday, November 14, 2009

We're All Connected In Some Way

Today's blog is about how we are all connected in some strange way, even if there is distance in where we live.

Upon moving to Pennsylvania I had the opportunity to learn Reiki. Reiki is energy movement. My Reiki instructor said that use of the word "healing" is not encouraged as you aren't healing you are moving blocked energy which could prevent healing.

I posted on my FaceBook that I was now a Reiki Level II practitioner. My neighbor, from when I lived in California, responded to my post and asked if I had heard of Reconnection Healing. I had not heard of it before but checked it out and it is similar to Reiki.

On another page of my life, a friend from California, sent me an email saying that she wrote a book and would like to know if I would read it and post a review on amazon (remember that's what I do). BTW, her book is "Get Clear. Get Connected. Get a Job" by Lin Morel. So naturally, I did.

Then I got an email from someone who knows my friend asking if I would read and review her book and so I did ;-). Her book is "Chakra Power!" by Harriette Knight. Well, I was looking around on Harriette's website because she makes this amazing jewelry and I noticed she does healing and I looked further and she does Reconnective Healing.

Like Wow! 3 months ago I had no idea what Reconnective Healing was. But because my friend, in California, (Big shout out to ya Gail!) responded to a post that I had about Reiki, mentioning Reconnective Healing, I knew what it was when I saw it on Harriette's website.

That kind of stuff is wild to me. I know that there are a lot of people who think that this is just random stuff that happens and doesn't mean anything. However, it doesn't happen all that random in my life. It actually happens like all the time! I literally have collected a ton of personal experiences about how one little unassuming thing or event could be connected to another unassuming thing or event and how one connection adds value to the other connection. Call me crazy or weird... this is the world I live in.

I took this picture yesterday. One lone colored leaf who hasn't given in to changing like the others...

Ciao

Well, I was looking on the website of the

Friday, November 13, 2009

Italian Fruitcake

Have you ever had Italian fruitcake? It's called Panettone. You can find it in Whole Foods grocery, or a store that carries speciality foods like Ross or Marshalls. It's not like the traditional American fruitcake.

American fruitcake was invented in 1913 and made primarily to be delivered through the mail. You either like it or you hate it. I personally think it's okay. I can eat it.. it's just not my favorite. In 1935 nuts were added to the American fruitcake.

The Italian fruitcake is a fluffier cake with not as many candied fruits in the batter. I had my piece for breakfast this morning and highly suggest you check it out if you haven't already.

This week 2 friends in California asked "When are you coming back?" I personally was a little shocked by this question. I responded, "I have no immediate plans on coming back." And there was a long silent pause. I then said, "The plane flies both ways." And got a rash of excuses as to why they could not fly to the east coast. Which I thought was pretty funny.

Half of me feels as if I should be doing something right now. Something, anything, to move forward in my life. Like look for a home to purchase, which I don't want to do till the spring time. Learn and perfect my Italian, I know that there is more than enough time for that.

And then the other half of me knows that this feeling, like I should be doing something. is part of what is left over from living in California, where everyone is doing, doing, doing, doing. My goal is to live part of my life in Italy. I know, from my visits there, that no one does anything. The only place in the United States where you will experience a vibe similar to that of Italy is Key West, Florida. People just live to watch the sun rise and the beautiful sunsets and enjoy all day in between. People aren't running around doing, doing, doing.

I knew that I would never be able to move from California to Italy. The difference in the pace would have driven me crazy in no time. I feel that Pennsylvania is a good transition place for me to slow down. Relax, enjoy, be and create.

So I acknowledge that the restless feeling is left over from California and also acknowledge that I don't need to give into it, fight it, or resist it. It's there, it's normal, it's all good.

Ciao

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Busy Doing What?

This is a picture of my cat, Mario, on my laptop. For some strange reason Mario's favorite place to be is on my laptop. This is something new that has only begun within the last 30 days.

It's 52 degrees (11C) right now and a 50% chance of rain tomorrow and Saturday.

It's quiet here. I noticed that they have begun putting up Christmas holiday decorations on main street, which I think shouldn't be allowed. It's too soon. We haven't even had the Thanksgiving holiday. Yesterday I noticed green wreaths with big red bows hanging from the lamp post. I imagine that they will put lights up and I hope those don't go up before Thanksgiving.

Have you ever felt busy but at the end of the day you aren't sure what you have done? That is how I have been feeling for the last couple of weeks. My legal business is a little slow right now but that is understandable for this time of year and because of the economic times. I am not eBaying... so what is keeping me so preoccupied... well, I am doing a lot of reading. I have reviewed 350+ books on amazon which are also posted on my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/readerofeverything.) I get sent a lot of free books to read. Today I received a children's book consisting of holistic stories. Reading the books, making and editing my video reviews and then posting them... well, I guess that takes up more time that I thought it did. Which isn't really a bad thing because I am working on building that youtube channel so that I can become a YouTube Partner.

A YouTube partner has ads placed on their channel and then you generate revenue when your videos are watched and when someone clicks onto an ad. Pretty easy money if you ask me. It just takes a lot of work to build a channel.... and well... I guess that is what I have been busy doing lately...lol..lol... ;-)

Ciao

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Time is Flying By

I have driven up behind one of these Amish buggies about 6 times. You really have to be careful coming over a hill.. they could be right on the other side galloping at about 3 miles per hour. The first time I was afraid to pass them as I didn't want the horse to get upset by a car being so close to him. I passed them and it was okay. I guess the horses are use to vehicles.

The weather here has been beautiful. Monday and Tuesday it was up to 70 degrees (21C), real shorts and t-shirt weather. Today it was in the 60's, nice fall weather.

We might get some rain tomorrow from tropical storm, Ida. I didn't realize that the rain from a tropical storm or hurricane could come all the way up here while traveling on land. I could see how it could come ashore here from the Atlantic.

Today was a holiday, Veterans Day. All state offices are closed, all banks are closed and there is no mail delivery. A non-work day. Stores conducted Veteran Day Sales and some towns even had Veteran Day parades. It's a sad day for anyone who has lost a friend or loved one in a war.

When I was a teenager we had "the draft". You didn't have a choice about going to war. If they picked you... you had to go. A lot of young men were fleeing to Canada to avoid "the draft". I have a friend from Israel and he said that everyone both men and women are required to serve 2 years in the military. This didn't mean you had to go to war. This meant that you would get some experience/training and if the country needed to fight a war everyone would have some sort of experience or training. I could go along with that. It doesn't seem out laddish to me.

Great News! My special guy found a Volkswagon dealership 20 minutes from where we live. Yippeee I didn't have to drive 2 hours this morning to get my car serviced. That was a great way to start the day!

Ciao

Monday, November 9, 2009

A Sign you Won't see in California

This is the sign to warn you that there may be a horse drawn carriage just on the other side of the hill.

I had only heard about the Amish through the media. I have never seen any until moving here. The Amish here are mostly farmers. They do not permit electricity or telephone in their homes. They feel that access to these things would bring them in touch with the modern world which could taint them.

The Amish won't use tractors in the fields but they will use electric powered equipment to to milk the cows. Go figure.

The Amish don't like their picture taken. I could see how tourist might try to take their picture. And I can see how this would be an annoying invasion of privacy. However, their reasons are because they don't take any pictures. No pictures of their children growing up, no wedding pictures, none, nada, zippo. It's a Biblical thing with them... taking a picture is making a "graven image."

They wear plain clothes and are also known as "The Plain People". The women wear solid colored dresses with long sleeves and full skirts which hang right below the knee but before hitting the ankle. The women all wear capes and aprons. The women never cut their hair and most wear it in a bun. If a woman is married she wears a white cap on her head, if she is single she wears a black cap on her head. The women wear no jewelry (no watches, no wedding rings), perfume or makeup. The men where dark colored clothing. The men are not allowed to have mustaches. Once that a man gets married he grows a beard. Their beliefs keep them humble and separated from the rest of the world.

Ciao

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Where Does the Time Go?

Every morning I wake up and know what I am going to blog about. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it is going to happen.

First let's get the weather update out of the way...lol... It's beautiful outside. The sun is shining, no clouds in the sky and I can hear the birds singing. It's 8:15am and 39 degrees (3.8C) right now, but it's going to warm up into the high 60's (20'sC).

Today is a hiking day! There are 120 state parks in Pennsylvania. I found a list on the Internet of the "20 Must See Parks". I have hiked 2 of them. I love love love the outdoors. And believe it or not, I didn't spend much time outdoors in California. The picture is of all of the different colored leaves I ran across while taking my 5 1/2 mile daily walk the other day. Unbelievably beautiful if you ask me.

Yesterday I did a 1 hour radio interview. I got an email from a friend on Thursday asking me if I could do the interview on Saturday. Of course I said "yes". I called the radio host and he said, "I can't talk right now, I'll call you back." He didn't call back until Friday afternoon. My first thought was "Great more exposure about my stuff." And my second thought was, "I can't do this, there isn't enough time to get it all together to send to him." I figured I would go with the first thought and see if there really wouldn't be enough time. Well, it was down to the wire and you can tell that this show was thrown together at the last minute. He did apologize for not being up on his game and said that I was a last minute guest. Click here to hear the interview.

Enjoy the day!

Ciao

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Changes in the Air

This picture was taken about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I love the mirror affect that I got in the water.

The scenery has changed. Weather permitting my special guy and I take a 5 1/2 mile walk everyday. This picture was taken on one of the walks, it is of the Susquehanna River. Next week I will take a picture from this same spot and you will see the difference.

I can feel the weather beginning to change. This morning I had to run to the drug store at 8:30 am. I noticed ice on my car, it was 38 degrees (3.3C).

Upon my return we went for our daily walk. The sun came out while we were walking. The high today was 51 degrees (10.5C). This afternoon the clouds rolled in and it began to rain. I had heard that there was a chance for snow flurries. I didn't see any. It only rained for about 30 minutes and then the sun actually came out again.

I really wish I had a fireplace. A log would have been in there for sure. Since I don't have a fireplace I decided to make a pot of Vegetable Chowder. A good hearty soup for a cold day. I like cooking because I don't have to do it all the time. In facts, my special guy does 95% of the cooking. He is a great cook and really enjoys it. I am a lucky girl!!!

Ciao

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Check out the Size of this Leaf

Yesterday I was walking along the Susquehanna River and I saw this leaf and I just couldn't believe the size of it. All of the surrounding leaves seemed normal size, except for this one. Needless to say, I had to bring it home with me and take this picture for you ;-)

As you can see... the leaves have begun to change to brown. From green to gold and red and then to brown.

And the trees are looking quite different as they are beginning to look bare.

The weather is still very much fall like sweater weather. It looks like we might not get any cold weather for the next 15 days or so. Sunny, cool days for now. Yipppeeee. Don't get me wrong, I still want winter to come, it's just these "fall" days are new to me, you don't experience this in California.

Hey the Amish are also very new to me. I have only heard of them through the media. Now I see them up close and will write and tell you about them.

Ciao

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Ghost Update

Okay so I found out it wasn't the ghost that was messing with my hair conditioner. I was telling my special guy about the event (the hair conditioner on the drain) that lead me to believe, without a shadow of doubt, that their are ghost here.

He began laughing and said that it was him, it fell and he was too lazy to pick it up. Okay, to me, that statement is as out there as it may sound to say that their are ghost here. Him "not picking something up" is just not his style. This is the guy who goes behind me to make sure that all the cabinet drawers are pushed in completely.

And by the way, I have a good excuse for not pushing them in ALL the way. This is an old house and especially the bathroom cabinets that are built in, they are solid wood, heavy, old and sometimes it sticks out about 1/8th of an inch, okay or maybe a 1/2 inch. This kind of stuff doesn't bother me... but does him. Hence our differences... me female.. he male..lol...lol..

The weather is beginning to get cooler. It is 39 degrees (3.8C) right now and it is 7:45am. The high today will be 55 degrees (12.7C). In Woodland Hills, California it is in the high 60's (20C) and it will be going up into the 90's (38.8C).

I took this picture 2 nights ago. Can you see the full moon? This is one block from where I live. The church bells ring on the hour and randomly during the day the church bells play various songs.



Ciao

Monday, November 2, 2009

Haunted Houses

I have thought, and still think, that the house I live in is being occupied by someone other than me, my special guy and our 5 cats. Yes, I think some ghost also stays here.

I thought this from the beginning, however, now I am convinced of it. In the beginning, I would hear walking around at night. Then I would hear banging of something at night. Recently, my office door has been open when I get up in the morning. I like to close it to keep the cats out. The first few times, I thought I wasn't closing it good enough. So I made sure it was closed only to find it opened in the morning.

Around 7:00 or 8:00 pm the pipes in the shower made a weird noise. The shower is mainly used in the morning here. So like 12 hours later the pipes are making this loud gurgling noise. And it happens around the same time just about every day. It's weird.

Well, this morning I got up and I was puttering around in the bathroom getting ready to take a shower and I was thinking about the ghost who is here and I pull back the shower curtain and there is my conditioner laying on the drain. The reason that this is so weird, is that this conditioner sits in a stand in the back of the shower about 3 feet from the tub. There is just no way it could have fallen out of the rack, unless it jumped out, or someone was playing with it to see if I noticed.

I have talked to my neighbors and I said, "I think that my house might be haunted", and they say, "Yea, could be, there are lots of houses like this in this area. These are really old homes." The way that they say it is like it is part of life, no big deal, very casual.

Before moving my belonging in here I went through the house burning sage in every room with the intent that nothing here could cause harm to anyone dwelling here. I mean, after all, who am I to make them go away completely....lol...lol... I am thinking that it might be time to make another run through the house with sage.

The picture is of a goth looking house that is on 5th Street about 6 blocks from where I live. I absolutely love the look of this house. It sits on a large lot and has a swimming pool. I would love a house just like this in the middle of the woods.

Ciao

Saturday, October 31, 2009

I am Skipping Halloween This Year


I like Halloween, to me it's like another Mardi Gras day!

I am not a fan of opening the door and giving out candy.

Trick-or-treating is totally different in California. Not many people let their children go door-to-door in the neighborhood.

One way of trick-or-treating in California is that Church Members will decorate their cars and then fill up the Church parking lot. The children in costumes will then go from car-to-car trick-or-treating.

Another way is to take your kids to the mall. The stores usually have someone at the front entrance giving out candy to the kiddies.

Unfortunately, Halloween is also a time when the crazies come out and rain terror on the happy-go-lucky. It is true that razors, pins and needles have been found in apples and other treats given to kids. It is said that 1987 was the craziest year with lots of reports in New York and New Jersey.

Interesting enough, the Humane Society for Animals, has a ban on black cats in most states during the month of October. You can not adopt a black cat for fear it will be tortured and/or used in a satanic ritual. After Halloween you can get all the black kiddies you like.

The picture is of a white pumpkin. I first discovered white pumpkins in California about 20 years ago. I was extremely excited when I found a little one here in Pennsylvania!

Ciao

Friday, October 30, 2009

It's so Weird to See Ferrets Here

So here's the deal... it's illegal to own a ferret in the state of California. This law was enforced in 1933. Rumor is that you can get a permit, however that is only if the ferret is going to be used in a lab or exhibit and then you not only get a permit but the animal gets injected with a lo jack microchip. If your permitted ferret is found anywhere in California, notwithstanding the exhibit or research lab, it will be destroyed.

The Petco here sells them for $129 and they have a live span of about 5 years. They look cute and sweet, don't they?

Ferrets are best described as "cats without attitudes" or "kittens that never grow up". Humm... makes you wonder why such a creature would be considered contraband in California! The California Department of Fish and Game says that they are a wild menace. Apparently they are on the "wild animal" list. The concern is about them attacking people and about them having rabies. Most ferret fans think that they got on the "list" by mistake.

They are also illegal in Hawaii and New York City. I don't know... I am thinking someone should look at the data over the last 76 years and see how many ferret attacks and rabies reports have been filed in the states where ferrets are legal. In 1990 a rabies vaccine was invented for ferrets so that's one less thing these anti-ferret states have to worry about.

Just another thing that I noticed is different here.

Ciao

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Sweeping Up the Leaves

This is all new to me, and what a learning experience it has been. The ground is covered with these beautiful leaves. Today lots of people where sweeping the leaves to the sides of the streets. Tonight a big truck will come by and suck them all up. I was wondering what happened to all the leaves.

Today the wind was blowing and it was lightly raining golden colored leaves. It is truly a beautiful sight to see. Amazingly, the same trees that had green leaves just a few months ago are now sporting colors of orange, red and golden yellow. I really feel like I am living in a vivid oil painting.

My neighbors who live across the street from me are a couple from up-state New York. They told me today that in a couple of weeks all of the trees will be leafless. They were in up-state New York last week and said that all of the trees are leafless up there right now. That will also be pretty new to me. The trees in California never loose ALL of their leaves.

Ciao

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Waking to the Sound of Fire Truck Sirens

It's Sunday morning and before the sun came up I woke up to the sound of fire truck sirens. Not just passing by, but sitting near my front door blaring away. I could hear some people yelling and then 2 car alarms began going off. I could tell they were trying to wake people up.

With all of that, I didn't smell smoke. It's about 4 hours since I woke up and upon going outside I saw that the red brick building in the picture, which is on the same side of the street as me, in the other block, is burning. I noticed people standing behind my house looking at something and I walked back there to see another house on fire.

I talked to my neighbor, Mary who seems to know everything, and she said that there were a total of 4 buildings on fire. The bottom floors of the buildings housed businesses, a children's art school, a laundry mat, a hair salon and an attorney's office. The top floors are residential. Mary informed me that no one was injured.

The wild thing... is that with all the fires that I have lived through in California.. never has one been so close to where I live. I think that is wild.

For some reason I didn't hear the siren that blares through the streets to wake up the volunteer fire department. I just heard the fire truck sirens.

I am really not 100% surprised by the fire. These old buildings have very old wiring. Something that people aren't required to get updated and replaced.

Ciao

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The First Snow of this Season

October 15, 2009, was the first snow of this season. It only snowed for about an hour and hit the ground when it melted.

Last Sunday we decided to drive to Poe Valley State Park. As I drove to the top of the mountain I noticed snow on the sides of the road and the higher we got... the more snow. It was sooooo beautiful seeing the beautiful colored leave in the white snow.

In facts it was sooooo pretty that I had to get out of the car to touch it. The picture is of the snow I picked up.

It started raining yesterday afternoon. A few times during the night I woke up and heard it pouring down outside. It's so different here because you don't wake up to chaos.

In California if it rained, like it did here last night, I would look out of the window and see massive street flooding. People in California use the storm drains as trash cans all summer long, when it isn't raining. So when the rain begins in California it has no where to go except stay in the streets. It should go down the storm drains to the LA river, but it does not always make it there. And then there are the people who don't know how to drive in the rain and so there are tons of accidents.

About 12 years ago my mother came to visit me in Los Angeles. It had rained all night and the next morning she turned on the television and the news man said, "There were 425 car accidents related to the rain, in Los Angeles county, in the past 24 hours." My mother was shocked. I had to inform her that Los Angeles county was pretty big and there are 88 cities the news man was talking about.

I also won't hear of any mud slides here. The burned areas in Los Angeles get soaked with water and then slide down the hills.

Today we are suppose to go to a farm. We met a couple who have organic chickens and we purchase the chicken livers from them for the organic cat food that we make for our 5 cats.

When I woke up, my first thought upon hearing the rain, was that we probably wouldn't be going to the farm today. And then I realized I am in Pennsylvania.... not California.... and people continue on with their lives even in the rain or the snow.

Ciao