California Dreaming

So I just finished working on my budget for 2014.  How depressing.  I am back to where I was in 1999--living on Social Security with no job. How impossible.  When I bought my house in 1998 John said I could not afford a house.  How right he was.  People on SS or minimum wage cannot afford a house, a car or a dog.  So what do they do?  What do I do? Go without, beg, borrow, steal?  Maybe all but the latter!!!  It got me to thinking in the night, if I played the lottery and won the lottery what would I do with my money? This is really quite a fun exercise.

First, I would pay off every one of my descendant's student loans and any other debts they had--including my own.  Secondly, I would see that everybody over 25 had a home and new car of their own and I would buy a second home by the beach.  Then I would have my kitchen counters redone and the whole house painted inside and out.  But before that, I would have the front deck and roof extended---I liked that idea when John suggested it and I would put in a Jacuzzi somewhere.  How about another window put in the side of the house or good skylights built in so there is more light.  I would probably replace the carpets in the bedrooms and buy new quilts.  Hmm, what else?  Replace the tubs with showers?  Maybe one because I still like my bubble bath or if I had a Jacuzzi, would I need that?  l would throw out all the old pots and pans and start over--same with kitchen dishes and glasses--

And I would work harder on losing some weight and exercise so that I would look good when I saw myself in the three way mirrors at the stores and all the clothes I tried on looked great!!!  You should shop at least once a month so you realize what you really look like!!!

I would not care to travel anymore but maybe high definition TVs and also mirrors on the closet doors and ceiling fans in the other bedrooms and how about a new desktop computer that was really fast and I could Skype easier.

And how about replacing all the garden areas with good soil so everything grows better--while I am wishing.

I could even fence an area to keep the deer out and grow some veggies!!!!

OK, that is enough, back to reality and what's for breakfast--as Scarlett said, "I will think abut it tomorrow."

Rained all day and I watched a very touching movie "Unfinished Song"--about a Senior Center, singing, and death of your loved one and being left alone--Vanessa Redgrave is amazing at her age.

A Day of TV

I finished the French series of "Count of Monte Cristo" today and I think they did a great job of being authentic to the book.  Now I understand yet another version is being made in Hollywood.  I am interested to know who will be the "Count".  I liked how at the end he is trying to forgive instead of just seek revenge and is that really how the book ended?  I can't remember, I better read it again.

I also watched "In the Land of Blood and Honey" which I missed first time around.  I have to believe that Angelina is one smart cookie.  I know she took a lot of criticism but I think she did a great job of presenting the way things probably were and yet showed the warmth and evilness of both sides. What atrocities in the world, though...man at his worst.

I may not finish 'Casual Vacancy'--I am not really enjoying all the unpleasantness of so many people. It is a rather jaded look at people or is it reality????

I also prepared for the days of rain expected and did a run to Walmart.  Five days of rain and snow in the mountains is expected.  We may go home to snow after all.

Later I watched "Remembrance" a based on true story about a Polish guy and a Jewish girl who escaped from a Nazi camp and then later became separated.  She was pregnant and he did not know it.  They each thought the other died only to discover 30 years later they are both alive.  The movie ends with them about to meet so your imagination can run wild.  Does she leave her husband and stay with him?  Can they even converse or care about each other?  Did she tell her daughter who the real father was--did the daughter get to meet him?  I am sure there is more to the story...

Small World Elicits More Memories

Small world again!!!  The Pulsiphers were invited to the neighbors house for dinner and I opted to stay home.  Lo and behold the husband is the son of a former acquaintance whom I had dated a couple of times in 1959 in San Diego and known for awhile.  I remember that week well.

I had just come back from BYU and moved into a new place.  It was purposely an apartment upstairs as I felt safer and a young couple with a baby lived next door.  Both Colleen and Marta were now married.  I had broken up with Bill (we were planning marriage and then broke up). It was the religion  problem again.  My parents were going to meet us in Salt Lake City and so drove on down to see how I was.  It was late May I think.  I have written about that strange episode earlier so skipping to this week I returned from BYU.

I went to church Sunday night and all my friends were there.  Norma had written there was a new guy in the ward she wanted me to meet.  I said, "No". It was Richard, and he immediately came up after the meeting and introduced himself and asked if I would go to the Fireside with him.  I told him Danny had already asked me.  Sometime Clinton (the father of the neighbor) asked me to go golfing on Saturday morning and Bob asked me to go to a movie on Wednesday.  I had been dating Bill, a nonmember for a few years, and was suddenly "available" and that is why I was getting rushed.   Monday was Labor Day and Richard took me to Balboa Park but  he asked for another date and we settled on Friday night.   He knew I had these other dates. Tuesday we were decorating for something at Mutual and I remember talking to all of them.  We were all in transition.

Danny had been dating Lani, but was unsure about marriage yet and was always flirting with me,   We had been in a play together and I played his mother!!  He even visited me when I had my wisdom teeth out and brought me ice cream.  Clinton had been dating a girl but really wanted to date her roommate I found out when we decided we did not have any chemistry but enjoyed talking only.   We had gone golfing and on one other date before I found this out.  Richard had broken up with a girl sometime before he came to San Diego and had been dating another in San Diego before I came back in August.  Bob was getting ready to get out of the Navy and had asked me out before.  We were all friends as there was only one Stake at that time and we all went to the Saturday night dances.  I used to bring Bill when he would come with me but we often sailed on Saturday and Sunday afternoon if there were races so we were not always there.

Anyway I remember encouraging Clinton on our last date (as I was now having feelings for Richard) to never mind the code of not dating the roommate of a former girl you had dated.  If he felt that strongly about her, he should ask her out.  He did and they later married.  He was Temple President when Richard died and when my children and I went to the Temple a few days later it was so crowded but his wife intervened and brought us to the front of the line and had more chairs added so we could immediately get into a session.  I always appreciated that kindness to us.

Anyway Danny married Lani and lives down the street from Meagan.  Richard took me to meet his mother the second week after he met me.  He thought all the guys were after me and he dropped all other dating and concentrated on me.  He was a "Take Charge Guy" and I pretty much let him take charge of my life.  The neighbors next door said "some guy keeps running up the stairs to see if you are home".  He was an appraiser for a bank so I guess when he was in the area he would check to see if I was home.  A strange think about chemistry.  I remember Richard and I felt very comfortable together and I would let him hold my hand that first day.  Whereas the other guys I did not want them to even touch me.  Except Danny and I had chemistry but I never thought of him as marriage material for some reason, just a fun guy to flirt with...

I don't know what happened to Bob.  He was such a nice guy and really thought I was the one for him.  At any rate I was living alone, teaching school with no chance of time off and Richard had just started a new job, etc. etc. etc.  so we married on a Friday evening six weeks after we met and were back to work on Monday morning and lived at my place for about a week before we moved to a bigger place where Richard had been living with a roommate and the roommate moved out.  It was in Normal Heights and I was teaching at Hamilton School not too far away.  I taught school till the end of the term and then we moved to Pacific Beach on Felspar.  Loved living there!!!  Richard had changed jobs and was working for a firm in La Jolla, rather than downtown.   It was all a whirlwind with Richard managing everything...I let him handle everything until he had his heart attack in 1969 and then I stepped up to become more of a partner than a princess being taken care of...I always liked being a princess.

Oh, yes, the other funny thing that happened.  After our first Friday night date Richard was just saying good night to me at the top of the stairs when Bill appeared and Richard had to leave.  I think that further pushed him to drop everything else and pursue me.  Who knows...

Danny as the son, me as the Mom

Bob was fourth from right--oh and John second from right I dated prior to Bill--a lot of singles in the ward.

Norma is on the right end and Danny, fourth from the left.

Bill

Richard

Living the Good Life

It has been a long time since I posted, I must be living a busy life...I am!  The days are whizzing by and it will soon be time to head north.  I am going early as Mitch and Hana need a ride up and Hana will be dropped off at Tahoe and Mitch will stay for a while.  He is trying to get work in Tahoe with Matt but it probably will not start until April. 

Matt has been here and I have eaten out with him, Maria, Linda, Linda and Gary, and James.  So far I have had Fish tacos about five times since I have been here, a couple of Paneras salads, tacos at Jack in the Box, Strawberry shakes, hot fudge sundaes from McDonalds, Pizza twice at Blaze (gluten free)Tortilla soup from Chilis, wonderful salad from the Yellow Deli and yesterday Linda and I went to Meagan's after going to the Temple and Linda bought Mexican and Sprinkles cupcakes for lunch.  I needed to deliver a present for Keira's third birthday.  Naturally my camera did not function.  Keira really liked the Press Me book I had bought.  I was trying to pick one out at Barnes and Noble and this Grandma told me her grandchildren loved that one--what a surprise as it is just dots of color, but it is interactive and Meagan said Keira had to read it twice more and then took it to bed with her flashlight so I guess it is fun for children.

Tonight everyone is coming to Linda's for another get together as Matt is leaving next week and hasn't seen everyone.

James and I saw a stupid movie "Winter's Tale" while everyone else went to the Lego movie--we should have gone there.  What a lot of driving we had to do though, picking up friends and driving to the movie and then back to take Sarah and I home.  It is so much driving in the city.

Wednesday Matt had free lunch coupons for "Veggie Girl"--that was different, I had a Kale salad and it was good but I do not think I would choose it over Rubios Fish Tacos, or Paneras salads, or Chilis tortilla soup... 

Today Sadie goes in for grooming.  She had a bad upset last weekend and it cost me a fortune at the Vet's but she is well and happy again.  She had bad diarrhea for about 4 days and I could not resolve it...

I have been enjoying the Olympics, American Idol, and reading and listening to so many books...I have nothing but fun things to do--it will be hard to get back home and have a house to tend!!!

Good Food and Interesting Memories

Last Sunday I ate at Maria's.   We first sat in the Jacuzzi and enjoyed the sun, surf and Jacuzzi all at the same time.  Then Maria deep fat fried cut up corn tortillas and sprinkled them with sea salt while Matt made guacamole with onions, tomatoes, mangoes and spices.  Wow, this was so good.   Maria had also slow cooked chicken with salsa all day and was that ever delicious!  Nice day.

Friday night everyone came over and Gary cooked hamburgers and brats on the barbecue at the community pool--Maria brought more chips and drinks, Kelly brought yummy guacamole, Camber brought salads and Linda brought all the extras for hamburgers plus lemon bars and Kelly and I each brought cookies.  Great food again.  Hard to get enough of those brats!!!  Enjoyed being with all the family down here yet again.

Today one of my former Primary students and daughter of friends I first met in 1956 when I came here spoke in church about Religious Freedom.  It was an excellent talk and she said she would email me a copy,  I hope she does.   Later I talked to the grandson of people I knew in La Jolla in the sixtys. They were both doctors and the wife was an immunologist.  She had a famous clinic in regards to cancer cure.  In order to earn money toward a youth event I donated my blood at the clinic.  This was a little different from the usual blood donating.  I had to go to the clinic a couple of times for testing and then the donation was done live from donor to recipient.  It took a long time and I remember the lady was from Great Britain.  It netted $50 for our youth group!!!   What a small world.

Another person I recently remembered was a Jackie I worked with in the 80's.  She was the manager of Ameristar, a Mortgage Banker we brokered loans, too.  She and I had become quite well acquainted and she told me she was the daughter of Joe Louis!  Joe Louis was a famous boxer in the pre WWII years and after, too.  He was a hero of the nation and was the World Heavyweight Champion, having beat a boxer from Germany.  In the documentary I watched this week  I learned why Jackie had a different last name than Louis.  Joe Louis dropped his last name Barrow when he first starting boxing in the 30's.  He was also divorced from Jackie's mother when Jackie was only about three or four years old according to the documentary. She was a darling little girl, but I got the idea that she had not seen her father too much while she was growing up.  As I say, it is a small world.

Yesterday Linda and I saw "Frozen" since we had both missed it.  It was very enjoyable.  Prior to the movie we went to a Mex restaurant Maria and I had gone to a few years ago and I thought it was good.  Woe to us, neither of our dishes was that great for San Diego Mex food so they are crossed off our list of places to eat.

I talked to Maryanne in Chester today and she said it is 62 degrees up there!!!  She has lived there since 1966 and she said there has never been a winter like this!!!! I am sure when I return the snow will come but by then it will melt easily...we need the moisture so badly.