Snow, Snow, Snow

Looking skyward in my backyard.

A Big Hello from New Friends

It's a lovely snowy morning and new friends are enjoying my habitat and welcoming me back. No fear here, just a curious look.

CALIFORNIA HERE I AM!

Back on my own front porch with lovely snow on the trees and back in my own comfy bed...

and back in front of my own fire on my own couch--Aah, life is good!

Mark and Maria picked me up at the Reno airport on Friday and it was a beautiful sunny, snow laden view all the way home.

This truly is paradise as I was was often telling my Texas friends...

After six months, it's good to be home...there is still lots of work left in Texas though, I deserted my post to recoup a little...

World Financial Sends Congratulations!

This was sent to all the agents of World Financial Group!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to my son James. He was just made a CEO in World Financial Group, a financial organization he and Camber have been associated with since 1992. I worked with James for two years after Richard passed away and saw the excellent leadership he gave to his coworkers in San Diego. Congrats, James, we are all proud of you.

NOW KARLA LEAVES US!

Our Beaumont group dwindles. Karla was called yesterday to go to Napa in California where approximately 1000 homes were damaged in the flooding and landslides of last month. We will miss Karla. She was our Excel expert who created forms for us to use to make our closings and such go a little smoother. Besides that she sings like Janis Joplin! And she is from Ohio! It seems the "out of staters" were called to California and four of us Northern Californians are left in the Beaumont office with our lone Texan Barb, "the closer"! Go figure!

Goodbye, Mary and Deloris

We know we are getting to the end of Disaster Assistance when some of our favorite people are sent home. Mary (on the left) will be going home tomorrow and we will miss her "merry" smile and upbeat spirit. Our social life will probably dwindle as well, she was the one who saw that everyone was included and that we celebrated regularly together. Here our Beaumont group is downstairs at the Hampton Inn with the Orange group saying our farewells to Mary of Beaumont and Deloris (second on left) of Orange. Seen in the forefront of the pix is Dave, Barb, Dean, Mary, Suzanne, Sirdon and Karla and in the rear of the picture is Deloris, Amy, Marlene, and FEMA reps from the Orange office. Supposedly we are still waiting for 4 states to be declared for flooding but evidently there are still too many of us out here. It won't be long and I will be going home, too.

Trip to Galveston and Kemah

So what do you do on a sunny day off from the Beaumont DRC? You drive to Galveston! Mary, Suzanne, Barb and Janet drove to Winnie and then down 73 headed for the ferry and--Lo and behold after driving through a yucky part of Texas you come upon a beach area called Crystal Beach and there are some very lovely streets just a few steps from the beach. Riding on the Ferry from Crystal Beach to Galveston--Children try to be brave enough to hold the bread while the birds swoop down for it. Shopping on the Strand in Galveston is always fun--Mary, Barb and Janet bought bracelets, charms and earrings in a new favorite store The Front Parlor. Posing in front of the warm Gulf across from where Gwenda and Janet lived in Galveston. I was trying to get a picture of the unusual blue and pink Gulf skyline as well as the ladies of SBA on the Boardwalk at Kemah. Beautiful, right? One final thing to end the day--dessert at The Flying Dutchman--only Suzanee resisted--we had Italian Cream Cake and Pecan Pie with Bourbon Sauce. Yum, yum--a fun day.

Happy Birthday! 73 Years Young!

Another birthday on the road. Mary, Suzanne, Sirdon, Dave, and Dean, the other SBA reps from the Disaster Recovery Center, shared my birthday with me at the Country Italian restaurant of Johnny Carino's. I had the grilled salmon which has pecan and sauce on the salad. Really yummy and enough for lunch. My favorite cake is the Red Velvet and it says "Over the Hill" on top of the cake.

 

All of these SBA reps are from the Sacramento area and have been left to serve in the Beaumont, Tx office. The Texans who served with us were called to the fires in north and central Texas.

A Good Change!

Who works for SBA in the Beaumont DRC? Sirdon and Mary from Sacramento.Karla from Ohio and me, of course.

Last week we had some good changes made in the office--Dave was made the Team Lead and we are all enjoying the new peaceful, calm environment we are working in. Dave is from Sacramento.

Suzanne is also from Sacramento.

Here is Mary again with Dean from Sacramento.

Our closer, Barb, is from Fort Worth.

Gwenda went to work in the Austin office and Evanne was sent to the fires in Texas and we will miss them. However, we are all happy with the leadership change. Saturday morning I saw my coworkers walking in with the biggest smiles I have seen in a long time. It was a pleasant, peaceful morning and we all celebrated at Olive Garden!!!

Christmas 2005

 Where I was in 2005!

San Diego

Galveston

San Diego for the Holidays-Part 1

After loading the Kia Sorrento (nice little rental) with everything I wasn't taking for my holiday I left the car at a wonderful shuttle service near HOUSTON Hobby and flew to San Diego. I would not be coming back to Galveston so I had to check out and take everything with me. Linda met me and outlined our plans for the three days at her home. First off we went to a spectacular community Christmas program that night. Linda also had some of my favorite caramels she had made so it was a great beginning to a six day hiatus from Texas.

 

Next day I was long overdue for a haircut from my favorite stylist. Nadine Babbitt in Pacific Beach has been doing my hair since the mid 60's. At that time I had long red hair and she would pull it up on my head in curls. The kids said they could always tell it was me when they viewed an audience from the rear--Looked like Mrs. Simpson I guess. When I was working in San Diego she would do my hair every 5-7 days but when I moved to the mountains I told her I had to do it myself so that is the way it has been--just a hair cut whenever I am in town.

 

Next Tanner and I went to a mod Jack in the Box in Pacific Beach. They had a fireplace and I could warm my toes while I had my favorite two tacos and pumpkin shake, yum yum. Pacific Beach is where we lived in the 6o's and it was a little run down with typical beach cottages. Now it is really looking good with upgraded homes and many apartment buildings and smart commercial areas. It is an expensive place to live now. We sold our two story home in 1969 for $47,500 and were doing very well. Of course, we bought in to La Jolla for $59,000. I should be rich!!! Maria gave me a medal of Francis of Assisi for Christmas. She had found it in John's camera which Meagan had given her. It is a reminder to me that poverty or wealth is not what is important or what determines your happiness.

Sarah, Tanner and I made snowman cookies--the instructions were not too clear but they tasted good even if they did fall over.

A few of the Pulsipher clan gather round the table. Kelly, Tanner, Gary, Amy, and Craig.

  Linda and Gary ponder one of the wonders at the Reuben J. Fleet Science Center. We had just been to the IMAX viewing of "Santa Vs the Snowman."

  Tanner and Sarah join them as they watch the affects of movement on soil. The whole Center has been redone since I last went there and it is really fascinating.

  Waiting for the "best subs in San Diego" at Poma's. Gary has been eating here since he was a 

teenage surfer. It is a long drive from El Cajon but Tanner says this is where we must eat!

 

Sarah stands outside Poma's. It was well worth the drive as it is a great place to eat and near the very first place I stayed when I visited San Diego in 1956 and applied for a teaching position in the San Diego Unified School District. 

Colleen (a college roommate) and I had taken a month trip from Port Angeles, Washington to San Diego trying to find the perfect place to teach school. We found it on July 3 and applied for positions. Although we went home without jobs we were assured they loved BYU graduates and we would be starting that fall.

The one who made the decision was on vacation but sure enough, contracts followed, and in fall 1956 we both started teaching in San Diego and our first home was a cottage near Balboa Park with delicious oranges hanging from a tree in the patio. Neither of us had ever picked an orange from a tree.

 I had a wonderful time with the Pulsiphers and James had left his Mercedes for me to drive to his new home in Rancho Santa Fe--It was a beautiful drive and I marveled again at how beautiful San Diego County is, especially after four months in Texas!