Thursday, July 01, 2021
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Sunday, May 09, 2021
Carole's Family on Mother's Day
Bethany must have been taking the picture. Jon and Chris in back. Carole looks so pretty.
Mother's Day 2021
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Gluten Free Bread, the Best Yet
Incidentally, Bethany told me that in Utah I can find parts to my Bosch mixer so maybe I could get the blender replaced?
I did try and make a duplicate bread out of the King Arthur gluten free flour but it was definitely not the same as this.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Massey Garden
Sunday, April 18, 2021
Church during the Pandemic
Friday, April 16, 2021
Easter Lilies and A Laugh
Thursday, April 08, 2021
Eden's Quilt
Wednesday, April 07, 2021
Getting Ready To Move
I am a little worried about using the single bed because Sadie has always slept with me and usuallyshe sleeps on the other side, but see how she pushed me to the edge last night. I need to have her learn to sleep in a new little bed of her own. That may be a challenge. She is 8 years old. There is only room for one single bed and I have two of them (electrric beds). Carole would like to take the other one as she also needs to raise her legs occasionally an it is just very accomodating for an older person to use an electric bed to raise what needs raising to be comfortable and sleep well or sit up in bed without hurting your back. Just need to figure how to get it from Utah to Montana!
Sunday, April 04, 2021
Easter Sunday, 2021
Early Easter Morning
Saturday, April 03, 2021
A Surprising Turn of Events
It is beautiful weather in San Diego and I am loving the springtime. However, I have been troubled for some time and not satisfied with my circumstances and not sure what to do about them.
We had such a challenge looking for a place for me to rent in the San Diego area. Finding something suitable for Sadie and I, that we could afford, and was a reasonable place to live for an 87 old lady who has a dog.
Quite miraculously this place was found in Rancho Bernardo, where I had not even thought of living, and it was perfect. So much light in the home, newly remodeled with a large covered patio and mature landscaping that had gardeners! Even a fireplace! And the real plus was that my furniture fit perfectly, room for every thing and to top it all off, room for all my books!!!! Photo albums and etc I was putting online, etc. It was a perfect location, very quiet and yet so close to everything I would ever want to go to. I even found great medical just 10 minutes away. My children were all within 20 to 30 minutes away. Meagan and her family were just living down the freeway close enough to visit often. The ward was close and people had been wonderful to me.
So why was I not happy, why was it so troubling to me, why was was it stressing me out? I was praying fervently for answers as to whether to renew the rental and if I didn't, where to go and why was I not satisfied with my situation?
And then one morning last week it was as clear to me as a bell. Go back to Utah and live at Treeo where Jeanne is. I could not believe the answer. I never wanted to go back to Utah. I loved living in San Diego after 21 years away. It was perfect here. I never wanted to live in a Senior Living Place, did I? I don't think I ever did. I loved my independence, my own home and yard. This place was so perfect, why wasn't it right? What was missing? When I told my son later, he immediately said, "People". Yes, I did not want to be alone anymore, did I. I wanted to be able to see and talk to people and yet I did not want to live in my children's homes and I had all my stuff I wanted to take with me. And then I realized I did not want to run a house anymore, it takes too much of my time, too much thought. Why did I think I wanted to do that. I really did not want to have to cook anymore. I loved it when I was working for SBA and was living in a hotel where I was serviced. And wouldn't it be fun to have one of my sisters in the same place and yet I could still have my own stuff?
It all seemed absolutely correct, why had I not chosen this before? I was so ceertain of the answer, I immediately called Treeo and was given a Ryan to talk to. I asked all the questions and he gave me all the answers. I then texted Linda and blew her away with my latest thoughts. She was surprised but offered to go up with me to check it out. I texted her back that I did not need to do that. I was familiar enough with it and I knew it was the right thing to do.
The next day Ryan called and gave me a virtual tour of the place and showed me rooms I could choose to live in on the first floor and have a doggie door and fenced area for Sadie, our own little patio. Could he hold it to the end of June? Not sure but asked and came back with the answer and arrangements to do so.
Linda was concerned I was making my mind up too fast. I texted Maria at 5 am and she came over and had lunch and I showed her the plans and, etc. Both of them really thought it was a good idea, actually. The same day James and Camber came over to take Kelsi to a track meet in Poway and me with them to watch. I shared the news with them and they thought it was a great idea, too. Although I must admit there was the thought that I had been neglected too much? I assured them that was not the case at all. Meagan was in Hawaii but I told her to call me as soon as she arrived home. She also was blown away by the decision and was disappointed to see me go but, too, could see the sensibility behind the decision. The fuarniture I could not take was being spoken for, and I began moving items I could not take to one side of the garage. And my mind was so at ease.
Thank you, Lord, for helping direct my life, once again.
SBA Shirt 2003
Friday, March 19, 2021
New Bundle of Joy
Khamsin Rye Alaoui-Valko 7 lb 14 oz 19.5 In
Mitch Valko and Bahia Alaoui are the proud parents. They are living in Bremerton, WA and Mitch is a park ranger!!!
Saturday, March 06, 2021
In the Hot Tub at Rancho Santa Fe
Meagan sent over this old picture of when I was staying at James' home in Rancho Bernardo and Keira and Eden were in the hot tub with me.
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Sarah In Town and Came to Lunch
Monday, February 15, 2021
The Eczema Puzzle
In the last several years my face has been more sensitive to cancer, keratosis, dermatitis, eczema, etc. Dealing with it all has been a nightmare and I have had more than one dermatologist depending on where I was living at the moment.
A couple of months ago I was dealing with possible cancer which turned out to be acitinic keratosis and I met a new dermatologist in Rancho Bernardo. It cleared up.
A couple weeks ago eczema flared up after eating about 5 of Costco Cream Cheese Danish (they are so wonderful but never again) over a two week period. I figured it was all the dairy and wheat that I have a problem with.
This week it flared up even more and the itch is driving me crazy.
Since I have been doing Keto this last week I have now resolved that it is probably the heavy cream usage. I at first blamed it on the Aussie Mousse I was trying but now I am realizing I just cannot have any dairy. I switched to almond milk a couple years or so ago. I probably should switch to coconut oil for my butter, too. It is always a time consuming challenge chasing down what it is that is causing my problem at the time. And, of course, you always suspect stress...
I have always had bad allergies but finding out just what it is has always been a challenge...so I will go to coconut milk, etc. and see if my eczema goes away!! UGH!
Yes, the brown spots are from all the sun, heard that before. There was all the sun sitting around the Glendive pool but the most sun was crewing on a sailboat for about three years when I came to San Diego to teach school in 56!!!!
The Stealing of Flags
Saturday morning when I was sitting on the edge of my bed and facing my window and making a text message call I noticed my flag was missing from my pole and only the corners were left. In the next moment I saw that my neighbor's flag across the street was no longer flying.
I quickly brought in the flag pole and called my neighbor John to see if he knew his flag was missing.
What I have learned since. There has been a number of yard flag stealing in Rancho Bernardo and North Park that we know of. No one has an idea of who is doing it. Police flags such as BLM have also been taken.
They could have taken my whole pole and not cut my flag as they did, if they wanted a whole flag. They could have taken my neighbor's flag without taking the lanyard etc.
This is considered a hate crime nationally. My house is on the corner and there is a street light so it was easy for them to see what they were doing which is why they maybe did not take the flag at the end of the cul de sac.
Is it just teen agers cruising on a Friday night making mischief or is it something more sinister? The police said they have no clue.
Sadie did sit up at one point in the middle of the night and yet did not want to go out like she usually does, so she must have heard them. I heard nothing even though the flag post is only about 12 feet from my bedroom.
Update: Feb 21, 2021
It did hit the news and a couple who had cameras showed the culprits. They looked like adults in hoodies. They have not caught the culprits or have an explanation of why. The neighbor to John gave him a new flag but it was not the size needed and so John gave it to me. I love seeing my flag waving again.