Flooding Disaster in Wrightwood California

 

Hello, Everyone.  I have been meaning to post, but am still in shock over the flooding we experienced up in the mountains on Christmas Eve.  I chose to weather the atmospheric rivers up there, thinking it would be safer on high ground.  My cottage is in a flood zone, so I packed up the car and the dogs, and got everything prepared for the storm.

We were fortunate in many ways.  I had spent hours stacking firewood, and brought plenty inside so that it would be dry.  The wood burning fireplace insert keeps the cabin warm, especially upstairs, since heat rises.  The previous owners left stacks of wool blankets, which I piled on the bed.  

My Jackery charger kept my phone and mini iPad charged, and I can also plug a lamp into it.  The power went out for days, so I relied on the food stockpile and tried not to open the fridge.  I did not want to cook outside with my camper stove in that violent storm, so I heated water for tea and coffee in the hot coals of my fireplace.  Good thing I still have a vintage Melita coffee maker!

My hot water heater was working, so the luxury of soaking in a hot bath each night was sublime.  I received numerous messages and calls from friends who were watching in horror on the news.   It helped tremendously to talk with them and with no Internet, I had not yet seen the images.

I checked in with a local friend of mine who is also my realtor.   She knows all about houses and has decades of experience in Wrightwood.  She had been evacuated, and was down staying in La Verne with her son.  Our power didn’t return when expected, so I drove the long way down to my cottage, making a large two hour circle to avoid the flooded and damaged roads.  It was a huge relief to arrive home and have heat, lights, Internet, a working fridge, stove and oven, and safety.

I talked with my neighbor who is a singer and listened to she and her husband’s take on the situation.  They were doing well and had ham radios.  Many people were hit very hard.  Some of the homes are filled with mud, and have been condemned.  It is tragic for the owners.  That could have been any of us.  The burn scar from last year’s fire has left us in a very precarious situation.  I worry that it will be like Malibu.  

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Winter Activities

 

Today the Newhall Community Center set up a festive table with cookies, candy canes, and devil’s food cupcakes,  They offered steaming coffee and hot chocolate.  It was beautifully done, and very thoughtful.

The women who work there went to a lot of work decorating the gymnasium where we play table tennis.  They did a lovely job.  I thought it was very touching.

I have been making some hearty meals this time of year.  Above was a dinner of pork chops and skillet Russet potatoes.   The days are short and the dogs and I feel very sleepy early in the evening.  I love this time of year.

How are things with you?

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Snow in Wrightwood

 

We had a peaceful snowfall the other night.  Everything was so clean and quiet around the cabin.  It has become foggy and wet.  I love the peace and stillness of winter.  Sitting by the fire, baking, reading library books, and going to bed early all heal me.  The long nights are comforting, and we sleep soundly in the mountains.

On Wednesday I made a batch of cauliflower cheese soup.  The recipe is on the blog; you can search for it. Homemade stews and casseroles are so satisfying in the cold, dark weather.  I used a rich homemade chicken stock with fresh herbs that I also shared with the dogs.  They love to have hot broth as gravy on their kibble.

It is more challenging in these frigid temperatures to do yoga at night.  I spread out a down comforter as a mat, and wear layers of merino wool and alpaca.  This is the weather for knitters!  The sauna is heating up for a purging sweat and cold plunge this afternoon.  The dogs are curled up comfortably, snoozing on the coach.  They are soaking in the heat from our wood fireplace insert.  It makes the cabin feel so cozy.  

Are you staying warm?

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More Photos From Hawaii

 

The above video I took last week in Kauai.  We spent two nights there on NCL’s Pride of America.  The beach was absolutely breathtaking.  I took a taxi to Poipu Beach  from the port.  The driver agreed to transport m me the forty minutes each way.  

When he dropped me off, he changed his mind and told me to call the company for a ride back to the ship.  I got annoyed with him, and reminded him of our agreement.  He had initially said he would meet me there in an hour.  I told him I was angry at his dishonesty.

After swimming and sunbathing. I walked by the local shops and dialed the number he had given me on my cell phone.  It didn’t work.  I sighed, wondering how I was going to get all the way back to the ship.  I was out in the middle of nowhere.  I heard a few honks, and saw the driver of the taxi parked at my drop off point.  He had decided to honor our agreement after all.

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Home From Hawaii: A Fantastic Cruise on The Pride of America

 

Last week I took an unforgettable cruise to four of the Hawaiian Islands on NCL.  It went way beyond what I had imagined!  Hawaii was magical, feminine, and deeply healing.  Ship life was relaxing and filled with fun and friendship.  I was so impressed with NCL’s organization and attention to detail.  The crew was exceptional.

These four ladies were a riot!  I enjoyed chatting with them by the pool.  The knew how to celebrate and have a good time.  Their enthusiasm was contagious.

The beaches were pristine and heavenly.  I went kayaking at a local beach next door to our port in Kaui.  I was a little nervous, seeing the waves, and being out there on my own, but the beach goers encouraged me.  A man and his wife near the shore complimented me on my landing.  I needed help getting out into the water.  The guy who rented me the ocean kayak gave me a push, and I paddled with all my might and determination.

Each day I received a knock on my cabin door, and delicious goodies were delivered.  I devoured the chocolate truffles, desserts, chocolate covered strawberries, homemade gelatin candies, and wine.  My dear friend Richard got me VIP status.  I was very spoiled.

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Parents Who Demand Their Child Be the Best

 

When I was a young dancer, a mother of one of the girls who was from Japan used to glare at me with hatred when we passed in the halls.  I would smile and say hi to her, but she was a raging Tiger Mother.  Our teachers had given me a half scholarship and asked me to work as a teacher’s assistant each afternoon.  The money I made I used to pay for  my classes, pointe shoes, costumes and ballet seminars.  This woman felt her daughter should have been chosen for the opportunity.  She wasn’t.  I had natural teaching abilities that were evident at a very young age..  I was on the studio payroll at thirteen.  My father was impressed that the owner, Mr. Kirkpatrick, deducted social security taxes from my check each week.

Mrs. T. was livid, and she made no attempt to hide it.  She placed extreme pressure on her shy, quiet daughter.  The girl had natural talent, but lacked the drive, desire and confidence to excel.  To me, she seemed extremely obedient, submissive, and almost ashamed.  She looked down a lot, apologetically.

My dad used to tell my brothers and I,  “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.”  That stayed with me.   In table tennis, if I improve and am able to apply what I learn under pressure, I am happy.  I have played with people from cultures who can’t bear to lose even one point to a woman who looks like me.  They react in a panic, and immediately lie, cheat, or order me to leave the table and play with someone from my own race.  This is the dark side of being a poor sport.  Many are experienced and adept cheaters.  In singing and dancing, you can’t fake what you do.  If you don’t hit the high C, the audience hears it.   If you are out of shape, you won’t be able to perform the choreography to a professional standard.

I am thankful now that I learned as a child to congratulate the winner,  not get upset by losses, and to develop the discipline to go back to class or practice the next day.

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Staying in Your Budget in Retirement

 Today I listened to a story on YouTube about a couple who financed an expensive RV during retirement.  It is eating a huge chunk out of their monthly budget.  I thought about my own strategy.  I drive an older car, and combine errands to save gas.  My hobbies are extremely inexpensive.  I ride my used beach cruiser with my dogs, read library books, play table tennis, and cook and bake.  Most of these activities are free.

I do splurge on travel, but get discounts through a close friend.  I also research and find what is most valuable to me.  As professional dancers, we traveled all over the world  together.  The company manager arranged our flights and the buses to the hotel.  With the Internet, you can really find the best deals and read up on boutique hotels and charming bed and breakfasts.  I have been very fortunate with the places I’ve stayed.  I can usually tell right away from the photos.

I have a few practice partners I meet with regularly to play table tennis.  We do exercises for accuracy  and work on drills.  It’s fun, social, and excellent exercise.  It’s much less expensive to attend the local senior programs than to join a club.  I still would like to have my own ping pong table at home.  My family had one on our back patio, growing up.  We would all play for hours.

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An Exciting Time Competing in the 2025 San Diego Senior Games

 

Gary Nishikida, Stephenie Lawton, Faye Gilbert and Arun Kumar 

Mixed Doubles Gold Medalists 

The San Diego Senior Games, 2025.

Last Sunday I drove one hundred and forty miles from Wrightwood, California to the Balboa Park Activities Center in San Diego.  I got up at 4:00 a.m., and made coffee and breakfast.  I packed a light lunch of fresh peaches, raw cashews, and bagged up  a couple of homemade scones.  

It was still dark outside when I warmed up the car at 5:30 a.m.  Wearing my table tennis dress and a shawl I had once knit for my mother, I headed down I-15,  my hand written directions laying on the seat next to me.  It was a straight shot to San Diego with very little traffic, which is highly unusual for this commute.  My friend Anita, who is a local,  gave me perfect directions.

I was of the first players to arrive.  There was plenty of parking, right near the building.  I found shelter from the sprinkling rain and I started my Russian conditioning warm up just outside of the building.  People began drifting into line to register.  I was asked to compete in women’s doubles and mixed doubles, due to low enrollment.  I agreed.  

It was an exciting and challenging day.  I am not used to playing so many matches in a row.  It was exhausting, and I felt my blood sugar drop around noon.  I was very glad I had packed some healthy snacks and brought water.  The levels were varied.  I played people who are new to the sport and was also paired with the top male player in the club.   That was very exciting!   Our opponent is  one of the best in the world!  I focused on staying calm, watching the ball, and thinking of it all as choreography.    Practicing at our local community centers, senior center, and training with the pros at Allen and Sons helped me greatly.  Anastasia, Fovad, Bella, Rudy and Zichery prepared me for the tournament.  

To my surprise and delight, I was awarded Gold in Women’s Singles, 60-65, Gold in Mixed Doubles, 60-65, and Silver in Women’s Doubles.  Phew!  It was definitely worth all of the private lessons, group classes, and hours of practice and off the court training.  It is four days later, and I am still recovering.  

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Energy Clearing Bath

 

This afternoon I filled my cast iron bathtub with hot water, and poured in a cup of epsom salts, and a cup of baking soda. This is an effective way to cleanse any outside energies from your aura.  I used to take them regularly when I taught dance and yoga.

When we are around groups of people from different cultures, or who have opposing views to ours, there can be a clash of belief systems.  This can also occur when you are from a country where women have equal rights, and you are mixing with people from a place where women do not have any rights.

I find it helpful to get grounded and to reconnect with nature.  Earlier today I browned and seasoned some cubes of beef, added water and vegetables, and simmered a pot of beef stew on the stove.  Having that home cooked meal got me centered again.

Being in these situations always makes me appreciate my home, career, retirement, and independence.  

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Avoiding Workaholic Tendencies in Retirement

 

While practicing table tennis with a lady from my club the other day, I realized that I had made my schedule far too grueling.  She agreed, and admitted that she had done the same thing, at eighty.  She is still working.  I was getting up at 4:30 a.m. to drive extremely long distances to train.  An hour private lesson was stacked private in front of a stressful two hour group lessons.  I felt exhausted, and rarely had a day off…the grind I had choreographed continued.

I realized that I was recreating the workaholic lifestyle I led as a dancer.  I always had to be in incredible shape, and on top of my game.  Now Iwas pushing myself too hard, neglecting my household chores, and overworking, this time as a senior athlete.  It’s easy to slip into this behavior if you have that kind of personality.  This was not how I envisioned as my retirement.  What about travel, hobbies, and nature?

I changed my schedule, cut back on some driving and commitments, and decided to enjoy more leisure at the cabin.  What a relief to cook delicious meals, pick up my knitting, and sweat it out in the sauna.  It takes mental focus to not become over scheduled.  Sometimes we have to compare our actions with our vision.

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Pick and Choose Wisely

 

When I was nineteen, dancing in my first production show, I was invited out after the second show by a male dancer who I greatly admired. He was gorgeous, funny, in incredible shape, and we got along well.  I was hopeful that this was the beginning of an exciting romance.

After eating a late dinner at a restaurant that he chose, he wanted to sit in the casino and gamble. I said I would watch.   We had just cashed our paychecks. I had mine mentally organized with the bills I needed to pay: rent, utilities, groceries, gas for the car, and my precious ballet classes.

As I sat next to him on a tall leather stool, I watched him gamble away his entire paycheck.  It made me feel sick to my stomach.  My energy deflated, I wondered how he was going to pay all of his bills.  The several hundred dollars he had earned had been eaten up eaten up by the machines over a few hours.  I was bored and exhausted.

So much for my hopes of a romantic evening and future with him.  It was quite a lesson.  As we walked out, he pointed of a picture of himself on the wall of the casino.  “See that,” he bragged.  “That’s me when I won $10,000.00.  It will happen again.”  He was flanked by two showgirls.  My heart sank.  I doubted it.

In spite of all he had going for him, he was self destructive.  These holes  grow larger as people age.    In retrospect, I am glad now that I learned of his addictions early on…I knew that lifestyle wouldn’t work for me.  

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Taking a Blogging Break

 Hi blogging friends.  I am taking a break from my blog, due to a very busy schedule.  Hope everyone is having a fabulous summer…I am!  Have met some exciting and talented people through table tennis, and am enjoying the challenging training.  Hope you are all staying fit, happy, and healthy!  Keep me posted on how you are doing…

Party for the Medal Winners of the 2025 Pasadena Senior Games

 

This afternoon I attended a party for the medal winners of the Pasadena Senior Games.  “Wear your medals!” The invitation stated.  I got ready early, walked the dogs, and drove down the mountain onto the 15 South, and then took the 210 West to Pasadena.  It was a sunny and quiet day.  I found parking near the Metro station and the senior center.

Since we arrived early, I chatted with a couple of men in the lobby.  Both were lean and athletic.  They pushed themselves very hard, and let me know their accomplishments and times.  Both were gold medalists.  “Lots of Type A’s,” I chuckled to myself.  The woman sitting next to me at lunch had a backpack full of medals that  she had accumulated this year!  She has plans to complete a triathalon tomorrow.   It sounds like a demanding and exhausting lifestyle.

Some were headed to the Nationals and World Games.  I will wait until next year.  I am mostly interested in private lessons and training.  I love the learning aspect.  It makes the games so much easier, by giving me a toolbox.  Some people never lose that competitive edge.  It’s still nice to relax and take a rest, though.  

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