A doll's house (1973)

It's Good To Be Home

 Traveling always makes me appreciate the little things  in life.  I love brewing a steaming pot of coffee each  morning in my French press.  It's the perfect compliment to watching the glorious sunrise from my large windows. 

Laying in the hot sauna at the cabin feels healing and luxurious.  Relaxing in a warm bath with lavender tea feeds my soul.  (Thank you, Anita, for the home grown dried lavender!)

Seeing Lula again always makes me feel whole.  She is the one being I miss when I am out of town.  Her sweet disposition and consistent affection make her the perfect roommate.

I also have been enjoying the homemade spinach salads I prepare this time of year.  Restaurant salads are never quite the same, although I devoured the homemade bread at the Italian place next door to Casablanca Hotel.  I rarely eat bread these days, but slathered with butter, theirs was divine! 

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow!  My favorite meal of the year...

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HOW DO RUSSIANS SURVIVE SIBERIAN WINTER

Back From New York!

 

                                                          Eileen Casey and I 

Last week I flew to New York for a get together with some dancers that I worked with in the First National Tour of the hit Broadway show, "My One and Only."  Tommy Tune and Lucie Arnaz were the stars.  Stephanie Zimbalist was our leading lady on the Second National Tour.  It was a last minute decision, and I quickly arranged care for Lula,  a flight to JFK, and a room at Casablanca Hotel, on West 47th Street in Manhattan.  

Everything came together, and I got a great deal on my flight through my travel agent, Deanna.  She works at Altour Travel in Santa Clarita.  She quickly found me an aisle seat on Delta.  I love that airline; they are my first choice. 

                            With old friends Colly Carver and Eileen Casey at Casablanca Hotel

I just had two carry on bags, so it was quick and easy to board.   Once we arrived, I didn't have to go downstairs to baggage claim.  There was a taxi cab station near the exit, and the attendant there showed me where to stand for the next available car.  They were all lined up in their yellow sedans, waiting.  

 LAX  had been mobbed!  I was shocked at how many people  were at the airport.  To eat at Barny's Beanerie there was a fifty minute wait.  I decided against it.  Even if you just wanted a coffee or bottle of water from Starbucks, the line snaked down the hall with at least  twenty people.  The travel industry looks to be back in full swing to me. 

It was an exciting trip, and I loved getting together with my old gypsy friends.  We sat by the fire and talked for hours.  The hotel allowed us to order food from the Italian restaurant next door, and we ate it in their private cafe, by the fire.  We were the only ones there, and it was very warm, relaxed and comfortable. My bedroom was clean, comfortable and quiet.  What a lovely trip.  Have you flown yet?

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All That Jazz | Bob Fosse (final scene)

Staying on the Ship When in Port

 

Normally when the cruise ship docks, I am eager to get off and explore the city.  On this last cruise, I did what my mom used to do on the last  port day in Mexico.  I stayed on the ship.  She loved how empty it was.  There is plenty of space in the restaurants, at the pool, etc.  You feel like you have the whole place to yourself. 

First, I climbed into the jacuzzi that was a deck above the pool.  The view and the sunshine were warm and welcoming.  Once my body had warmed up, I walked down the steps to the pool and swam  lap after lap.  I got into a hypnotic rhythm.  

The salt water pool on The Norwegian Bliss was amazing.  At first I assumed it was a regular chlorinated pool.  Once I slipped into the bright, blue, clean water,  and detected its buoyancy, I felt super excited. I realized that it was salt water.  For me there is  a healing difference from pure chlorine.  I was the only one in the  pool  at 9:00 a.m.  My own personal lifeguard magically appeared.  He was friendly and fit.  In the afternoons there were usually several people wading and cooling off in the pool.  I took advantage of having the space to swim laps.  It felt like the perfect workout and relaxation combination.

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I Felt Safer on the NCL's Ship as a Solo Senior Female Traveler

 

One thing I noticed right away was that I relaxed and felt secure.   At home, I carry so many items with my everywhere I go: a rod iron bar, pepper spray, and a portable alarm.  Once I had arrived in my room, I breathed a sigh of relief and let down my guard.

My balcony room had a double lock.  You can set an electric sign from inside that says "Do Not Disturb" or "Please Make Up Room".  I used  them both regularly.  Everyone on the ship seemed happy to be there.   Boundaries were respected, and  my neighbors were quiet and considerate.  It was easy to  sleep soundly and peacefully through the night.  The beds were incredibly comfortable;  the white sheets and towels felt crisp, clean and new.  

I thoroughly enjoyed the production of "Six," which was fabulous!  The choreography was efficient and clever, and the women were powerhouses of talent and strength.  Since the ship was sailing at half capacity, it was easy to have space between our seats.   I wore my mask.  They even have a cup holder in the arm rest for your drink, if you desire a sparkling glass of wine during the performance. 

I spent a lot of time watching the live bands on board, inside and outside, by the pool   Familiar Strangers was my favorite.  I sang backup to Aretha Franklin's "Respect" from my seat.  Their sets were thrilling.  The lead singer and drummer/singer both blew my mind!  The bands were all incredibly tight.  I loved the discipline of the musicians.  

The dapper man in the photo above  is Jack.  We are at my favorite waterfront Mexican restaurant onboard, Los Lobos.  He is the capable Theatrical Operations Manager on the Norwegian Bliss.  Isn't he handsome?

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Cruising on NCL During Retirement

 

Recently, NCL's gorgeous ship, the Bliss, has resumed sailing from Los Angeles to Mexico.  I was lucky enough to be a blogger on their first cruise since the pandemic.  It was an exciting and relaxing week.

NCL requires everyone to be fully vaccinated; there are no exceptions.  I also had my dog vaccinated before leaving.  Our local boarding facility informed us that one dog had died from a newly circulating  respiratory virus.  I wanted to make sure that Lula was protected.  There are two new vaccines available for them.  

I drove from my cottage to Long Beach.  Sunday is the ideal day for a departure, since the 405 freeway was nearly empty.  I zoomed down the freeway to the pier.  It only took an hour, which went by quickly.  Singing along with the radio, I happily anticipated a week of fun, no chores and warm sunshine.

Once I had parked at Berth 93, I was instructed to go to Berth 92 for a Covid test.  Everyone boarding the ship was required to test negative in order to be permitted on the cruise.  The procedure was very well organized and the lines moved quickly.  We were all very excited to be taking a trip after spending such a long time in lockdown.

My negative text results arrived by text  after about a twenty minute wait.  A small group of us got into the van that took us back to the loading dock.  We all wore our face coverings.  I had ordered several KN95 masks from Amazon in preparation for the journey.  

Since I just had carry on luggage, I was enjoying a delicious meal al freco from the Garden Cafe within minutes.  There was a hand washing station with hot water and soap at the entrance.  An attendant welcomed us and made sure that everyone took their turn.  The food was plentiful and delicious.  I had forgotten what a stunning ship The Bliss is.  She's so luxurious!

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Picking Persimmons

 My Hachiya persimmon tree has provided an amazing harvest this year.  For the last few years, I was afraid the tree had died.  During the last several seasons, it didn't produce.  I'm not sure why, since it's a mature tree.   I fed it some compost tea and straw mulch, and what a difference!  The whole tree came back to life.  I have picked at least 150 persimmons so far...it's  a thrill. They are lined up in long rows on the counter, the windowsill, the dryer and the kitchen table.   I love growing fruit; it's so rewarding.

I gave some to my neighbors, and dropped off a bag on the porch of  the woman who runs our co-op in Wrightwood.  She uses them to make persimmon cookies.  I will leave a bag in the mailbox for my mail lady.  She is always so appreciative of homegrown fruit.  I also gave some to the lady that sells produce at our local fruitstand.  Her eyes lit up and she told me that she loves persimmons.  I will take her some more tomorrow.  

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A New Vinyl Fence

 

Yesterday I had a new white fence put up at the cottage.  The old one was sagging, the paint had chipped, and looking at it completely depressed me.  I think it had been there since the 1940's.  It was so distressed and beyond repair.  I settled on a ranch style vinyl fence.  I had some mesh wire put on the inside to keep Lula in, and deter  any coyotes or other animals. 

 After about  an hour, the two workers accidentally hit a pipe and broke it.  I showed them where the water shut off was, and they turned it off and repaired the pipe.  They had the glue, replacement PVC pipe and tools in their truck.  It happens fairly often, from what they told me.

I don't care for solid vinyl fencing because it looks too plastic to me, but I do like the design that I chose.  I studied other choices around Santa Clarita before deciding.   For some reason with three slats it almost looks like wood.  Vinyl doesn't chip, and it should last a lifetime.  I love that I can hose it off to clean it;  it's so convenient.  They  added a small gate and now Lula  has a dog run in the driveway.  She doesn't understand the set up, and stares at me through the mesh, confused.  She sits sideways, and doesn't even watch the street, she is completely fixated on me.   I thought she would act like a guard dog,  but she just looks wistfully at me, as I rock in my glider. on the porch.  "Can I come in?" her expression says,   I think she thinks she's being punished.  As always, she adapts.  When she used to lean at my side  she would become covered with mulch.  I would have to vacuum each time she came back  inside the house.   That's not my idea of relaxation.  

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Planning For Your Future As an Elderly Person

 I recently got a phone call from a woman I used to know. She was in a local knitting group that I attended.  She had sent me an email saying that she was leaving California because she could no longer afford it.  She  is having a home built in an over 55 retirement community in North Carolina, where her brother lives.

I remember visiting her house.  She invited me for a delicious homemade meal of chicken salad and fresh bread, and we sat on the couch and knit.  The home seemed very large for one person, and it was in an area where all of the houses were brand new.  I asked her what she meant about the costs, and she told me that her property taxes are now $16,000. a year!  They will continue to rise.  She is 75 years old, and has been there for seven years.

My little cottage is far smaller than those homes, but it suits my needs.  The neighborhood is working class, and we used to be on the outskirts of town.  That has changed.  The area is more developed now, with newer housing.   I love having a spacious  backyard, and the  fruit trees that I planted save me   money on groceries.  I pay $1,600. in property taxes each year.  I have been here since 1998, and plan to make this my retirement home.  (unless  a developer buys us out, and they decide to tear all of these houses down, which I hope they don't!)

She plans to sell her home, invest a chunk of the money, and buy a smaller home outright.  This will give her a large cash cushion as well.  For those of us who have lived in California for decades, it is much less expensive than  the people who bought in the higher end areas.  

She pointed out that the price of gas elsewhere is far cheaper, as well as many other costs.  It was very eye opening to talk to her.  People used to make fun of me because I would take the bus, ride my bike  from the bus stop to the cafe, and just order bread and water,  That's all I could afford at the time.  It has all paid off in the long run, though.  

Where do you see yourself in twenty years?  

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Peter Gennaro "Halloween Dance" on The Ed Sullivan Show

Teladoc: A Safe Way To See the Doctor

 The other day I noticed that my hacking cough had never cleared up, in fact it had gotten worse.  I decided to book an appointment through Teladoc.  You can schedule either a video call or a phone consultation.  That appealed to me because of Covid.  Even though I am fully vaccinated, I still avoid crowds and people.  

I phoned the number that Blue Shield listed, and was informed that the cost would be zero, which was a pleasant surprise.   There was a phone recording announcing that the wait times were longer than normal.  I expected to hear back within a couple of hours.  In just five minutes, the phone rang!  The friendly doctor was on the line.  I was so excited.   "How convenient, and private, and amazing,"  I thought to myself.    There is so much about technology that I love.  I also own a couple of ETF's that have Teladoc listed.  I do think this type of communication is the way of the future. 

I gave the doctor  my symptoms, (which I had written down.)  Since the fires, I have been experiencing a runny nose, an overproduction of mucous and coughing, and was even wheezing earlier in the year.  I explained that the folk remedies weren't working.  I had tried reducing dairy, making ginger tea with honey, drinking homegrown oregano tea, and eating raw onions, which are an expectorant.  

He replied that the air quality from these  fires can really do damage to our airways and lungs.  There are so many particles blowing in the wind.   I told him I feel it in my chest when I sneeze.  I've been sneezing a lot, like my mother used to do.  I found it so annoying when she did that as a kid, and now I sound just like her.  

"Bronchitis," he diagnosed.  That made perfect sense.  He called in a prescription over the phone, and I was able to pick it up at CVS in an hour.  The drug store is a five minute  drive from my home.  I bought some other essentials for my stockpile,  and drove back to the house.

After taking the antibiotic and using the inhaler, the coughing stopped.   I slept soundly.  It was such a relief to take care of the problem and to stop procrastinating.  I normally don't use medicine, but when I do, it seems to work like a miracle for me.  Have you tried Teladoc?

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