Today was one of my best days in the last 11½ weeks. I actually felt like my previous self (who I have missed). At times, if I stood at just the right position, I even forgot I was wearing a neck brace, but just ever so briefly. It was awesome and hopeful. I was extremely happy and I want to share the little things that made me so.

I was due for my annual fasting labs and since I only leave the house for medical issues, out we went. And since we were out, and I was famished, Steve took me to breakfast. I was absolutely giddy. What fun it was just to be outing & abouting.
I wanted to also show you my wonderful collection of Get Well cards received. This is a view that encourages me every day.
Not to stress anyone out, but I have finished my Holiday Card Prep. Ah but when to send? This is what I found (I am so ready):

Sending Christmas cards out during the holidays can be simple if you begin early. If you want your recipients to have enough time to enjoy your family’s cheer before the holiday frenzy and ugly Christmas sweater parties begin, start your Christmas card mailing process 3 weeks in advance of Christmas day. Family and friends are usually overloaded with cards and gifts the week of Christmas so it’s always a smart idea to avoid what we like to call, the “Christmas Card Rush”.
I haven't felt much like reading, as of late, but picked up this book and just couldn't put it down. The Little Paris Bookshop has pretty much everything I needed for lazy days of reading. “Books, the only remedy for countless, undefined afflictions of the soul.” - Nina George
Steve said the sweetest thing, "I feel bad when I leave you at home and I don't get into a car accident, knowing you could have come with me." Until we know I'm healed, we just can't take a chance but it was a super sweet sentiment, nonetheless.
It makes we happy to eye spy unique things in nature. Isn't this a cool spider?
It has been unseasonably warm here (80°+ most days). It has allowed flowers to stay blooming and porch sitting to happen for hours. I am so delighting in all of the simple things.

I don't get political but I am passionate about the United States Postal Service. When I read about the privatization of this formidable (and my favorite) institution, I knew I had to share. I have lived abroad and have sent mail from various countries. There is no better postal system than ours!

The goal of the US Mail Not for Sale campaign is to preserve affordable, universal mail and six day a week delivery service for all. The White House’s plan states, “Like many European nations, the United States could privatize its postal operator.” What’s left unsaid is European nations charge substantially more for mail services delivered in a much smaller area, and they regularly raise the price of delivery. One example is that the price of sending a letter in the United Kingdom has increased 80% over the last decade.

Eliminating the universal service obligation to deliver to the 157 million U.S. addresses at the same price, as the plan suggests, would hurt businesses and individuals alike. It would be a dagger in the heart of rural America and undermine e-commerce. There is nowhere else in the world that you can send a love note 3,000 miles for only 55¢.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the only federal agency enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. It belongs to the people of this country. Let’s do whatever it takes to keep it for generations to come! Stop the Postal Sell-off by signing the petition. The People's Post Office, Keep it. It's Yours.

On this day, 100 years ago, President Woodrow Wilson issued a message to his countrymen on the first Armistice Day, in which he expressed what he felt the day meant to Americans. What a perfect day to share my dad's military history- he a Veteran of three wars: WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

I've written about him as a dad but not as a military man. He didn't share that life with me so the information here was written by my big brother, Chuck, another Navy veteran worth praising as well. This only tells the story of my dad's military career in WWII. I hope, one day, to learn about the other two wars my dad served in. History needs to be shared!
In the fall of 1942, less than a year after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and the United States declared war on both Japan and Germany, my dad enlisted in the United States Navy. He was just 17 years old and had to have his parents sign the papers so he could join. He graduated from basic training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. He then went to school to learn how to be a diesel mechanic. He was very good with tools and machines and did well in that school. He trained to work on engines of small ships. His rating (or specialty) was Motor Machinist. 
In early 1943, my dad was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia where he did more training and some at sea time on ships called Landing Ship, Tank (or LST for short).  These were very interesting ships, as they could come right up on the beach and discharge their cargo. He was one of the men that were charged with keeping the engines that powered the ship in top shape.
Dad did not see any combat in the Atlantic, and was soon transferred to the Pacific theater of the War…or the war against Japan.  Again he was assigned to an LST that was to carry United States Marines to several of the islands in the Pacific Ocean that were occupied by the forces of Japan. The mission of his ship was to land Marines and their equipment on the beaches of these islands. I am not sure of which island campaigns he was involved in but he did see combat in several.  

His ship was never hit by enemy fire, but was an important contributor to the final victory of the Allied forces over the Empire of Japan. His ship did participate in a very historic event. They were part of an advanced force that went into Tokyo Bay, after the Japanese said that they had surrendered, but before the official signing of the surrender documents. My dad told my brother how he and several of the men from his ship went ashore in Yokohama, Japan, and were the very first Americans to be there after the war. He said he didn’t know what the reaction of the people there would be. They went ashore armed in case there was hostility, but there was none. He said it was very sad with much destruction and suffering by the people. A few days later, the official signing onboard the USS Missouri, a battleship, occurred. General Douglas MacArthur signed for the United States and the other Allies.
This photo of my dad (on the right) was taken in Japan, shortly after the end of the war. He advanced very rapidly in the Navy during the war. At the end, he was an Acting Chief Petty Officer. He decided to return home and get out of the Navy and start a family. He did just that and not long after that my brother, Chuck, was born…a Baby Boomer…in 1946. After a brief period as a civilian in Iowa, he missed the Navy and rejoined. He had a wonderful career of 26 years and retired as a Lieutenant.

Thank you to all Veterans for your sacrifices and service. We are grateful for you, today and everyday.

I am always on the lookout for fun things to do and just because I can't do them right now, doesn't mean Steve can't.

The French Valley Air Show was a free community event, which took off into soaring skies complete with aircraft acrobatics, jet trucks, car show, live entertainment, and a wide selection of food/beverage options, merchandise and recreational activities for all ages!







How cool are these remote controlled jets? What's the saying, "The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys!"


Steve did a fabulous job photo documenting his day at the Air Show!
I have to give him high praise for these images of the Bookmobile. I love them dearly. I am beyond excited to see Riverside County's rolling library here in our town. Fun stuff.
Steve said it was a great day in the glorious 90° sunshine! That makes me happy.

While we were not there for the monumental event of seeing Berlin reunited, we did visit the Berlin Wall almost 20 years ago.

Even then, the magnitude of it all was overwhelming. This is what I wrote, after visiting the Haus Am Checkpoint Charlie Museum, on Sept. 18, 2000. "It is disturbing to know this history. How it could have happened in the first place? The Wall went up on Aug. 13, 1961 and the museum, sharing all its horrors, opened the following year. We saw an hour long film detailing the events that led to the sealing off of the city, through the tearing down of the wall 28 years later (30 years ago today). It was an emotionally moving experience. In school, our older son is learning about our American Constitution, Bill of Rights and our Country's fight for freedom. It really brought to light what our founding fathers were trying to do all those years ago, preventing this tragedy of just a few years ago happening in our own country. Very poignant!!! Our younger son was enthralled with the escapees' techniques: tunnels; hot air balloons; secret compartments: in cars, concert speakers, and suitcases; suspended cables that they slid on; homemade handheld submarines and the just pure desire to go west that would cause them to jump the border gates, risking death or imprisonment, just to return to love ones."

On this date in 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, two years after President Reagan famously said "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!" Reporter Peter Jennings, at the time, describes the event as “perhaps the most important announcement made in Central Europe since the end of World War II, certainly since the wall went up in 1961.” Definitely an occasion worth remembering and a place visited worth sharing.

One of the huge benefits of being stuck at home with a neck fracture is people know where to find me! This week has been one of friends frequenting.

Kim gets the came the farthest award. She's my Tahoe friend who visited, via Anza Borrego, on her way to the Bay Area. Steve prepared us a delightful poolside luncheon. It was brief but still wonderful.
Ted and Marianne came with a picnic and fun stories of their travels to New Mexico. It is truly special when one can just relax with friends.
Terry was heading to a noontime appointment but left two hours early to enjoy porch time with me. We needed to catch up on each other's life. It has been a very good week!

I am a huge fan of mimetic architecture, a form of novelty architecture where the building is created to look like the product sold. When we stumbled upon this amazing structure, I yelled, "Stop the car!"

Today, I received Atlas Obscura's article The Strange Second Life of Ohio's 'Big Basket' Building so naturally, I had to share.
The Big Basket, which opened in 1997, is a scaled-up version of (the once famous) Longaberger’s signature Medium Market Basket, only 160 times larger. For those who don't remember these very expensive baskets, they were all the rage. Though the company closed its doors for good in 2018 and has no plans to return, Longaberger is still a household name in Ohio. At its peak in 2000, Dave Longaberger’s company employed more than 8,200 people.

The building has been saved and by this time next year, it will be reopening as a luxury hotel. Hmmm, I might be yelling, "Stop the car!" yet again, if our travel plans find us back in Ohio. Fun stuff.

Since my first blog post EVER was April 16, 2010, and since I'm stuck home with nothing to do (really) but reminisce, I'm going to continue to share memories of pre-blogging days. This one from our weekend in L.A. was truly unforgettable. The images and verbiage are from an email I sent out, directly after our amazing getaway 11½ years ago.

In April of 2008, Steve, the boys and I went to LA for a very eclectic weekend.
"Welcome to the 13th Annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the country’s largest celebration of the written word. For one weekend in April, people who love books will gather with people who love to write, publish and sell books. And, there’s nothing like it anywhere."

• 140,000 attendees
• 450+ authors
• 300+ exhibitors
• 900+ volunteers
• 100+ author panels
• 6 outdoor stages
• 2 children’s areas

A highlight for us was meeting Dr. Laura Schlessinger. We enjoyed listening to her discuss her life and work. She then answered questions from the audience like she does on her radio show.  Afterwards, we went to her book signing and I delighted in talking with her and meeting her husband, Lou.  Nice experience for all of us.
The Festival was held on the campus of UCLA (1919). Two years later, it moved to USC. It was a spectacular place to spend a day. WOW.
After a day of exploring for hours in 90+ weather, we found ourselves delighting in the hotel pool. At 8:15 PM we headed to Santa Monica and the Third Street Promenade for dinner and a 10:15 PM movie.  For those who know me well... what a shocker.  No one could believe I was going to such a late movie.  It was Harold & Kumar 2:  Escape from Guantanamo Bay- a raunchy male movie but a hoot none-the-less and we thoroughly delighted in the evening out and about. We even think one of the film's stars, Neal Patrick Harris, snuck into the theater and watched the film, incognito, in the front row.
Our last stop was at the J. Paul Getty Museum. This amazing place seeks to further knowledge of the visual arts and to nurture critical seeing by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting works of art of the highest quality. To fulfill its mission, the Museum continues to develop its collection through purchase and gifts, complementing its impact through special exhibitions, publications, educational programs developed for a wide range of audiences, and a related performing arts program.
This return to LA, with my boys in tow, has brought back some wonderful memories. I hope you enjoyed the flashback with me.

Over the last 10 weeks I have been a tad stir crazy, wanting to attend some of the numerous happenings I'm missing. Steve has to remind me to keep my focus on the big picture... being healed and healthy, whenever that happens. He also reminds me of what could have been.

I saw this photo of a recent surf concert. This image of the paralyzed surfer reminds me of how dangerous my neck fracture was (and can still be until I find out definitively about my healing next month). I am so fortunate and I need to remember that. I'm thinking only positive thoughts!

Now that the crazy winds have ceased, the birdsong has returned and the beauty of nature still abounds.

Not only is this a better photograph of our hawk, we even had the opportunity to hear him screech. Very cool.
We have learned to seek out nature. If you would have told me nine years ago that I would be admiring birds, much less a Nuttail's Woodpecker, right in our housing tract, I would never have believed you! We are continuously amazed.
I wish my birding expert, Jenny, was here to help identify all we are discovering.
Blooms are still found everywhere even as the leaves change into magical hues.

It's funny. I have spent my life around Eucalyptus trees and I don't believe I ever appreciated the beauty of their flowers. Wow.
And this creature has found his way into our yard (and hearts). He's just another treasure from nature we are appreciating. Yes, it really is about the simple things!