Thank you Grandma...

"When I grow up I'll be just like my grandma"...this was what I would think to myself. Smoking a rolled up home made cigarette, wearing white petticoats with a white scarf on my head and milking the cow or picking firewood on the hillsides for the wood stove. This "dream" was when I was about 5 years old. And things changed pretty quickly after that once I got to know the significance of the white clothing my grandma wore and also that smoking was bad for my health. One day I asked her why she didn't wear a red or blue petticoat and blouse and she explained to me that widows didn't go about wearing colors besides she would never get married again according to our Hindu Religion. If grandma wore something made out of "sack" I would still love her and look up to her. To me she was the sweetest smelling person when she held me close to her after I had fallen on some hard ground or cried when I had scalded my tongue while drinking hot tea.






I'd follow my grandma around because she was my role model at that time-well she still is, even after her death. She taught me about nature & life; stuff that I would have never learned from the school books. Have you ever run bare feet on the green grass? My grandma taught me to enjoy this feeling. Or have chewed on sugarcane with juice running all over your chin? My grandma told me that enjoy the sugarcane first and then worry about the sticky chin. And man was it sticky after that! How about digging for turmeric on the green hillsides and getting the dirt under the fingernails? Well...she didn't teach me this but I had this experience while replenishing our turmeric for the summer while digging in the hills & forests. These are the experiences that I still remember besides all the stories I heard after dinner when I was growing up.



If there was one person who could make you "live" in the stories,it was my grandma. My grandma was the best story teller ever! Even if she told the same stories over and over again she would tweak it ever so slightly that it seemed like it was a whole new story and somewhat familiar-if you know what I mean. After all of the kids had eaten dinner we would sit with her, I kneading her back with my small hands or walking on it to ease her pain from her daily chores. She would begin her story with my siblings and a few cousins surrounding her in the small one-room house.





She would tell stories about princesses & princes, poor people, about her childhood and sometimes about the people we knew in the village. We would giggle & sometimes get close to tears and once in a while, scared if the stories were about ghosts. Grandma would go on & on never tiring until our eyelids were drooping and then off she would shoo us to bed to join our parents in our own homes. We lived in a large compound with all the extended families, our uncles & aunts and our grandma. Grandpa had passed away when my dad had been only 14 years old. My grandma had brought up her children on her own, her 4 sons & 2 daughters by working on the 10-acre farm and selling the sugarcane to the mills. We grew up milking the cows, herding the goats or running around chasing the chicken & ducks. The hardest part for me was trying to milk the cows because as soon as they shifted their weight I'd panic and of course the cows somehow felt this and wouldn't allow me to milk them. There were horses too but girls were not allowed to ride so I never got the chance but nonetheless I still have some great memories of the farm, planting rice in the muddy fields and picking vegetables by armloads. Eating guavas, mangoes, bananas and mandarin oranges fresh off the treesThe good old days!





In summer grandma would go into the forest to gather wild turmeric or other root crops and take me with her. We would also pick little wild chili peppers and other herbs that grandma would come across. The birds would be flying & chirping in the forest and there would be flowers galore. Once in a while we'd come across little gurgling creeks and see cows grazing in the meadows among the wild ginger plants. The wild ginger flowers would be so aromatic that I would tempted to pick one but "thwack", a rough brown hand would come down on my own small one. "Don't ever pick flowers if you don't intend to make use of it". Ouch! And on & on the "lecture" would go on about nature & how we were supposed to respect it. She would see my teary face and down would come those arms to hug me and all would be back to normal. She would smell of sweet tobacco or baby powder, her only form of makeup. Thank goodness that I still remember the sting of that slap because I have learned not to abuse nature and teach my own girls the same.





Our mornings would go quickly and we would find a dry spot to sit and eat our lunch of roti & curry that grandma had brought. Sometimes she's bring sweets that she had made a few days before and had saved. Somehow the food tasted better out there. :-D We would leave early in the morning just after the others would have left for the days work and come home at dusk dragging sacks of "goodies". There were days when she would invite her other friends to accompany her to go "fishing" for prawns. I would be so excited because I knew that she would take me too. We would spend hours mending the nets and gathering stuff like flour for "bait" and pillow cases to bring the "bounty" home. We would sit on the creek banks and watch for the prawns to come out from under the rocks when the flour was thrown in the water.





Deftly grandma would scoop up the net and lo & behold there would be 4 or 5 big prawns in the net. Sometimes she would wrap some of the prawns in huge leaves that she would break off from the plants on the banks , and roast the prawns for a snack. Yummy! My mouth still waters from the memory. Those were the tastiest of the prawns I've ever eaten-with a pinch of salt, that was always tied in the corner of her scarf (wrapped in brown paper) when we went to get prawns. Only after grandma & the other ladies had gotten enough prawns for dinner, then I would be allowed to wade & play in the crystal clear water. I would bathe in it sometimes and make '"dams" to trap some little fish and play until my hands & feet were all wrinkled. By the time we reached home my clothes would be dry because usually the two mile walk would be slow with all the ladies still talking and enjoying each others company.





One of my favorite times were she would go to the monthly "club" meetings and I would tag along. There were normally 8-9 ladies who would exchange news for about 10 minutes about who had given birth, who had eloped, who had been having an affair and who's cow had been stolen etc. And then my favorite time would come; one of the younger women would read from our holy book "The Ramayan" or "MahaBharat". These were stories and stories were like oxygen to my brain. I would take it all in and revel in the moments of our religious history. One hour or so of reading form the holy books and then the hymns would be sung-some old and some new.

If I were lucky one of the women would pass me the small wood pieces to "smack" together to make music. I felt that I was definitely needed then and felt privileged and honored that they would want me to be involved. Some would bring snacks and share with all and I would be fed until I could eat no more. Once in a while some other woman would bring her granddaughter or grandson and I would get to play with them. Each one would proudly show off their grandchild as my grandma showed me off. I would smile shyly and hope that the "show & tell" would be over soon. This was not a great time for me, since I was very shy and not talkative at all but they always liked to pat me on the head and talk about my long beautiful hair and my lovely complexion. Yeah, those were the days! And I would be encouraged to "pat" the wood blocks more loudly to show that I was fully capable of joining them in their group.





Grandma would proudly pat me on the head and tell me to bring up the beat more in tune to the hymns or there were times when she would scold me when I would be lost in my thoughts and let the rythm drift off. These were the times that I cherish most. My time spent with my grandma and learning about nature, getting close to nature and about our religion. I didn't know then, that I was being prepared for my future when I would have children and would get to share my experiences with them. Little did I know then, that I would be bringing my children up in a foreign country and would have to teach them their inheritance from memory of my upbringing. There were times she would be annoying too! Like when she would want me to put up my hair in braids all the time-real tight! I would have sworn that my eyes would have popped out if she had pulled them any tighter. Oh yes, she would be really annoying when I would want to read my own story books and she would want me to do things for her especially when the story would be very very interesting. But, all that was forgiven when she gave me her time and shared her gifts about nature, music, herbs and fishing. I was blessed to have her has my grandma.





I would have to thank my grandma once again that I was one of the lucky ones that learned from the best. My grandma passed away over 22 years ago but my memories of her stories, her smile and her hugs will remain with me for the rest of my life. For these are the sweet memories and experiences that keep me grounded and have gotten me through my good times and my tough times. So, my dear readers, even if grandmas can be annoying sometimes, remember that they'll be gone someday and all we'll have left is just memories so, go and share time with them and make some wonderful memories. Grandmas can be fun also and we can sure learn a lot from their experiences! So, once again I say, "Thank you grandma"....more to come about my memorable experiences!

The Endless Night...

"A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease" ~John Muir





This had been the seventh hurricane or cyclone I could remember very clearly and some vividly. What a night it had been-the roaring of the wind, the never ending rain beating on the tin roof and the crashing of objects into each other all night long. Before it all began, there had been excitement of getting prepared for the hurricane coming our way. Neighbors helping each other boarding the windows, tying down objects so that they wouldn't be flown away by the furry of the high winds. We all knew the routine-making sure there was enough drinking water & food to last the next day just in case we wouldn't be able to get out of the house.





There was a certain excitement mixed with fear-will this be as bad as the last hurricane or will we be spared? These were the thoughts running through my mind while helping mom prepare dinner and carrying enough water into our bedroom to last the night. My brothers helped dad nail boards to the windows and one of the doors. We sat around reading and talking and relaxed but yet had an ear out for the sounds of the rising wind and the rain beating on the tin roof. It was only 7 o'clock in the evening and we were in the beds. Well....we moved into the 2 bedroom house so that we would be all together, my two brothers, sister, I and our parents. As far as we knew our cousins and their families were already safely in their homes. We put down some blankets on the floor and lay there listening to the wind picking up and once in a while the heavy gusts would pick up some loose can or some other stuff and throw it down against the house. Crash! We would be startled and sit up looking at each other.




The radio was at full blast relaying the path of the hurricane and it was definately coming our way. Somehow I had dozed off until I heard my mom say something loud. There was a leak in the roof and water was dripping onto one of the beds. We quickly got a bucket to put under the leak but soon that was full too. Within an hour or so the wind had picked up even more and there was water coming in through the inside walls of our home. Crack! The tin roof from our parents side of the house was torn and now we could hear the howling wind even closer and feel the rush of cold air from the other room. My dad came into our room and between my brothers and him they tried to block the door so that our room could be saved from the rushing wind and the cold rain. They put one of the beds against that door and we turned around to see a stream of water coming down from the roof over our bed. The voice of the anouncer could barely be heard above the humdrum of the high wind and rain so we turned the radio off. Now, it was only us six. Cut off from the rest of the world. We didn't have television sets then-that wasthe late seventies.





My dad asked us to crawl under the bed-the only one remaining now. By now water was pouring in from the torn roof and forming a puddle in our room but the main concern for us was that if the roof collapsed, we would be crushed. So, quickly we crawled under the bed pulling the blankets & covers underneath us to keep ourselves dry. Needless to say we didn't sleep a wink hunched down under the bed with the six of us, scared and hoping that morning would come soon enough. All night long we sat there and soon the water was coming underneath the bed and soaking up the blankets. Now, we couldn't even move around so, we kept quiet and thankful that at least our lives were spared and that we were all together. Once in a while we'd hear a dog or cat and knew that they had been left outside. We knew that our chicken were probably soaked to the skin and that they might not survive by morning. Morning came at last and our cousin had come to look for us, to see how we had fared. It took 3 strong men to pull open the door-yes, the door had remained shut but the roof had flown away. :-D After pulling the debri away they found us all wet, tired and shivering and safe. Thank goodness for that bed which saved us-we came out and thanked God over & over for our lives.



All around us was debri, from fallen trees, broken branches, twisted tin roofs, trash, dishes from our fallen kitchen and clothes flown from who knows whose home? We all knew the drill. The men got to cleaning, the ladies started picking up dishes & clothes to wash...well whatever we could save. We were the lucky ones because we lived on a hill, some of the people who lived down below had their homes washed away by the flood waters and had lost everything. At least we could wash our dishes and clothes and had come out of the hurricane safe. There was help from a lot of people. My uncle offered his home to us,to stay until ours was rebuilt. Neighbors brought us food and clean,warm blankets. All would be back to normal, given some time.




Yes, there was a quiet after the storm and that was one night to remember? It was an experience, a scary one but one which I can easily relive now & again when I hear of hurricanes and floods. That was one night that is going to stay in our memories forever. What an experience, definately a memorable one but I wouldn't want to repeat it for sure.

Forecast: Hot, Humid,Torrential Rain & tons of fun!

This blog was started 3/24 and am finishing today 9/20/09....



"Tonight's the night we're gonna make it happen.... I'm so excited and I just can't hide it, And I know I know I know I know I know I want you, We shouldn't even think about tomorrow, Sweet memories will last for long long time, We'll have a good time, Baby, don't you worry.....~ by this time most of you probably have realized where these words are from-yes, they are the lyrics from-I'm so excited...by Pointer Sisters. Everytime I hear this song I am taken back to the time I watched them in concert in the grounds of the Capitol -Washington D.C on Fourth of July,2001.



What a night that was-cold, wet and full of excitement & tons of fun! Talk about toughing it out-D.C in Summer-hot & humid and then suddenly the torrential rains. It rained so hard that not even the umbrella's were of any use-yet we still had them up...funny! My daughters' hair were pasted to the head and even they didn't care that it was cold rain--not very cold like California rain but cold nonetheless. Anyhow, this was the end of our vacation-the whole 7 days we had been in D.C it had barely rained and of all days it had to rain the 4th of July when the fireworks were supposed to go off. Well,let me go back from day 1 and take you all on a tour of D.C, the Capitol of our nation and the surrounding areas.



Day 1-The D.C area itself-restaurants, shops, museums, parks and coffe shops-we walked and walked and walked. We had parked our car at the hotel because finding parking in D.C is not easy. Good thing we had packed our walking shoes. We bought maps and simply walked and stopped when we needed to drink something or just rest. From the Smithsonian to the White House, to the Union Station and on to the museums. Sometimes we got on the buses/shuttles (we had bought whole day passes) to drop us off a street and we didn't care where we were as long as we were within the D.C area.


Day 2-We decided to go into the Smithsonian Museum-wow! what history-I'm a fanatic of historical stuff so I was practically drooling! The Hope Diamond, Aircrafts- Air & Space museum, Native American artifacts-The American History, Natural History with Dinosaurs, Minerals,Darwin's Legacy, and all those neat stuff...next the Art Museums--fascinating art-modern & ancient.


Day 3- We did some more Art Museums and the Union Train Station-with the Union Plaza-oh yeah! Shopping!! The best part-I don't know how many shops had been there then but there were plenty enough for us. The girls had just begun to shop at a "upper" level store-but other stores were still OK. LOL .We walked around, ate lunch at a park-at the "Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife" had been on then-and then walked back to the hotel--a 1.3 miles (one way)-coming back my daughters did complain of being tired but not cranky so my husband & I were both glad.


Day 4 -The National Archives-amazing collection! From music, science , books, to letter written by the past presidents. That was fun for all of us. That evening we had gone out to eat (previously we would eat in the hotel restaurant). There was this nice Indian restaurant a few blocks away from our hotel so we decided to walk there-by the 4th day my husband & I had begun to miss the "masala"-spicy food. :-D We had an execellent experience.


Day 5-We took the tour bus to the Arlington area,Lincoln Memorial,Jefferson Memorial, Washington Memorial, Vietnam Wall, Korean Wall & to the Capitol and that was a whole day affair too. We must have stood in line for over an hour before we could enter the Capitol-fascinating place! The Monument Tours were great also. All kinds of artwork & history over there also-well this was the place where historic events took place.


Day 6-We drove this time to Mount Vernon-George Washinton's Estate & Garden-gorgeous place! It was an amazing place with the Potomac River down below and the home & the beautiful gardens and walkways with flowers everywhere! We spent the half the day at Mt. Vernon and then drove through Baltimore, MD to Gettysburg Battlefield. What beautiful countryside it was. If you can imagine-green fields and pasture with white fences and red barns. Only thing that Ididn't like was that the freeway/highway signs weren't as great as California-you don't know how good you have it until you don't.



In California (from my experience) the signs gave ample time to make an exit if you were paying attention of course but in Maryland & Virginia it was so different. Gettysburg was an adventure in itself-we drove around slowly enjoying the green hillsides and gorgeous views of farms and of course the battlefields where the civil war had been fought. We stopped in the town to eat lunch, walked around to buy some souveniors but didn't linger much because the forecast had been of torrential rain. So, off we went back to D.C enjoying the drive back-we had gone around in a circle to come back to the hotel. Sorry readers-no ghost stories! Maybe if we had spent the night at Gettysburg? Oh well...maybe next time! We did pass Hagerstown, the outlet mall with over 100 brand-name stores. Funny how the girls noticed the sign to Hagerstown. :-D

We were beat that day! Got some fast food that day-were too tired to sit in the restaurant.Ate in our bedroom and went to bed--well my husband & I did-the girls were still excited about that day's sightseeing.


Day 7-Fourth of July! The other 6 days the weather hadn't been bad-it had rained in the night after being a little humid in the evening but this morning we work up sweating. Oh no and today was the 4th of July Parade. The concierge had informed us to leave early to get a nice spot to sit or stand so that we could watch the parade close up. So, away we went-must have waited over an hour on Constitution Ave before the first marching band showed up-the parade was great-we would have enjoyed it much more if it wasn't for the humidity that day- it was a long parade -60 units we had been informed and it was HOT! There must have been over 30 marching bands plus the very creative floats. After a quick lunch we walked back and took a nap that afternoon before we went to the Capitol to watch the concert and the fireworks.


It had been raining on & off after the parade (thank goodness) so we bought a couple of umbrellas and took the local bus to the Capitol-we had to walk a few blocks because the roads had been blocked for the crowd. And what a crowd--the West Lawn was covered with tents & people. It was exciting! The National Symphony Orchestra performed and Tchaikovsky's '1812 Overture' was played accompanied by spectucular fireworks over the Washington Monument. The M.C was Barry Bostwick and the performers were Luther Vandross, The Irish Tenors & The Pointer Sisters -this was a 20th annual Capitol 4th on the West Lawn of the Nation's Capitol. Half way through the concert, it began to pour and we were soaked to the bone. And yet we sat there with strangers maybe not so-after clapping & screaming with them for 90 minutes and not caring a bit that we perhaps looked like wet chicken( but not so smelly) :-D.


We tried to use the umbrella's to avoid the rain but even the umbrella's gave in and pretty soon rain began to dribble onto us by coming through. My daughter's were still smiling when we got up to go--should we even put on our shoes? They were muddy & wet! We must have ran all the way to where the baracades were and hailed a taxi cab back to the hotel and finished watching the fireworks from there without any obstruction of the view of the Washington Monument-Amazing Fireworks! The cab driver didn't care that we were wet & muddy and we were very appreciative of that. What an adventure! What better place to celebrate the Independence Day of our nation but in the Capitol itself?

We took warm showers again and began packing for our trip back home. Our flight was to leave around 12:00 noon the next day from Baltimore and we were supposed to leave the hotel at 10:00 a.m. We set the alarm and crashed into our beds until the alarm woke us up in the morning-into the showers we jumped and down we went to get our final breakfast at the hotel restaurant. We waved goodbye to Washington D.C-our Nation's Capitol sadly but yet giddy with excitement with all the wonderful memories to take back home to California-to remember for the rest of our lives! Will I do it again? Absolutely-I/we still had so much to see-this time around we'll take our rain gears! :-D

Spring, Savings and A Learning Experience!

Today I thought I'd change to some fun savings stuff my family & I did...what was memorable about this experience? Well it was more of a learning experience....

Spring is here!

Yay! Love the sun & the flowers but the allergies..?? Oh well....can't have everything. I've just finished hanging out clothes on the clothes line in my backyard. There's a gently breeze blowing and the temperature must be about 76 degrees. Awesome! Just my kind of weather. :-D Yes, I've been using the clothes line since the weather has gotten better and definately have been saving some bucks by not using the dryer-well just for 5-10 mins per load. What I do is let the clothes air dry until slightly damp or sometimes they are even dry all the way -next I pop them in the dryer for about 5 mins or so to finish drying and softens the wrinkles out which makes the clothes soft, using the liquid fabric softner to make the jeans and the towels less stiff. I couldn't imagine not using the softner because towels can get pretty rough if not dried in the dryer. Ouch! So, yes last month I saved $43 off my last gas bill -& this month I know I'll be saving even more because now I have my family doing the same with their laundry. I know winter months might not work as well but I can always use the garage for hanging out the laundry until the moisture evaporates I guess. Hey,we're just trying to save some bucks here...Cash is King right now! :-) To make things a litte bit more exciting..I went out and bought some colorful clothes pins to use to give even more color to the backyard. Hey,might as well have some fun while saving money right? I like colorful things so just had to do this. :-D

This whole savings plan began because of the downturn in our economy of course-have been reading on how to save and not waste anything--got us going. My family got together to see how we could save or make money. Other than doing some online stuff and looking for part time jobs we came up with; cutting back on electricity & gas bill, getting rid of some of the T.V channels, cancelling the water delivery, planting our own garden, garage sale, air/sun drying clothes, changing our hair stylists to more reasonable ones with monthly specials etc. etc. We're even cutting out coupons--So, the clothes drying is working out great with the weather turning nicer now (we're in Northern California BTW) and this is the best time to do garage sales.

For the garage sale-we didn't advertise at all...just put out ugly yellow with our home address and arrows pointing our way. Lo & behold--traffic! :-D My family & I have done 2 garage sales in a month and would you believe it we made $710? We sold older exercise machines, T.V sets that had been sitting around collecting dust, we gave up one T.V-who needs more than 2 T.V's anyway--well we don't even need the 2nd one but who knows as soon as we sell one the other might go out...he he...security. There were pots & pans, dishes, clocks, table cloths,a old collection of vases and some other stuff I had bought for the house but never put up. I wonder how many other people have boxes and bags of stuff hiding under their beds or in the back of their closets? Most of the things weren't even old looking-some of the clothes had never been worn by my daughters (still had tags) and I had some shoes that were still in the boxes-I had simply forgotten about them and they had been pushed in the back of the closet. Wow! it was like a treasure hunt.."Mom, look what I found! Board games and books we hadn't looked at for over 5 years. I felt so bad that we had wasted so much money buying these things and never or barely used them. After the garage sale I made out a check and mailed it to the cancer society which made me feel a little better but I know all of us, in my family learned a valuable lesson-not to waste anything. If we don't need to buy then don't buy-there will be sales, there will be trends but we are going to be more sensible with shopping now. Trendy or not,if those clothes don't look good don't buy them-just don't! We had fun talking to the people who stopped by-some were even out of town-as far as from 50 miles away-they had been driving past and saw our signs and followed them--aha! those ugly yellow signs sure worked.

We had lots of fun and got rid of a lot of stuff and then donated some money also-of course the money was split like we had learned at the Peak Potentials Training...55% to NECESSITIES, 10% to EDUCATION, 10% to FFA(Financial Freedom Account), 10% to LTS(Long Term Savings), 10% to Play Jar (oh yes!) and 5% to the GIVE jar(went to the cancer society). A lesson well learnt by us all-to save & not waste. Hey the Prosperity Jars really help-amazing how you get used to these and then life becomes so easy! Write to me if you need help with the prosperity jars..I believe all children ought to learn how to use these so that in economies like we're having now,wouldn't be so hard to live in. Until next time-clean the clutter, make some extra money, save and make each experience a fun, loving and learning time! I also had a sense of accomplishment as a parent-there will be tough times in our childrens lives some time or the other and they need to learn that we need to adapt to changes and make the most of those tough time...they will carry this on in their better days also I'm sure...Remember that....
Real Wealth starts in your mind and ends in your pocket! http://www.secretsofthemillionairemind.com/a/?wid=528088. Here's some thoughtful & inspirational thoughts/ideas sent to me by one of my good friends. I thought I'd share...& the book to read is "The Millionaire Next Door" by Thomas J. Stanly & William D Danko. You'd be surprised at what you learn.

For A Sensational Spring Cleaning .....

Experience Life. Sign up for a community walk or fun run and lift your spirits; picnic at your favorite park or lake and take in the beauty of your surroundings; or enjoy laughing and playing games online games at Pogo.com. Research tells us the feelings we get from experiencing life make us happier and help us find joy.
See Hope. Pick a color, any color and paint just one wall in your apartment or room to create energy, passion and joy. Try purple for spirit and hope, or yellow for happiness. For a quick splash of life, buy new hand towels for every bath in your home. Behavioral science shows color positively affects our blood pressure, stress, and energy level.
Smell Well. Find healing in your favorite aromatherapy soap, lotion, or room freshener. Lavender, chamomile and vanilla help you relax, peppermint and orange provide mental clarity. Jasmine lifts your mood to instill a sense of optimism.
Feel Happy. Keep a shawl, in your favorite color, in a drawer nearby and occasionally wrap yourself in it – try 3 times a day. Like a self imposed hug, you’ll feel healed and settled or the renewed energy of self love. You may even experience the physical and emotional well-being of a simple hug, including reduced stress and increased happiness.
Taste Tea Health. Start drinking. Good and good for you, the healing properties of black, green and ginger tea increase mental alertness while lowering blood pressure, preventing cancer and osteoporosis, reducing risk for stroke, and promoting a healthy heart and body.
Hear Soul. Download your favorite tunes to your iPod and find five minutes in the morning and in the afternoon to listen, dance, or sing to de-stress. Listening to your favorite music releases the calming chemical serotonin into your body. Singing releases physical tension, oxygenates the blood, and liberates suppressed emotions. Whether you listen, sing or move to music, you’ll benefit from its healing qualities.

If you need a clothesline go to--http://www.clotheslineshop.com/--or visit your local hardware store...Did you know...1. clotheslines can save you money?2. electric dryers use 5 - 10 percent of residential energy?3. clothes and sheets smell better when hung outside?4. solar dryers save energy, thus preventing pollution?5. fabrics last longer when air dried?6. spending a few minutes out in the sun is good for your skin?

Oh,and regarding the PLAY JAR money we are saving for...I didn't tell you yet..with the PLAY Jar money we're going to go to the Gold Country--Columbia/Jamestown CA - to search for GOLD...will write about that in my future blogs...I'm sure we'll have lots of fun! Till then keep smiling and enjoy Spring! Make some changes and remember Trouble does not last forever...this too shall pass...(on our economy). Take good care!

Steering My Boat In The Rain

The faintest waft is sometimes enough to induce feelings of hunger or anticipation, or to transport you back through time and space to a long-forgotten moment in your childhood. It can overwhelm you in an instant or simply tease you, creeping into your consciousness slowly and evaporating almost the moment it is detected. ~Stephen Lacey, Scent in Your Garden, 1991

What a wonderful way Lacey has put it. Isn't it true for all of us? The smell of something that takes us to that moment in time. Likewise,I have a special memory from my childhood that's triggered by smell and my what a great memorable experience that was. Who would have thought that after all these years it keeps creeping back to entice me, to make me smile and makes me feel like I am there back in the past! The smell of the first rain would always trigger that moment back about 40 years ago, when my silblings, cousins & I would play in the warm rain,jumping ,shrieking and laughing. I don't even know why we even had umbrellas because most of the time our heads weren't even covered-we'll be twirling them around & around, and of course making sure that we got wet-yes, thoroughly wet! Drinking the rainwater by opening our mouths and looking upwards - as it fell from the sky. Draindrops hitting our upturned faces and then making the way into our mouths. The first rain had that smell mixed with soil and of green grass and of course that smell stayed with me for the rest of my life. I remember that we'd hop from one puddle to another and always chose to be on the green grass where the water ran clear.

My brothers and I would make paper boats to float in the little "rivers" formed and would put flowers or sticks in them and follow them for a long long time to see how far our boats would go before capsizing. :-D I didn't mention we would be barefeet-yes, that was the best part-the feeling of the green wet grass and the warm rain, water swirling around our barefeet -after a while our feet would turn pink & wrinkley because of so much moisture. Only the clap of thunder and flashes of lightening would send us running for cover-otherwise we'd play till it got dark or until the rain stopped. Once the rain stopped it wasn't much fun except for our floating boats because it would get cold. Shivering and sniffling wasn't much fun then.

Mom would always have tea ready for us after our adventures of guiding and trying to keep our boats steady & afloat for a long time. Sometimes she'll have eggplant or other vegetable fritters..mmmmm. My mouth is watering just thining about it. :-D Hey,that was hard work-trying to steer our paper boats -not an easy feat I tell you...of course paper and water didn't work very well together for long-our boats would be so wet that the sides would stick together with our colorful "passengers" squeezed in between. So, yes the tea would a welcoming diversion and it's soothing smell and taste would prepare us for another rainy day or even a sunny day, when we would go looking for oranges, lemons and guavas in the nearby hills. We'd eat those fruits without washing them and have the juices running all over-Sticky fingers & faces but nobody cared. Oh those days were so carefree and unspoiled-those memories will stay with me forever.And now, when I'm all grown up,on rainy days, I would want to go out to jump & hop in the rain,but alas the rain would be so very cold. I still take walks in the rain but this time my head would be covered and I'd be bundled up so that when I come back home I'd be still dry-only this time I'd prepare the tea myself and share with my family-no paper boats to float but yes I do steer the boat of my life as skillfully as possible and lock away the memories worth remembering- until the earthy smell of the rain or the splatter of those rain drops fall on the green grass and I go back- to my warm rain, hot cups of tea, vegetable fritters and paper boats-yet another awesome memorable experience. Now, I share these memories with my children-used to bake cookies & play games with them when they were younger. Here's what I do now when I miss someone or feel a little low-I think of something that I've enjoyed doing and had fun with it before-write it out or even draw a picture of that event if I don't have a photo-get transported back to those moments-I always feel awesome after that! It's worth trying isn't it? :-D

How to build a paper boat :

Fold a piece of paper in half, from top to bottom.

Fold the right corner into the middle of the paper.

Fold the left corner into the middle of the paper.

Fold the bottom of the paper up against both sides.

Insert thumbs into bottom to make a square.

Fold the bottom corners over each other thus creating a triangle.

Insert thumbs into bottom to make a square.

Hold the paper with flaps down.

Fold the corners to the top point.

Pull the middle out to form a square.

Two triangles are at the top.

Pull them apart to create your paper boat.

Wallah! You have a paper boat of your own to play in the rain or you don't wait for a rainy day-use your pool or a bucket--you get my gist I think-use colorful paper or color the white paper with crayons-make it fun with your children or borrow someone elses :-D Go ahead have a blast! I know you want to.

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~George Bernard Shaw

There's this child within you who wants to come out & play~so play & allow yourself to feel great too! Till next time when I share some more of my memorable experiences--I've been thinking of changing the name of my blog--any ideas? Thanks for visiting and let that child within you come out and play today! :-D

Into the Woods and On The Way To Klamath Falls

Mt. Shasta,CA

http://www.shastalake.com/

Maybe it was only I who felt sad leaving Newport Beach-?? We were going to take Interstate 5 to stay a night in Klamath Falls and then Medford. The quickest way to Klamath Falls from Newport Beach was to take Hwy 20 to I-5S. We followed the Corvallis Newport Hwy (20) & then the Corvallis Lebanon Hwy (34)...The drive was scenic and we went through the "woods" as my girls said. There were miles and miles of forest and then we'll come upon a house or a "lonely" auto shop/wreckyard suddenly- driving & driving,until gradually we would come upon a small settlement. We went through cities like Toledo, Corvallis & Philomath...(saw signs of Oregon State University) slow drive because of road constructions but the scenery was great...Oregon is green! Stopped at few places, ate and stretched and off we went on our way to connect to I-5. It was like coming home when we began to see signs of Interstate 5. :-D A very familiar sign for us because we're from Nor Cal. The drive to Klamath Falls seemed took ever so loooong or so it seemed like...welll Newport Beach was approx. 6 hrs from city of Klamath Falls. We had decided not to cut across from Eugene but from Ashland since the Freeway would be quicker but even then with all those truckers and other traffic-we couldn't wait to get there. Good thing our resort (WorldMark By Wyndham)-named "Running Y", was before city of Klamath Falls. The scenery was great and even better when we began to see lakes after lakes. These lakes were big and clear. The best sight was when we came downhill and came upon cows grazing in the pastures. Green pastures, cows grazing, clear blue lakes and yes road constructions here too! It seemed like the whole state of Oregon was fixing roads at that time so that's why there was so much delay in traffic. I almost wanted to say "are we there yet?" :-D Well we finally reached our vacation rentals just as dusk was falling and didn't get to see much of the area but caught some nice views of the setting sun over the mountains & lakes. Amazing! If you can imagine a lake with no ripples at all (well from where I was standing)-still and the sun is setting throwing it's last rays on the water. I love to watch sunsets so we decided not to go into town which was 12 miles away. We ate dinner at the Golf Link restaurant(forgot the name) at Running Y-great food but a little bit expensive with just a few selections. But the view definately made up for it...Fabulous! Gorgeous! Awesome with the "greens" on one side and the lake on the other-my camera didn't do much justice to the scenery. Sometimes I would be so lost in admiring the views that I would forget to take pics. too. :-D Some, very ice looking homes all over too! This was a great place to just sit back and relax or for golfers, I guess would be to golf their heart out. :-D This golf link didn't seem to be too busy. http://runningy.com/. Saw several families come in for dinner,excited children talking about their "catch of the day". I could only imagine the fishing around here with so many lakes & rivers. Next morning we went for a tour of Klamath Falls city...had brunch there and strolled around the town...the city was spread all over.http://www.travelklamath.com/. The only attraction we saw there, was the Crater Lake (8th wonder of the world). One attraction to see, would be the Lava Beds National Monument, where one could go into the lava tubes (450 lava tube caves in all) and many other activities like horseback riding, the scenic byway drive around the lake, see the largest collection of American Rock Art at Petroglyph Point, Beautiful Ranches, Historic place where wagon wheels were built and repaired and an abundance of wildlife. Also, saw on our brochure, that Klamath Falls and the surrounding areas were a birdwatching paradise because of the water and the migration of variety of birds. Well this is another place we need to go back to..one day wasn't enough. This had been only a "test" trip this far in ...neither my family nor I like this kind of setting but do need to learn how to golf since most of our vacation resorts are in or near a golf course. Well after our short stay in Klamath Falls we made our way back to Ashland to stay the night. We had made reservations to see "The Taming of the Shrew" at the Ashland Oregon Festival- Shakesperean Outdoor Theatre. Had a great time there watching "The Taming of The Shrew"--hillarious! This was our last night on vacation but what a way to end it. If you're going that way do go & see one of the plays...Ashland itself is "magical" in the night. http://www.orshakes.org/- and that was the end of our beautiful and memorable vacation. We left next morning and were back home with wonderful memories to keep with us forever! On our way back )via I-5) we stopped at Lake Shasta, took some great pics of Mount Shasta and knew that this was one of those trips that will be talked about for a long long time! Hey I'm still doing that- :-D Met a lot of nice people...In fact we met a couple from San Francisco who had flown there just to watch "The ....Shrew"--I wouldn't mind doing this kind of spur of the moment thing..we were lucky that we had great weather then...that helps a lot with vacations... Next time we go back...we're flying into Medford airport and taking a rental car to Klamath Falls or Newport Beach or even further up 101 North-Just have to go back!

Breathtaking views of the Oregon Coast

Newport Beach,Oregon

The sign in Depoe Bay reads-The World's smallest harbor

Beautiful Beaches galore!! And Breathtaking sights all along the way to Newport Beach! We must have stopped like a "zillion" times...well it seemed like it anyway but with no complaints from anyone. We went through Gold Beach, Port Orford ( famous Cape Blanco lighthouse & Battle Rock)http://www.el.com/to/portorford/. We were now passing through harbor/ fishing & lumber towns.Some of these lovely towns had buildings painted in different pastel colors and the countryside had red barns standing against the green forest, old bridges with those old towers and signs for bogfarms (cranberry)-was always curious how the bogs and cranberries work-will stop next time-needless to say our whole ride was very scenic and enjoyable. Come away with me and imagine; cattle grazing in the hillside pastures & people fishing in streams and pristine rivers and then of course the gorgeous beaches...miles and miles and miles of it...white sandy beaches...not the narrow ones but expansive ones. I was taking pictures when I got out of the car and even when we were driving I took some pictures..some even came out pretty good. LOL--I wanted to capture every bit of the fantastic views. The sights, the sunshine and the cool breezes made us a little hungry and we needed to stretch again. So,we stopped at Coos Bay for lunch and to gas up,searched for a gift shop to get a souvenior bell but couldn't find one (on that side of town anyway) so had to stop by a casino further down the road. We didn't go off Hwy 101 at all so,all these towns were on 101. After driving for about 70 miles (1.5 hrs) we came upon the Sea Lion Caves...and of course we just had to stop at the Sea Lion Caves and so glad that we did. The world's largest sea lion cave is about 10 miles from Florence. You can see the sea lions basking in the sun or playing in the ocean at the edge of the cliff way down but to get a closer look have to take the elevator down (200 ft down) to the caves. Fascinating to watch the sea lions play in their natural habitat--what an awesome sight! Hundreds of sea lions barking away ,slipping and sliding into the ocean and the sea gulls and other birds which I couldn't identify were all over the rocks heedless of all the visitors watching them. Flash photography wasn't allowed in the caves so didn't take many pics but nevertheless took some without the flash & then from the outside platform where the lions were on the side of the cliff. http://www.oregon.com/attractions/sealioncave.cfm We didn't stop at the Heceta Head Lighthouse because there was a lot of traffic and of course we didn't make our turn on time (had to admit it) :-). Next time-have to make that turn.. well I did manage to capture the view from the platform @ the sea lion cave attraction -The lighthouse had been built in 1894 and looks gorgeous from outside and also offers a B&B--heard through the locals it's a great site for weddings!http://lighthousegetaway.com/lights/heceta.html . I tell you the gorgeous scenery didn't seem to end- we saw rivers & rivers & bays with lumber mills, wood chips piled high and did I mention sand dunes also....yes dunes after dunes -The Oregon Dunes-we must have passed miles and miles of towering sand dunes (Florence OR). Didn't stop there because it was late in the afternoon plus we had decided that since we didn't know the area we need to get to our hotel before dark. The sun was just setting when we reached our hotel in Newport Beach & what a treat...our window faced the Pacific Ocean and we could hear the surf as soon as the the windows were opened. As night set in the humungous flood lights off the hotel roofs were turned on and the whole beach was lit up. I'm not able to describe it in words-you just have to see it! The Pacific Ocean was gorgeous even in the night and we could see people walking, playing with their dogs and some sitting by the fire enjoying the night ocean. For now our beds were calling us ...so, the beach had to wait till the next day...we had driven 232 miles that day and were ready for our warm cozy beds. There was so much to do in Newport and Depoe Bay(one city over). We stayed there for 3 days...ate one of the best salmon dishes & clam chowders were yummilicious! Next day we took the whale watching boat trip and later just walked on the expansive sandy beaches and enjoyed the blue ocean. Simply sat on the beach for a long long time to watch the children swim, jump & laugh while flying their colorful kites.Whale watching was fun too-I lost myself there running from one side of the boat to the other when the skipper would scream-"watch out here it comes". We were laughing & screaming-strangers giving high fives and sharing our enthusiasm. This was my favorite part of the whole stay in Newport Beach. The whales were feeding only a few miles off the coast...it was like a spiritual experience-(coming so close to the hugh creatures)..if you know what I mean. Other than Whale Watching,there's a hugh aquarium to see, lighthouses (Oregon's tallest-had to walk up the stairs all the way up), undersea gardens, crabbing & fishing trips to take and so many more attractions to see...needless to say we didn't have enough time to see all of these...we'll just have to go back! :-) If not for anything else then just for the beautiful Oregon beaches....till next time...I'll take you with me to the other side --to Interstate 5 back home to California after stopping here & there for a couple of days more.

Yet Another Memorable Experience

This picture has nothing to do with my seminar...just wanted to add some color...:-D

I'm kind of behind in blogging right now about my travels and other memorable experiences..past or present. Reason being I came back from a seminar in Pasadena and learn't so much about myself and now am not able to stop seeing all these opportunities out there for me. I know the economy is grim right now but there are so many opportunities for all of us even if it is only to stop and think about our lives and make some minor changes so that we don't get caught in this situation again. The seminar was called "Life Directions" by Peak Potentials Training -yes T Harv Eker's Life Directions. I'm a great fan of T Harv Eker and his book "Secrets of A Millionaire Mind" (see my amazon ad). I've been to several of Harv's seminars and have taken my husband and my two daughters..believe me life has changed for all of us..in a hugh way. We have a bigger retirement account now..have been saving in a different way and now opportunities are always there for us no matter where we go. Amazing! "Life Directions" showed me that if we don't have a mission in life and if we don't do what we're passionate about then our job becomes cumbersome and not so rewarding. Each of us were sent into this universe with a gift to share and if we don't use that gift then we're not using ourselves to our full potential. You have probably seen this before:

All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible. ~T.E. Lawrence

Harv believes in this also and helps all of us believe in ourselves and live the dreams we've been dreaming. Check out his book ..Secrets of the Millionaire Mind and his seminars..I have the Ad's on this blog and all the seminars..any questions e-mail me. Even if you go to his one seminar you'll come away changed..trust me. It's not only about wealth but everything and every aspect of life! My whole family has changed-my girls have found their passion and are working towards their goals. I'll write more next time..gotta go to work-too many things for me to do..I'm working on some passive income opportunities and learning more about working on my passion and how to create wealth using my natural gifts that I was born with..who would have thought that once I began there would be so many opportunities. Well...they were always there- in my heart and right in front of me- to use and share with the world. It was like an "Aha" moment at this seminar in Pasadena-wow! I would love to do and make money on that also? Yes, I would love to have a job where I can lose myself into it and get excited about getting out of bed every morning. Woo Hoo! Life has now begun to be even more enjoyable! :D. Enjoy your day and live your dreams! What else is there to do? With this I leave you with these famous quotes , Read, Think & Act:

"The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do, well."~Henry W. Longfellow

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it." ~William Arthur Ward

Till next time-leave your comments and ask any questions...and yes I am an ambassador of Peak Potentials..just in case you'd like to check it out...here's the promo code to use for an excellent service..#528088. http://tinyurl.com/d7qp94 Thanks and enjoy this gorgeous day that was given to us...snowy,cold, rainy or sunny...at least it's a day we're able to use to our advantage--so make the most of it. For those who are gowing through hard times right now (there's always someone who's in a worse situation than us)...there is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is a higher power who is ready to help us...remember that help is given only to people who are willing to help themselves...Be Grateful for All you Have...BELIEVE & have FAITH in yourself and create a DESIRE to change..You are immensely powerful. You have the power to create the kind of life you have always wanted to live! (forgot who wrote this)...remember a journey only begins with a small step...it's all up to you and yes don't be afraid to ask for help-there's no shame in it. Each one of us in our lives have asked for help at one time or another...I could go on & on & on....:-) May your day be full of light!

P.S. Re: City of Pasadena, CA--http://ci.pasadena.ca.us/, http://www.tournamentofroses.com/

Traveling the Redwood Hwy 101-North

This drive through tree is for very small cars.

These are views from our hotel room in Crescent City. Gorgeous aren't they?

Driving along the coast was fun...my husband was driving so yes it was definately fun for me..roads are narrow and windy and some places and too close to the edge...I was afraid to look down to the ocean at some places but once you get over this you'll be OK...the views are well worth it! Breathtaking views all along even when the roads get into the redwoods-I was amazed to see cyclists all along the way...we weren't lonely at all..passed or were overtaken by cars, trucks (sometimes) and RV's. The girls were taking pictures like crazy...why not with the never ending glorious views..we stopped in Leggett, CA,our first sight of a hugh Redwood..it is drive thru..only for very small cars...we couldn't ..there is another one later you can drive thru..took a restroom break, bought some suveniors and then went back to the hwy and stopped at "Confusion Hill" is approx. 8miles from Leggett.

Confusion Hill was confusing...very neat..if you're going that way don't miss this. We just came upon it and stopped...it's a tourist location..everything looked like it was off balance. You stood up in one of the buildings and it seemed like we were going to fall but we didn't although we were off balanced...there was this trough of water which was flowing uphill instead of downhill...crazy! Confusion Hill was definately defying the laws of nature-or was it? The cost then in summer of 2007 was only $5.00 for adults. Anyhow, it was fun and then off we went to the Avenue of Giants (redwoods)....all kinds of tourist attractions-Big Foot sighting spot, gift shops and rivers and streams all along the way and above all the highways were well maintained also. http://www.confusionhill.com/confusionhill-contact.htm. Some of the attractions are off the main hwy but if you have time then go and enjoy. We ended up spending the night in Crescent City, CA. Yes, this is home of the killer 1964 Tsunami. It' a beautiful place and we stopped here since it was our last California stop-we were only 20 miles south of the Oregon border. So far we had driven aprox.219 miles that day.We spent only one night but made the most of our time..stayed at The Hampton Inn which is next to the beach with a gorgeous view of the ocean and the Battery Point Lighthouse. http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=58. Next we'll be going to Oregon...If you believe in these..Big Foot, Confusion Hill's gravity defying place then great and even if you don't go & see-shriek,laugh,jump or get totally confused...the point? Have fun with your loved ones...make great memories...we did!

E. E. Cummings: About life~The most wasted of all days is one without laughter

Great memories--beaches & flowers!!

This is of Fort Bragg,CA..we did the Hwy 101 & 1 North up to Depoe Bay Oregon...had an awesome time with my family. The beaches are gorgeous in Oregon--next blog will have some of those pics. In Fort Bragg we stayed 2 nights, visited the Mendocino Coastal Botanical Gardens,http://www.gardenbythesea.org/ went to the Glass Beach, Cabrillo Lighthouse and walked in the little town of Medocino and few others. http://www.fortbragg.com/fort-bragg-attractions.php-had been there about 3 years earlier to ride the skunk train to Willits. The people are so friendly and eager to talk about their town. We stayed at the North Cliff Hotel, ate at The Cliff House Restaurant and few others in Noyo Harbor. My husband couldn't keep away from the beaches...he is so funny...he'll be jumping from rock to rock (like a mountain goat-sheep??) and facing the huge waves and we'll still be trying to catch up with him to get to the ocean....each moment has been engraved in my brain..we laughed, ate and enjoyed the views and the friendly people-each one of us enjoyed our stay in Fort Bragg...will we go back? Oh yes we will...there's so many places to see in the U.S itself and Fort Bragg is one of those unspoiled places....go, see and enjoy!

http://www.city-data.com/city/Fort-Bragg-California.html

Fort Bragg

Fort Bragg CA. I've been in this country for 25 years and it took me 10 years to discover Fort Bragg...approx. 4 hours away from where I live. Great place if you like the small older coastal towns. Life looks so laid back there...