Carl and Alidan's visit +

Carl and Aidan had planned a trip to visit on this weekend. Northern California is having lots of rain, some flooding, some mudslides and it was decided that it is not a good time to visit Southern California where the same weather is expected. They will make plans for a later trip.

Comments on New Year’s resolutions:

It is not that some people have willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.

It may be that I have a bit too much ego and I am quite pleased with the status quo. I do not intend, again this year, to have any New Year’s resolutions.

Good DVD

Evelyn, a DVD that I am watching, is turning out to be at another great movie drama. Evelyn is its name, and it is a movie concerning a father’s love and the power of the human spirit. If you would enjoy a 2002 family movie that is based on a true story, it is recommended by Larry King.

If you ever want to find out about a movie before you rent it or buy it or go see it, go to Google, type in its title and the word movie and you will get the information you need to make up your mind.

Phone numbers

Sometime ago I gave you a number to call if you thought there was some emergency. I will add to that number. Mark Sommerfeldt lives in Apt A. His work number is 805 313 4976 and his home number is 310 486 0630. I will get you another number but that neighbor is now on a vacation, for a month, in Brazil..

Chech yesterday's comments, if you wish, for more family news.

Discoveries

On this day in history, in 1968, 37 years ago, Apollo 8, the first man mission to the moon, returned safely to Earth after a six-day journey. That was a great feat of planning, engineering, and bravery. The thought goes through my mind as to the cost and energy that the world has been put into space exploration. There is no doubt that they have been discoveries and some usefulness of technologies that have been beneficial to mankind, but could the world have used those resources for greater benefits. I am not a negative type of person but sometimes have thoughts like that.

Photo

Cynthia is going over some of our older pictures and adapting them for the new digital technologies. She has sent one in an e-mail and when it is shown, it covers the whole viewing area. It was a photo showing Norma and I on our first trip to Minnesota. That would have been in 1946 or 1947. We were at my parents small farm, the first piece of property they had ever owned. It is hard to imagine that we ever looked that young and we looked as if we had laid that basket of eggs … beautiful memories.

Christmas Day and visitsThanks for all the Christmas cards and calls. Christmas is a great time with the year. The dinner with friends the Nealsons

Thanks for all the Christmas cards and calls. Christmas is a great time with the year. The dinner with friends the Nealsons was so nice.

Carl and Aidan are to be here or a couple of days at the end of the week. Joan and Amber will also be here staying with her friend Leslie. So, we will have great weekend.

Christmas day

A Merry Christmas To All!
This Christmas Day is beginning by of listening to a CD of Christmas carols given to me by the Salvation Army, the thoughts of the a meaningful candlelight service last evening with its music. It was foggy evening and going and coming home with the Segway with the street empty to traffic (I use the sidewalks when it is dark). Southern California does not have the traditional a winter wonderland. It is a wonderland, very good weather, plenty of greenery and flowers. Even though the weather is different the spirit is still the same.

Brent and Paige will pick me up this afternoon and I will be in their home with some of their family and friends for Christmas dinner.

Again, a Merry Christmas to you all!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve day and it looks like it is to be great a great day. The weather could not be better. All of my mailing has been taken care of and should have arrived on time. This evening I will be at the Christmas Eve candlelight service as I have for many years. It is where I joy the Christmas music in a proper atmosphere. I am not a Scrooge with the expression `bosh hum bug`, but I do believe that Christmas music is overdone at this time of the year.

Love Letter

I just picked up to the DVD Love Letters. It is a heartfelt look at love, life and friendship. This is a play that I have see two or three time and always enjoy it. I am anxious to play the DVD.

Winter Slotice

The shortest day of the year marks the winter solstice, know to Wiccans as Yule (from the Norse) lul, meaning wheel). It is one of the Lesser Sabbaths of the year and falls on or about December 21. Part of the Pagan celebration is a gathering and displaying of evergreen boughs, showing the promise of new life in the coming spring. A Yule tree is erected in many areas to represent the Phallus, or spirit of fertility. From this came The Christians Christmas tree. Yule was established as the birth of the Mithras with veneration for the sun and was then adopted by the New Religion (within a few days) to marked the birth of the “Son” Jesus. Summary from The Witch Book.

Whatever it is a great time of the year and a good time to celebrate that the days are getting longer! I wish to think to it as the 1st day of spring.

Voluteering

Volunteering has some interesting moments. Art Linkletter came in for a medical procedure. He is the one that wrote House Party, People Are Funny. Kids Say The Darndest Things, a TV show. His age is now so more in the 90s and still looks pretty good. The same day Laura Selsenger signed in with us. I had her opportunity to talk with her for a few seconds and let her know that Norma and I used to listen to her radio program when we were in Santa Barbara. We had also seen her on stage during one of her lectures. She was booted off the radio for her statement about her not believing homosexuality.

There is a comment on yesterday's blog that you may wish to read.

Library

Things are not missed until they are gone. So it is with the Santa Monica Public Library. The temporary library is closed for a month until the new library will open on January 7. Today I went to Montana Avenue branch library, while it is a fair library; it is a poor substitute for the main branch. I did get a set of cassettes, It is an audio book called A Monk Swimming, “of freewheeling anecdotes and memories of a charming rascal”, Malachy Mc Court. I have read Frank McCourt’s Alice’s Ashes and It. Malachy is Frank’s brother.

Segway

The Segway, my neighborhood transportation device, is also useful on these days that get dark early. When ever it is dark I do not ride on the street. I ride carefully on the sidewalk. I have a pair of front lights that keeps me clear of objects and allowing people to see me approaching. The red lights on the back of my jacket are considered to be being most important. I do enjoy my Segway. Another advantage of the Segway is that people are always curious and willing to stop and talk.

Wayne visiting

Wayne Cynthia and Susan are in town. We will go to Pacific Dining Car for breakfast. The Pacific dining car has been in business for 84 years. If you wish you could go to www. Pacificdinningcar.com to see what it is like. It. his right next door and will be a great place for breakfast. They have some time before they need to get back to Santa Maria. They have not visited the Getty Center, so this may be a good opportunity for a visit.

Dermatologist + Wayne

Today is Wayne’s birthday. Wayne, Cynthia and Susan will be In the Los Angeles area Saturday and Sunday. A breakfast is planned for Sunday morning and a possible trip to the Getty Center.
A scheduled visit was made to my Kaiser dermatologist to check on a rough spot on my right ear. I was sure it was not anything serious and so did he. He froze that spot and a few others. No problems.

Christmas Party

Yesterday was St. John Medical Center’s annual employee’s Christmas party. Some of us thought that it would not be as great as it has been in the past. We were wrong. Parts of it were even better. They do a great job of decorating, having great food, music, and hosting. It goes on for about 12 hours, as they need to accommodate the meal times for all four shifts. It is just another bonus for me.

A good day

Yesterday was a normal day, a good day. I accomplished a number of things that I wanted to do and enjoyed doing. It is hoped that all people could be as lucky.

Visiting and Christmas

I had a wonderful time visiting but it is good to be home. It is good to leave and it is good to return. How else can you find out how nice it is to be home if you’ve never leave.

Thursday is St. John’s Medical Center Christmas party. They do a wonderful job of giving a party. There has been some budget cuts this past year and we will all find out if that affects the Christmas party. I try to do the Christmas from the sidelines.

Great Trip!

The return trip from Sacramento was very similar to the trip to Sacramento. It took about 12 hours each way. The last leg was by first-class from San Francisco. It was all well worth it. There was no mental or physical strain. I just enjoyed everything. The visiting was so good and was pleased to see so many. The homes where so nice and I appreciated the Christmas decoration.

Thanks!

The weekend trip

The plans are still go for the trip to Paul’s and Lisa’s. After checking United Airline flights it was founded that they are all sold out. I will still be standing by starting at 1:10. There are three flights to Sacramento after that I will stand by for and expect the best. If I do not get on the flight leaving at 7:31 I will give up and be disappointed. It is a surprise to me to find that the airlines are flying so full and they are doing so poorly financially.

This weekend

My new schedule for flying this weekend is as follows. On Friday. United Airlines flight 6557 arrives in Sacramento at 2:37. On Monday, United Airlines flight number 6524 leaves Sacramento at 12: 29. Let me know if this will not work.
Paul, I think that you have planned a good weekend. It will be good to see so many. I have your cell phone number and will call from the Sacramento Airport.

Home work

The most Important work you and I do will be within the walls of your own home.
Harold B. Lee (1899 - 1973)
His birth date and death date are very similar to that of my mother’s. I am sure that she would have agreed with the above statement.

I hope that the quote is true, as I have just finished thoroughly cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming and dusting the rest of the area. That is not much of an effort. Getting started is the biggest part of it.

Traveling

This coming weekend I plan to be in Grass Valley at Paul’s. A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles arrives in Sacramento at 3:11. If that flight is full, the next United Airline flight from Los Angeles arrives in Sacramento at 4:12. My thinking is that the politician and the political active will be returning to Los Angeles not going to Sacrament on Friday afternoon. I will keep you informed about changes.

Sun Room

I have been in and have saw homes that have a sunroom. They always caught my fancy. This weekend, I decided that I have one. With the windows on the south side of the room and with the morning sun low at this time of year, this room is so pleasant. It is another bonus that I enjoy.

Television

Yesterday I installed an outdoor TV antenna for my TV. Up to now I have been using a pair of rabbit ears. I do not watch much TV. They were doing a good job, except for a couple of channels. Now all of the chattels are better. Have the cable is not justified as I watched very little TV each a day.

Correction

The wrong buttons were pushed during yesterday’s blog. Wherever macular degeneration is located in the text, it should have read polymaligia rheumatica. I need an editor.

Today, if a person stood outside all day today he would not have gotten more than the outer layer of his clothing wet. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between Santa Monica’s dew and some Southern California rain.

Have a good day!

Macular degeneration

The condition caused by my macular degeneration may be lessening. There is very little stiffness upon awakening. The stiffness in the hips and knees are much less. I have started to enjoy walking again. I am still using one half mg. of predispose. I feel much more flexible and able to climb stairs easier. The macular degeneration condition was last one to five years, so be it has run its course.

Banana cream pie

It has been a long time since I have had a, banana cream pie. Yesterday at the UCLA Santa Monica cafeteria I figured out a way to enjoy something similar. What I did. I purchased a banana and for my desert took a vanilla pudding. The banana was sliced into the vanilla pudding so that I had a banana cream pie filling, but no crust. Not having a crust was not much of a loss as eating-out piecrust is seldom satisfactory. Eating piecrust that I can remember enjoying was made by the family, Norma or Lisa. The substitute for the pie was something that I enjoyed.