Bottom Line

 

 

 " Out of clutter

find simplicity

From discord, 

find harmony.

In the middle of

difficulty lies

Opportunity."

 

 

Seek Joy

 

"Live with intention

Walk to the edge

Listen Hard

Practice wellness

Play with Abandon

Laugh

Choose with no regret

Continue to learn

Appreciate your friends

Do what you love

Live as if this is all there is."

Happiness Is

 "Happiness is

the spiritual

experience

of living every

minute with love,

grace and gratitude."

A Cozy Life

 

"The older you get, the more

you realize you have no desire

for drama, conflict, or any kind of chaos.

You just want a cozy home,

A good book, and a person

who brings you your cup of hot tea."

Uncle Renso

 August 27, 1927- May 27, 2022

The following was written by my cousin Nancy (Renso's daughter):

First he was my father, a steady guide and serious advocate. He was my softball coach and shouted from the sidelines, “eye on the ball! “ He was the first who taught me the mechanics of drawing a face, He was my mentor.. He was a fierce tennis opponent and told me exactly where he would hit the ball, right down the alley and would always make the shot. He was a subtle negotiator when I had conflicts with my mother and gave me the space to make my own choices. He taught me the love and peace that a garden could bring.

IN the past nine years he became my friend. I was the cook and he was the guinea pig, often asking, “what’s this green stuff” . He liked then grew to love my pizzas and quiche and though he rarely cooked, he often came up with new flavors and partial recipes that I would try to replicate. We talked politics and weather and discussed what to plant in the open spaces of the garden and sometimes we would agree to disagree on any one subject. And we laughed, hearty belly aching laughs.

He left this world exactly three months shy of his 95th birthday and five days short of the date when I first arrived to help him take care of my mom. I was so fortunate and am grateful for the time I was able to spend with him but I can’t deny that I still wanted more time.

Doors Will Open

 

"FOLLOW YOUR BLISS

 and the universe will

OPEN DOORS

where there were 

only walls." 

Being Rich in Imagination

 

 

 "I call people RICH

when they're able

to meet the requirements

of their

IMAGINATION." -Henry James "the Portrait of a Lady"

 

 

 

The Day

 

 

"Set wide the window.

Let me drink the day."  Edith Wharton

The Ocean

 

Maui 2019

 

 "The ocean stirs the heart

inspires the imagination and

brings eternal joy to the soul."-Wyland

 

 

By The Sea

 

 

Maui 2019

 "May you always have a shell in your pocket

and sand in your shoes."

Today They Arrive

 

Being The Light

 

 

 "There are two ways

of spreading light:

to be the candle

or the mirror

that reflects it."- Edith Wharton

 

 

Music

 "and those who were seen

DANCING were thought

to be insane by those who

could not hear the music"  Nietzsche

Not Just About A Book Club - Hamnet and Storyteller of Casablanca

 Our book club met today to discuss two books. 

Summer Fun

 

 

 

Summertime is always the best of what might be.

Charles Bowden

Summer is Coming

 

A little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about.

John Mayer

Loveing Kindness Meditation

 "May I be happy,

may I be well.

May I be kind toward my

suffering.

May I cultivate more

kindness within my heart.

May I cultivate more peace

within my heart." -traditional Buddhist Metta

Happiness

"Happiness is when

what you think, what 

you say, and what you

do are in harmony." Mahatma Gandi

Sofia's 1st Field Trip

Yesterday was Sofia's first field trip. Her class was going to the arboretum. She was so excited that her mom said she slept in what she was supposed to wear today! The shirt says "Marquez" on the back. That's the name of her teacher. Sofia loves to play school with me. We often pretend we are going on a field trip. This is going to give her a whole lot of new material for our pretend bus trips. When I heard about her trip it made me think how wonderful childhood is because there are so many "firsts" in life experiences. No matter one's age may we strive to find new "first" adventures to experience. 

Recipe for 3 layer 6" pan cake

Need: 3  6" cake pans prepped with oil and parchment paper then oil again and floured

 

1 box cake mix Betty Crocker super moist Vanilla 

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

3 eggs

2 tsp. butter flavoring (or vanilla or almond)

Start with all ingredients room temperature

Directions:

Mix buttermilk and oil and add flavoring

Mix into cake mix and add eggs one at a time

Mix for 2 minutes. 

Wrap cake pans with wilton cake strips that have been moistened

Add 1000 grams of batter to each cake pan (use scale or you can use measuring cups to divide batter evenly to 3 pans). 

Bake 350 for approx. 30 minutes. Test for doneness.

from jones.net

 

Chile Relleno Casserole

 Butter casserole 9x13 pan.

Ingredients:

8 whole roasted Peeled seeded green chiles (I like the whole not diced)

1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese grated and 1 cup sharp cheddar

5 whole large eggs

2 cups milk

s & p to taste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix together eggs, milk, s and p paprika and cayenne

cut chiles in half and add single layer of chiles on the bottom 9 x13 baking pan which has been buttered

top chiles with  half of the cheese

add another layer of chiles and top with cheese. 

At this point you can cover and refrigerate overnight if you want.

Pour egg mixture all over the top

Bake 1 hour.

Do Not Let It Consume Your Light

 "This, my dear, is the

greatest challenge

of being alive;

To witness the injustice

of the world,

and not allow it

to consume 

our light."

Text on Your Phone

 Message : I am here for you.

Me:  Thanks I'm going through  a tough time so it means a lot.

Me: and Sorry, I lost all my contacts who is this?

Message:  this is your uber driver

I am here to pick you up.

Home To Long Beach May 9, 2022

 Home just now safe and sound. Beautiful weather.

 

Together We Stand

 "Individually we are one drop.

Together we are an ocean."

Happy Mother's Day

 "I love people

that have no idea

how wonderful they are

and just wander around making the world a better place."

Go Do them

 "You know all

those things

you've always

wanted to do?

You should do 

DO THEM."

The Only Lie

 "The only lie I

ever told you

is that

I liked

you when

I already knew 

I loved

you."  -saw this on a street corner small billboard

Uncle Renso's Thoughts on his 93rd Birthday

 

Chill Out

 "Chill , Homie,

You need to let

that s**t go!."

Focus on what you can

CONTROL

not what you can't.

Do These Things

 1. Compliment three people every day.

2.Watch a sunrise at least once a year.

3. Be the first to say "Hello"

4. Live beneath your means

5. Treat everyone like you want to be treated.

6. Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen.

7. Forget the Joneses.

8. Never deprive someone of hope. it may be all he has.

9. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage. 

10.  Be tough minded but tenderhearted.

11. Be kinder than necessary

12. Don't forget a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

13. Keep your promises.

14. Learn to show, cheerfulness, even when you don't feel like it.

15. Remember that overnight success usually takes about 15 years.

16. Leave everything better than you found it.

17. Remember that winners do what losers don't want to do.

18. When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone's day. 

19. Don't rain on other people's parades.

20.  Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

Kindness At Work

 KINDNESS in words

Creates Confidence,

KINDNESS in thinking,

Creates Profoundness.

KINDNESS in giving

Creates Love. -Lao Tzu

Surround Yourself

 Surround yourself 

with people who:

Empower you

Believe in you

Support you

Uplift you

Motivate you

Appreciate you.