Apricot Bars

This evening we enjoyed scrumptious apricot bars. I managed to take a picture before they disappeared.

How to Motivate Yourself

I just found a great video about how to motivate yourself. And, yes, it worked. I just cleaned up my messy desk!

Ronald McDonald and Someone

New Friend in Escondido (Tanya photo, 2009)

I had just arrived in the flourishing southern California Townlet of Escondido and had parked my yellow truck in the spacious parking lot of a McDonald's--what do they call it? Fast food place? Restaurant? Cafe? Anyway, you know what I mean since they are literally EVERYWHERE.

I was hardly out of my pretty truck when this odd gentleman in blue tee-shirt and green shorts (Photo above) scampered across the asphalt and asked if I would allow him to get a photo with me!

Me, of all people! As if I was some kind of celebrity!!

Honestly, with all the REAL celebrities in southern California you would think he would find Brad Pitt or someone--but no! He asks ME!

Well, of course, I didn't want to upset him--he probably mistook me for someone else and actually all I really wanted was to get away and get a hamburger.

So I said YES and the lady (very nice) with him snapped a shot.

Then he even had the nerve to remark to me that my MAKEUP was PERFECT! I mean REALLY!! I wasn't even WEARING any makeup and told him so!

People can be SO impertinent--when ALL my FAMILY has elegant pale skin and NATURAL red FLUFFY hair!

Ronald


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Qigong for Health

Book Cover, Qigong Series by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming

I would like to pass along some information which I believe is beneficial to the health.

During my recent bad back episode, when I was flattened by pain and reduced to crawling around the apartment--Tanya brought several books home with helpful hints for back pain sufferers for me to read.

I especially liked the Pilates book and owe some of my quick recovery to the simple exercises from the first chapters of that very fine book.

But one good book she brought was a little too much for me to get interested in at that time--but now that I have had a chance to read some of it more carefully--I want to recommend it to you.

The cover is copied above--we checked it out from our local library and I think the philosophy and the exercises recommended by Dr. Yang are probably the most beneficial to the improvement of general health I have come across in a long time.

Dr. Yang compares Chinese and Western medical attitudes and practices in a very comprehensive way (for a short book) and I find it most helpful.

I intend to use the exercises and the philosophy (CHI movement, etc.) and will keep you informed as to my progress.

Oceanside CA Pier

Oceanside Pier Fishing. (Tomasito photo, 2009)

All along the long Oceanside Pier people were fishing--and catching fish!

No license is required and you can rent poles. tackle and bait right on the pier!

There was a bit of excitement at the end of the pier when a shark was seen but we heard that sharks, manta rays and few other dangerous fish hang around the pier --and we also learned that the fish caught in the shallow surf near shore are different from those caught in deeper water at the end of the pier--it is that long.

There was a cool breeze blowing--so being ON the pier was very good!

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Oceanside Beach

View from Oceanside Pier. (Tanya photo, 2009)

As you see from the photo above. we were not alone on the beach!

School is out and the surf was up--not too much, but just right for a lazy summer afternoon.

Military youth from Camp Pendelton were busily spending their stateside pay at the barber shops, the bistros and the bars and everybody was having fun. Even though the streets near the beach were jammed with cars, the drivers seemed to be fairly generous with the crowds of pedestrians--and though it was very warm--well, hot--I didn't notice anybody losing their tempers.

And my BACK is almost back to normal and I was with Tanya--so it was pretty nearly a perfect day!

You too!

Tomasito 2009


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Oceanside, CA. July

The Pier, Oceanside, CA. July 2009 (Tomasito photo)

We wanted to have the experience of taking the little Sprinter train which runs every half hour daily from here, Escondido, to Oceanside where one can catch the far bigger Coaster train to literally anywhere train tracks run on this continent--but firstly to San Diego (south) or Los Angeles (north).

Our Sprinter is mainly a commuter's train.

The route of this fine, up-to-date little train connects all the small communities on it's way to the coast and the price is very reasonable--$2 per person one way 0r $1 for senior citizens. It's nice and clean (zero graffiti or vandalized seats!), it's quiet and it's air conditioned--and parking at the Escondido terminal is FREE.

The one hour trip is a breeze--and it's so much fun NOT to be driving on the usually jammed freeways.

When you reach the Oceanside terminal you can walk two blocks and you will see the view above--and you don't have to TRY to find a parking place--and then PAY for it--which frustrating and expensive chores can really take the edge off a pleasant day at the beach.

Not bad for a Southern California Sunday in July, by golly!

Tomasito, 2009


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