Brooke Writes Books... and Other Musings...

When I sold my home a few months ago, the plan was to move right into a new one. Then… the plan changed a bit, and I’d move into a rental for a few months… and subsequently the plan changed again… the temporary abode appeared to be more long term.

But, boy did I luck out when I found this little gem where I am currently hanging my hat. Said hat hangs in a guesthouse atop a 2.5 acre guava grove.

Now, I’ve long lived in avocado country. And, at one time, we also produced a strong amount of citrus: lemons, oranges, and limes. When the high cost of water and development made it harder to grow these more “delicate crops”, growers started planting strawberries, kiwis, and grapes. These all do very well here. We even have some macadamia groves.

But I never realized we have some guava groves. I thought guavas grew in Hawaii and other warm paradise-like places. Turns out, they’re actually native to Mexico and Central America. They do grow in Hawaii, but they “immigrated” there.

They’re a lovely looking, small tree. When I first moved here in March, there were just brown leaves. Then in April, they became covered with lovely new green ones. I am still not quite sure what a guava looks like when it’s growing, but I kinda think I am seeing some small white flowers coming out. For those who want to know more about this exotic fruit: http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/guava.html

As for me: I am enjoying the view.

And nope. Hefty, hefty, hefty ain’t gonna come next. I’m talking about how we SoCal-ians deal with weather.

On Wednesday, we had “some weather”: lightning, hail, a bit of wind, a spot of rain. It lasted pretty much the entire day, but was not at all constant. It’d lightning/thunder a bit. Then just be cloudy. Hail a minute or two. Then be cloudy. Pour down rain for about two minutes. Then the sun would come out. It was a strange day, yes.

However, the weather was the only thing on the news Wednesday. Nothing in the world happened but weird weather in SoCal apparently. Yes, there were a few spot fires from the lightning. And sadly, a couple of people actually got hit by strikes and lost their lives (of course, standing outside in a lightning storm is never a smart thing…).

Thursday was back to normal weather-wise. However, again, there was no news but the big storm the day before… and the prediction of more of the same for Friday.

Friday dawned in typical June-gloom fashion… normal weather… however, the big news stories were still about the weather on Wednesday… with predictions of rain on Saturday.

You got it! No rain Saturday… it was a most lovely day. However, all the news stations ran stories about all the lost pets from the lightning on Wednesday.

I guess when one has 360 days of sunshine, moderate temps; the same thing day-in, day-out (okay… not really 360 days…) any change is a big deal. And with so much continual coverage about the “big weather”, at least the newsfolks learned that those flash-flash-boom-booms are not spelled “lightening”….

Thank you to all our brave service men and women... to those that have the courage and bravery to defend our country. To all those who've paid the ultimate price so that I and mine, you and yours, can live in security.

It can't be said enough: Thank you.

I’m a huge baseball fan. Love the game. Doesn’t particularly matter what teams are playing… as long as they are MLB, count me in on the viewing.

I’m not a huge fan of those who pull the “I didn’t know” card. And frankly, that’s exactly what I believe Manny Ramirez is trying to make us believe. I am not buying it.

Oh, he’s not the first one in the game to try this tactic. Nor, since MLB is too chicken to take a stance, will he be the last.

But, please… an athlete’s body is his tool of the trade. Any good workman knows you treat those tools with respect, reverence, and care. You don’t forget tools out in the rain. You don’t leave your laptop computer teetering on a table’s edge or in your hot car. You don’t let anybody near that musical instrument. Hmm… you don’t put anything in your body (or anything that can be absorbed by your body) unless you know what it is. Specifically. Undeniably.

Taking drugs… any drugs whether they are banned or not that even remotely changes hormone levels, builds better muscles, allows someone to jump tall buildings is cheating. It should not be tolerated.

Sadly, it is. By MLB. By sportscasters and journalists. By teammates. By fans. And athletes taking banned substances will continue, with the lame excuse “I didn’t know” until they are held accountable for their actions and kicked out of the game… permanently.

No measly 50-game suspensions. No having to face the team. No giving lame excuses that just add to the stupidity of the action. Gone. For good. Period. End of story.

A few months away… and wow, do things change!

First, I finally sold the ol’ homestead… woo hoo. But then it became mad-dash, break-neck packing (thank goodness for Tammy, without whose help packing up the kitchen and garage, I’d probably still be at it!).

Then I managed to get the sickest I’ve been in probably 10 years. I actually had to spend two days in bed. That woulda been sort of a luxury… except that I had to, needed to be packing…

And of course, I had to find a new place to hang my hat on a temporary basis. Which I did about six days before I was to become homeless. It’s a wonderful guest house on a 2.5 acre guava grove. One bedroom, one bath… quite luxurious. And talk about a dream to clean!

Then… I spoiled myself and got a new flat-screen TV, with a satellite dish. Wow… there are like a bazillion channels to look at… and yet I have only about four that I really watch! But the biggest change is that I had it set up in the living room… not the bedroom… which means I can sleep without TV…

Of course the spoiling of Brooke continued with the purchase of a Bose Wave System for the bedroom. Hey! A girl cannot live in total silence… and with that radio system… there’s like a whole symphony playing just for little ol’ me.

And yeah… I actually have more time now. Not a lot… but I am getting squared away and developing a new routine. And I think I’ve seen Ms. Muse lurking around… here and there… in various corners when she thinks I’m not looking. Shhh! Don’t scare her away!

So, you thought the only change was the appearance of the blog site… Ha! Fooled you. And who knows… I might even fool you more by posting more frequently.

May Y2009 treat us all well!

New Year's Day has been my favorite holiday for a long, long time. Maybe it's the optimism that surrounds it. Maybe it's just the fact that it's a holiday that expects nothing in return. But whatever, I love new beginnings... and what is more "beginning" than a new year starting.

So, here's wishing a happy Y2009 for us all. May it be very kind, very prosperous and very safe for us all.

...and hopefully another year wiser! Have to wonder about that a bit, however, since I either feel like a teenager or feel like I am 852. But I never feel the age I am.

The little girl in me still loves:

Lollipops and cotton candy. There is something so amazing about how clear and sparkly lollipops are... like glass but edible. And cotton candy...like spun fibers, a perfect pink, and it melts instantly on your tongue.

Balloons. I love balloons! All those pretty colors... all light and airy.

Coloring books and crayons and colored pens. Thankfully there is the "big girl place" to visit: the office supply store!

Flowers. All flowers.... even those now-that-I'm-older-know-what-a-pest-they-are dandelions.

Clouds and rainbows... I am just positive that the pot of gold really is at the end of the rainbow... if I could just find it.

Books... all books... fun books, work books, old books, new books, cookbooks. They are all wonderful.

Kittens and puppies... all soft and fluffy and cuddly.

Birds and butterflies... all seemingly free. Hey, they can fly!

Games... board games, card games, video games, made-up games. That thrill of competition.. sure gets the ol' blood pumping...

The Grown Up Me wishes the Little Kid Me had time to come out and play more. Maybe the Wiser Me will make that a reality in the year to come.

Happy Birthday to Me!