Wednesday, December 19, 2007

MY FRIEND, SUE!

WE WERE LIKE SISTERS WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, AND WE HAVE STAYED IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER ALL THESE YEARS SINCE. I WAS A NAVY WIFE FOREVER, AND SHE MOVED A LOT WITH THE BUSINESS HER HUSBAND, BILL, WAS IN. NOW BILL IS GONE, AND SHE'S LIVING IN FLORIDA. SO FAR AWAY FOR BOTH OF US. SHE'S NOT IN THE BEST OF HEALTH, AND IT IS HARD FOR HER TO TRAVEL.

THIS IS HER FIRST CHRISTMAS WITHOUT BILL, AND I'M SURE IT'S A HARD ONE. HE WAS QUITE A WONDERFUL MAN, AND THE WORLD IS SAD THAT HE IS GONE.

SHE AND I USED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER AT BASS LAKE, WHERE I LIVE NOW. I THINK OF HER SO MUCH DURING MY ADVENTURES AT THE LAKE. WE USED TO CAMP IN THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT EACH SUMMER, AND IT WAS HEAVEN. WE WOULD SLEEP OUTSIDE ON ARMY COTS, AND MAKE SURE THAT THE LEGS OF ONE END OF THE COT WERE IN THE WATER. WE LEARNED HOW TO DRINK CAMPFIRE COFFEE AT AN EARLY AGE, AND TO THIS DAY I STILL LOVE TO PUT EVAPORATED MILK IN MY COFFEE. WE SPENT MANY HOURS IN THE WARM WATERS OF BASS LAKE, SWIMMING, SKIING, ROLLING AROUND ON BIG, SLICK, MOSSY LOGS, AND ROWING ALL OVER THE LAKE IN ONE OF THOSE OLD HEAVY ROW BOATS. WE PLAYED A LOT OF CARDS TOO. AT NIGHT WE WOULD ALL YELL "ELMERRRRRRRRRRR", LET IT RESONATE ALL OVER THE LAKE, AND WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO ANSWER. NEVER DID FIND OUT WHO ELMER WAS OR HOW THAT EVER GOT STARTED.

MY FOLKS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WERE ALL MUSICAL. WE WOULD HAVE THESE HUGE CAMPFIRES. INSTRUMENTS LIKE GUITARS, A UKULELE, AND A MANDOLIN ACCOMPANIED US, AND WE SANG EVERY CAMPFIRE SONG IMAGINABLE. I STILL REMEMBER ALL THE WORDS, AND FEEL THAT THOSE YEARS WERE SO ENRICHING FOR ME FOREVER. BECAUSE OF THOSE WONDERFUL YEARS, I CHOOSE TO LIVE THERE NOW, AND CONTINUE THE SAME JOY AND APPRECIATION FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE LAKE, AS WE DID THEN. THE PONDEROSA PINES, THE FIRS, THE SUGAR PINES, AND THEIR HUGE PINE CONES, THE SMELL OF THE LAKE AND THE DRY PINE NEEDLES, ALL CONTRIBUTE TO MY AGELESS ADVENTURES.

TO MY FRIEND, SUE, I , AND EVERYONE WHO READS THIS, WISH YOU THE BEST OF THE SEASON, AND AS WE WIND DOWN AND WRAP-UP YET ANOTHER YEAR IN OUR AGEING LIVES, HAPPY OLD YEARS!! AND THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

LOVE, PATTI

Monday, December 17, 2007

HEARST CASTLE


IN KECIA'S GARDEN


ANGEL ERIKA!


TERY. MIKE, MUPPET AND I IN YOSEMITE


IN KECIA'S GARDEN


My brother, Mike


MY BROTHER, MIKE

I have the nicest brother. His name is Mike Stark. I've known him all my life. He's 4 years younger than I am, so when we were small, he was just a tag-along, however, he says, that he used to have a crush on all my girlfriends, and he loved to hang out with us. Now, in our "older age", we enjoy each other's company so much, and have so much in common, like art, gardening, photography, animals, and talented kids and grand kids.

He just left my house, after spending 3 days with me, and it was such a gift to have each other to ourselves for that amount of time! He's every woman's dream, and his girlfriend, Terry, and his daughter, Shana, and his grand daughter, Kylie, agree with me. We're honored to know him!

He's sweet, kind, thoughtful, talkative, intuitive, and VERY generous. His smile and sense of humor can also be described by all those same adjectives. And to top it off, he even knows his feminine side! He lives and believes in his program, which is all unto its own, and very admirable.

While he was here, he read a lot of my garden magazines to get ideas for his new home in Ventura. He also fixed everything that he possibly could, that needed honey-doing! In my cardboard house, there's always something, and I appreciate all his help. What a talent to be able to be a Mr. Fix-It! There's still more to do next time he comes.

I always used to wish I had a sister, but now with my 3 lovely daughter's, and Mike's friend, Terry, the all important "sisterhood" , (that I will write about in a later blog,) and all my dear girlfriends', I feel satisfied with the sister part of my life, but having such a nice brother, is the best sibling I could ever want or have. He's definitely the man of my life.

Thanks, Mike. Merry Christmas. I can just imagine how much enjoyment you'll get out of 2008, especially with your new house! Be safe in your travels! I love you!

Friday, December 14, 2007

DECEMBER 14, 2007

MY FRIEND, ELAINE, FROM PORT TOWNSEND, WA, JUST CALLED - SHE'S SUCH A LONG TIME, AND SWEET FRIEND - HOPE YOU ARE ABLE TO READ THIS, ELAINE, AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

NEAR KECIA'S HOUSE IN NJ 12-06



IN A CEMETARY IN NEW JERSEY


Saturday, December 8, 2007

Pearl Harbor 1967

As a Navy family, we were stationed in Hawaii for 2 years. It was a wonderful tour. My 4 (at the time) children were small, and we were at the beach, or out adventuring most of the time. I took hula lessons at the Officer's Club on Ford Island. One day in December, after the kiddies were in day care on the base, I took the little ferry over to Ford Island, and then caught a shuttle bus to the O Club. At that time the island was covered with lush, tropical greenery. Somehow I got off at the wrong stop. I realized that I was in Navy housing, and it was so beautiful and dead quiet, that I just started walking. It was as though the world stood still. There weren't any people anywhere, there were no cars on the street, and no boats moving in the harbor. I thought I was in a time warp. I could see the lovely aquamarine colors of the water between the houses as I walked. I finally came to a tiny park along the water, between the houses, and suddenly there was the Arizona Monument, right before my eyes! It seemed as though I could reach out and touch it. I was stunned. Still, there was no one anywhere, and certainly not a soul at/on the monument. I sat down on a bench, and stayed a long time. After all, I had it all to myself! It was a "god treat" as my children would say.

The spell was broken when I heard the shuttle bus coming. It was not until I was back on the bus that it registered the fact that it December 7th. It was a good day!

Cambria, Seals, a Castle, and 75 degree weather at Big Sur

That describes my 3 day jaunt to the coast this week, thanks in part, to a very good "package" from AAA, that included 2 nights, dinner, a ticket to Hearst Castle, etc. I mainly wanted to see the baby elephant seals, but discovered that they are born starting at the END of December not the beginning. However, the beaches at San Simeon are covered with yearlings and older who have been swimming around the world, so to speak, and come back to rest, give birth, mate, and continue their cycle. It was inspiring to me to see the older males coming out of the water from their long swim, and barely make up the shore before collapsing. Some of them are huge, with proboscis-like noses resembling an elephant trunk, hence their name.

Then Hearst Castle - my first trip there. I found the movie prior to the tour to be one of the highlights. It told of the zoo Mr. Hearst used to have, and mentioned that there are still zebras wandering around the ranch there, mingling with the cattle, and sure enough, later we saw them from the highway.

There were huge waves from storms along the whole west coast, not so good beach combing, and lovely warm weather. I went north to Monterey, on Highway One, and as always, stopped and walked the cliffs and parks at Big Sur. Had lunch at Rocky Point, as Nepenthes was closed due to remodeling. A very good trip. I came home to a violent storm during the night here in the mountains, and woke up to snow on the ground.