Cherries

Monday, March 30, 2020

Why Are People Panic Buying Toilet Paper?

The toilet paper shortage is not the end of the world. My mom and grandmother would have been quick to go “Old School!” In fact, one of the things my mom said to me so many times as a kid was, “Tell me what you don’t have and I” ll tell you how to live without it.” I know it came from her lack-mindset, but with that said, she was incredibly frugal and resourceful. When you don’t have a lot, you make a lot of what you have. We still have electricity, running water, indoor plumbing, and so much more. Keep in mind, Kleenex and paper towels do not flush or are biodegrade like TP is and if you are on septic, be careful. Those services get expensive real quick! 


Let’s all keep calm and be kind to each other.


Last night, I had had enough. I’m tired. I’m tired of Covid19, I’m tired of shelter in place, and I’m tired of this hysteria nonsense. If you’re elderly and at-risk, stay home. If you’re not at risk, wash your hands profusely. How can you put almost every American small business out of business? This is not the answer. 


I understand overwhelming the system, but if we understand there is no vaccine but us healthy, young’uns will survive, do we need medical care? Most of us will not so we will not be the ones overrunning the hospitals. I also understand carriers and incubation periods but I just don’t see how completely shutting down our WORLD economy is the answer. I’m open to more education and want to understand more fully... how can you help me understand?


For now, these are the things I CAN control... drinking lots of water, vitamins C & D, washing my hands with soap & using good quality hand sanitizer between washings, and cleaning with disinfectant. I’m healthy and I’m taking action to stay that way. #MadeInAmerica 

Monday, March 23, 2020

All I Said Was, "No Screen Time After 9 PM."

It's no secret that I'm a mean mom. I say no, I make Mason do his chores before he can go have fun, and I am not one to tolerate a crappy attitude for very long. Well, I'm sure COVID is playing into some angst for all of us, but come on, is having to be home and slow down really so bad? Not only has Mason's attitude not been so great, but he is not adjusting to online school like I hoped he would. The school and teachers are also not doing very well as they were not really equipped to teach online. In any case, I decided that unplugging after 9 PM would be good for Mason, he did not agree. And really, if he knew the music, he would know that Quiet Riot is far more obnoxious than ZZ Top ever could be! 



Monday, March 16, 2020

Teaching Mason Mom's Recipe

This week, I taught Mason how to make my mom's apple butter. I don’t remember the last time we didn’t have at least a few jars in the pantry. He wanted more so I told him it was time he learned how to make it. He rocked it but I think he needs further explanation as to what it means to preserve food (it doesn’t need to be refrigerated). Michael J. we need to make time to do some of this, too!

I also spent time this week picking blood oranges, and there are not many who would call it an official workout unless they witnessed me doing it. I was at the tip-top of the ladder, up inside the tree reaching, bending, and twisting. I’m taking it for the win and think I might even be sore tomorrow. For the record, the tree is huge!



Finally, Dave and I made time to get away, I love a spur-of-the-moment trip! We took a lovely, romantic trip to Capitola to see longtime friends and have dinner at Shadow Brook Restaurant. Dave has been coming here for 45+ years, it’s simply magical. Dave loves traditions more than anyone I know and I love how he wants to share all of his childhood traditions with me. <3

Monday, March 9, 2020

Setting My Intention To Lose Weight


March 2020 is here and I'm feeling ready to intentionally drop a few pounds. I've been eating so much better, I'm finding the supplements are making a difference, I'm feeling less overall aches & pains (my knees still hurt), and my menopause symptoms have settled down significantly. 

Anyone want to join me and drop some weight? I'm planning to use a supplement program and I will be making exercise a priority. Who wants to get ready to wear shorts? This is going to be my "Before" photo... Let's put YOU beside me.


And what is with this flu that is coming our way? I'm not sure what to believe, but it appears that China has been hit hard. Is this another bird flu?



Monday, March 2, 2020

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy Birthday, Mom, February 27th would have been your 90th birthday. 

She passed away 2 1/2 years ago and we absolutely miss her. I’m the baby of five kids and my mom always joked that I was an accident. She would tell me how my dad went crazy yelling and screaming when she told him she was pregnant but then when he passed away, I learned he was over the moon to have me. Go figure!

Growing up, my mom and I were very close. I would say that being the last of five kids, she relaxed a lot and parented with more of a “go with the flow” attitude, in addition to wanting to do more with the last child because they are just that, the last one. I had a number of interests as a young girl and my mom supported most of them, mostly the ones she felt like she could support. I played little league baseball, I roller skated, rode horses, but more than anything, from the time I was eight years old, I wanted to be an actor. This is one she had no idea how to help me do so she told me I didn’t have what it would take to succeed in that industry. Before you judge my mom for not being supportive, let’s keep in mind, this was the 1970s and the women who were the ideals in the industry were Farrah Fawcett, Cheryl Tiegs, and Christy Brinkley. I was a young tomboy, chubby, not so tall and nothing about my look indicated that I could make it in show business.

My mom grew up in Shanghai, China, and spent several years in the Japanese internment camp as my grandfather was American. My mom met my dad, who was also an American Soldier and that is how she came to America. My grandmother and grandfather followed her immigrating to the US through Ellis Island. My grandmother and mother were so proud to become Americans, my grandmother was primarily Russian but also had some Polish heritage. From what I can tell, the immigrants of years ago wanted to be American, they didn’t want to reference their heritage by flying any flag other than the American flag, This didn’t mean we didn’t celebrate Russian Easter or have decorations from their childhoods, but they wanted to be known as Americans, they loved this country.

Though my mom did not have the wherewithal to help me break into show business, she tried to help me in other ways. When I wanted a horse, she told me if I saved enough money to pay for half, she would pay the other half. She never expected me to earn all that money over the course of one summer, but I did. Once I had my horse, she worked and saved her money to buy me the saddle I wanted. Yep, my mom’s full-time job paid for me to do the things I loved. I know you’re inclined to point the “spoiled brat” finger at me, but know that at 14 years old I worked, too. I had to work at the ranch where my horse was boarded cleaning stalls to pay for her board, and the cost of a horse meant I didn’t have the latest and greatest when it came to clothes and shoes, I understood lay-away from the time I was old enough to understand that I tried on clothes that I didn’t get to take home.

She did the best she could. My dad and she were married to the day they each died, but they were no Ward and June Cleaver. LOL! She was, for the most part, a single parent in terms of us kids. She took us camping with her best friend and our neighbor, we took day trips to Mt. Diablo, San Francisco, Frontier Village, Marriotts Great America, Marine World, and she even took me to Hawaii and New York. It is still an oxymoron to me that she made some pretty amazing things happen in our life but always told me, “Kathy, there are have’s and have-nots in life. We are have-nots, we don’t have money to do the things your friend's families have.” I heard her but I didn’t believe her. I recall a Saturday morning that I got up early and had my mind set to go get a job. She asked me where I was off to and I told her, she replied, “It doesn’t work that way Kathy, you have to go fill out an application, turn it in, wait for a callback, go interview and then if they like you, they will call you to offer you the job. It takes weeks.” I looked at her with a blank stare. I went downtown and was home less than an hour later with my first real job.

Holy cow, this is a long post! My mom was something else, she loved her kids to a fault and I mean that sincerely. She blurred the lines in an all-out effort to keep the peace. This was not always a good thing, in fact, it bit her in the butt more than once. I think I am such a stickler about telling the truth because I saw how her “white lies” hurt her and our family. I would rather know the truth even if I don’t like it than have someone lie to me. I know she meant well, she just never really learned that lesson. Happy Birthday mom, I love you and I appreciate all you did for us, and how much more you did for me.