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| Monday, 29-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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Settling in for that Long Winter's Nap
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While this may seem like a luxury or indulgence,
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curling up under a warm blanket on a chilly afternoon and
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dozing off to Dreamland for a spell is a very good thing to do.
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| Sunday, 28-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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The road to a friend's house is never long.
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Aaron G, Alex and Sean.
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Mike, Ji Mi and Naria.
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Aaron H, Alex and buddies, Aaron G & Sean
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Sometimes, the best-laid plans go awry. For Alex, just back from his first semester at UCI and Naria, on Christmas break from grade school, this year's winter flu hit hard. It looked like our neighbors and friends from down the hill weren't gonna make it up the mountain.
One day late, both families showed up!
Never estimate the resilience of youth and the burning desire of not missing out on their families' winter weekend. With the help of amoxycillin for Alex and Korean remedies for Naria, both bounced back. No one was about to be left behind.
After an afternoon of snow play under a sunny, clear blue Big Bear sky, everyone piled in and settled into the cabin. When darkness fell, we all headed out to Maggio's for pizza. Why Maggio's?
"Because of the atmosphere, " said Mike. "And the salads and pizzas are great!"
Driving over, the ski traffic was horrendous. No problem. We were driving in the opposite direction. We stepped into a teensy restaurant -- Maggio's -- packed with convivial skiers and out-of-towners (the locals eat at home, this time of year). The aroma of garlic and Italian herbs wafting from the kitchen had our mouths watering. Of course, for Eddie, every stranger is an unmet friend and in no time at all, he was introducing us to his newest friends from Arizona.
Somehow our party of eleven was accommodated after a half hour wait, but not without a quick shopping foray next door for the kids.
Mike was right. The cozy, unpretentious restaurant radiated a laid-back charm and atmosphere with its low-ceiling surroundings and wicker basket chianti bottles lining the ledges. The appetizers -- deep fried mozzarella, mushroom, and zucchini sticks; antipasto; fresh green salad; and teriyaki chicken (yes, you read that right), pepperoni and cheese, and vegetarian pizzas were all 'that' -- GREAT! 
The melodrama of the evening was about to unfold. As we were leaving, a near hysterical woman in tears was right outside the door. Her daughter had dropped her loose car key somewhere in their car. Mother and daughter were in a state of total haplessness. In the days of yore, they would have been described as your classic "damsels in distress."
"And WHY was it not on a keychain?" we wondered  , some aloud.
The eyes of our eleven-strong group -- young and old -- scoured hard. The key was nowhere to be found, inside or outside the car. Perhaps it fell into the seat belt mechanism?  Ai yai yai!
T trudged across the parking lot to retrieve a flashlight from his truck, while Mike, the handiest man on Earth, went for his tools. In that icy cold night, the guys proceeded to look for the wayward key. After a long 15 minutes of intense searching, "Eureka!" Eddie's eagle eye spotted the elusive key behind the front seats. Nothing gets past Eddie, and he never misses a beat -- or a lost key! 
The grateful woman put the key safely on a (large) keychain with all of us, stern witnesses, watching. She could not thank the guys enough. I like to think this mother and daughter will never forget the kindness of these strangers in the night.
How blessed we are that these 'strangers' are our friends. Our dear, dear friends. 
>> How We Got to Know Eddie & Celia
>> Aaron's BM
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| Saturday, 27-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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Happy Birthday to My Sister, Sandy!
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My sister Sandy, meeting her dog-nephew and -niece.
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A leisurely Laguna afternoon with my sister all to myself.
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A quick visit to one of our favorite local hang-outs.
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Click on the thumbnail pictures to enlarge.
"...loving a sister is an unconditional, narcissistic, and complicated devotion that approximates a mother's love... Sisters are inescapably connected by the same two parents, the same trove of memory and experience." ~ Mary Bruno
WHAT IS A SISTER?
She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities.
She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway.
She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you're smiling, even in the dark.
She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink.
Thank you for being all of these -- and more.
Great chatting with you tonight. Hope you'll be feeling better soon and starting 2004 in good health and giving your treadmill a run for its money.
>> A Sharing of Memories: My Kind of Day with My Sister, Sandy: Sunday, May 5, 2002
Love to you and Robert,
D
P.S. Thanks for the tip on those unbelievably low fares!
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| Friday, 26-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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For inspirational (with lots of WOW!) photography, THE YEAR IN PICTURES, MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.com/modules/yip03/
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| Thursday, 25-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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Holiday Greetings!
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The Christmas tree is decorated and aglow...
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A bit of Hawai'i -- an anthurium -- in holiday dress.
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And good 'ole St. Nick, job done, now on vacation in Hawai'i.
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It's Christmas morning! Just had my morning coffee -- I'm awake! We're watching a Christmas parade on TV...and wishing you a blessed holiday!
More holiday greetings from our pets to yours:
http://fotodogs.fotopages.com/?entry=27724
If you doubt that Santa vacations in Hawai`i: here's proof.
Food for Thought: Giving Away Millions: It's Only Human
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| Wednesday, 24-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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To My Fellow Dog-Lovin' Fotopagers
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With visions of dog biscuits dancing in her head...
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We wish you & yours a blessed holiday season!
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Wishing these pups at the pet store found homes.
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It's Christmas Eve. Just got back from dinner at our favorite local restaurant; T had a steaming pot of sukiyaki and I, grilled salmon teriyaki, topped off with green tea ice cream for its anti-oxidants (right...).
Who knows where these ideas come from...
As I was ready to settle in with some poems for a long winter's night, the idea to designate a pleasing expanse of cyber-space where fellow dog-lovers in the fotopagers community could unleash themselves and post photos of their canines to their hearts' content popped into awareness.
Just as a dog that can run free is a happy dog, a fotopager owned by dogs that can post dog-pictures freely is a happy human. And so, here it is: FOTODOGS: http://fotodogs.fotopages.com/
The instructions on how to post at FOTODOGS are here.
Here are my first contributions. I hope this fotopage will be a dog-gone success.
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| Tuesday, 23-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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A Silvery Lake
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Sharon......A festive box...filled with Sharon-made cookies, the best kind! An account of our good neighbor's cookies and their mountain rescue is here: http://ah.fotopages.com/?entry=27198
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| Monday, 22-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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Photo Challenge: Week 5 & A WILDLY WONDERFUL Christmas card
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Christmas tree at the local library.
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My favorite spot in the library to read in bliss.
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My 2nd favorite spot: a good 'ole library table.
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The photo challenge for Week 5 (Dustman's choice) is HAPPYNESS.
Reading makes me HAPPY. Disneyland has been described as "the happiest place on Earth." For me, a bookstore or a library is the happiest place on Earth, as I am supremely happy when I'm surrounded by books.
My pre-Christmas treat, this year, was to spend the morning at my local library. Now that is a very happy me. Not surprisingly, I photographed what makes me happy on this date. This photo challenge -- a few days later -- gives me a reason to post them here and share them with others.
It takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round...
____________________
Just received another wildly wonderful Jacquie Lawson Christmas card from Aunty Maria and her husband Bob to share with all of you: http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=4154231474
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| Sunday, 21-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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My Favorite Photographs
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Two very happy dogs... Freddy & 'Oli...
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vacationing at the famous dog beach in Carmel, California...
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with two ecstatically even happier humans that they own. ~HwnEye
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I couldn't resist the challenge to pick "Your Favorite Photograph" over in The Dark Room. I have so MANY that I truly love. I outright failed to meet the challenge, as I could not pick just one. I sifted my choices down to just three -- all taken on our trip to Carmel, California.
This was the GRANDDADDY of vacations for us -- we had such a magical time there. It was serene, yet so joyful for all of us.
Just as parents take their kids to Disneyland, dog-parents take their dog-kids to beautiful Carmel Beach where the dogs are not only allowed -- they are welcomed -- to run free with glee and become "gods of frolic."
I'm posting these here as well, as a reminder for me to get the rest of my Carmel shots posted on this site for safekeeping as soon as I have some free time.
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| Saturday, 20-Dec-2003 00:00 |
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A Candlelight Dinner
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A Candlelight Dinner
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With a towering Christmas tree with thousands of twinkling lights as a backdrop ... soft holiday music ... merriment in the eyes of the passersby ... lifting of glasses to bright toasts, thanks, and heart-felt best wishes for 2004... dining under the stars... an open cafe with heat lamps to take the edge off the night chill ... intermingled with the fragrances of vanilla and lavender ... laughter and smiles .... splendid company with an abundance of Christmas cheer ... beautiful faces glowing in the candlelight ... silent, fervent wishes over festive Christmas candles ... shared cheesecake with steaming cups of freshly-brewed coffee...
A time of gratitude for yet another year of being of service to God and fellow humans. A sense of goodwill to all, no matter what the frailties. A resolve to make the best of things. A knowing that all things will be for the best. An awareness that Grace moves mysteriously, silently and effectively.
Ahh, the Spirit of Christmas prevails...
__________________________________
My wishes: Please continue to keep MaLou, Margie, Don, Emma and Cia under your protective wings. 
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