SWEDISH DEATH CLEANING

 I have been hearing about a new series called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. It is based on the book of the same name. I haven’t read it or watched the series yet, but I have been doing this for some time.

It may sound depressing, but the idea is that those of us of a “certain age” (Baby Boomers) are closer to the end of our lives than the beginning. Through the years, we have accumulated lots of stuff. In addition, many of us have lived in our homes for a long time (in our case, thirty-six years). Also, some of us (raises hand) have emotional attachment to our “stuff.”

However, realistically, we don’t want to leave the disposition of our “treasures” to those left behind. Besides, we want those items we treasure to go to those who will appreciate them.

SO, several months ago, I was looking at all of our small musical instruments. We used to play most of them, but they were now mostly decorative. Instruments need to be played in order to remain at their best.

We discussed it and decided we needed to find a home for them where they would be used and enjoyed. A young lady we have known since she was very young is an award-winning composer. We asked her to come to our house, and we offered them to her. (This photo shows only some of them.) We loaded them into her car, and she said it felt like Christmas. She was definitely the right person to have them. She will use and enjoy them.

Waiting in line for Soarin’ Over California at Disney’s California Adventure, we met a father and son. The little boy told us ALL about WWII and the attack on Pearl Harbor. His eyes lit up, and he was so excited telling us about it. (Can you say “precocious”?)

As we left the ride, I reminded Larry about the Veteran’s Day we spent at the Arizona Memorial about ten years ago. Five of the surviving Arizona sailors were there. They had written a book about their experiences. (Only one now remains.) All of them signed the book and also gave us sheets with their photos and biographies. (They signed those as well.)

“I know where the Arizona book needs to go.”

Larry agreed.

We ran into the father and son a little later and told them about the book. He said he’d would send their mailing address so we could mail them the book. When we got home, we found the Arizona book and also a coffee table book about Honolulu. It had articles on the Arizona and on the Punch Bowl Cemetery.

They went into the mail, and we received a photo when they arrived.

When Larry worked at Universal City in 1997, for a year before we moved to Osaka to build the Universal Studios Japan theme park, they held quite a few cast member only sales. They usually closed out discontinued merchandise and other materials at huge savings.

At one, he bought an original cell from the cartoon The Little Engine That Could. He was able to get a background with it, too. When we got to Japan, we discovered our Japanese grandson was CRAZY about trains. At Christmas when we came back to California, we retrieved the cell and took it back with us for his Christmas gift.

At another sale, Larry had purchased a portfolio of signed and numbered dinosaur prints in a presentation folio. He had planned to hang them in his office at the job site. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to put them. So, they spent our stay under our bed.

When we got back home, they went behind his armoire, where they remained for twenty-two years. We asked if the kids would like to have them, and their dad said they would. So, we packed them up to send. We also found a book on how to fold origami dinosaurs and added it.

They arrived today. The mother sent us this note:

Hello! Thank you and Larry for the really fun dinosaur drawings and origami book! We went to our local science museum yesterday and saw their new dinosaur exhibit, so your incredibly kind gift had some especially good timing! We’ll have to checkout some dinosaur books next time we go to the library! Thanks again!

This is exactly what we had hoped would happen!

Yesterday, we had lunch at a local restaurant we enjoy. I had noticed before that they used odd cups, saucers, and luncheon plates to serve the food. I had a very large collection of odd cups, saucers, and plates. I’d used them for ladies’ luncheons, showers, etc. At one time, I had over three dozen of each. I don’t host those kinds of events anymore, and I haven’t used them for years. I kept about a third of my collection, but we boxed up about two thirds. We delivered them this morning, and the owners were delighted to get them. I look forward to eating a meal there someday soon served on my china.

Of course, we have just scratched the surface, but it feels good to have found homes for these items with people who will appreciate them.

Back to the Park

 After our Disney mini-vacation in September, we realized how much we enjoy the Disney parks. So, our Christmas gift to each other was Magic Key passes for the year. Ours have no blackout days. HOWEVER, you now have to make a reservation in order to go to the park.

When we first got ours, there were no available dates in December at all. I was able to get one date in November, so we took it. I really wanted to see the Christmas lights and decorations in the park.

Near the end of November, I looked again, and a few December dates were open, so I snagged a couple of those!

On the first trip in November, we started at the tree on Main Street. (This is why we don’t take selfies!)

We went on several of the old favorites.

In December, we were able to get on Rise of the Resistance again. I liked it much better in the cooler weather.

On the 13^th, It’s a Small World Christmas was back in operation. The only time I like to go on that ride is at Christmastime. (A flood in the electrical room under the ride caused it to be out for several months.)

At least once on each trip, we like to sit in the lobby at the Grand Californian and listen to the piano. We also like to people-watch.

Theme Park aerobics is my favorite form of exercise. Now we’re getting back to it! And I love it!

Virtual Christmas--A Repeat

Today, I repeat a blog from five years ago. It is about one of my most memorable holidays. Thanks to Stephanie who suggested it.

A few years ago, during the financial crisis, most in our family were unable to spend much for gifts. We agreed to give the kids smaller presents, but the adults were in a quandary.

Larry grew up with a large extended family. All the kids got something small, but lots of gifts. Auntie Wanda, who worked in a bank, gave each child a crisp, new two-dollar bill. Uncle Francis brought them each a shiny silver dollar. (Kim still has some of hers.) Auntie Margie loved finding loud and crazy socks. She’d shop all year for them. (And Kim insisted on wearing them—with everything.)

Since Larry’s dad was one of six, and most were married with kids, we often had forty or more on Christmas Eve. Dad was the youngest and was sixteen years younger than his oldest sister. We loved having kids and adults of all ages, and we welcomed a new family member every few years.

The adults drew names for gifts with a $20 limit. This meant each couple only had to buy two adult gifts. Names were drawn on Thanksgiving, but we weren’t particularly strict about sticking with the names as drawn. Much horse trading occurred between that date and Christmas Eve.

Everyone knew Cousin Gerry loved getting Larry’s brother, Casey. Both were pranksters, and Gerry loved giving Casey off-the-wall gifts.

One year, she gave him a large box. When he opened it, the only thing inside was a clue to the next gift. She routed him all over the house until he finally located the small box in the center of her cookie plate. It held a $20 bill. Another year, he received a coffee can filled with change embedded in the most awful mixture of white glue, peanut butter, chocolate syrup… Well, you can imagine. He had to run the whole thing under very hot water before he was able to extract his $20 in change.

I always loved getting Auntie Margie. She had very definite tastes, and most of the rest of them found her challenging. What a coup when I was able to please her, and I did so often.

For many years, we hosted the entire family, but as the older generation died out, and the ‘kids’ grew up and moved away, the group grew smaller until we were left with only our immediate families.

As Christmas of 2009 approached, some of us were faced with limited resources. My sister-in-love, Lucy, had just started a new job. Casey’s company had folded, as had mine. Kim had moved to Texas for work and was no longer working two jobs. Our niece, Carrie, and her husband were leaving right after the first of the year to move to Utah. In short, times were financially challenging, and money was tight.

A coworker was faced with the same situation in her family. She had just gone back to work after nine months of unemployment. (I had gotten her a contract job at the same place I was working.)

Her family decided on a virtual Christmas. The rules were simple:

·              Decide what you would give each family member if money were no object and without any restrictions.

·              Write a note to each person, along with pictures or other enhancements (web pages, etc.) to let them know what you’d give them and why.

·              Put your virtual gift in an envelope, and put it on the tree on Christmas Eve.

Everyone took the challenge seriously. And the gifts we received that year far surpassed any material gifts we might have gotten.

I have kept my virtual gifts locked carefully away along with the birth certificates, marriage certificate, and all the other valuable papers. They are that precious.

Kim ‘gave’ Larry a trip to outer space, complete with photos and a web page. I ‘got’ a house in Hawaii.

My brother, who is a classic car fanatic, ‘gave’ Larry a woody and me a ’57 Thunderbird—my favorite car of all time.

Carrie and Loren had just bought a new house in Utah, so they brought the map of their neighborhood. Their ‘gift’ was a house of our choice so we could be near them.

Larry’s gift was a trip to Hawaii for the whole family. His gift to me was to retire and travel to all the places on my bucket list: Machu Picchu, England, Scotland (again), New Zealand (again, Italy (again), and Hawaii (always). Oh, and he’d go along.

My gifts were all intangibles. To Kim, I ‘gave’ happiness. To my brother, confidence, and so forth. Larry’s gift reads as follows:

To Larry I would give

JOY

In God and your faith

            In your work and your play

                        In your family and home

                                    In love and marriage

You are the greatest blessing in my life.

            If I could do it all over again,

I would. You taught me how to laugh

            And play and love (the best parts).

I love you.

We haven’t done it again, but someday, perhaps, we will. I’d recommend it to anyone, whether or not finances are an issue.

My virtual gift for you? A joyous and blessed holiday season and a prosperous New Year. May all your fondest dreams come true.

I Miss Christmas Shopping

Even though I used to have my Christmas shopping completed by September (yes, I planned ahead), I miss actually shopping for presents. Throughout the year, if I saw something and it reminded me of a friend or family member, I bought it and put it away for the holidays.

Wherever we traveled during the year, I looked for Christmas ornaments. Often, what I found weren’t originally intended to be used as ornaments, but when I added hooks and bows, keychains and other items became decorations. I got them each year for our daughter, godchild, and the nieces and nephews. These became expected. The kids looked forward to seeing where each year’s ornament came from.

I continue this tradition, but now for the great-nieces and nephews. Last April we were in Paris. We visited St. Chapelle, and I saw some great, fun gargoyle keychains—just the thing for the little boys in our lives. So, I have this year’s ornaments. Shh, please don’t tell. These are about the only gifts I still buy these days.

The family has spread to other states, and we don’t all get together during the holidays. These days, it’s easier to send a gift card the whole family can use for something special. We usually send a card, a copy of our latest book(s), and the ornaments.

Last year, we gave charitable gifts in the other family members’ names. We felt as though we were doing something positive, but it wasn’t the same as receiving a surprise gift.

This year, Kim isn’t coming for Christmas. She just started a new job and doesn’t have any vacation time accrued. We’ll really miss her.

When she was little, she had a clothing budget—a limit on how much we’d spend on her clothes. She got to make the decisions about what to buy, but when she reached the limit, she didn’t get anything else until the next period. The exception was during the holidays.

Usually, one day during her visit, I announce, “I feel like shopping.” What this means is we would go shopping, and I’d buy her something—or maybe more than one. However, we always pretended it was a spontaneous decision, even though we did it nearly every year. It is one of our favorite rituals, and I’ll miss it this year.

From the time we lived in Osaka, I have done most of my shopping online. I can compare prices and have everything delivered to my door or drop-shipped directly to the recipient. I have little or no need to go to a mall or department store during the holidays. I have always avoided the crowds, but I loved seeing the decorations.

I used to spend hours wrapping gifts, too. I usually picked a “theme” or “look” each year, and wrapped all the gifts alike. In the past few years, I have used gift bags. They are reusable with less waste. From a green standpoint, they make more sense, but I confess, I miss seeing the pile of wrapped gifts under the tree.

Change is the only constant. Some changes I like, and others are harder to adjust to. I wouldn’t want to go backwards, but a part of me still misses some things from the past.

Are there any traditions you no longer observe? Do you miss them?

Give Memories

As we said in the first sentence of our book The Memory Keeper, “In the end, only memories remain.”

When I look back on my life, I remember few of the “things” I received over the years, but I remember many special shared moments. For this reason, we have tried to give each other special memories for holiday gifts for quite a while.

For several years, Larry’s birthday gift was a box at The Hollywood Bowl. We were lucky enough to get a four-place box in the very back row for every other Friday night. (They usually had a waiting list of several years, but we got one the first year we applied.) It was in the center, so the view was good, even though we were at the back of the section.

In addition to the box, we had valet parking and tables. He got to choose who would go with us and the meal I would fix. I had a set of menus I could pack to go. His favorite meals were quiche and salad or a fried rice ring with sweet-and-sour-chicken. All meals included salad, rolls, dessert, wine, and aperitifs.

We took unbreakable Corelle dishes and stainless flatware in special washable bags plus pewter wine, water, and aperitif glasses. We packed everything into a rolling bag, along with fabric tablecloths, matching cloth napkins, a bud vase with a rose, candles, and candle holders. Since we always sat next to the same people, we got to know them. Our neighbor called dinner “competitive dining.” We loved it. We saw some terrific performers such as Itzhak Perlman, John Galway, Arthur Fiedler, John Williams, and many, many others.

The last performance of the season came near Kim’s birthday. They alternated the 1812 Overture with Handel’s Fireworks Music—complete with fireworks. Her dad let her choose who would come with her. A couple of years, she invited her grandmother. Another year, she asked her best friend. We spoke with Arlene not long ago, and she told us she remembered going there with us. She also remembered the amaretto pie I made.

For her eighth or ninth birthday, we took Kim to see Annie. Another year, her party included taking her and a couple of friends to see The Wizard of Oz at the outdoor theater in Laguna Beach. We also took her to see Andres Segovia at UCLA when she was quite young. We sat in the first row of the balcony, and she spent the evening mesmerized. We had tickets for the Ambassador Auditorium. There, she fell in love with The Kings Singers.

We’ve all received wonderful gifts through the years, but those which gave us special memories were, and continue to be, my favorites.

Toys break—whether children’s or adults’, but memories last a lifetime.

Do you ever give memories? Which ones do you remember?

Escape to Space

Do you sometimes just just want to escape? Larry has always wanted to do so. As a kid, he wanted to be a spaceman. (They weren’t called astronauts at the time.) His favorite reading was science fiction, but for years he never wrote it.

However, in 2014, one of the members of our writing group began to write a sci-fi book. Larry’s interest in the genre was re-energized.

In February of 2015, he published The McGregor Chronicles:  Book 1 – Saving Mike.

This is a family story about two brothers, Matt and Mike. When Mike is kidnapped, Matt sets out to rescue him.

Once he finished the first book, he couldn’t stop. In May of 2015, he published The McGregor Chronicles Book 2 – Escape From Eden. In Book 1, Mike meets Tracy Warren. She learns her mother is being held on a private planed called Eden, so in Book 2, she and Matt, along with his other brother, Marc, sister, Maddie, and Federation Detective Jake Stevens go to Eden to free Tracy’s mother.

Of course, this book didn’t end the series. So in March of 2016, he published The McGregor Chronicles: Book 3 – Alien Invasion.

Their parents have not returned from a distant planet, so the McGregor children set out to find them. When they arrive, they encounter a real crisis, and they have to figure out how to respond. At the end of this book, of course, Larry had even more storylines to resolve. In February 2017, he published the next book in the series, The McGregor Chronicles: Book 4 - Kaùsan’s War.

He is nearly finished with the next in the series: The McGregor Chronicles: Book 5 – Nina’s Revenge. He has also begun on Book 6.

Do you enjoy reading science fiction? Do you like family stories? If so, you will enjoy Larry’s sci-fi series. And if you prefer to listen to books, the first two in the series are also available as audiobooks.

Do you have any sci-fi fans on your gift list? These would make great gifts.

Oak Tree Authors Cook!

Thanks to Jackie Taylor Zortman for blogging on this subject. https://jtzortman.wordpress.com/ 

I used much of her blog to create this one. I appreciate her efforts as well as her contribution to the book itself.

A few years ago, fellow Oak Tree Press author, Ilene Schneider,  suggested an authors' cookbook to feature recipes from our books. She compiled the recipes, and I edited and formatted the manuscript, but other projects got in the way. Recently, Ilene I decided to resurrect the cookbook. It is now available in two editions. One features a full color interior and sells as a paperback SPECIAL EDITION for $24.99. The second has a black and white interior. It sells for $14.99.  Both are available at http://www.amazon.com. Both are 6×9 trade paperbacks.

The gorgeous artwork for the cover is an original pastel painting called "Wine and Cheese" by author Mary Montague Sikes.  The following authors contributed recipes Amy Bennett, Holli Castillo, Lorna Collins, Lesley A. Diehl, Michael Eldridge, Nicola Furlong, J. L. (Janet) Greger, Shirley Skufca Hickman, Ann K. Howley, Marilyn Levinson, J. R. (John) Lindermuth, Nancy LiPetri, F. M. (Marilyn) Meredith, Sharon Arthur Moore, Radine Trees Nehring, Carolyn Niethammer, Eileen Obser, Beryl Reichenberg, Tanis Rush, Ilene Schneider, Anne Schroeder, Mary Montague Sikes,  Denise Weeks, Robert Weibenzahl, John R. Wills and Jackie Taylor Zortman.

The Amazon description  of the book is: ” Not only are the

Back Cover of OTP Authors Cookbook

Oak Tree Press authors wonderful writers, they are also great cooks.  Meals often appear in their books.  This cookbook assembles the best of their recipes along with author profiles and a bit about their books.  Special thanks for the owner of Oak Tree Press, Billie Johnson, for her support and encouragement.”

Books make wonderful holiday gifts. Consider them for hostess gifts and for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hanukkah presents.  Please keep all our books, including this one, in mind as you prepare your holiday gift list.  Buy a copy for yourself, and wrap copies to give to someone who likes to cook or who just loves books.

Small Blessings

This morning I have been thinking about small blessings. These are the ones I receive every day and often don’t notice.

I woke up this morning. In itself, this is a blessing. I get another day. Another day with Larry. Another day to live in this glorious place. More of my friends are taken as time goes on, but I am still here. So what if I have a cough? So what if I don’t feel 100%? I’m awake and alive.

I rolled out of bed and stood up. What a gift. I often think about my friend Renee. She is paralyzed and can’t turn herself over without help. She needs assistance to sit up, move, dress, do her morning routine, and everything else in her life. She is not my only friend with physical disabilities. I’m grateful to be able to stand and brush my teeth and shower and dress by myself.

I took a hot shower. I have been grateful for hot running water for many years. I relish standing beneath the stream as I wake up and begin my day. When I think about it, a hot shower truly is a miracle.

I live in a place where many people pay a great deal to visit. We get to be here every day. The weather is close to perfect, and we truly enjoy it. Whenever we are at the marina, we remind ourselves of the gift of living in this special place.

We own a terrific house, one we never in our wildest dreams imagined we’d ever live in, much less own. It is big enough to share with others. Our daughter and my mother have both lived here. We have hosted several foreign students, and have housed various others over the years. We still love hosting company.

We are retired and, unlike so many of our friends, can afford to live in the same manner as we did when we were working at our careers. We have a second career as authors, and other people seem to enjoy our books. I have a third career as an editor. I’m busier than I would really like to be at this time in my life, but I’m grateful for a functioning brain and the ability to contribute to others.

The greatest blessing in my life is Larry. We dated for the first time when I was fourteen. I was crazy about him, and a few years later, he decided we should be together. We just celebrated our 51^st wedding anniversary. We still have fun together, and he still makes me laugh.

The secondary blessing is our daughter, Kimberly. She brings us such joy, and we are proud of the adult she has become.

Sometimes I forget how truly blessed I am. Then I look around and realize all the wonderful things in my life. How could I not feel blessed?

Virtual Christmas

I posted this last year, but as  Advent begins, I am reminded what a special year this was and want to share it again. I 'stole' the idea from a co-worker, so it's not original. But we still have terrific memories of the year without 'real' gifts.

A few years ago, during the financial crisis, most in our family were unable to spend much for gifts. We agreed to give the kids smaller presents, but the adults were in a quandary.

Larry grew up with a large extended family. All the kids got something small, but lots of gifts. Auntie Wanda, who worked in a bank, gave each child a crisp, new two-dollar bill. Uncle Francis brought them each a shiny silver dollar. (Kim still has some of hers.) Auntie Margie loved finding loud and crazy socks. She’d shop all year for them. (And Kim insisted on wearing them—with everything.)

Since Larry’s dad was one of six, and most were married with kids, we often had forty or more on Christmas Eve. Dad was the youngest and was sixteen years younger than his oldest sister. We loved having kids and adults of all ages, and we welcomed a new family member every few years.

The adults drew names for gifts with a $20 limit. This meant each couple only had to buy two adult gifts. Names were drawn on Thanksgiving, but we weren’t particularly strict about sticking with the names as drawn. Much horse trading occurred between that date and Christmas Eve.

Everyone knew Cousin Gerry loved getting Larry’s brother, Casey. Both were pranksters, and Gerry loved giving Casey off-the-wall gifts.

One year, she gave him a large box. When he opened it, the only thing inside was a clue to the next gift. She routed him all over the house until he finally located the small box in the center of her cookie plate. It held a $20 bill. Another year, he received a coffee can filled with change embedded in the most awful mixture of white glue, peanut butter, chocolate syrup… Well, you can imagine. He had to run the whole thing under very hot water before he was able to extract his $20 in change.

I always loved buying gifts for Auntie Margie. She had very definite tastes, and most of the rest of them found her challenging. What a coup when I was able to please her, and I did so often.

For many years, we hosted the entire family, but as the older generation died out, and the ‘kids’ grew up and moved away, the group grew smaller until we were left with only our immediate families.

As Christmas of 2009 approached, some of us were faced with limited resources. My sister-in-love, Lucy, had just started a new job. Casey’s company had folded, as had mine. Kim's company had moved her to Texas and was no longer working two jobs. Our niece, Carrie, and her husband were leaving right after the first of the year to move to Utah. In short, times were financially challenging, and money was tight.

A coworker, faced with the same situation in her family, had just gone back to work after nine months of unemployment. Her family decided on a virtual Christmas. 

The rules were simple:

•        Decide what you would give each family member if money were no object and without any restrictions.
•         Write a note to each person, along with pictures or other enhancements (web pages, etc.) to let them know what you’d give them and why.
•          Put your virtual gift in an envelope, and put it on the tree on Christmas Eve.

Everyone took the challenge seriously. And the gifts we received that year far surpassed any material gifts we might have gotten.

I have kept my virtual gifts locked carefully away along with the birth certificates, marriage certificate, and all the other valuable papers. They are that precious.

Kim ‘gave’ Larry a trip to outer space, complete with photos and a web page. I ‘received’ a house in Hawaii.

My brother, who is a classic car fanatic, ‘gave’ Larry a woody and me a ’57 Thunderbird—my favorite car of all time.

Carrie and Loren had just bought a new house in Utah, so they brought the map of their neighborhood. Their ‘gift’ was a house of our choice on the same block so we could live near them.

Larry’s gift was a trip to Hawaii for the whole family. His gift to me was to retire and travel to all the places on my bucket list: Machu Picchu, England, Scotland (again), New Zealand (again), Italy (again), and Hawaii (always). Oh, and he’d go along.

My gifts were all intangibles. To Kim, I ‘gave’ happiness. To my brother, confidence, and so forth. Larry’s gift reads as follows:

To Larry I would give

JOY

In God and your faith

            In your work and your play

                        In your family and home

                                    In love and marriage

You are the greatest blessing in my life.

            If I could do it all over again,

I would. You taught me how to laugh

            And play and love (the best parts).

I love you.

We haven’t done it again, but someday, perhaps, we will. I’d recommend it to anyone, whether or not finances are an issue.

My virtual gift for you? A joyous and blessed holiday season and a prosperous New Year. May all your fondest dreams come true.