Category Archives: News and Serious Stuff

I’m a Baseball Newbie Just In Time For The World Series

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From Ninjago to Pokemon to Minecraft and now it’s baseball that makes Angel Boy 2.0’s world go around.

He loves his home team, the Mariners, but is rooting for the Dodgers to win the World Series, mainly because of Shohei Othani. I learned (from AB) that the reason Ohtani is so special is because of his ability as a hitter AND as a pitcher, which is rare. Ohtani’s 2021–2024 seasons are considered among the greatest in baseball history, with some comparisons to the one and only Babe Ruth.

Oh, and T LOVES Babe Ruth, too.

“Grandma, did you know Babe Ruth?”

“Uh NO, I did not. That was a bit before my time, my darling.” Sheesh, how old does he think I am? His dad always seems to overhear these random conversations that occur between me and the kids, as evidenced by his snarky snickers in the other room.

Hand to heart, that child has now collected well over a thousand baseball cards. His sister’s job and my job as his assistants are to help him organize those cards. I love the educational aspect for both of the children, matching the teams and then placing everything in alphabetical order. He reads the stats out loud to us, which I find enchanting and endearing, and reminiscent of his dad at that age.

His dad collected sports cards too (also thousands of them) and I know I saved all of his well- cared-for binders, but I can’t remember where they are!

T is so excited about baseball that he created his very first PowerPoint presentation to share what he’s learned about the sport.

Because of his new-found interest, we watched a couple post season games. Where my son and I were rooting for the Padres, our home team, AB was all for the Dodgers. Of course, as usual, the Padres disappointed their fans. They’ve never won a World Series, so their losing record is intact.

In addition to collecting cards and wearing his favorite player’s jersey, AB started playing baseball. We were all outside in the garden taking turns pitching and hitting and I discovered a never before known talent of mine for hitting the ball nearly EVERY SINGLE TIME.

“Wait, Grandma, did you used to play baseball in school? Why are you so good at it?”

“No way, T. Actually, in school, they put me so far out in the outfield that there was never a chance to catch the ball, and when I was the hitter, I struck out 100% of the time. I don’t know why I’m playing so good now!”

“MOM DAD, watch Grandma!”

The look on my son’s face was pretty funny, I have to admit.

T was holding the bat awkwardly and weirdly, so I attempted to offer a pointer. Initially he refused my advice (just like his dad) and kept striking out. I suggested that he at least TRY my way one time to see if it helped. Lo and behold, it DID, and he got a home run. He experimented with his strange way again and struck out. After that, he had to admit that not only can his grandma consistently hit the ball, but I’m a good coach, too.

If only my high school PE teacher could see me now, lolz.

Many years ago, I was standing behind a table volunteering at a nonprofit event and a sort of nondescript man walked by and said “Hi”. I said “Hi” back to him as he continued down the sidewalk. Other volunteers crowded around me, “Do you know who that was?” I did not, and when they said it was Trevor Hoffman of the San Diego Padres, I said, “Who’s that?” I thought it was cool, but I didn’t fangirl him like they obviously were doing.

Now it’s World Series time and I’m a total Dodgers fan. Does anyone know why there needs to be so many games to determine the winner? It’s a bit excessive, in my opinion.

GO DODGERS!

To Look With Wonder

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That’s me, always searching the sky for stars and last night’s supermoon, the largest one of the year.

Yup, I’m one of those “Look up at the moon; it’s incredible!” kind of people. Did you see it, too?

October’s full moon didn’t keep me awake like so many others do; maybe the additional magnesium glycinate I’ve been taking in the evening is actually working, and I hope so, because those moon dreams I experience are INSANE.

Each second, I am one second closer to leaving this planet
And so, I will
look at everything always
with wonder,
as though I am
seeing it for either
the first or the last time.
And I will choose to live in such a way,
that if this were my last second, I could die in peace
for I am proud of who I am
and let my final second show
how I have grown
and who I have become. — Tahlia Hunter

Artist Credit : Lore Pemberton

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

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Today, October 14, 2024, is known as Columbus Day. Some states have proposed legislation to legally replace it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which is the only right action to take.

I don’t acknowledge Columbus Day because it’s more of the same; entitled males making unilateral decisions without regard for anything but their own selfishness.

Columbus Day has since come under fire as a celebration of a man whose arrival in the Americas heralded the oppression of another group of people: Native Americans. 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the truth about the American soil on which we live. It serves as a counter-celebration to Columbus Day by recognizing the perseverance and contributions of Indigenous people across the United States.

Even the Angel Kids know what this day really is all about, and good for my son/DIL talking TRUTH to the next generation.

happy indigenous people day meme - - Yahoo Image Search Results

Happy New Year 5785!

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The elephant in the room is what’s happening in Israel. October 7 will mark one year since the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip and Israel. It’s the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008, and the most significant military engagement in the region since the Yom Kippur War in 1973. I don’t have an opinion to share because I think all the killing is terrible with horrendous collateral damage.

Now is the time for an end to war and hope for long lasting peace.

Happy New Year! Shana tovah!

Rosh Hashanah is one of Judaism’s holiest days. It’s also a powerful new moon, which enhances the overall spirituality of this holiday.

Meaning “head of the year” or “first of the year,” Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish new year — marks the creation of the world.

It also marks the beginning of the Jewish High Holy Days leading up to Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. 

As is the custom with all new years, it’s a time to reflect on the past and how we can improve in the future.

This is the time for apples and honey to represent a sweet new year, to be eaten with challah bread and pomegranate seeds.

L’Shanah Tovah Tikateivu
“May you be inscribed [in the Book of Life] for a good year.”

in a dream

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I’ve been having strange dreams again. Apparently the 9/9 portal might be the culprit, or maybe it’s a result of this oppressive heat wave in Southern California, which seems as if it will never end.

The 9/9 Energy Portal is a sacred gateway of powerful energies that invites us to step into a time of profound spiritual growth, completion, and transformation. As the energies of the cosmos align, this portal opens the door to new beginnings, urging us to reflect, release, and renew our inner selves. angelladycrystalsboutique.com

In numerology, the number 9 is the symbol of completion, wisdom, and spiritual enlightenment.

These two dreams were the most intense:

I was waiting in the cell phone lot at the airport for a friend’s arrival when I got a notification that their flight was abruptly diverted to India. It made no sense, but that’s all I remember, except for feeling distraught because there was nothing I could do. Southern California diverted to India? Not to LA or Orange County, but halfway around the world? How odd is that? How random…and I can’t explain how inconsolable and dejected I felt as I had to drive home alone.

In the other dream, it started out OK, because, as I often do in real life, I ran up the steps to the top of my garden at dusk to look for coyotes. (That’s how I actually broke my wrist once upon a time.) However, in the dream, my backyard morphed into a recurring dream location that’s a mountainous hiking trail with a steep ridge. Crazy, but I often dream of this place which is more like Joshua Tree than anywhere else I can recall.

When I got to the top (no coyotes this time) and looked down, I thought I was following the garden trail back home, but the backyard no longer existed as I was now in that recurring dream place.

The sun disappeared completely into a dark and moonless night. It was cold and I realized that I was frightfully lost. I couldn’t find my way home. I started down one wrong trail after another, but there wasn’t any path that took me to a familiar place and my head was spinning with panic.

Still dreaming, I figured the best solution would be to simply stop aimlessly wandering and wait for the morning light as I was becoming more and more agitated. I wanted to go HOME.

That’s when I woke up. It was unsettling to feel so disoriented. I have no idea what it all means, but I thought of that Steve Winwood song, Cant Find My Way Home. I like this acoustic version:

Whose Fault IS It?

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This has been around for a while, but it was a recent discovery for me.
It hits hard, doesn’t it?

Graphic created by Enchanted Seashells

Sisters, ARISE… I Understand The Assignment

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Let’s do it this time; let’s get the job done and elect President Kamala Harris!

When Hillary Clinton ran for president, I was really excited. I posted signs, I made phone calls, I participated in governance.

I thought she won. We ALL thought she won. She SHOULD have, but…

There’s a lot to unpack and delve into about why and how she didn’t become president because she absolutely won the popular vote. I truly believe the vote was interfered with.

According to TIme magazine, When Russia set out to interfere with the 2016 election, it went all out.

“Over the course of the election, a wide-ranging group of Russians probed state voter databases for insecurities; hacked the Hillary Clinton campaign, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee; spread propaganda on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram; staged rallies in Florida and Pennsylvania; set up meetings with members of the Trump campaign and its associates; and floated a business proposition for a skyscraper in Moscow to the Trump Organization. The goal, as determined by the U.S. intelligence community and backed up by evidence was to damage the Clinton campaign, boost Trump’s chances, and sow distrust in American democracy overall.”

I remember first being overjoyed, then confused, and finally, majorly depressed as, with class and dignity, Hillary conceded.

Since President Biden has chosen not to seek another term and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the BEST and ONLY Democratic party nominee, we are BEYOND EXCITED!

From Kamala’s speech: “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you. Part of the extension of the work you will do is, yes, focused on our young leaders and our young people, but understanding we also then have to be clear about the needs of their parents and their grandparents and their teachers and their communities, because none of us just live in a silo. Everything is in context.”

With future President Kamala Harris, we have another chance. I hope you understand the assignment, too.

It’s too important to NOT vote. We need to save democracy and save our reproductive rights and save this country from the horrors of Project 2025 or another four years of that insane orange turd and his disgusting MAGA cult, the cult of derangement.

Whale Songs

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Along with today’s rare alignment of Mars conjunct Uranus in Taurus, one of the most impactful astrological events of the year, July’s full moon is next Sunday and I can already feel the energy, how about you?

My dreams are crazy intense. I dreamt of whales swirling all around, smiling at me. There were other, darker, sadder dreams that woke me up and gloomily lingered for the rest of the day, but the whales only brought a delightful yearning to speak to them and join in their song.

This is the juvenile California Gray Whale that became lost and almost dangerously stranded in our lagoon.

Lucky me got several super close up photos and videos. At one point, his eyes locked onto mine and I tried to mentally direct him back to the open ocean so he could join his mom. Eventually he did, but I’m sure I had nothing to do with it.

It was an otherworldly experience, as are all my whale and dolphin sightings. There is no greater joy than the exquisite joy that brings tears from our heart and soul.

Local News: Harassed Sea Lions and a Brazen Daytime Burglary

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Stupidstupid tourists just won’t stay away. I don’t know why they feel they need to either taunt the sea lions or take an idiotic selfie with them.

The Children’s Pool in La Jolla is closed to the public during pupping season from December 15 through May 15. The recent opening of the area has lead to the usual STUPIDLY dangerous interactions between people and wildlife.

Recent videos have popped up on social media capturing some of the troubling interactions between people and wildlife at the Children’s Pool. Some involve crowds gathering too close to seals on the beach. Others have seals and sea lions barking at swimmers in the water, one even has a sea lion chasing imbecilic humans.

I think these are the same types of people who get too close to the bison at Yellowstone National Park and are injured by them. I believe that’s the classic definition of instant karma, don’t you agree?

I’ll be happy when tourist season is over, that’s for sure. A friend who lives nearby has made it her life’s mission to protect the sea lions from harm and she says the harassment this year is far worse than in the past. WTF is wrong with people???

_____ ______ _____ _______ _____

In other startling news, neighbors and I received a Ring video about a brazen daytime burglary that had just occurred on my street, a couple blocks away.

Two masked, gloved, and hooded men carrying plastic bags were seen entering a home through the backyard. How scary is that!

On my way to the post office to mail a package to the Angel Kids, I drove right by the house as it was being robbed, which is a freaky thought.

Police were swarming the area and when I went out to talk to them, I was informed that the criminals had NOT been caught and the police were gathering evidence and taking statements.

I didn’t see a whole lot of active detective work going on, no forensic van had pulled up, nothing like you see on TV, so I’m not exactly sure what they were doing, but I know we are all on high alert.

It’s not clear exactly how the burglars gained access or what was taken, but I have a feeling the home didn’t have security or it wasn’t armed, because the police weren’t notified until a couple hours after the robbery occurred.

I’ll post any future updates if and when the perps are apprehended, OR if there are more incidents.

Happy Fourth of July! Fireworks Suck

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I hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy Independence Day. Let’s also think about what this day means for our animals.

Every year when Legoland sets off fireworks around here, dozens of terrified dogs run away. You can hear people calling out for their missing pets and the next day, there’s a plethora of sad posts online and missing pet posters taped to telephone poles.

Some of these dogs never come back home; they get hit by cars or become easy targets for coyotes. If they’re lucky and get picked up by animal control, I hope everyone chips their pets so they can be reunited.

Fireworks traumatize pets AND wildlife. My own Border Collie, Victor, was so scared that he’d crawl under the desk and his whole body would tremble until they were over.

Fireworks may also trigger PTSD in veterans, did you know that? It’s important to have a plan to help veterans if they are around fireworks so that they feel more relaxed and aren’t feeling threatened.

In my opinion, all fireworks should be banned and replaced by laser light shows.

Fireworks suck.