Razzmatazlady

Author: CherylK

  • Changes to Lake Mary Musings

    Michael came home today grumbling because he tried to leave a nice comment about my blog and it was a complicated process so he just didn’t. I checked it out and he’s right. It’s complicated. Since he is such a good friend and since he’s being kind enough to let us stay at his place and since he’s not the only person to mention this, I decided it’s time to get in the groove with this blog stuff!!

    Basically, I don’t think there IS an easy way to comment on any of my posts or any other blog posts that are hosted by Blogger. That’s the situation on any blog site, I’m sure. But for people who are just occasional blog readers, it could be annoying. What to do?
    Well, I just registered my own custom domain at www.LakeMaryMusings.com . How cool is that?
    I think that I’ll be able to add an email link or a “contact me” link. Not entirely sure how this will work. It may take me a few days to work out the bugs. I’ll keep you posted!

    I should point out that this won’t be the domain for my Dream Job website – that’s something else entirely and I’ll share that info at some point – but it’s a piece of cake to register a name if it’s available. And who else do you know who’d want “Lake Mary Musings” for a domain name, for heaven’s sake?? So it took me about five minutes, ten bucks, and that’s it! Ta Da!

    We’ll see what happens! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

  • A Sunny Day

    This is a photo of the pretty patio at the house in Mesa. I took it this morning. That’s an olive tree with terra cotta lanterns hanging in the branches. It has the most interesting twisted, artsy trunk. It is a very cool place to hang out.


    This orange tabby cat pops in now and then and, although he/she doesn’t seem to have a permanent home, is obviously well-fed! I don’t know it’s name. Not sure if anyone does. It’s very tame.

    The weather, until yesterday, was so nice. Cool but comfortable. It rained almost all day but that was okay with us. Arizona has been in the throes of a drought for several years. Today is beautiful and sunny. I am going shopping for provisions for a party which we are having Thursday evening. Still trying to decide what to serve.

  • The King of Rock & Roll

    Today is Rock ‘N Roll Day and Blue Suede Shoes Day in honor of the King of Rock ‘n Roll. Elvis Presley was born on January 8th in 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi.

    I remember going to see my first Elvis movie with some girlfriends. I think it was “Love Me Tender.” I don’t remember how old I was but it was a Really Big Deal to get to go to a movie in the first place! Most of the girls in the theater were screaming and crying and although I was very excited, I just couldn’t muster up that degree of hysteria. I remember being totally fascinated with the whole scene.

    Elvis is mostly remembered for his wiggle, his military duty and his fast and furious lifestyle. And for his tragic dealth. But not very many people know that he was very philanthropic, as well. It has been reported that he frequently gave away cars, jewelry and even houses!

    According to one Elvis website (elvis.com.au) he performed a benefit concert in Hawaii that raised $65,000 toward the building of the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. That was in 1961. Elvis raised money for other causes, too, and often helped friends, family members and total strangers who needed financial assistance of one sort or another. All without any fanfare or publicity. He was kind and humble.

    There will never be another Elvis, that’s for sure! Those were the days…

  • Updates – Travels and Dream Job


    We are in Arizona. Mesa, actually, and staying with our very good friend Michael. It’s been relaxing and we have no “agenda”. Probably won’t as long as we’re here except to enjoy our visit. I took this picture on a trip in September. The desert is very beautiful.

    I can say with some assurance that I did not win the Dream Job contest. Not that any notification has been issued – it’s just that the semi-finalists were to be interviewed in December and December has come and gone with no notice of any sort. I checked the website which has a statement that there were thousands of entries. I take considerable comfort in that. I sure would have liked that shiny new computer prize. A computer of my very own that I wouldn’t have to share. I’ll just have to earn it, I guess. Nothing wrong with that. Earning it will make it more special. Right?

    In any case, I’m working diligently on my own. I am determined. I have zeroed in on a domain name and I know where I’ll register it. Then I might just create another blog. I might not even need a website. There are so many great blogs that are making a difference in lots of ways and that actually earn money.

    It’s going to take a concentrated effort on my part. I really should be working on this several hours a day. Just realizing that is a big step forward. On the other hand, it’s more difficult because we’re traveling. Here’s the thing…I want to do this because I want a business. But I want a business that I can do anywhere I am. Just because it’s not off the ground is no excuse for not working on it. I am taking baby steps, here. Putting one foot in front of the other. No excuses.

  • A Memory About Pumpkin Pie

    My mother was a WWII war bride. Born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. My father worked for Lockheed overseas and was sent to Belfast in 1942 or 1943 (I’m not entirely sure – maybe one of my sisters will enlighten me). He was a young man from North Dakota who apparently got a wild hair and decided to go to California. Once there he was employed by Lockheed Corporation – I think he worked on airplanes. Again, I’m not entirely sure.

    Meanwhile, my mother and her sister Bettie decided to enlist in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS – an acronym pronounced “wrens”). They lived with my grandparents in Belfast on Roosevelt Street in what was, in this country, considered a “brownstone”. I was twelve years old the last time I was at No. 10. Very special.

    There were so many war stories that they could tell and I wish I knew more about them. My grandparents had an open-house policy for any of the allied troops or the “yanks” who needed some family time and many of them ate a meal or two at No. 10 Roosevelt Street.

    Long story short, my parents met, fell in love and within a few weeks married. I was born nine months (to the day but I was a preemie – really) later. When I was four months old my mother brought me over to the “States” in a convoy of ships – many of them lost during the trip. Another story for another time.

    Long story shorter: Mother had a lot of adjusting to do and she was a real trooper! Her first Thanksgiving she decided to make a pumpkin pie to surprise my father. So she made a pie crust (and she made the BEST pie crusts), opened a can of pumpkin, dumped it in, smoothed the top and popped it in the oven.

    After dinner (actually in North Dakota it was “supper” because the big meal was at noon and was called dinner) she proudly served the pie to my father. Need I say more? The poor thing did not realize that you need to add sugar, spices, eggs and cream to the canned pumpkin. I understand that my father was as diplomatic as he could be under the circumstances but mom never really got over that first “faux pas”. In any case, she turned out to be a wonderful cook. I learned how to fry chicken from her that was crispy (not in the least greasy) on the outside and tender and juicy inside. Good stuff!!

    After we get back to Minnesota, I’ll post some pictures of dear Lillian

  • It’s 2008 – The Possibilities are Endless

    Well, here we are in 2008. It’s gonna be a great year, I just know it!
    My first quote of 2008 is this one by Eleanor Roosevelt:

    “Yesterday is history, today is a mystery, tomorrow is a gift.”

    I resolve to set small, achievable goals in 2008. I’m going to write them down. And then I’m going to do something each day toward those small, achievable goals.

    I usually go galloping into the New Year pledging all sorts of quixotic goals only to throw up my hands in defeat several weeks later.

    At the very least, I resolve to be more mindful in 2008.

    According to Wikipedia: Mindfulness is a technique in which a person becomes intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the present moment, non-judgmentally.
    I know, I know…Wikipedia is somebody’s opinion and can be altered by anyone but I like this particular definition.

    I wish everyone a healthy, happy, productive, peaceful (and more “mindful”) 2008.

  • New Year’s Eve 2007

    Not doing much, tonight. It’s just a beautiful day, today. Sunny and 74 degrees. So maybe we’ll sit up on the roof and watch whatever happens below. Maybe there will be fireworks! That would be so cool.

    I remember when we were little and we got to stay up until midnight. I’ll bet that there were lots of times that we actually didn’t make it until midnight! But it was SO exciting,anyway! Now it’s a struggle to make it past 10 p.m.! Jack likes to watch the Boston Pops New Year’s Eve concert so maybe we’ll do that, too. Champagne gives me a headache so there won’t be any bubbly.

    Who knows what 2008 will bring. I’m going to make some resolutions and really, really try to keep them. One of them is to follow the Like In, Like Out principle. It works like this: if a new item comes into the house you have to make sure something similar goes out either to the recycling center, Goodwill, to a friend, or if necessary, to the dump. I don’t remember where I learned that but it’s sensible.

  • A Bunch of Good Quotes

    Here’s a confession. Fear of failure has haunted me a lot during my life. I don’t know why. Every time I learn a new skill that I think will be just the thing I want to do the rest of my life, I am stopped in my tracks by “uncertainty”.
    It’s no big deal, really, because I’ve had/am having a very good life. Great kids. Great husband. Warm home. Good friends. Loving family. It’s not keeping me awake at night (that’s something else entirely-ha!) and the world isn’t going to come to an end because I don’t have a niche. But there it is…
    Anyway, I’ve found a treasure trove of quotes that really illustrate that I’m not the only person in the world who feels just a little unfulfilled but lacks the gumption to do something about it. Here are some quotes that I find inspiring, empowering and comforting.
    What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. (Zig Ziglar)

    I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s OK to stumble . . . I will get up. It’s OK to fail . . . I will rise again. Today I will make a difference. (Max Lucado)

    I -think-I-can, I-think-I-can, I-think-I-can... (The Little Engine That Could)

    And my favorite (because it’s fun) is:

    Even Noah got no salary for the first six months partly on account of the weather and partly because he was learning navigation. (Mark Twain)

  • Night in Manhattan Beach

    The title of this post is a lot more promising that the post! I did walk down to the beach and I did take pictures. But as much as I like our camera, I’m afraid that it just wasn’t up to the task!

    This picture of the house at night is the only one that really turned out. It’s pretty good, actually. But there were street lights on, too. It was pitch black down at The Strand so not much help there.

    But just so you can see the task at hand, here’s a picture of the Manhattan Beach Pier during the day.

    And then another that I took tonight. Get the picture?

    P.S. It was a very pleasant walk. No wind and not at all cold.

  • A Lazy Day

    We had a very lazy day, today. Took a long walk with the dogs and then met Jen and some friends and had lunch at a very cool place called Counters in Santa Monica . It’s basically a burger joint but you get an order form when you go in and you build your own burger by choosing from several options. You could choose beef, chicken, turkey or veggie for the “meat”, one of a selection of cheeses, four toppings out of at least a dozen (like grilled onions, greens, cranberries, carrot strings (yes, carrot strings), and a bunch of other stuff. They were just delicious! Plus they had yummy onion rings, regular fries and sweet potato fries. Crisp and tender at the same time. One of the guys who was there said his only complaint was that he had no complaints!

    I was going to walk down to The Strand, tonight, and take some night pictures to post. But maybe I’ll do that tomorrow night. Lazy me. But here’s a picture of Jack with the dogs on The Strand. We’ve only been down there during the day. It goes for miles and miles. In fact, I think you can walk or ride your bike all the way from Palos Verdes (several miles south of here) to Malibu (several miles north of here). Manhattan Beach sits above The Strand so I think the view at night would be cool. O.K., for sure I’ll take pictures tomorrow night.