Did you feel it?!

EARTHQUAKE in Yorba Linda / Chino Hills (CA) hits at 11:42 am today - and boy, did our house here in Encinitas take a ROLLING ride !!! I was sitting at the computer, working, and it seemed to go on & on ... in reality, the motion here probably lasted about 20 seconds. Frightening, every time, yet exhilarating - so long as there's no damage or injuries. SO: DID YOU FEEL IT?! :-) Davielle

Go see KEN GOLDMAN and other local talent ...

... at the "The 8th Annual Invitational Drawing Show", an important exhibition of contemporary drawings by artists residing in San Diego County, opens July 21 at the Earl & Birdie Taylor/Pacific Beach Branch Library. It will run through October 19. The exhibition is open to the public and admission is free.
Organized under the auspices of the San Diego Public Library’s Visual Arts Program, the Annual Drawing Shows are intended to showcase the ranges of artistic expression possible using drawing media. Another goal of these exhibitions is to highlight the importance of fundamental studio skills to the art-making process.



Thank you to my friend Ann D. for making me aware of this cool exhibit. Mark and I have a giclee by KEN GOLDMAN, one of the participating artists, and we are looking forward to seeing his work at this Show.

Trevor's Baseball Camp Experience Keeping Me Busy

Hey, it's been like 'baseball grandma' week around here, only it's only TUESDAY :-) morning and I can SOOOOOO appreciate now what moms & full-time grandmas/great-grandmas (you know who you are, Melba!) do for their sports-involved offspring. WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trevor is in Camp all week (with America's Baseball Camps), down at Mission Bay High, and he's enjoying it. Camp began Sunday with 5 hours of HITTING. Monday was more hitting and catching. Each day begins with AN HOUR of STRETCHING - ouch! The kids range in age from 8 - 16, so Trevor being 13 is right in the middle.

I'm loving being a part of this experience with him, and he is spending this week at our house, so it's extra fun - I get to do his baseball LAUNDRY :-) -- thank you, Melba, for the tip to use BORAX (yes, folks, Twenty Mule Team BORAX removes stains and freshens the laundry - it's amazing stuff!).

Whew, it's time to get Trevor up for his Tuesday Camp Experience - today's focus for Trevor: PITCHING. He'll focus on catching tomorrow and Friday.

Keep us in your thoughts & prayers!

Gotta run -- Davi

INDULGE YOURSELF

So - do you ever wonder what you'd be doing if you could just figure out what it is exactly that you want to do the most?! Me, too.

In the wise words of Henry Miller, consider taking this to heart:

"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music -- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself."

Okay, so Miller is talking about taking LIFE and the people around you to heart -- he's not addressing THINGS YOU CAN DO with yourself.

But I have found that taking LIFE and PEOPLE seriously, and to heart, DOES create a desire in me, anyway, to pursue creative avenues - scrapbooking, card making, collages, music appreciation, dreaming about and planning our next travel adventure, cooking, crafts ...

It's ALL out there for us all to take hold of. Find a passion and pursue it!

DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERY DAY

For inspiration - I like to visit PAPER SOURCE online ... they have such colorful, tasteful, FUN paper goods and project ideas. Check them out at: http://www.paper-source.com/ and have fun just clicking around.

And remember their motto: "Do Something Creative Every Day". It's good for you!

POWERFUL WOMEN ROCK !!!

Powerful Women

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning Satan shudders and says,
'Oh, crap...she's awake!'

Be thankful, everyone, for the powerful women in YOUR life.

I thank God for the strong grandmothers, mothers, sisters, cousins, daughters, aunts, nieces, and in-laws that I have been blessed with.

POWERFUL WOMEN - July 24, 2008

Powerful Women

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning

Satan shudders and says,

'Oh, crap...she's awake!'

I am thankful, very thankful, that in our family, we are surrounded by such powerful women - mother, sisters, aunts, cousins, daughters, granddaughters, nieces, etc ... right on back to our grandmothers & great grandmothers, too.

We are truly blessed to have so many God-loving women to associate with in our midst.

Be grateful today & every day for the "powerful women" in YOUR life !!!

FUN TIME AT TONY'S JACAL - 7/21/08

Oh, what a fun time was had by all on Monday night! Photo at left is Cara, Kristina, Rossana, Gianluca, and me (Davi) ...

There is NOTHING, just NOTHING like spending time with family - from near AND far, it can't be beat for hands-down QUALITY TIME.

Having Gianluca and his wife, Rossana, visit us here in San Diego was a real treat - we spent Sunday afternoon sharing lunch al fresco in my backyard, visiting with my father, Frank - we then all went to the home of my cousin Jon and his wife, Diane, who live in Solana Beach ...

What an evening! Jon & Diane & Jon Flavio, Linn & Bill, Jimmy, Marc, Scott & Maria, me & Mark, Sierra, Kristina & Trevor & Kiara, Cara & Kaia & Richie, and of course, Gianluca & Rossana. Let's see - am I missing anyone?

All I can say is this: when the day comes when ALL our California family can come together to share such an occasion with our relatives from Italy, it will be a wonderful thing. I can't wait!

Thoughts about SELF-CONFIDENCE in WOMEN

"One startling finding, given that these women had an average IQ of one hundred forty three, was their lack of confidence in their abilities and the belief that their intellectual selves were ephemeral or were not developed." -- Carol Tomlinson-Keasey

Whoa. That makes you pause to wonder: what on earth makes a woman of such 'measured intelligence' feel like that? Societal pressures? Messages received from family and friends? What?

Since I cannot answer the above questions, and because I totally relate to women of less-than-average self-confidence, I offer, by way of a possible "solution" on a regular basis, this lovely quote from Ann Morrow Lindbergh:

"If women were convinced that a day off or an hour of solitude was a reasonable ambition, they would find a way of attaining it. {As it is, they feel so unjustified in their demand that they rarely make the attempt}."

LET'S CHANGE THAT, LADIES. Let's resolve to MAKE and TAKE time for solitude -- so we can rejuvenate and inspire our very own selves -- we do so much for others -- it's time to DO for ourselves.

DO SOMETHING CREATIVE every day; and DO SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU, too!

-- Davielle, 7-23-08

In Loving Memory of my Aunt Marty & Uncle Don

Feeling nostalgic for my godparents, my aunt & her husband, Martina and Donald B. Smith, who were so big a part of the organizational 'family' at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for three decades-plus ... I post these evocative song lyrics in their honor:

WHERE THE TURF MEETS THE SURF

(Johnny Burke / Bing Crosby / James V. Monaco) Performed by Bing Crosby

"Where the turf meets the surf down at old Del Mar

Take a plane, take a train, take a car.

There is a smile on every face and a winner in each race

Where the turf meets the surf at Del Mar."

WHERE THE TURF MEETS THE SURF ...

... down at Old Del Mar.

In loving memory of my aunt & uncle, Martina & Donald B. Smith - so much a part of the organizational "family" of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club for three decades - so much a part of MY life, growing up, and my love of all-things-equine ... I post these evocative lyrics:

WHERE THE TURF MEETS THE SURF

(Johnny Burke / Bing Crosby / James V. Monaco)

Performed by: Bing Crosby

"Where the turf meets the surf down at old Del Mar,

Take a plane, take a train, take a car.

There is a smile on every face

and a winner in each race

Where the turf meets the surf at Del Mar."

Nice artwork, re-worked to again benefit CCI

Kinda cool to see artwork created by our daughter, Cara, for a CCI fundraiser in 2006 (Wheels of Wonder) re-worked for another fundraiser for CCI this year (2008). Congrats to Bruce Ross for an incredible journey (he rode from Santa Rosa to Oceanside CA over a 1-month period to raise $$ and awareness for CCI). WOW !!!

The Horses are Running at Old Del Mar

Summer in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: nothing says "summer" in San Diego County like ... our beautiful beaches, and the Races at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. See for yourself, photo at RIGHT.

This photo, courtesy of DMTC (you, too, can download to use as your "wallpaper" -- just visit http://www.dmtc.com/season/wallpaper.php - many choices!)

PUMPKIN PUDDING, the Recipe

Okay, due to a pair of requests, I am posting the PATTY'S PUMPKIN PUDDING Recipe from SuperFoods:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional; but I included)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional; but I included)
2 large eggs (with high omega-3 content - check the label!)
One 15-ounce can Libby's 100 percent pure pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
One 12-ounce can evaporated nonfat milk (or evap 2-percent milk)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger & cloves in small bowl. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture to the eggs. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. POUR into a shallow ovenproof dish, about 8x8 inches; BAKE in pre-heated 350 F oven for about 40 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE; the center should be slightly wiggly. COOL and enjoy at room temperature or refrigerate for later use.

WE loved this Pudding; we DEVOURED this pudding over three days, just Mark and I. YUMMMMMMY !!! -- Davielle, 7-22-08

CHRISTIAN THE LION - the YouTube link

And THIS is the link to the YOUTUBE clip of Christian the Lion.

http://www.cyberthing.net/video-play.php?id=105

CHRISTIAN the Lion - FANTASTIC story

After 34 years, this story is still as tender & lovely as ever: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25797678

TRY THIS LINK: How To Sing PUPPIES to Sleep

http://www.maniacworld.com/how-to-sing-puppies-to-sleep.html

Many thanks to my dog-loving friends for sharing this with us all ... it's so sweet. -- Davielle 7/22/08

introducing our cousin from Cremona, Italy ...

Gianluca and his wife, Rossana - who are spending this week in So Cal to visit with family and friends. We very much look forward to spending time with them. They very graciously opened their home to us in 2006 when we visited Italy for the first time. We can't remember a more hospitable welcome and have never had more delicious food than that prepared by Rossana ... served al fresco outside their country home. In photo at left, Gianluca - Rossana - me - Kristina / May 2006. -- Davielle, 7-20-08

PEACE OF MIND - Sunday July 20, 2008

"To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor's except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends, and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit, in God's out-of-doors -- these are little guideposts on the footpath to peace." -- Henry Van Dyke

What a fantastic bunch of 'guideposts' that Van Dyke leaves for us all to ponder.

May your day and the week ahead be full of PEACE for you and yours. -- Davielle

On Another Note ... Friday July 18, 2008

"When a man takes one step toward God, God takes more steps toward that man than there are sands in the worlds of time." -- The Work of the Chariot

I don't know where this quote comes from, but WOW, I sure love it. -- Davielle

Friday, July 18, 2008 - YES, Mark and I are watching the Tour de France

To every and anyone wondering if Mark and I are, in fact, watching this year's Tour de France - the answer is "YES". Although we fell a good bit out of love with Pro Cycling when our friend Floyd experienced a TdF WIN in 2006, and then LOST the "win" and that coveted yellow jersey from Paris because of a hotly-contested-by-Floyd (and I have to say, with hard scientific evidence proving him innocent of wrongdoing) fiasco of a 'hearing' - sorry, JUST STOP ME NOW - back to the topic. We do still love cycling; Mark is still racing at the Masters' level (we call it 'old guys racing'!); and this year, I've taken to viewing le Tour from the perspective of one who just never knew anyone (Floyd) who raced at that level == it's the only way I can derive any pleasure whatsoever from the Race. So now you all know where we stand on pro cycling (we're still behind Floyd, 100%) and I (Davi) can only bear to watch this sport that I so love -- by pretending to be 'just another fan'. There you have it. Is it disheartening to hear of the 'drug busts' at this Tour? Sure. Big deal. At least CYCLING is one sport that is DOING something about the problem. And it IS a problem, it just is. If YOU want to see what's happening daily at this year's Tour de France - or any other bike races, for that matter - visit www.cyclingnews.com and look on the left-hand column for the big races - all links are there. RIDE ON !!! -- Davielle

Inspirational QUOTE for the Day - July 16, 2008

"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall at last unveil." -- John Ruskin

There, that is my inspirational quote offering for today -- and now, I'm taking myself to the kitchen, where I'm about to put together a Pumpkin Pudding -- yum! Mark and I are adopting the SuperFoods 'program' and have been including more salmon, spinach, and blueberries to our diet already -- this PP treat will be our first SuperFoods dessert recipe tried.

Here's to better health for us all! -- Davielle

This BLOGGING World

Well, of the two friends that I invited to take a look at my BLOGSPOT, only one has visited - I wonder if this is going to be a bomb when I send it out to my family, as well!? ;-) Hope not ... Will POST something inspiring a little bit later today -- signing off for now -- Davi

Testing, testing ...

Just testing the new BLOGSPOT we created today. Wow.