Big Bear Lake

On Sabbath afternoon, a friend and I went to the mountains. There was fresh snow in the higher elevations. It was only 38 degrees there compared to 55 in the Loma Linda area...quite a switch from the 100+ degree weather we had last weekend. I was surprised there weren't more people there, but I guess the cold weather and the price of gas kept some people away.

Catalina Island - Elevation 30'

On Sunday, a friend took me to Catalina Island. We took the 10:00 a.m. Catalina Express over to Avalon. We had a good Mexican meal, then went on a glass bottom boat ride, shopped, walked and rented a golf cart to ride that took us up the hill which gave a great view of the bay. It was a fun surprise and a perfect day to spend at the beach.

Mount Whitney - Elevation 14,497'

Today, a friend and I went to Mount Whitney. We had a picnic lunch and then climbed part of the way up the trail. We stopped when we got to the second stream as I didn't want to slip off a rock and drop my new camera (which I just got on Friday). It was a perfect day for hiking. Here are is a picture with my new camera.

My Birthday!

When I got to work today, my office was decorated with a Happy Birthday banner and balloons. Then for lunch, the ladies made enchiladas for everyone with chocolate cupcakes for dessert. I also had an edible fruit basket delivered to the office. In addition, I received some really nice e-mails, cards and presents. In the evening, a friend took me out to eat dinner at Johnny Carino's.

Projects

Today, I got most of the curtains up in the family room. I bought them back in February, when my parents were here. They helped me up the one of the left side of the fireplace. I then bought the remaining curtain rods, and now only have two rods left. It looks real nice. After lunch, and friend came and helped me build the large cabinet (below left) and the workbench back. All the extra space is nice for keeping things organized

Random Acts of Kindness

This evening, I stopped by Subway to get a sandwich for supper. Right behind me was a mother with her kids. As a spontaneous act, when the cashier rang up my order, I quietly told her to add the the ladies order behind me. I quickly paid for the orders and hurried out the store before the other lady got to the register. What a surprise when she would find out it had already been paid. Doing a random act of kindness is a great feeling. Try it next time you get a chance and see how fun it is to do something for a total stranger, what will leave them surprised when they find out!
I was looking for something on the internet this evening, and this caught my eye. Make your dash count with those around you. http://www.thedashmovie.com/

Rim of the World Highway

On Sabbath afternoon , a friend and I drove to Lake Arrowhead. Here is a picture of a view looking toward the Inland Empire. This highway was completed in 1915. At one time, this 101 mile drive was the longest mountain road in the world.

From One Coast to Another

The weekend after my trip to Mexico, I took a Saturday night red eye trip to Florida for work. I was able to spend some time with my parents. The setting of their house is so relaxing and their backyard is like a grassy park setting. On Tuesday, I drove to Merritt Island and stopped in shortly to visit the people I used to work with when I lived there. The I went and had a good dinner with Diana and her mom. Her mom made some of her famous biscuits which we had with soup and salad. Yummy!

Back From Puerto Vallarta

My trip to Mexico was great and working at the orphanage was even better. Our group was able to paint tables and gates, fix playground equipment, do crafts with the kids and spend time playing games with them. The Children's Shelter of Hope that helps sponsor this orphanage is trying to raise money to buy a pickup as there are stores that would donate food if they had a vehicle to go and collect it. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation for the truck, please send a check to "Children's Shelter of Hope Foundation" at 505 N. Tomahawk Is. Dr., Portland, OR 97217.

One evening, we took at boat ride to an island and had dinner right next to the beach. We also had a chance to explore the countryside on a quad and dune buggy.

Happy Easter

This weekend, a friend and I went to the Crystal Cathedral to see "The Glory of Easter". It was well done with live animals and angels flying through the air. We also went to Corona Del Mar Beach and Laguna Beach this weekend.

It Finally Arrived

I ordered a friend a gift pack of three non-alcoholic drinks from Navarro Vineyards in Napa Valley. The items were supposed to be sent out February 18th, but as I never received the confirmation that it was sent, I thought maybe it was on back order. As the person was moving and still hadn't received the package, I thought I better contact them to have the items sent to the new location. They had a confirmation that the items were left on my friend's porch on February 20, so they said they would resent it and contact UPS for a refund. Today the juices finally arrived at my house, so I ended up delivering them in person.

New Californian

On Sabbath, a friend and I drove out to Palm Springs and went to church. It was a beautiful day, so I wore a summer dress. The hills are a lovely green right now and look beautiful. On the way back through the pass it started raining, then sleeting and finally
turned to snow and 33 degrees (compared to the mid-70's in Palm Springs. It snowed for a couple more hours (without sticking), then the sky turned blue again. If you double click on the house picture, it will get larger and you can see the snow coming down.

Red Rock Canyon State Park, CA

Today, I went to Red Rock Canyon with an old friend from TN. What unique scenery.

Weekend in Washington

On Sabbath afternoon, my friend took me out for a boat ride on the sound. It was a beautiful day and the sky was so blue and clear. We were even able to get a view of Mount Ranier. On Sunday, we went for a great brunch at a place called C. I. Shenanigans that was right on the water in Tacoma.

A Walk to Beautiful

Tonight, my mum and I went to Redlands and watched "A Walk to Beautiful" at the Crosswalks Church. It is about women in Ethiopia. It was very touching to see the dedication of doctors to improve the lives of women who are injured due to the lack of sufficient medical care during childbirth. It was interesting to see how little the country had changed from when we lived there 25 years ago.