California Winters

As I write this I am painfully aware of what an oxymoron the title is. California, at least Southern California, rarely experiences winters of any magnitude. Sure there are the occasional nights where the temperatures get down right chilly and I am forced to turn on the old heater. But winter...not really. There is noticeable change in the way the air feels. It gets dark earlier and the mornings warrant a sweater. I love those days when it is crystal clear and sunny outside, you walk out a realize it is downright cold. That does not happen much, but I love those days. We rarely get "weather". Rain, snow, hail and the like are infrequent visitors to this part of the state. When we do get the rain the news stations go a little overboard with teasers...Storm Watch 2009. For heavens sake, when is .25 inches of rain a storm. And heaven forbid people on the freeway would acknowledge that a little rain should alter the speed with which they drive..Ahh, the roads are slick, let's go 85 on the freeway!!
That being said, we are supposed to have an El Nino this year. No one seems to be able to predict when or how severe. I have seen several El Ninos in my life..1969 was a real doozy. It was the year my grandfather died..January to be exact. It was right in the middle of a 40 day rain storm. The ground at the cemetary was so wet he could not be buried until April. Then 1972, 1987 and 1997..I remember those. El Nino Winter in Southern California...Wet and wetter...We really have a dilema this time around. There has been a drought with no significant rain for at least five years. We are all praying for some relief from the drought and yet, many are praying for a little more time to shore up the fire stricken mountains. I assure you that if we do have an El Nino, as predicted, there will be much damage from flooding. The forecast is for a significant amount of rainfall much like 1969. Who knows..they call it prediciting the weather..I could predict that I would win the lottery but that is up to the winds of fortune as is the weather.
So for now I will appreciate the chill in the air and laugh when STORM WATCH 2009 shows up on the TV. I will probably not get a white Christmas or even a wet one but that will do nothing to "dampen" my true joy in the season.

Labor Day.....the end of Summer ?

Wow, this summer seems to have flown by. I am grateful for that. Summer is not my favorite time of year. It was when I was a kid..hey, what kid does not relish the idea of no school, summer days filled with swimming, eating, movies, the beach, staying up late and sleeping into the afternoon. Those were such fun times. I was lucky as a kid, having a pool right outside my bedroom, I would get up in the morning (well not too early) and swimm before I even thought about breakfast. Then my mom and would would go out for lunch, do some shopping at Robert Hall or the Five and Dime and then home for more swimming. I do not think my hair was completely dry until I was 18 years old.
But life is very, very different for me now. Summer is just hot and uncomfortable now. No pool..no time for the beach..no vacation (cannot afford it). Not to say that I do not appreciate any time I have...I do. Summer usually means getting ready for our "big belly dance show" and this years it was super duper fabulous bang up, standing room only Hooray!! The pictures prove that. Sewing in the heat..yuck...
Seems like a lot of complaining...hey we have no air conditioning at our house so it is hot...we live in So. California..it is supposed to be hot in the summer. I accept this....and I am grateful when summer retreats and fall makes its way. The best feeling is that first morning...after a hot summer, when you put your feet on bare floor and it is cold...you ask "wonder where my slippers are?"..
The holidays appraoch again..I love the holidays. New dance opportunites..maybe even a new job offer...new exciting thing...coolness...dark mornings and darker nights..blankets, fireplaces, candles...Chili!!!!
So, good bye summer...frankly I know the hot weather is not going to give up so easily but at least I know I do not have to wait too much longer. Where did I put my slippers anyway???

Fire

I hate fire..Well not all fire. I mean the fire that allows us to have hot meals, stay warm in the winter, gaze upon in the fireplace on a cold winter night or happily gather around when camping, those are all great. But I hate wildfires. They always frighten me and make me nervous. Even the ones very far away in another country upset me. Wednesday August 26 a fire started along Angeles Crest Highway..my neck of the woods. It started out small, 25 acres. There were no structures threatened and no winds to push it along. The weather has been very hot and the mountains are overgrown and very dry but there was a fire in Azuza to tend to and it was bigger. I am not saying the fire was not attended to..it was. Fixed wing aircraft was all over it right away. But this fire has a mind all its own. I really feel fire takes on a personality. This one, now named the Station Fire, is evil and wicked and crazy and confused. It cannot make a decision as to what direction it should travel. It is going three different directions. It burns uphill and downhill...it re burns over itself. I shoots flames ups 100 feet and sends ashes everywhere. Many of my friends have had to evacuated their homes. The little fire is now a monster...as of today 85,000 acres. It spread from La Canada to Sunland Tujunga to Acton to Altadena and points beyond. Right now it threatens Mount Wilson. Two fire fighters have perished is it wake and no containment is in sight.
I can stand on my front porch and see flames dancing and laughing...almost saying you cannot control me. We have extraordinary fire teams working on this monster(the press calls it a monster, not me) and I pray they stay safe.
For me..I am on pins and needles. The reverse 911 call kind of set that into motion. So In my stress I painted the bathroom..go figure.
After this is all over (and I pray that is soon) I will again have to clean my drapes, wash everything, scrub furniture and shampoo rugs. The smoke and ash have engulfed our neighborhood. I am just so grateful I still have all these things to clean.
One of the prices we pay for living so close to nature is that we stand the chance of having it all blow up on any given day. Fifty years of no fire and now....well lets hope all those prediction of a El Nino fail to appear and we have a normal rainy season...otherwise my next blog might be about mudslides.
BTW..the picture was taken last night not too far from where I live.....

Man how they grow up

So, last Sunday Amanda, Teresa and I danced at a private birthday celebration for my dear friend Susie. It was actaully her grandson Kevin's birthday..he turned 22. We had danced last year, giving Kevin his own private bellly dance show and he enjoyed it so much he asked us that we dance again this year. Kevin comes out from Pennsylvania to spend time with Susie each August. This year the party was much bigger. And our "show" was pretty well organized. We had a stage, lights, costumes and choreography. The crowd was sort of quiet, something we belly dancers are not used to. We failed to let them know that the more noise they made, the better. So it was hard to tell if the group enjoyed the show...with the exception of one young fellow..He is twelve (he is the less tall young man in the picture). He was very enthusiatic. He was so enthustiastic that while taking photos with his cell phone he fell off his chair...His mortified mother apologized but we were very flattered. Gosh I am no spring chicken so that made me feel pretty darned good.

Thoughts of summer

I have not blogged in a while..been too busy trying to keep my life together. Working three jobs, making hula hoops and sewing sure takes up a lot of time. This June seemed more hectic than others. LSJ performed at Cairo Caravan (formerly Cairo Carnivale) It was held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach on June 6 and 7. This years dance production was "Beyond the Sea". It was a wild fantasy with dancing sailor girls, happy, hooping mermaids and fierce Thai goddeses...Indiana Leela and dispicable Lara Croft character who tumbled to her death with loud cheers from the audience. The costumes and props were a challenge but we managed to get them all completed before the show. We managed to turn a giant lazy susan, wood and canvas into a magical mermaid rock and mystical idol shrine. It was fun. Unfortunatley there are no preformance pictures BUT there are after prefromance pics. Some of us decided to stay aboard the Queen Mary for the night. We had a lovely time. I think I looked pretty not bad for an old broad.
Cairo Carnavan now seems to signal to me that summer is one it's way. It is always near the beginning of June just as the weather starts to get wierd..June gloom here, sunny and warm there...So after Cairo I prepare myself by taking on my summer attitidue...longer days, warm nights all make me restless. I feel the need to accomplish something on a greater, more meaningful scale. So I welcome the opportunity to help Leela with Arabia Summer. A new production scheduled for August 23..I get to dance in several numbers and help with the production. I cannot wait.
Other things are churning in my head...only time will tell how they manifest themselves but for now I am content. But just for now!!

Happy New Year to ALL

Wow, hardly seems possible that 2009 is here but I have to tell you..I am so glad to see 2008 gone..bye bye!! we lost a lot of things in 2008...jobs, friends, cars and money!! But I gained so much more than I could have possible lost. I gained a wonderful son-in-law. I gained new job opportunities. I gained many new and wonderful freinds. I gained a few unwanted pounds too...those will come off with a little work (I hope).
Our New Years Eve was a fun filled night at Wine Styles (1007 Mission South Pasadena..great place..come and visit) I work there three or four nights a week and we hosted a Murder Mystery Party. What fun that was. I was truely amazed at the level of "play" people were willing to commit to. All our guests came in costume and took tho thier character roles like fish to water. The setting was a 1920's speak easy with all the characters..Al Capone, the Ravioli Family, congressman, inspectors and the like. Amanda and Jesus were there and Amanda (as Cassandra) was a murderess, off the big boss himself (Don Wannabee. Amanda won a prize for best costume and I solved the first crime (Amandas was the second murder of the evening) and I also won for ending up with the most money. Extortion, bribery, cheating, stealing, tell tales..all got me that rpize..yeah for me.
So as we welcomed 2009 in with a great party it made me feel as if things were changing...for the better. I always try to keep a bright perscptive and this years is no different. Leela and I have a ne motto Fine in '09......