shosho from los angeles

Merry Christmas Shosho..I hope you are enjoying the holiday with family and friends.
Me and mine had a lovely day yesterday by the pool and watching the grandsons opening their presents was heartwarming.Looking forward to having daughter and her family home next year so we can all be together for the 1st time.

Great photos of your meet with Eve, Shosho.
One day, I will be there with you for real rather than just in spirit!

shosho and family!

Shosho! Wishing you a great new year!

Dear Shosho , have a nice holiday .

It was so good meeting you - you were definitely the person I have grown to know & appreciate here. Glad you enjoyed Descanso - it is quite a jewel & was a lovely place to work/volunteer. God's beauty abounds there - especially in the spring.

"The gardener understands that nature and culture need not be antagonists, that it is possible to heal and even improve a landscape, that changing nature is something this species has always done - and occasionally done well." Michael Pollan

Dear Shosho, how remiss of me! Will you ever forgive me??? Here is a hankie for your sniffle.

Hello Shosho - I wish you could have been there yesterday also! I wish I could have gone to California this past Fall. All in good time I suppose. Thanks for stopping by. We had such a nice time. It was a great day! Please stop again when I post more of Shiela's paintings. They are great!!!

Thank you, Shosho! Emmett is almost as cute as your grandson at the top of your page! Isn't having grandchildren just the best!!!

Hi Shosho,
The words are coming but the time to write has been cut. We started builting a new house at the end of August. That was also when a lady ran into me while I was sitting at a red light on my way to Lowes. She totaled our car. We were okay other than I pulled a muscle that caused me a great deal of pain for over a month. It was fun trying to make decisions on floors, paint colors, and countertops while on pain killers. We got through it and finished the house (for the most part) in December. We had a very nice Christmas in the new house. We are staying very, very busy. I'm working on a new fresh baked story set during a Thanksgiving festival.

The Christmas Cookie Killer came out at the end of September in trade paperback. It'll come out at the end of this year in paperback. The fourth book Killer Crab Cakes (unless the publisher changed the title) will come our in trade paperback September/October 2009.

I've got to go check on my parents. How was your holiday?

Take care, Livia

Shosho, just a quick pop in to thank you for your kind words when Mum passed. I am sorry it has taken so long but the outpouring of love and support was so great and I wanted to get back to everyone.
Her funeral service was so lovely and my memories of our time together in her last week are what is getting me through this.

Shosho, for the birthday greetings on 15th. I did have a lovely day.

Hey Shosho, just got two of Livia's books from the library. Haven't seen them in the shops. Am reading the Peach book now..mmmmm.... and have the slice one to go. I had to order them as an interlibrary loan as there are only a couple available in WA. They are very enjoyable, thank you. I am also passing the info on to Vibrant Vici as she loves mysteries too.

Hi Shosho,
Thanks for your stream of ongoing messages encouraging me towards full recovery and good health. You attentions are much appreciated.

SHOSHO.... the "Wonderful World" video is very special.

We spent 11 days without power and water, in temperatures that got down to 4 F. It was nasty. It took 2 days to get the fireplace flue unstuck ( it hadn't been opened in 15 years), then it was bearable. I lost most of my fish, one Gouldian Finch, 3 lambs, multiple chickens, pigeons and peafowl, and my oldest Collie. The damage to the trees here will take months to clean up, and a lot won't make it. And the water pipes in the house froze and broke, so we're in the middle of those repairs now (entailing many holes in the walls). But when I think about what's happening in southern Australia, I cannot feel sorry for myself.

You are ALWAYS welcome to visit here..... you know that!

I actually have a tendency to be something of both a pessimist and a fatalist. I always expect the worst to happen, so I'm rarely surprised and frequently prepared. And thrilled when things do go right. I have never been a grinning optimist. That's my idiot husband. He always expects the best and gets horribly upset and stressed when things go wrong.

Another secret to coping..... "Prozac". I've been on it for years.

That's always been my motto. Prepare for the worst. It doesn't happen as often if you are prepared. But it always seems to happen if you're not prepared.

Dearest Shosho, the news of your son returning home has brightened my day no end. It has been such a long and sad week, and all we keep hearing are such stories of heartbreak mixed with stories of real-life heroes, trained volunteer firefighters and ordinary people who have stepped up to the plate when it was needed.
I put your son in that category. ♥

Shosho, I just read where your son is on his way back home...I can't begin to tell you how happy I am for you,his wife and Brandon.....Enjoy! May he not have to go so far away again any time soon.
I also visited your gallery again and simply enjoyed soaking up the photos again. I'm amazed at how many fellow sudokuites you have met since the meets have been going on. You and Kathy/Val Rico must hold the record for the number of folks met in person. Keith isn't too far behind. I'm glad to have been one who had the opportunity to get to see you in action...What a wonderful, fun lady you are.

Happy Valentine's Day dear one! A day of love and hugs to you!

shosho - you are too cute! You are right about going home. Thankfully at work so far i'm okay asthma wise, but If i started walking in this weather I would not be!

but I like your idea of the few ours at home resting with the hubby

you are too smart!

Shosho - another step forward with my fledgling buisness. I have registered a business name to distribute Cruz de Malta brand yerba mate. You may wish to try yerba mate as some people find it very helpful for health and weight loss and most people are not at all kept awake by it. You can probably find it in California less expensively than I can ship it to you, but if you're interested, let me know and I can ship some to you. I'm pushing the fact that it can be brewed like coffee or loose tea and doesn't need the mate gourd cup and bombilla to enjoy the drink.

Thanks for the double dose of wishes! I'm so glad that you are in my life!

Dearest sharon , i miss you too .
I had a lovely day , wish you are here .

Hello Shosho - I just wanted to stop by and say, "HI." I hope you have a great day. My husband and I are off to have breakfast with some dear friends. I have a few errands to do this morning. My youngest son turns 21 today and most of my children will be home for dinner tonight. We are expecitn 5 to 8 inches of snow tomorrow. I am glad it isn't today! Have a great day, Shosho!

Hi Sharon! I haven't been around Sudokuland much lately - we are traveling SO much, almost too much I think. I am ready to slow down & stay home for awhile, but things keep popping up. Last week we went to visit relatives in Ft. Lauderdale (one visiting from Israel!), & this weekend we must go up to the Fripp Isl. beach house for the annual co-owners meeting. I just happened to notice in between all my comings & goings that you, Kathy from MD, & I all have the same You-tube on our pages! Guess we all all soft-hearted & love animals! Hope things are going well for you & your students. I admire what you do for the future of our country! Take care, my little friend.

Oh dear I wasn't aware that Rob had such a bad reputation! He hasn't been sending you e-mails, has he? He, Peter, & Ed send around some pretty shocking stuff. Actually they're all really nice guys - they just have a naughty side. Don't most men??? I do my best to keep him in line, but it's a big task! Happy "Hump Day". We're off to Kyley's class today to do some tutoring. The FCAT testing is coming up soon & it's such a big stresser for both the kids & the teachers. Such a shame.

Dear Shosho.
.

I miss you tooooooo much and very glad to be back to my favorite friends and site.
Have a nice time with all my best wishes.

Shosho - Yes, I love Tulips. The early bloomers start in March the late bloomers in April. For Easter, Descanso has lots of things for children. The oval shape of tulips and colored Easter Eggs resemble each other. Also the lilacs are in bloom - oh the scent, along with the rhododendruns & azalias, making the Tea House so beautiful & then there are the cherry blossom, tulip tree - not sure if my Chinese Golden Rain Tree is in bloom at that time or later. Hope you can get over there for the Spring show. I would like to get down there - but am booked till after Easter with conferences & events up here. Tipper and I are headed up to Seaside (NW corner of Oregon) for a convention Thursday and a loonngg weekend.

Hey Shosho - thanks for stopping by to see my youtube. It's a clip from the 3rd Season of The Wire. I'm trying to find ANYONE who is on this site that is a fan of the show. It is fabulous - well written, depth to characters - just wonderful. It ran 5 seasons on HBO. I have the whole collection in DVD.
The clip is of a show down between 2 heavies on the show (both fearless criminals, but with strong sets of a code) - someone has played them against each other and this is the scene where they end up finding that out.

Oh Shosho - I just watched your youtube - WOW - wonderful tribute. I never knew that about John Denver. Interesting that he left this earth in flight. At least he was doing what he loved!
Thanks for sharing that!

to Hubby. Hope he has a great day.

Got some good pics of Tipper on our trip over the weekend - they are in my gallery.

shosho, I learnt a new word today - thanks.

Shosho - our friend Jim is very fortunate. He was diagnosed in Atlanta (before they moved here to St. Simons) about 5 years ago. His medication keeps him alert and he's really doing quite well. The disease seems to be very slow developing. I know that tough times are ahead, but so far he is just as happy and friendly as ever. I know that some people can suffer major personality changes with dementia. And I know this from personal experience since eventually it gets all the women in my family. In our family's case, it's not Alzheimers that causes the dementia, but rather mini-strokes. However, the results can be just as devastating. My grandmother had to be placed in a nursing home at 75 and lived until she was 83. My aunt started having mini-strokes at about 73 and passed away at 78. She became very angry and violent and had to be moved to a nursing home. My dear sweet mother started to suffer mini-strokes at about 80, and by 86 had to be put in a nursing home. She passed away at 90, but even though her short-term memory was totally gone, she always knew me, and she remained a happy soul right up to the end. In my case, I am hoping that a major disease will take me away before my mind goes. I already have "do not resuscitate" instructions, 2 kinds of living wills, etc. prepared, and all my friends and family are aware of my wishes. I do not want to end up in a nursing home!

Hey lil buddy! Just caught wind of the return of your son. I am so pleased Sharon. May he stay put now! Blessings to you lil Rocky.

Shosho, thank you for your anniversary wishes, they were much appreciated by both of us.

Dear Shosho, you must be kidding - we are just a normal pair of run-of-the-mill slobs. (But I love the poetry)

Hi Sharon. Sorry to read of your dad's surgery today. Hope it goes well & you are not tied up at the hospital too long. You sure do have a lot on your plate with tending to both your parents in addition to a full time teaching job. I sympathize - it's got to be very hard. Please try to make some time for YOU, too. Hugs.