Recipe for a Perfect Day:

Ingredients:
1 cup of fresh coffee
2 eggs over easy
1 great day on the Alpine Meadows slopes
4 close friends
11 groomed packed powder trails in black and blue
4 inches of fresh powder over base off trail
5 deck chairs overlooking Lake Tahoe
1 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon
1 handsome man at my side

Directions:
mix vigorously until joy and laughter fill the air
soak 15-20 minutes in hot tub until tender spots are soothed

Serves:
1-5
Double recipe if desired.

Looking southeast across Lake Tahoe

Valentine’s Day is the peak of mating season for the Northern Elephant Seal. This beach is about seven miles north of San Simeon, near the Hearst Mansion. It’s called the Piedras Blancas rookery, because it is the site to which these elephant seals return twice a year to mate and bear their young. You can view the seals from raised boardwalk viewing platforms on the bluffs. I was impressed that every single visitor was quiet and respectful toward the seals, (and each other.) As you’d expect, this isn’t a place to bring your dog. Mine was happy with the windows down in the parking lot, nose in the cool, fresh breeze.

The largest male elephant seal I saw was, I’d guess, around fourteen feet, but they can grow up to sixteen feet long, and over five thousand pounds! The pictures can’t capture the scale. This large male was larger than our SUV. The pups and females scurried out of their paths as the males hulked across the sand, sometimes pursuing a female, and other times battling other males. The pups’ piercing cries for their mothers, and the bellowing call of the males, were cacophonous. I could have stayed all day.

If you make the trip, you might want to bring a jacket, plus sunglasses and sunscreen if you go in the afternoon, as the beach faces west. And, of course, your camera!

*No animals were disturbed in the making of this video. A zoom lens and great spot on the viewing platform are all you need.

Tonight is the last full moon of 2012. The year’s last chance to raise your face to night’s gentle reflection of her sun, to walk in moonlight’s silver shadows. Enjoy!

You know what I love about today? From now until the summer solstice June 21, each day will have more daylight than the last. Oh, yes. And my whole family will be under one roof in a couple of days. We are safe, with Patches the wonder dog on duty. We have shoes, clothing, education, and food for dinner. That makes us richly blessed.

I am so very thankful for these many blessings, and wish them for all.

Today’s the day! Millions of people are headed to the polls to cast their ballots in a very close presidential election. They are also voting in state and local elections, school board elections, and ballot questions. Keeping track of all the choices can be difficult.  I have to admit, there have been times when I looked at a sample ballot and wondered, “what exactly does an Orphan’s Court Judge do, and how do I find out anything about these candidates??” 

The decisions made today will affect our schools, our children, fellow citizens, country, and the world.  That’s where the League of Women Voters can be of help. Just go to Vote411.

I entered my address, then clicked the green “Get personalized information on candidates and issues” box. When I filled out the Personalized Ballot, I was taken to the Voter 411 Voter Guide.

You just click on the down arrow to the right of “Vote 411 Voter Guide” and select the information you would like to see. I chose “All my races.” 

You can view all the choices that will appear on your ballot when you go to vote, and also research further on the site to get information about the candidates and both sides of questions on your ballot.

 I voted early this year, but am still excited about election day. So, no matter whom you choose, remember to get out and vote!

I’ve been laughing, and sometimes cringing, when driving lately. There are drivers on the road whose bodies may be behind the wheel, but their attention is elsewhere. Is it on their coffee? Are they on phones? The open newspaper on the seat next to them? I’m not sure, but I was amazed to see that in one case, it was the blue glow of an open computer screen, and the driver had only one hand on the wheel. I’ve learned a lot of lessons, cautionary tales, but they were all bundled in the same theme:

Don’t be THAT guy!

Mindfulness is a way of focusing your attention fully on where you are and what you are doing, right at that moment. I usually think of it as a way to keep myself healthy, focused, grounded, and aware. It’s good for me. But lately I realize that keeping one’s mind on the present moment is also good for the people around me. When parenting, being fully engaged with my child. Intentionally noticing the beautiful things around me and feeling gratitude. Seeing the humanity in the people around me and feeling compassion. And, yes, realizing that my car is not just transporting me; it is interacting with many people’s lives.

A wise person recently told me that he wants to make a difference in the world, and initially thought it had to be through his career choice. Lately, though, he said, “Maybe I can just be the guy in a car who is kind to the other drivers, waves someone ahead, smiles in beltway traffic, and just makes a few people’s days easier.”

My goal is to be THAT guy 🙂

This is Suicide Prevention Week. Are you, or someone you know, in pain? 

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the US, and third among adolescents. What would you do if you, or someone you loved, couldn’t go on? 

If you had any other condition that required treatment in order to save your life, wouldn’t you seek medical advice? The brain is one of the organs in the human body, and it deserves at least the same care and attention as all the others.

Today I am grateful for the yellow flower that was growing out of the pavement in the Safeway parking lot. I noticed how full my cupboard was, and bought extra tuna packs and granola bars to keep in my car for those without. How kind was the grocery clerk who asked how my day was before ringing up my purchase? I am comforted by the fact that, if ever I or someone I know is distraught and needs medical attention, there is a local ER equipped to help, and 1-800-273-TALK, 24 hours a day.

For more information, you can read this article from the National Institute of Health. 

Be well, everyone. I am so glad you are here.  ♥