Princess Chunk & The Art of Happiness

In the wake of another business biting the dust, more commercial real estate left vacant and thousands more unemployed, I find myself searching for some news that appeals to my desire to be happy. It's not as vapid, self-indulgent, or head-in-the-sand as some will probably think. Life is short. It's the little things in life that can make a big difference.

One story that made me laugh outloud was about a very fat cat aptly name "Princess Chunk". I'm not sure if was the picture or the name that I found so amusing or a combination of the two. Whenever I chocolate cake with ice cream calls my name late at night, I will invoke the name "Princess Chunk" and see if my cravings disappear.

Shake, Rattle & Roll - Earthquake hits California

About a 15 mninutes ago, I felt the earth move under my feet. An earthquake. The whole building shook and I could hearing creaking followed by a punctuation. Some item from the loft upstairs - either something fell off the bookshelf or the wall had fallen. The rolling movement stopped thankfully.

Do you know what to do in case of an earthquake? If not, check out the Red Cross website.


Here's what was posted on the Internet a minute ago.

By ROBERT JABLON, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago
LOS ANGELES - A strong earthquake shook Southern California on Tuesday, causing buildings to sway and triggering some precautionary evacuations. No immediate damage was reported.
Preliminary information from the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the quake at magnitude 5.8, centered 29 miles east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles near Chino Hills in San Bernardino County.

The quake struck at 11:42 a.m. PDT. "It was dramatic. The whole building moved and it lasted for a while," said Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore, who was in the sheriff's suburban Monterey Park headquarters east of Los Angeles.

California is one of the world's most seismically active regions. More than 300 faults crisscross the state, which sits atop two of Earth's major tectonic plates, the Pacific and North American plates. About 10,000 quakes each year rattle Southern California alone, although most of them are too small to be felt.

P.V. Art Center Associates Know How to Throw a Party!

Saturday evening, the P.V. Art Center Associated put on there 3rd and last chef event for the year. It was - incredible. I had so much fun and every one was so nice and gracious and interesting - it made for a great evening. There were Flamenco dancers and a Andalucian horse show and beautiful estate grounds complete with stellar pararomic views of Los Angeles, a boxwood garden, exotic birds, a well-appointed barn, pool and beautifully decorated tables. Restaurant Christine's catered the event. Yum. Fried olives and empanades with sangria (or wine if you preferred) to enjoy before dinner. My favorite part of the meal was the last entree - beautiful jumbo shrimp, clams and mussels in a tomato-based sauce. Dessert, I couldn't help ask if there were more churros with that decadent chocolate sauce.

New Food Network Star

The Season Finale ended with "Big Daddy" winning and it looks like it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. I only started following the show for the last month or so but quickly found myself rooting for Aaron because he is so likeable - like a big teddy bear and someone you could imagine being a great neighbor, teacher or friend. I have to admit, his stammering and anxiety before going on-camera and during filming, at times made me uncomforable to watch and I found myself flipping the channel to avoid this discomfort...but it also made me want to watch him succeed. For vieweres that are not public speakers - his win is inspirational. If you have the passion and dedication to utilize your God-given talents and are an all around good person, things work out.

As for Lisa, I was rooting for her too. While Aaron is down-to-earth and friendly, Lisa is polished and multi-faceted. It's interesting to see when others are so tough on themselves, when they are blessed with talent and have so much to offer. It makes you think about yourself and what you have to offer the world and sometimes, the biggest challenge is not tripping over yourself.

I'm looking forward to seeing Aaron's first show. For the first time, I checked out the food network website and it looks like there are some recipes I will definately try out...

www.foodnetwork.com

Christian the Lion video

For all you folks out there who need a little pick me up, there is a video out there that is just so happy and joyful ....I'm pleased to post it.

Here's the excerpt that was on AOL.

ChristianThe LionHeart-warming Story of Love Triumphing Over Animal Instinct.Bought at Harrods, raised in England, and then released into the wilds of Africa -- this lion didn't forget the people who raised him.

http://video.aol.com/video-category/best-viral-videos/111064?icid=200100397x1206467915x1200338906

If you haven't gathered from my website already, I'm a nature lover and a big fan of St. Francis.

A Few Quotes from St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)
"Not to hurt our humble brethren [the animals] is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission: to be of service to them whenever they require it."

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."

The pictures are of my own cats.

A good organization to support is www.spca.org

Winding Paths of Palos Verdes

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with a staff member of the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy and we went on a hike around Abalone Cove. How many times have you walked an area and realized you know really not much about it?

I started to learn about birds and vegetation as well as vandalism and hazards. There are so many types of vegetation some of which are native to the area and many that are not. For example, all the pretty yellow flowers in the spring and early summer are not indigenous to the area and have now turned to dry brown brush. There's a bird called the cowbird that basically is a nest parasite and kicks the eggs out of the nest from other birds, lays their own and leave their eggs to be raised by birds. Or the lemonade plant that supposedly tastes like lemonade if you lick the berry - however, I was cautioned not to actually eat the berry itself.

There are plans to label the trails with markers which would be great since the maps we had did not seem to fit the terrain and wow...there are a lot of trails and up and down and over rocks and after 3 hours - I was only too happy to see a lifeguard who was happy to give us a ride back to our cars. His name was Jim (I think) and he could not have been nicer and was so interesting as he shared a lot of PV history.

To learn more http://www.pvplc.org

The Shift

I just joined an online network...it is thought provoking...and one of the members posted something interesting. It's a movie called The Shift and is in production. It is about the shift that the world is experiencing globally and how we are all a part of it. Desmond Tutu is featured. For the trailer (which in and of itself will get you thinking outside youreself) click on the link below

http://www.theshiftmovie.com/home.html

A Word from the Pope

"Reluctantly, we come to acknowledge that there are also scars whiich mark the surface of our earth, erosion, deforestation, the squandering of world's minerals and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption."

Here are a couple of websites that help raise awareness on environmental issues:
www.healthebay.org
www.nrdc.org

Finally Tried Pinkberry

With the growth of Pinkberry, it piqued my curiosity but I never seemed to be inspired enough to try it. Finally I did, with the encouragement of a friend. We ordered a regular with almonds and a green tea with chocolate bits. They were good - the tartness of yogurt came through - unlike other frozen yogurts and it was an interesting experience. I like the futuristic hip interior although with ABBA playing loudly, we opted for the CA fresh air and sunshine. Would we try it again. I think so. I especially liked the green tea which has a strong flavor. On the other hand, at $3.50 a cup with topping, I would be more apt to splurge on good ice cream.

The Best Starbucks Location in California

There's been a lot of play on Starbuck's store closings and 600 stores is a lot of stores! I used to frequent Starbucks habitually when I was a road warrior traveling red-eyes and other crazy itineraries for work. Now, Starbucks is more of a treat than a neccessity. In fact, I would say, I haven't been to a Starbucks in the last 6 weeks. But when I do go, I am choosey about the location. There are several close by but there is one and only one that merits some recongition. It is located at the Golden Cove Plaze in Rancho Palos Verdes - practically where Hawthorne meets the sea. The view is spectacular and with outdoor seating and a firepit - this is one Starbucks that I hope is not on the list of impending Starbucks closures.

Coffee Crisis? Starbucks Closing 600 Stores
Effects of Economic Woes Hit the Coffee Shop Chain
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5288740

Travel Tips - Cape Cod

While my last trip is still fresh in my mind, I thought it might be interesting to include some travel tips and experiences. I flew into Boston and had decided rather than to drive or fly the remainder of the itninerary to Cape Cod, I would try the ferry. It was a fun experience that I highly recommend. It does seem a bit like the movie "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" since an airport bus (#66 and free by the way) is required to get the water taxi. At 7:00 am, the water taxi was like a private tour on a small, covered motorboat. Commadeered by an older gentleman wearing typical New England garb - a collared knit shirt, khakis and boat shoes, he couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. ($10 plus tip and it was well-worth the view of the Boston Harbor). I arrived at the dock (#4) very early but enjoyed watching the passengers and crew arrive. The ship was clean, comfortable, sleek and fast - it only took 90 minutes to arrive in Provincetown. For more info: www.bostonharborcruises.com/ptown_main.html

July 4th in Cape Cod is a family affair. It is wholesome and fun and filled with tradition. Every year we stake out our spot, plop down our chairs and await with great anticpation for the parade to begin. I usually buy too many baked goods from the Methodist church ladies, there is a elderly war Veteran that sells American flags and the parade floats are as hometown-USA as they get. Later, we pick up our lobster roll lunch from the Methodist church.

Some favorites:

• Kale soup and soft ice cream with jimmies from PJ's


• Taking a refreshing dip in the fresh-water pond


• The Wellfleet General Store sells made-to-order sandwiches in the back. They are 2 pounders. I had the "Ride the Bike like you stole it". An odd name but a yummy, packed sandwich.


• Riley's gift store - filled with t-shirts, water floaties and sundries at great prices


• The Wellfleet swap meet - you never know what treasure you will find

The Pump House - Dining in Albany, NY

After returning from the Cape, my Mom and I decided to have dinner at The Pump House in downtown Albany. An 8,000 sf building with 40 ft ceilings, the pump house was converted to a restaurant about 20 years ago and is a bustling place to eat. We had the calamari which were served on top of cherry peppers and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Good and spicy. The chicken wraps were the counterpoint - health wise - lettuce, carrots, diced chicken, baby corn and water chestnuts served with a peanut dipping sauce. When it came to dessert however, sugar coma would be an appropriate way to describe the bread pudding which which was a a corn syrupy sauce ladeled heavily over a dense brick of dessert. Too much. Definately too sweet to finish which rarely happens. All in all a nice experience.

For more info check out their website: www.evansale.com