An Opportunity to Help Others...

With all of the recent devastation around the world and in our own backyard, including the earthquakes in China, cyclone in Myanmar, floods and tornadoes in the Midwest, the atrocities in Darfur and the ever-present food shortages ; there are a great many people in dire need of support to survive just one more day! So many are currently dependent on the kindness and contributions of others to help provide them Healthcare, Clean Drinking Water, Food, Shelter and general assistance. I hope we can all take a moment to count our blessings, have gratitude for all the things we do have , find some way to be of service to others and to be a part of the solution for those that truly need our help. I am including a link to a non-profit organization that offers one way to be of service to each of the afflicted areas mentioned above. Thanks for taking a moment to listen.
http://www.americares.org/

Congratulations Stacy!

4 weeks from today my friend Stacy will be tying the knot! Here are some pics from the shower in Carmel Valley.

If you're looking for a shower or wedding gift, I highly recommend this book.

True Phillies Fans!

California Wildfires

It's that time of year when California becomes a raging inferno. This year it's a little too close to home for me since Big Sur is only about a half hour from here. I work in Carmel Valley which is even closer and all we smell is smoke even with all of the windows closed. We are no where close to being in danger except for the air quality warnings. Our little Koda girl has started coughing and I think it's because of the smell and smoke.

Here's a live web cam from the best restaurant in Big Sur. It's pretty smokey down there. John and I stopped here for lunch on our way back from Cambria after we got married.

http://www.nepenthebigsur.com/images/weather-cam.html

"Land of the Lost"

Wow! I had totally forgotten about this show until I heard someone reference it in their blog. This was one of my favorite shows as a kid, as well as the smurfs! I can see myself now sitting in front of the tv with my big bowl of cereal before soccer practice. I can't believe how fake everything looked, yet I was totally terrified of the Sleestaks and hoped that Will and Holly made it back to their cave before they were kidnapped!! Check out the intro from the show here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6LZzVCpYDY

Trudy

Our "baby"

Shortly after New Years we agreed we would adopt a dog from the SPCA. We went and met some dogs and fell in love with a crazy(really crazy) little Queensland Heeler/ Corgi mix named Koda. Trudy and I both knew she was the one. After succumbing to her big brown puppy dog eyes, we got her home and realized she had a serious case of doggie separation anxiety! Luckily, Trudy had a friend that knew a dog trainer who could work with her and keep her during the day . She learned quickly, improved daily and was able to stay home alone after close to two months. After several weeks of anxiety, frustration and strict discipline, she has become one of the best dogs ever. Koda is a loved member of the family and has several nicknames including Begoda, the Kodasaurus and DogBaby. We call her DogBaby because I say she's our baby and Trudy says she's not a real baby, but a DogBaby. She loves running on the beach, romping around with the big dogs, long naps in the sun and trying to sleep in our bed!

This is Our New Blog!

We thought this blog would be a good way to keep in touch with friends and family and share things that a lot of you don't get to see... our friends, dog, new apartment and John's new smile(I'll let him tell you about that!) Please check back for updates. We plan on updating this blog with notes, pics, and even videos! Meanwhile, here are some wedding pictures that some of you may have not seen.