The Naked Neighbor

Okay I have had a couple people ask me about the naked neighbor from a previous post, so here is the story:

We were living on West Harrison in the beautiful city of San Buenaventura California in a condo/town house complex. If you have ever been in one of those complexes you know how close the houses are to one another. In this particular housing tract the windows to the front of our house lined up with the front windows of the neighbors who were directly across from us.

It was toward the end of my senior year of high school. On a beautiful spring/summer morning I had woken up a little early, and had gone in to my mom's room to talk to her. Since it was such a beautiful morning mom had opened the curtains & window in her room, and the one in the hallway. We talked for a bit while she was getting ready for work. When I left her room to get ready for school I just happened to look out the hallway window and there was the neighbor with his curtains open standing in his bathroom shaving, totally naked. I think a horrified shriek came out of my mouth as I turned around and dashed back into my mom's room. She gave me this weird look, and when I was able to choke out what was wrong she immediately went to the hallway window to check it out. I think she started laughing, and said the neighbor had a nice looking backside. It was funny and weird to be standing at the hallway window with my mom who was gawking at the naked neighbor. I don't think he ever knew we saw him, but who really knows? I can tell you if gave us great amusement for a couple of weeks afterward. I think it is important to tell you that we only saw the back of the naked neighbor.

Thank You Brave Soldiers!!

I just want to take a moment on this Veterans Day and say Thank You to our Countries Heroes. The men and women who serve in the military and who have served in the military. I know we are so blessed in the United States and to have the freedom to live our lives the way we choose. I don't not have enough words to express my gratitude. God Bless America!!!

Denise & Rich, you and your comrades are in my prayers.

Thank You

One of my favorite places is....

.... The Huntington Library, Art Collections, & Botanical Gardens in San Marino. I would like to thank Teri for introducing it to me. It is such a beautiful place. There are museums, and of course gardens. They have a desert garden, bamboo garden, rose garden, and many more. My personal favorite is the Japanese Garden. It is incredible. I can't describe the peaceful feeling that comes over me when I am there.

I told Jeff about the Huntington when we were dating, and he was interested in going. (We have a lot of museum dates, good thing we both like museums) Anyway on a lovely day in 2007 we went to the gardens. I was so excited to show him the Japanese Garden. We were walking through the garden, and when we got to the bridge he had to stop and tie his shoe, (he had cleverly untied it without me noticing), after he did that he said "Since I am down here......." I can't remember what he said beyond that because he was putting an engagement ring on my finger. I think he formally asked me to marry him, and I think I said yes. I must have since we've been married for a year a half now. I still get a dumb grin on my face when I think about how romantic it was, and how he picked a spot that is special for me.

The Huntington is also special because my dad's parents have also been there. My grandfather was born in New York, and my grandmother in New Jersey. They moved to California shortly after they were married in 1938, and lived in Whittier. Last year my mom gave me a couple of scrapbooks that belonged to my grandmother, and as I was going through them I came across pictures of them and my Great Grandma Nehr in the Japanese Garden. My grandfather passed away about 4 years before I was born so I was excited to find out I have been to a place he visited.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

August 2008

June 1939

Rose Garden - June 1939Rose Garden

Shakespeare Garden
Zen Garden
Lily Ponds

Jungle Garden Desert Garden

Japanese Garden -June 1939Japanese Garden 2008This is the spot where Jeff proposed to me.

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

(She is going to kill me for putting up the picture. It is one of my favorites.)

I have a few fond memories of my mom I would like to share:

My love of British comedy....my mom's fault. I came home one night from babysitting, my dad was working late, and my mom was up watching Fawlty Towers. It happened to be the episode when John Cleese's car breaks down, and he beats it with a tree branch while yelling "You naughty, naughty car". I almost fell off the bed laughing. I was hooked. I love Ab Fab, Keeping up Appearances, Red Dwarf, Monty Python, My Hero, Are You Being Served, and on and on. Thanks Mom!!

My father had said I could pierce my ears when I was 12, so on my 12th birthday my mom and I went to Salt Lake City to get my ears pierced. (I guess there wasn't any reputable ear piercing place in Evanston Wyoming at the time) I remember when we were driving through the mall parking structure my mom saying she couldn't see a thing, and I asked her if it was because she was still wearing her sunglasses. Well we got my ears pierced, wandered through the mall, and then went to the food court for mint brownies. It was a fun day. When you have six siblings you don't get too much mom and daughter time, but on this particular day it was her and I.

Another time when I was a senior in high school my mom and I were feeling "pale" so she stayed home from work and I stayed home from school. On that day we went to Salzer's to rent videos and then went to Vons to raid the deli. We watched Willow, and ate junk food. That was a great day.

For some reason I just remembered the naked neighbor. You can ask her about him.

My mom would read aloud to us for as long as I can remember. There was The Great Brain series, The Lion, Witch, & The Wardrobe, The Belgariad, and of course the Scriptures. Thanks mom!

There are many more, but that would take many days so I will say once again Happy Birthday Mom, I love you & New Caaa! New Caaa!

Okay, okay I'll start a blog. Are you happy now?

Since the friends and some family have been bugging me I have started a blog. Now what to write .......................... hmmmmmmmmm ............ write .............. hummmmmm ..... la la la ......... hmmmm ......... I need some egg nog. Yeah egg nog......... Is it too early to to start decorating for Christmas????

That reminds me. I have a tendency to be a holiday freak. I love to decorate for holidays, so much that some of my family thought it was getting out of hand. My father finally decreed that I could not decorate for a holiday until the month the holiday is in has begun. I would like to know what is wrong with beginning to decorate for Christmas in July???? Since my father's decree is family law I wait. (sort of) I will be decorating for Christmas the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I just bought some really cute light up snowmen for the outside decorations.

Oh yeah since I am going on about family law I was also banned from hanging up cobwebs. You 'd think I committed a homicide from the yelling I got from my father & brother. It's not my fault I'm 5'8 & they are 6'4 & they would run face first into the cobwebs. Did they think to buy me a ladder so I could hang the cobwebs higher? Nooooo. Just the yelling & the cobweb ban. Why don't we just cancel Halloween altogether. (sheesh Philistines)

Well now that I have gotten all that out of my system. What to write......nope nothing coming to me. I'll try again tomorrow.