AMIDST THE ORANGE GROVES

Hello my dear friends, I am speaking to you from sunny San Diego and having a great time. Yesterday we went to Sea Port Village and San Diego Old Town.

It was wonderful to see my family again and everyone looks great. The hotel makes me lonely for The Ritz, but it is a nice hotel and adequately comfortable. It is on a hill in Mission Valley. Today we will go to the wooden Roller Coaster in Mission Beach and also get our feet wet in the Pacific Ocean.

Wish you could all be here with us and get some rest and relaxation. Going to try the swimming pools today; they are heated so it should be a lot of fun.

Managing to get around on my newly exercised legs and am so glad I invested the time in exercise training or I would never have made it with all of the walking.

I have very little of interest to say today, but tomorrow you will get a much more detailed record of our movements. I have been sleeping a lot and that is good. I had wondered if I could sleep in a strange bed, but the bed is hard and so it is good for my back.

Have a wonderful day and week-end and I will talk with you tomorrow again!

OPEN UP THOSE GOLDEN GATES!

36 hours from now we shall land at San Diego Airport and begin the most outrageous adventure we have been on since 2005 when I moved from San Diego to Atlantic City.

We shall spend the next 10 days getting to know my grown-up grandchildren and taking them to the places that we normally would never get to go to. They, all three, work hard, long hours and live on the poverty level. They never get to go anywhere that costs money and they cannot believe their good fortune in getting to go to several of San Diego's tourist attractions such as Sea World, the Zoo, Balboa Park, and to Anaheim to enjoy Disneyland.

An aside to Disneyland is that my brother, myself, and our parents went to the park the first month they opened Disneyland. We were 11 and nine years old and Disneyland was about 75% dirt fields. There was the  Jungle Adventure, the Steamboat, Tiki Room, Fantasy Land was complete, the car-driving adventure and the submarine ride were very popular, as was the ride to the moon. They had ticket books that you bought for the rides and there were only 5 tickets for the major attractions. The one adventure that was my favorite was in a large field at the far part of Frontierland. You had to walk through empty fields to get there but then you were in a real Native American experience with Native Americans showing you sand painting, leather making, teepee building, and Native American dancing and music. My second favorite experience was that they had constructed a "Home of the Future", purportedly what a home would look like in the year 2000. It was absolutely fascinating and much of what they suggested has actually come to pass.

We are going to Julian to see the town and possibly meet people who are old friends, then down the Banner Grade to stop at the Banner Store and then off to the desert to see the wild flowers in bloom. We are also going to Mission Beach to ride on the very, very old wooden roller coaster. Once there was a huge "plunge" - swimming pool - at Mission Beach. It was one of the only swimming pools (public) in town and many of us young folk would go there on a Saturday afternoon. What I remember the most about the experience is the policy of the pool that only allowed white people to swim there. No blacks, Asians, or Hispanics were allowed. I don't remember swimming in the pool very much, what I remember is trying to figure out why people of color were not allowed in the pool. I could not figure out their reasoning and once I realized the enormity of what they were saying, I never went to the plunge again.

San Diego, when I was a girl - 1940's to 1960's - was a very segregated and prejudiced town. Blacks could only live in one little one-mile square area of town, it was in the eastern downtown area along Market street. We were not allowed to enter that area and were told frightening stories to keep us away from there. There were segregated schools, drinking fountains, bathrooms, restaurants, movie theaters, and in short, black folk were kept down with a foot on their necks.

Another prejudice was against the young men in Navy and Marine uniforms. As girls we were told not to look at, or speak with, them as they were very dangerous and going to speak to one would make you a marked young woman whom no good man would take a look at.

But beautiful? Yes, San Diego is a beautiful city with a very old history. One other thing we are going to do is go to Old Town San Diego and see Ramona's Wedding Place and all the candle-making shops. I hope we get to stop at a Mission, there are a couple in the area, and show William these oldest large buildings that are so graceful and so beautiful.

And, tomorrow there will be no blog, but starting Friday, there will be a posting to let you know how the plane ride went and what the Hotel is like, and what we have done so far. Maybe have an itinerary for you so you know what we will be doing and what we are going to talk about. The book is on a back burner while we are on vacation, but then hopefully David will fund the rest of the production items by the time we get back. That is one thing I dread, asking David for additional funds. But I'm going to put that in the back of my mind and just enjoy the next ten days with Debby, Laura, Sheera, and James.

Have a good rest of the week and a magnificent weekend. Will write to you soon. May God bless and keep you.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

OBSERVATIONS FROM A HOTEL WINDOW

My living room window looks out over the Atlantic City Boardwalk and I have a full view of the Atlantic Ocean. I have placed my couch so that sitting on the seat nearest the window, I can watch this scene all day as I write, and think, and dream. I was always daydreaming and looking out the windows in school.

I haven't spoken about the Ritz - where I moved in October 2012 - lately, but I thought I'd share some observations I've made over the last six months.

I have observed that sea gulls are very territorial and defend their air space against all comers. We have a lot of pigeons in the area that rove around in large crowds searching for the crumbs that people drop, or feed, them. When they enter the sea gulls' air space the sea gulls attack the flock from several different sides at once, thus breaking up the flock and sending pigeons fleeing in all directions. The seagulls then keep chasing the pigeons until they are out of their territory.

Observing the traffic on the Boardwalk is sheer joy. Artists and musicians set up shop at different spots on the Boardwalk and people walking by place coins in their cap or box in appreciation for their work. It is like having a 12-hour-a-day fashion show walking past your window and I can people-watch to my hearts desire.

The window also brings aromas from the many concessionaires and restaurants that line the Boardwalk - from pizzas and funnel cakes to salt water taffy and steaks. The aromas mix and I spend no little time having fun sorting them out again in my nose and brain.

And then there is the ocean and the magnificent sky that changes moods so rapidly. I get to watch the sun rise every morning; sometimes struggling to send even one ray through the thick cloud cover and fog, and some times raising in a burst of red, purple, and orange flames over the horizon. 

I watch the moon rise up from the horizon every night and get to enjoy all of her phases. On cloudy or foggy nights, I miss seeing her silver beauty. And on clear nights the sky is crowded with stars, but most nights the lights from the casinos and hotels and their advertising signs - whole hotels change colors every five minutes - block out the light from the stars. I guess you can choose between seeing Stars and seeing the stars and galaxies.

I will miss Atlantic City over the next two weeks but I also love San Diego and so I shall just concentrate on enjoying her, and Mexican FOOD; the food of the gods. 

And, finally, there is the Atlantic Ocean. She is a different color from the Pacific ocean, sort of a green/blue/slate-gray color and she only has waves of any size when there are strong winds and storms. Usually the waves range from six inches to two feet, but I have seen six and eight foot waves during the hurricane last year. One thing we don't seem to have at all, or at least not very much of, is seaweed. The Pacific shores are always covered in ropes of seaweed which can also hinder you when you try to swim in the Pacific. I love watching the waves surge in and out and wave by wave move closer to the shore, or back away from the shore in low tide. The movement is so comforting and relaxing to watch and it really aids meditation.

If you're ever in Atlantic City, look me up at The Ritz and experience the sights, sounds, aromas, and feelings for yourself.

Have a truly great day, and may all of your prayers be answered in a manner that you can understand. 

  

PASSOVER

This evening begins the first two days of Passover with this evening sharing a seder plate and the age-old story of the deliverance of the Children of Israel from bondage and slavery. William will have the special opportunity of asking the three questions as he will be the youngest person at the seder table. We will play "find the motzot," and enjoy my all time favorite Mogen David; at least four glasses at our table.

This comes following a week where we cleanse our homes of any yeast or yeast products, and switch over to eating matzot instead of bread. We remember how the Angel of Death passed-over the eldest born of the children of Israel, the parting of the Red Sea so that they could escape Pharoah's military, and their eventual re-entering the land of Israel and building a Temple to worship God.

 The Passover Haggadah-which is a booklet that we follow that tells the story and has the Passover prayers and blessings in it-that we use is the Hirsch Haggadah written by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch who is distantly related to our Hirsch family.                           

This will be a short blog today as I have so much work to do to get ready for our Passover Seder this early evening.

As you probably know, Jewish holidays, Sabbaths, & Festivals, all start at sundown on the evening before the actual start-date on the calendar. Some calendars now say that the holiday starts on a certain date, at sundown, and that makes things more understandable.

I should hear from Outskirts Press today and learn how the book is coming along. Hopefully everything has begun to  begin and the book will be in preparation as we go to San Diego on Thursday.

Sheera says she'll lend us her laptop so I can do my blog most days-at least on the days that she is not using it. Everything is falling into place and all the loose ends are beginning to come together. I think this is going to be a great experience. Wish you were along for the ride.

I will be back tomorrow with good news about the book. Have a really great day and a happy Passover if you observe the Jewish Holidays.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

A SLIGHTLY MIXED BAG

A week from today we will be in California breathing in the aroma of eucalyptus trees, watching the swaying of palm trees, and enjoying the beauty of bougainvillaea. I will also get to hug and enjoy the love of my daughter, Debby, and Laura, Sheera, and James my grandchildren. I have not seen Debby since 2008 and it has been eight years since I have seen my beloved grandchildren. I am beside myself with joy and anticipation and thank ONE for keeping us safe and sound and for providing for this trip.

As far as the book goes, I have not heard from Outskirts Press since sending them my material. I expect it may be Monday before I hear from them again, so I am working on the working summary for the book sellers. I keep finding little things to change. It is the document that will potentially be used to sell my book on Amazon, and in the regular book stores. According to its value to the book's future I will polish it until I have a diamond with great fire; or at least give it my best shot.

I have contracted a mild flue that has made it difficult to get up and blog, so today is no great shakes as far as ideas and thoughts getting written. I am sorry for this as this is one of the last days that I can blog before leaving for the trip.

I am going to try to get to a computer everyday, but I don't really know what I will find once I get to Debby's. I am sure that at least some blogging will take place and I am hoping to be able to tell you every day what we have been doing. 

Whatever happens, I ask you not to forget to check in occasionally and see if there is new material up. And, worst case scenario, if I cannot blog at all during the 10 days, I will be back on April 9th and shall resume with a travelogue of our trip, an update on the book, and any new observations we make on this great trip we are so fortunate to be able to go on.

One of the great joys of this trip will be to see San Diego from the eyes of William (12 years old) as he observes so many new sights and has so many neat experiences. We plan to go to Anaheim's Disneyland, Sea World in San Diego, the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park, the wooden roller coaster at Mission Beach, and to Julian to show William where we had the mine and also to see the desert with the wild flowers in bloom. So much to see and do. I will also see my life-long friends, Christine & Tony, and get to meet with Anders and Scott, Ed Nelson's children, and tell them about the upcoming book and what it will mean to them personally. 

I will be thinking of you while I am gone and hoping that I don't lose your interest while I am away. You, and the blog, are very important to me, and I would rather not go on vacation if it means losing your interest. Thank you for your understanding and we will talk about other topics during the rest of next week that we have together.

Have a great day and may you be blessed in all areas of your life.

   

E = M(Csquared)

Energy = Mass x the Speed-of-Light squared was a gift to the world from the great mind of Dr. Albert Einstein.

Like many of us I have been pondering that equation for many long years. Since I am only self-taught on the subject of physics I understood what he was saying but not what he meant. I was trying to get the meaning down to a single comprehensible understanding. Finally last night, watching the Science Channel, I believe I had a breakthrough in understanding and I pass it along. Now let's see if I can get this out.

Energy is mass moving at an extremely high speed (the speed-of-light squared).

Mass is energy moving at a slow speed.

Energy, manifesting itself as a particle or wave, is energy when it is moving at the speed-of-light squared,
BUT,
slow the particle or wave down and it becomes mass.

Energy into mass? Slow it down.
Mass into energy? Accelerate it.


That is how mass is created from energy and how if you move any mass fast enough (at the speed-of-light squared) it reverts into energy. Take a rock and throw it fast enough and it will turn into energy.

Now, if I have this all wrong, PLEASE someone, send me an e-mail and let me know of my error. I would love to hear your feelings on the subject.

Have a wonderful day and may all of your needs be met.   

A SIGNED CONTRACT

Last night I finally took the big step and signed the publishing contract with Outskirts Press. I feel so free now. The decision has been acted upon and now it is full speed ahead.

Now we will see how the publishing business really works. After signing the contract they had me choose the options that I desired to have in getting the book literally put together. I chose to pay for U.S. Copyright registration; Library of Congress number (LCCN); Standard interior formatting; e-book format; professionally designed custom cover (I sent them the illustration I had drawn and explicit instructions on the cover that I wanted on the book, and they in turn take my rough artwork and turn it into what I believe is a great cover for the book); 10-pack of internal images so that my map of Kor and the Veral Solar System can be included inside of the book; and I chose the Paperback format instead of the hard cover because I felt that the softer book will be easier for students and readers to tuck the book into a bag or backpack and easier to pass to a friend to read. I want the book to be read wherever you happen to be and not to worry overly about taking care of the spine of the book or its edges. Today, it is the most popular format for a book. And if I am wrong about this, I can always go back and have them publish it in hard cover at a later date. I also chose to have it formatted for an e-book. So the book will be available in softcover print and in e-book forms.

OP also had me choose the size of the book (6x9) and the kind of paper I wanted for the inside of the book and I chose a heavy-weight, cream-colored, eco-friendly paper. It seems to me that the cream color would make for a "softer, easier" read, especially on the eyes. My goal is to have produced a comfortable "friend" book that you can take along wherever you go and be happy to share with your friends.

OP had me write an author's bio and a headline and short synopsis of the book for the back cover, they also collected a color picture of myself for the back cover. The other thing they asked for is a longer synopsis, 3,800 characters (including spaces) for a sales tool to the book stores and on-line description of the book's plot.

Now I am waiting to hear from OP, my friend and publishing assistant Larry G. He has been terrific and so understanding of each of my foibles and struggles to get the book to him in one file. The book was quite wonderfully received by the editor, who approves or disapproves a book for publication, she said Bravo! that I had done a great job of writing and found the book to be exciting and the characters rounded and whole and said that they had become her friends while she read the book. She was sorry when it ended and looks forward to the energynauts further adventures in the remainder of the Trilogy...and beyond? As long as I am alive there will be new adventures for my four friends as they travel across the Cosmos in answer to ONE's children's prayers. I have them, in my mind, visiting beings who live on the world of an electron, in the Cosmos that is inside of a very old rock. This is just so much fun!

A week from today I will be madly packing for our trip to California. It has been 27 years since I have been on an airplane and I am looking forward to the experience. And I can hardly wait to show Willie (my grandson who is 12) palm and eucalyptus trees, and the beautiful semi-tropical plants and flowers. We will be renting a car and going to so many places and I will get to visit with my friends, Christine & Tony, and Anders & Scott.

Thank you for having patience with my down moods lately, I am flying today and life is just getting so exciting. Things are never static and I am sure I will have my ups and downs even in this exciting process. However, I believe that the process will also help me to grow and develop; it has already given me some new skills on the tech side of life and computers. Have a great day and I will see you tomorrow.