August 31st, 2026

Here I sit at the end of August with the air conditioning off and the house open and part of it covered in plastic as we clean out and renew our attic insulation. The townhomes we bought into a little over 3 years ago were completed in the late 1970’s. So the building codes were different back then (if they existed at all) and it’s just about time to clear the pests who got in – out – and clean, sanitize and upgrade our insulation. That and new windows later this fall, should really make a difference in our ever rising utility bills. And don’t get me started on the gouging that insurance companies are doing to CA right now. We are doing our best to stay positive on that front. The problems keep coming from the top down (is that the trickle down theory they speak of? sarcasm font…) and the recent changes to HOA rules by Fannie Mae are making it harder on everyone. Thanks guys!

Last week was an entire week with temps in the triple digits. It was a bit hard on everyone and everything. The people I know who care, were making sure there was water for wildlife and ice water for construction workers. Tempers were short and some people managed it with a little more grace than others. However, we all seemed to make it through. This week is much cooler so far and at least the evenings are cooling off. It was nice to spend an evening looking at the lunar eclipse, even if I did have to take a shower afterwards. The humidity was unusually high for this area.

Creating in the analog world has kept me off the digital creation space. So this update is overdue. I’m also working on figuring the ins and out of a web site that was not updated by an organization for many years. If I can help get that updated I will. I neglected mine for years after the pandemic. So I can’t criticize. However it does make it more challenging if you don’t know who designed the site in the first place.

My daily sketch practice has been sporadic because of my need to interview contractors while my husband worked. However, I have kept my hand in. I’ve also read 38 books this year and am on track to read at least 40 by years end. And I have seen a lot of TV shows and movies. But that’s not what I will remember at the end of my life. It’s the great outdoor adventures that I will remember. Fighting for our National Parks that are under constant attack and underfunding has been a priority.

Getting outside to work with an environmental restoration group has been good for me. Making sure I am keeping up my swimming and self care for muscles has been important for keeping my strength up to make a difference in our trees and native plants. Keeping a clean diet (with the exception of champagne celebrations when milestones are reached) has also helped.

My tile submission for one of the more recent USA Mural Mosaic projects is in process of being placed. And I have 2 others that have already been completed. If you would like to get a group together to do a mural you can go to their website to learn more.

As a woman, keeping our place clean and somewhat organized takes a lot of time. I am still sorting through much of my parents notebooks, datebooks and photos. This is something everyone goes through at some point in time.

August has been the month of pests. “No see-ums” in the pool that sting, an ant invasion on the porch, local trouble makers entering our community pool and breaking umbrellas, putting diapers in the skimmer, causing residents to get ill and leaving their food trash everywhere. A local rental house having loud parties and shooting off fireworks (illegal and a fire hazard here) to the point that LAPD helicopters and officers had to break it up in the middle of the night… etc. Life is messy with people like that around, so we just clean and repair and keep going. The vast majority are doing the right thing. So we persist.

The positive things have been a deer sighting, seeing peacocks, beetles and butterflies mating, dragonflies skimming the pool for a drink, birds soaring, young coyote groups moving through the open spaces, bears taking a dip in some resident’s pools and then moving on, mountain lions resting in residential trees (and then moving on) and yes even a couple of rattle snakes who were just traveling through. With all of the heat and wildfires, animals are on the move to new territories and if we just make space for them, they move on. They don’t care to interact with humans. We have proven to be too lethal to them over time. So please don’t freak out if you see wildlife in your area. They, like we, are just part of the natural world. Give them space to “be”.

September seems to speed up with schools, events and work events increasing, then it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. So it will ZOOM by. Take some intentional time to slow down, look up and breathe in. Your spirit will thank you for it. Until my next post, I wish you peace, creativity and some laughter too.