ITALIA!

View of Barga



Magdalena Bridge, near Crasciana

Gerry and I recently returned from Italia.  We spent two weeks in Tuscany - first week in Barga, and second week in Lucca.  Bella Italia!  

MOVING! A PITA EXPERIENCE



Bye Bye House - It was nice knowing you. R.I.P.

 Moving !!!  Now I know why I haven't done this in 25 years.  It really is a Pain in the Arse (a PITA experience!)  That being said, we are happily ensconced in our town house, located a mere 1 1/4 miles from the demolition  /  construction site of our former  / remodeled home.   We signed a year lease for the town house.  I DO like having so much within walking distance - several restaurants, a grocery store, a used book & record store; and did my mention I can walk to "my house" in less than 20 minutes to check up (or scare myself even more) with the progress of the remodel??   All in all, it IS exciting.  I even have an air-conditioned office in the  town house from which I can post Mary's Musings and More in cool comfort.   

Summer in L.A.

Mariposa Lily  (Photo courtesy of Gerry)




  It hasn't been  oppressively hot (yet).  We've been in Griffith Park hiking, usually two or three times per week.  We're fortunate to have Griffith Park literally in our back yard.  (We walk out the back yard, ascend the steep hill, and then we are in the beloved Park.!)

Some mornings we have visitors who stop by our back yard.  I don't mind!  Bambi and friends are always welcome here.

There goes the doe, up the hill of our backyard!

The View on our regular Hike

A few weeks ago Gerry's brother and wife, (Allan and Kathy) visited us for a few days.  They live in Decatur, IL.  Our house is a bit of a mess, in flux, you might say.  They stayed with us here one night, then we headed up to the Santa Ynez Valley for a few days.   Wine Tasting, Relaxing, Touring the La Purisima Mission, and gourmet dining.   What more could you ask for, re a two-day getaway?  



At Rusack Winery



25 Years of Marriage!



HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US! 

Yes it is true.  And, yes it does make me feel old.   Old, but happy.   May 24th 1986 Gerry & I  were married.  We vowed to put up with each other through good times, bad times, sickness, and health.  What we have experienced together in 25 years is obviously too much and too personal for the blog-o-sphere.

On Top of The World Together !
(Macchu Pichu June 2010)



We Celebrated out 25 year marrinage!   We spent a 25-hour mini vacation away from home.

  Destination - Downtown LA.! 

  

We spent a night  at the Biltmore Hotel, which was wonderful.  We went out to dinner downtown, and also saw a play, God of Carnage at the Ahmanson Theatre.    Wednesday morning we enjoyed walking the downtown blocks of L.A., enjoying the architecture, as we viewed the historic buildings up close.

How fortunate are we!   We made a toast to the next 25 years yet to come.

EASTER!

We did go to the Grand Canyon and my post on the Canyon & AZ experience will follow at a later date.  I need to get some photos first before I blog about the adventure.  

Our latest trip was back to the mid-West for Easter.  Original plan was to fly into St. Louis on Saturday, rent a car, and drive to Decatur to spend Saturday and Sunday with Gerry's brother & wife, Allan & Kathy.  But....a tornado hit the St. Louis Airport Friday evening and so we had to come up with an alternate plan - which worked out fine.  We flew into Chicago, then caught a 2nd flight into Champaign-Urbana, which was fairly convenient to Kathy & Allan's.  

Great time with Allan & Kathy on Saturday !    We really enjoy their company.  They have a beautiful house and it was wonderful to visit with them, as well as their children - Sam & wife  Lindsey, and Danielle.

Easter Sunday was Extra Special as it was also Gerry's mother's 84th Birthday!  Gerry's mother, Ann Hans, is my idol. She is the nicest person you could ever hope to meet.  Never does she complain nor say a bad word about anybody.  I hope I can become like her, but doubt it is possible.  I'll try....

Mom Hans at 84!

I think there were 23 of us celebrating Easter and the Birthday.  Great meal with delicious pork, ham, potato casserole, sweet potatoes, orzo salad, spinach salad, etc etc.   I am fortunate to be part of this wonderful family.  

Here's the family shot of  - Allan, Dave, Jane, MOM,  Phil, Ginny, Gerry

(Don, unfortunately, was unable to attend.)

My message is to make the most of the Holidays -  Enjoy the time together with loved ones.  It is precious.  Since we don't know what the future will bring, savor the present.  Time together IS a present!

ANZA BORREGO - A Beautiful Weekend in the Desert!

This past weekend Gery & I took off for a camping & hiking adventure in Anza Borrego State Park.   Anza Borrego is in San Diego county, east of Oceanside by 70 miles or so.  It was a 3 1/2 hour drive from our home in L.A. 

It is a place which has sparked our interest for several years, but for whatever reason (RaceReady work is the logical one) we never made the trip until now.   We have our Grand Canyon trip coming up on April 16th, with the ambitious goal of hiking to the bottom and back in one day.   It seemed prudent to get a good, long training desert hike under our belts before the Canyon, and we did so this past Saturday. 

We stayed at a primitive camp ground in Culp Valley, Friday & Saturday nights.  By primitive, it had toilets on the site, but no water nor any other amenities.   They call it "primitive" but we called it "pristine and perfect." 

Satuday we hiked the trail from Culp Vally, down to Hellhole Canyon, (I am not making up the name.)   It was a downhill 6 mile trek with an elevation loss of 2,560 feet; followed by (logically enough) an uphill 6 mile trek with an elevation gain of 2,560 feet. 

Excellent training for Grand Canyon.


 

Here's a beautiful cactus bloom along with:  Pin Cushions (white) and Phacelia (purple)

We also encountered a nice looking rattlesnake. This got my adrenaline pumping!

We took a short breather when we retuurned to Culp Valley, before driving 10 miles or so to the Anza Borrego Palm Canyon Campground to do the short 3 mile Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail.  The gently climbing trail leads to one of the very few native palm groves in California.

Native CA Palms at end of trail.

 

One last picture - the field of Yellow Flowers!  

We found Anza Borrego to be a true Desert Jewel!  We hope to return someday.

FRIENDS Of GRIFFITH PARK Sponsors HIKE for Kids

We sponsored a hike on Sunday morning with 20 sixth graders from inner-city schools.    It truly was rewarding  to have these kids experience the pleasure of hiking in this precious Park.    It was a 3 hour outing, and we provided lunch and the bus transportation, not to mention the expertise of Gerry on the flora and fauna in the Park.  A few pictures are attached.

I'm proud and pleased of the work we are doing!

A Rainy LA Marathon

It's been raining  all day.  My thoughts go out to the participants in this year's very wet L.A. Marathon, especially to the Students Run L.A. (SRLA)  participants.

When we operated our business, RaceReady, a very rewarding part of our business was outfitting the Students Run L.A.  It is a remarkable program which has been very successful.  The gist of the program is to train kids, mostly under-privileged, to complete the L.A. Marathon.  Some of the SRLA kids would otherwise be prime material for joining the "gangs" and participating in other destructive behavior.

Gerry and I fully support Students Run L.A. and are happy to have been with them through the years. 

At the risk of sounding trite, running a marathon does resemble running your life.   There are uphills, downhills, feelings of pain and joy, companionship and the struggle to achieve a goal.  Crossing the finish line ---- it is an experience I will always cherish.

GET OUT THE VOTE!

Tuesday, March 8th, ELECTION DAY is rapidly approaching!    I know it is an "off year" and not a "major election" to some people.   I believe politics start locally and then move onto a broader scale.   It is important to believe in your local council members, and support the candidates who are intelligent, honest and hard-working.  

Many of our "off year" elections are decided with a very small minority of the voting public casting their ballot.   This is truly a sad state of affairs, which can easily be remedied.  Anyone who has been paying attention to the global news can appreciate how fortunate we are to live in a democratic society.    However, the democratic policy will only exist and thrive if people participate!   

Despite the name of  my blog, Mary's Musings and More, this is no time for MUSING, but a time for ACTION.

I encourage everyone to get out and vote!   Do your homework -- find the candidate who best represents your values and who  will work hard to get things done!  I've done my homework in my home district, County District 4 of Los Angeles, and will be casting my ballot for Stephen Box.    http://stephenbox.com/index.html

We've thus far gone to two of the Candidate Debates.  Stephen Box seems to be the most intelligent, responsible, earnest candidate by far of the three and I truly hope he gets elected as Council Member for CD4.  As a long-time resident of Los Angeles, I am very tired of "the old boys club" which currently runs City Hall.   Fresh blood and honest down-to-earth candidates are what we need.  I believe Stephen Box will work for the citizens of Los Angeles and will make his actions transparent, thus encouraging the public process.  The public process and transparency  seem to have gone by the wayside in recent years.  

Please Vote and encourage others to Vote;  democracy only works if we participate in the process!

Retirement 101

So, what has it been like being retired thus far?   I have been asked this question quite often these past few months.  Actually the answer is "pretty good", but there are obvious quirks to work out.   A major quirk is the O.P.  (Office Pit.)   I tend to be a really obnoxiously organized-type person  and Gerry organizes things.... well, let's say a bit differntly than I do.   Hence in our communal office here, oft times, neither of us can find anything!  We're getting better ( I think) at working out our idiosyncracies.   This too will pass.

Time!     Ah --- So many hours now where I am not at RaceReady.   I truly enjoy playing the piano, which soothes my soul  (it does zilch towards world peace & other worthwhile goals) but I feel better after  my personal piano session, so I hope to continue this pleasure, with no guilt strings (or piano keys)  attached.

Other productive time is being spent on Friends of Griffith Park  our new non-profit organization which is solely focused on Griffith Park.    Taking a daily hike into the Park early evening has also  become  a routine.

Tranquility, Peace,  Friendship,  Service, Love.... 5 messages I intend to spread during my retirement!

Yours in Musings,
Mary



Musing in Kauai, 2006

Musing  on the Central Coast, Sept  2009

Musing in Machu Picchu!  June 2010

Valentine's Day !

Thinking LOVE  - be it person or place or situation..... Place your energies into what matters in your heart.

I am personally grateful for being married to my best friend, and husband, GERRY!     Believe me, he is most certainly my beloved, and  BETTER HALF!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY -   SPREAD LOVE ---- the perfect message.

Dealing....

OK, we have been officially retired for almost 2 months.  Time most certainly does fly.   However I have to come to grips with the letting go of  RaceReady.   I feel like I "sold my baby" and I still get emotional thinking about it.   

Tim, the new owner, is very business-savvy, yet I fear the personal touch appeal of our business will diminish.  We'll see.  

I'm dealingl  Hiking more is great, having time to indulge in reading is fantastic.

Perhaps it is my work ethic which has beeen thorougly ingrained into my pysche, but I  do have problems dealing with "feeling guilty" for taking it easy.   

Plenty of projects on the burner, so I better light the fires.

BEND All Over!

We're back from a long weekend in Mt. Bachelor and Bend OR.   What a nice area!   We cross-country skied both Saturday & Sunday.  It was the first time on X-Country Skis in probably 14 years.

Gerry got the knack very quickly!    I am not nearly as coordinated as Gerry, but I managed to "remember" how to ski, too.    It was great fun, though sore muscles afterward.   We could tell it's been awhile since we've done this activity!

Our highlight meal of the trip was our final night's dinner on Sunday evening at the BlackSmith Restaurant.

http://www.bendblacksmith.com/

I hope we do another cross-country ski adventure in the near future.... I have no intention to let such a long time elapse before the next cold weather active vacation!

Mt Hollywood!

Sunday morning we "go to church" so to speak, which is our trek to Mt Hollywood.   It has been a regular ritual for us, and I do find the experience to be somewhat spiritual.   Usually Gerry & I are accompanied by our friend MaryJane.  More often than not, we'll meet other friends along the way.   Here we are at the summit with some old timers.     We always touch the post, to make our hike official!   It's one of (the many) Mary Button quirks.     What a great way to celebrate the past week and to welcome the week ahead.

Friends Indeed!

Friends!   Now I am retired I hope I'll be able to spend more time with cherished friends.   Chuck & Eileen are amongst the best and two of the nicest people I know.     We've known Chuck since pre-RaceReady days.  In fact, Chuck played a key role in the initial formation of our business...But that is another story which is much too complicated for the blog-o-sphere.
Below is the picture taken of Eileen & Chuck during the 2010 Annual Rattlesnake Run. The location is the Bronson Bat Caves.   Although Eileen & Chuck don't appear prominent in this photo, they are most certainly prominent in real life.    (Old timers may recognize this spot as the garage for the Bat Mobile in the TV Show, BatMan.)    I'm hoping for many happy trails ahead with my friends.

I've spent countless enjoyable hours with my friend MaryJane.  She's a terrific friend, as well as my regular weekly hiking partner.   We've shared so many stories, and have been "there" for each other for years.  We have many fond memories of smiles & miles together.  And, I have no doubt these will continue into the future.  Here we are on a typical Sunday outing in Griffith Park.

FRIENDS.....They certainly DO make my life sweeter!

Bye Bye Glendale Office of RaceReady

We spent all day yesterday helping with the move of RaceReady from Glendale to Torrance..... Very weird to see the business (which we've built up over 18 years) suddenly disappear or transition to a new owner.  I realize it will be a big adjustment for us.   In a way though, I feel we filled the American Dream - combining our passion (running) with our pay check (RaceReady.)  We did have tons of fun and believe me, runners are the best market in the world.   I feel fortunate.  It was  a good thing to be able to walk into the RaceReady office every  day and feeling  what I did was fun, and not the nasty 4 letter word: "work."    It proved to be an enjoyable business being involved in the running community.  We met so many wonderful friends and I don't regret for a minute all the time we spent at RaceReady.    But WOW...I better just end this post before I get too nostalgic.  There is no good whatsoever in crying over my keyboard.  Here's looking to sunny days ahead! 

Easing into my new lifestyle

As many of you know, Gerry & I spent a great deal of time and effort in 2010 trying to sell our business, RaceReady .  http://www.raceready.com/  Mission was accomplished on Dec 31st...talk about taking it down to the wire!    I have mixed emotions, for it will be a definite adjustment.  

We started RaceReady from scratch in 1992.  Sometimes I think of it as my "18 year old baby has finally grown up and flown the coop."  These first few weeks of retirement we are spending much time trying to organize our home "office" and sorting out paperwork.  We haven't battted an eye at most of this stuff in a dozen years!   Yes, we did indeed let our home office deteriorate while we focused on growing RaceReady for 18 years.  

During the final 3 years of RaceReady I did blogging via my "Ask Mary" blog.  I would answer training questions, review some of my personal running experiences and adventures and offer advice and opinions primarily on running related topics.    My hopes are to continue to express my sentiments in  this blog so friends and family who are interested can be aware of what's going on with me, hence the birth of Mary's Musings and more! 

Now, back downstairs for further clean-up.  18 years ago, we started RaceReady from our home with rolls of supplex material in our 2nd bathroom's bathtub.  (Bathtubs actually do provide an adequate storing facility for rolls of fabric, by the way..)  Now we have our printer hooked up temporarily in said bathroom.   It looks like we've come full circle!