On October 25 this year, I had the pleasure of meeting a local legend, Billy G. Woodruff, a singer for past Doo-Wop era musical groups, The Delfonics, The Platters, and The Drifters.  

It was at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara, I had just finished an appointment when the nurse suggested I head down to the Wellness Clinic going on in the main square of the building.  As I walked through the double doors, a speaker was introducing  this singer, but I really didn’t catch his name, only the part about him being a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.  He came to the stage, asked everyone to clap along and started to belt out “Under the Boardwalk”. The crowd roared.  Then he launched into “Rockin’ Robin”  The crowd were on their feet, cheering.  This man got this crowd rocking!   So I had to meet him and person, and hopefully get his autograph, I did both and got a picture to prove it!  

I found out that he does a gig at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown San Jose with a band called Shark Sandwich. This was in my e-mail this morning:

“Friday, Dec 12, is the last performance for 2008 with Shark Sandwich and guest Billy G. Woodruff at the Fairmont. Maybe you can postpone your Xmas shopping for the next day and come out Friday night?”  

There is no time listed, and I found out the Hotel doesn’t give out details, and that this band plays in the Lobby. But you can call for information  408/279-5558.  So if you are in Downtown San Jose Friday Dec. 12th, after dark, drop by the Hotel and check it out, you’ll have a great time!

A Healthy Day

In a store the other day, a nice man asked me about my medical bracelet. He wondered why some people wore them.  When I told him, he quickly understood, and told me about his Grandmother who had her legs amputated due to her Diabetes condition. 

I’ll bet that you know someone affected with Diabetes. If you don’t, well here I am, you know me. I have Type 1 Diabetes,  I was diagnosed in 2004 at the age of 36.   I fought some kind of weird illness in 2003, later the doctors told me it was a virus, that ultimately shut down my pancreas.  Apparently I had the inactive gene all my life, and this funky virus activated it. So there you go, long and troubled story short, I am Diabetic now, and will be forever.  I have made the best of it, and in the long run it has taught me to live healthy, happier and be more aware of life around me. 

Tomorrow, Nov. 14, is World Diabetes Day.  It is a day to reflect and understand what this disease is all about.  To help the person you know, or even don’t know, feel that they are not alone,  just don’t offer us a sugar laden dessert or beverage.   Awareness, understanding and a little knowledge is all that we can ask.  In honor of the day, the simplest thing you can do is wear your favorite Blue shirt.  

    To commemorate American Diabetes Month, cities around the world will light buildings blue on November 14, 2008 for World Diabetes Day. This year’s festivities to light San Jose City Hall blue was spearheaded by the American Diabetes Association in collaboration with Healthy Silicon Valley, and Youth Health Advocates of Gilroy.

Join Us for World Diabetes Day at City Hall in downtown San Jose!  On Friday, November 14, the world will light up the skyline with blue light for diabetes awareness in honor of World Diabetes Day!    

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases to affect children. Every day more than 200 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  Many children in developing countries die shortly after being diagnosed with diabetes simply because they either do not have access or cannot afford insulin, the life saving drug discovered over 87 years ago.  A child’s access to appropriate medication and care should be a right not a privilege.

Join the 100 Youth Health Advocates and local dignitaries for a proclamation, presentations and for the lighting of the City Hall Rotunda in blue at dusk.  Here are the details:

San Jose City Hall

200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95113

Friday, November 14, 2008

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, including 500,000 in the Bay Area. Moreover, diabetes can cause severe complications that lead to kidney failure, blindness, amputations, and heart disease. In contrast to declining death rates due to heart disease, stroke, or cancer, the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45% since 1987. 

Along with San Francisco City Hall and San Jose City Hall, 740 buildings will be lit in blue globally, including the London Eye, the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Empire State Building in New York, the Tokyo Tower in Japan, the CN Tower in Toronto, Niagara Falls, the Sydney Opera House, the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. 

For more information about World Diabetes Day please contact Richard Alejandro, Executive Director, San Jose, American Diabetes Association.  In addition, if you would like to find out more information about American Diabetes Month, please call 1-888-DIABETES (1-888-342-2383) Information is available in English and Spanish.

American Diabetes Association – There is no cure, only help. Thank you.

2008:

This time of year always comes up quick and equally goes by just as quick.  Halloween is tomorrow, whoa, where did that come from?  I could have sworn there was at least another week. So today I scrambled around finishing up costumes and getting appetizers for a kiddie party we are attending tonight. Yikes.  But I will admit it’s fun, and I love it!

When I was working in the Corporate atmosphere, if Halloween fell on a weekday, I would head down to the local Cemetery on my lunch hour.  There I would walk around in hopes something would pop up and scare me.  Nothing or no one ever did.  I always asked my co-workers to join me, and they said I was looney, “Eh, it’s all in the Spirit of the season” I said.  I don’t do that anymore, that would mean having to bring my own little goblins with me, and chasing them around tombstones would probably make the Dead laugh at me, not try and scare me. But as soon as I deem my kids old enough, I plan to hand this tradition down.

I just discovered today that a lot of newbie parents are still unaware of places you can take your kids besides the proverbial street Trick or Treating. Which is cool, unless the weather gets grisly.  So here are a few local haunts that are hopping with family fun.

Westgate Mall: Halloween Trick-or-Treat event –5:pm to 7:pm Westgate Mall’s annual Trick or Treat event located in Center Court, in front of Ross. Join us for trick-or-treating, live entertainment, balloon characters, arts & crafts and more! Plus, all children receive a FREE Westgate Mall trick-or-treat bag.

Westfield Valley Fair: Dress up in your favorite costume and join Westfield Valley Fair for a safe evening of Halloween fun. Trick-or-treating will be from 5:00pm to 6:00pm at participating retailers and the Westfield Concierge.

Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California:  Games and prizes, tricks and treats, arts and crafts and goodies to eat! On October 31 there is only one place to be: the Halloween Carnival at JCCCNC!  6:00 – 8:30pm

Children’s Discovery Museum:  Come in your favorite costume and be a Fanciful Wonderland Visitor. Don’t forget your camera . . . there are many wonderful photo opportunities in Alice’s Wonderland.  10am to 5:pm

I want to mention also that many Community Churches are holding events though out San Jose, but I don’t have those actual website to list. I apologize!  I’ll be happy to add them if you let me know!  Otherwise, just give your local Church a call and ask if they have anything brewing for the kiddies!

So go out there and have some fun! And be safe, for All Hallows sake!

Many years ago when I was in England for business and some fun touring, I was introduced to Boots cosmetics, after forgetting to bring my moisturizer.  This product is a must have in England, the weather over there is not very forgiving on a persons skin.  So I was directed to the “Chemist” down the street from my Inn.  Chemist? Skeptical, I headed over not knowing what to expect, my mind raced with visions of  mini chemical bottles and weird potions.  I was pleasantly surprised “the Chemist” is the same as our Pharmacies, and the the aisles are lined with makeup, skin-care and the usual OTC healthcare remedies.  I was directed to the moisturizers by a friendly gal who gave me a thorough look, and handed me a No. 7 product, perfect for protecting my skin in the cooler climate. 

Since then, I’ve had  my mother-in-law from No. Ireland either send me the products, or bring it over on visits.  I found this wonderful skin-care line, and I wasn’t giving it up.  So, when Target added a Boots aisle to their cosmetics I was overjoyed!  Now when I shop at Target, I head to Boots if not to buy, just to browse the products. 

So, today, Nancy asked if I wanted a make-over, and since I had time, I took this offer and we started chatting.  Turns out, she and the other Boots Beauty Advisor Jenna are hosting a Complimentary Make-over in the Boots aisle this Saturday, Oct. 25th,  12:Noon to 5:PM

For those of you in Cupertino, Nancy and her co-Beauty Advisor Carol are hosting a Complimentary Make-over Friday evening Oct. 24th, 4:PM to 7:PM in the Target store at 20745 Stevens Creek Blvd.

All this is all in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month,  a subject close to Jenna’s heart, her mother being a survivor.  And this big bonus, 10% of the proceeds of the  sold Boots No7 Mascara will go to the Susan G. Koman Fund.  They hope to see you!

The Boots Aisle at Target!

P.S. Nancy told me, if you don’t want a make-over, she’s happy to give you a hand/arm massage, what a treat!!!

This is sad indeed, Mervyns has been a huge staple in my shopping history.  I grew up in San Mateo, and going to the Mervyns inside Hillsdale Mall was the place to go.  Mervyns and Sears were the biggies to Middle Class shoppers, and rightly so, they have everything. With good quality clothes,  tools and home appliances, all at reasonable prices, it was hard to shop anywhere else.  All my holiday, birthday and occasional gifts for women came from Mervyns, then going to Sears for the men in my life, it made sense. It still does,  but thats my style.  Imagine, when I moved here to San Jose, how excited I was to see a Mervyns only 1 mile from my home. Waking distance! 

We all know that some of the Mervyns stores in the East Bay are having liquidation sales, but I also heard a rumor that my beloved store at 950 W Hamilton Ave, Campbell, CA 95008 will be shutting it doors sooner than anticipated. At one time I heard it was due to shut down in January 2009.  Personally I don’t know which is true, now, or 2009, I can’t find anything confirming the date, and I was unable to talk with a  manager this weekend.  Shoot.  I’ll keep you up to date, I’ll be shopping there until they bolt the door for good.   Currently, they are having a Store Wide sale, 40%, 50% and 60% off most merchandise in every department.  With the American Economy in trouble and people having to tighten their Holiday budgets,  now is the time for a bargain. Go on over, and have a look, I’m very sure you will find something for everyone.

When my sister in law was visiting from  Northern Ireland in September, we were out and about with the kids, just chilling and having a good time.  I had gathered a wee bit of old bread, and made a plan to take us over to Central Park to feed the ducks and geese.  It seemed like a nice place for photo ops and just some bonding time between my SIL and her nieces. 

So we get there just after lunch, it was a fabulously sunny and warm, and walk around the path towards the duck ponds.  My children were all excited about the ducks, and eagerly reached into my backpack to get the bread.  Not thinking hard about it,  I broke up the bread and tossed some crumbs into the water for the few ducks that had gathered at waters edge.  Well, one duck leads to another, then the geese and pigeons get involved, and  soon we had hundreds of webbed toed friends squawking at us for the morsels. My children squealed and jumped around with delight.  Well, so did my SIL and I, its amazing watching two little kids have that kind of fun.

I guess our commotion attracted a City worker, which brought him over in a huff. “Please don’t feed the animals”  he said.   I replied, half joking, half smart-ass “Technically they aren’t animals, they are waterfowl” He raced back to his truck and continued his work.

We turned back to the birds, and by this point the bread was nearly gone, maybe a few handfuls, and we were taking family type pictures.  While the girls were still laughing wildly, the City worker came back with an awful stance, and basically told us, we were disturbing the peace.  Now, mind you, there were only maybe 5 or 6 other people in the area of the park we were in.  He was probably  pretty mad at my remark, I thought. 

Just as we were finishing up, and talking about going to the playground, a Police Patrolman strode up behind us to demand stopping our activity.  He stood a few inches from my face, reprimanding me for our behavior, ignoring the posted signs and ignoring the City worker.  He wasn’t civil about it, nor did he back down when I took my sunglasses off (out of respect), and agreed I understood what he was saying.  He offered up a couple of reasons as to why we should stop. He said something about recent animal poisoning, the mess the birds make, and something about the ordinance.  But he got so intimidating that his words became fuzzy, and I just wanted to get my family out of there.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been a smart-ass to the City worker, my bad I know.  But why should they reject ten minutes of pure pleasure for two little kids?  Why did that City worker have to call the police?  Why did that Policeman have to be so bad-ass to WOMEN AND CHILDREN feeding the ducks?  Now when my oldest sees any policeman she asks

You can take a photo, but don't feed!

if he’s going to yell at us too.  So, in the end we were banned from that part of the park.  We could go to the playground as long as all food had been tossed away.  No, we left the park, I don’t think we’ll go back. If I see that City worker face to face, I might throw some bread at him.

Uesugi Farms, Morgan Hill, CA

So, Sunday morning, my husband and I are going over what to do with our day. On any given Sunday our plan is to take the children and dog to a local walking trail and get some sunshine and exercise. But on the 5th of October, he wanted to do something new and different. While looking up stuff on the web, I looked over my shoulder at my husband, who had both children climbing on him like a mountain, and it reminded me and the huge pyramid of pumpkins at Uesugi Farms.

Poor Claire had to stay home, the farm doesn’t allow pets. She looked so forlorn. We filled her bowl with fresh water, gave her a hug and a Greenie, and told her to be good. She normally is, Good girl dog.

So, I quickly assembled a lunch for us (note: they ask that people not bring in their own food, but won’t kick you out if you open up a lunch box. The food is pretty expensive there, liken to a baseball stadium).. packed up the kids, and headed out to Morgan Hill around 10:am. I had taken my kids there last year in October, and was surprised my oldest remembered. She kept saying “chugga, chugga chugga! Choo-Choo!!” definitely her favorite part is the train, and then talked incessantly about the “great huge” Pumpkin pyramid. I was thrilled that she was excited. My husband was happy too, he rarely gets to be a part of this kind of outing. I stay at home, so, I’m the one out and about with the girls. It a was great start to this plan.

When we arrived I was pleased to see the parking lot fairly empty, knowing that the place can get very busy with families and different groups. I don’t know if it was because it was early in the season, or just early in the day, but we got close to the entrance which minimized walking distance and a chance of excited bolting from the kids. I haven’t decided if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, that the first thing you are greeted with is public toilet stalls. My daughter and I did have to use one almost immediately after the drive, but it’s not really a pretty site. But that’s just a small thing, I suppose they had to put those stalls somewhere, once you are inside, you basically forget about them, well, until you need it again..

Inside you are met with friendly faces of workers, everyone is so happy you are there. Pumpkin movers in bright orange shirts, and guides who are willing to tell you anything you could need to know. And then there’s the Mariachi Band touring around the farm. I loved that band, they actually played, “A few of my Favorite Things” Mariachi style, that was very cool indeed! There is a Pumpkin Lady walking around greeting the people. She’s OK, a tad bit scary, my kids were taken back a little, and I was too at first. But she is G rated, and won’t walk up to children if they seem afraid (one little chap cried and ran the opposite direction, I didn’t know who to feel more sorry for). There is a great amount of things to see and do, the Giant Pumpkin stands out completely, and then there are the corn rows and mazes, a genuine haunted barn, and two trains to enjoy. There is a field of pumpkins and flowers to walk around, and take some fabulous pictures among. The scenery is gorgeous, and it’s great to see all the smiles and happy children running and looking at the different pumpkins.

Of course you can choose your own pumpkin to buy, there are numerous sizes to choose from, from the hand held variety, to the kind you need a wheelbarrow (which are readily available and free for your use). We ended up with 4 total, two the kids were able to hoist into the wheelbarrow themselves and two handpicked by my husband and I.

So, we were out of there by 1:pm, and ready to go. The kids were cheery by exhausted, my husband and I were glad we made a day out of this farm. It’s a really nice place for families, I totally recommend it!

I am your average 40-something woman, living in West San Jose,  married, two small kids and dog.  We like our world, it flows with the tide of life, with a whole lot of interesting things to see and do.

Can you see us?

Joann asked if I would write about my observations, that is, with two kids and a dog in tow. Which I am happy to oblige. I’ll do my best to bring a little of my life into yours!

See you around, 

mrskarenf