So what happens when you have to play “lighting assistant” to your hubby? Well you score another interview for A Study in Pink. I kind of ambushed Stevie Allen when she was getting some location shots done for promotional use. Mike has known her, along with the other assortment of Allen ladies for a while now, and I just met Stevie for the second time this last week. Continue reading “A Study in Pink – Stevie”
**While she is technically still on the path to her profession, I felt her story was worth telling. For some of it is more of a journey to find our place than for others.
“It was my goal in life to be beautiful,” she told me. Well my friend, I couldn’t help but think, you have reached your goal. Ericka Vega is a buddy that I’ve known for a couple of years now, and I wondered what she was up to these days. I messaged her on FaceBook and invited myself over for an interrogation… I mean an interview.
We sat in her backyard and relaxed as we talked. I asked her what work she was doing now and did I get an answer! She started off by telling me about her Mr. Dave. Years ago she started to clean his home a couple of times a month, for some extra income. That all changed when his physical needs changed. When he needed more of a caregiver, Ericka stepped up to the plate. “God is pretty amazing,” she told me. What started off as a cleaning job, had turned into much more for her. Since she grew up without a dad, she feels blessed to have in Mr. Dave in her life as a bit of a father figure. Now, she takes him to appointments at Stanford, and gets him out of the house. She also is getting him involved in another area of her life, weight training. Continue reading “A Study in Pink – Ericka”
So as I was reading John F. Westfall’s new release, I Didn’t Sign Up for This (Finding Hope When Everything is Going Wrong), I kept looking back at the cover to confirm I was reading a book about hope. If you are in the midst of a tough situation, I am not sure this is the book for you. It is not a quick shot of that “instant relief” type of hope for those in the midst of the storm, but more like lessons to be reflected on and tucked away for future use. The author takes both scripture, along with a lifetime of experiences and connects them to their effect on hope. It is not a simple equation where A + B = HOPE, but more like a recipe where all the ingredients combine to make the environment for hope possible.
I once had a dream where I was swinging a baseball bat. The problem? I wasn’t playing baseball. I was swinging away at things (I’m not even sure what?) just smashing objects at will. When I woke up and remembered my dream, I could still recall the anger and frustration I had felt. It was really weird to see myself that frustrated, even if it was in a dream. It was a bit scary to realize that this anger and frustration was buried in my sub conscious. Like I said, the first time I had the dream, I was dealing with teenage boys. I love my children and the men they are becoming, but there was a time that they were struggling badly. Really….it was hard! Continue reading “Of dreams and dementia”
**A Study in Pink is a series of posts introducing the professions of various women in California’s Central Valley. It is being written to showcase the possibilities for the up and coming young women in our small towns.
It was during Christmas time when I first walked through the door. I remember because it was my first time meeting Grace, and she was playing Christmas music. The station was not just normal carols either, as I can distinctly remember listening to Frank Sinatra belting out a tune.
Blue Door Massage and Spa is the brainchild of Grace Parreira and Ayla Tidwell. These two friends and certified massage therapists had a dream, but interestingly enough, it did not start with massage. Their stories are somewhat similar, as they both were using massage as a way to pay for college. At this point I was a little surprised, but I then started to appreciate their thinking. The thought was to be trained at a technical school, so then they would be able to work and earn degrees without going into debt. Continue reading “A Study in Pink…..Grace and Ayla”
When I was thinking about who I wanted to ask to be a part of this “study”, I was trying to think of people who have conventional professions, and then some that are doing things that seem outside of the box.
I met Connie Wenzel a little over a year ago in a bible study group, and I liked her immediately. She is funny, a little sarcastic and has such a compassionate heart. While she is retired, she has now moved into a new season of life as an author and artist. I was also slightly jealous, as when I first met her, she was just finishing up writing and illustrating her first book, “Is This My Home Now? Featuring Addy”.
Is that really how we look at people, all good, or all bad? It seems that a lot of times we do. I think we can look into our own lives, and know that’s not that way it really is. Am I good, Am I bad, or maybe a bit of both? Continue reading “Good, Bad or both?”
Well we have been having some fun around our house, taking portraits of some of our favorite people. But what happens when the weekend plans are postponed? You head to Yosemite!
When Mike (my hubby and in-house photographer) went to bed last night, he wasn’t sure if he was going. When morning came (if 2:30 can really be considered morning?) he was off to get that sunrise shot at Glacier Point. (which didn’t happen because of the haze) While he typically flies solo on this type of trip, (really 2:30 in the AM?) this morning he woke me up to enjoy the adventure! I knew I was in trouble when he told me to NOT look at the clock!
Once there was a woman, and she had gotten her feelings hurt. Nothing too bad, but the unkindness hit her especially hard at that time. Maybe she was feeling a little vulnerable. Anyway, the more she tried to analyze the situation, (sound like anyone you know?) she decided that the only thing she could really do was pray for them. She did that, not because she was so smart, but because the hurt was taking over her mind. She knew the person was probably tired, and under some stress. She also knew that the reaction she had received was not normal for them. It was then that she thought, better me than someone else who maybe wouldn’t be able to let go of the hurt. Continue reading “What’s the moral?”
Cheryl Mendoza 