As we all know, the fire in Big Sur-Basin Complex Fire-has taken a toll on the residents.  Many of whom have not been able to return to work and some finding that they have lost their home.  I would like to share a column from the Monterey Herald with you on how the surrounding communities are trying to help those residents and the Big Sur community.  Here it is:

http://origin1.montereyherald.com/business/ci_9885234?nclick_check=1

If you can help in any way, please do so.  You can also give here: http://www.surfire2008.org/

and here:

http://www.bigsurfirerelief.org/

In closing a BIG thanks to the firefighters who courageously battled this wildfire in one of the world’s most beautiful areas.  Here is a link to the Monterey Herald if you would like to view some pictures of the firefighters heroic efforts:

http://extras.montereyherald.com/slideshows/Basin_Fire_0711/index.html

 One of my favorite things to do all year long here on the central coast-since weather permits most of the time-is to go on a bike ride (especially now with gas prices so high!).  There is nothing like taking in the Monterey Bay whilst riding a bicycle.  The sights and smells and friendly waves of hello by tourists and locals alike is priceless.  One of my favorite rides is through the Carmel Valley.  The quiet beauty of the valley, the hills and curves and straight aways of the long journey through one end of the valley to the other is quite an accomplishment.  You can certainly do it on your own, but there is also a bike touring company that I hear is fantastic.  Check it out:  http://www.udctours.com/bike-tours/california/carmel-valley-monterey-coast/introduction.html   Their next Carmel Valley tour is not until October, but well worth planning for.  BTW, if anyone has a favorite bike tour or route, please feel free to contact me.  Or if there is a favorite local bicycle store that you like to purchase or rent from, please pass that along as well.  Send your suggestions to : belindalouwho at lettuceland dot com. The Monterey Bay is absolutely gorgeous this time of year.  So, get out there and do some exploring!

So, here is me with my usual mismatched Goldtoe socks. Really, do you have to have the same color if they are both Goldtoes? I don’t think so! Plus, they feel the exact same way when you slip them on, so I stop thinking that they are mismatched almost the second I slip the second one on. :)

……went to Pacific Grove a couple of weekends ago to attend the Good Old Days Celebration. That was definitely worth the drive, as there were many attractions for the kids and lots and lots of food. I have never seen as many food booths at such an event, I think there was as many here at this small community event as there is at the Monterey County Fair! Pics will be forthcoming……

Wow!  Incredible what potentially is in our baby products nowadays.  Take a look at this article and digest-slowly-the fact that elevated chemicals called phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) were found in the urine of babies who were recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned.  These chemicals have been linked to possible reproductive problems.  Ouch!  Not good. Our youngest is nine, and I know we used the “usual” baby shampoos and lotions on him when he was an infant.  Same for his brother and sister.  Maybe yes or maybe no that these chemicals were in the shampoos and lotions we purchased, but just knowing that this chemical may be in products on the store shelves right now-in the baby section!-is infuriating.  As expectant mothers, we try to do the right things  such as eating right, taking our vitamins, not smoking, exercising and so on.  Then when our babies are born, we again strive to do the right things, such as breastfeeding, getting the safest car seat possible, buying organic, etc., etc.  Little do we know that the  baby formulated shampoos, lotions and powders commonly sold and used on our little ones may be harmful in the long run.  (Please note:  this study did not offer any direct evidence that there was phthalates in the products that the babies used; still, it is a cause for concern because the chemical was found in their urine-though even that might not cause any harm to the babies.  Go figure).   That’s why I am so glad we have choices.  So many glorious choices!

I am proud of one such choice that I discovered a couple of years ago from a co-worker of mine, which just so happens to have been created right here on Monterey Bay’s central coast, formulated by a local gal named Laura Arsenault.  She came up with (after more than two years of testing!) a shampoo line called Touch of an Angel-aptly named, because it is free of  what most “baby” shampoos contain: dyes, perfumes, Sodium Laureth Sulfate and, of course, Touch of an Angel has no Phthalates!  Yeaaaa!  Laura’s story truly is inspiring, as so many of us give up or just settle for less.  But not Laura!   You see, Laura has been a hairdresser for many years-and was even a make-up artist for the San Francisco 49′ers Cheerleaders years ago.  She decided to formulate her own shampoo after suffering with ezcema for years working in the beauty industry and not having any luck in finding a shampoo free of what was causing her ezcema!  In doing so, she has not only helped herself, but many babies and ordinary folks who may suffer from eczema or dry skin.  I know, because ButterCup has had cradle cap on-and-off since he was born.  Of course, we tried everything and anything, but Touch of an Angel was the ONLY shampoo that not only rid him of cradle cap, but gave him soft hair!  The soft hair we consider a bonus, because before using Laura’s shampoo, he had what we called “horse hair”-very tough and straight.  So, thanks Laura!  Your shampoo is THE BEST!  And thanks to the folks who did the study and enlightened a lot of us parents to at least READ the ingredients of what it is we are putting on our kids.  It is so appreciated!

Our youngest son, ButterCup, was born with Down Syndrome and a congenital heart defect. The doctors told us he would-in the immediate near future-need heart surgery to correct the hole in his heart. They told us of his heart condition and the fact that he had Down Syndrome a day and a half after he was born. HoneyDew and I were naturally devasted. What did we know of Down Syndrome? Nothing. Heart defect? Even little. We only knew that our beautiful son was here, and that our lives would no longer be the same.  What we didn’t know was that it would be different for the better. A thousand times better.

ButterCup successfully underwent heart surgery at UCSF Medical Center at less than four months old. We are told from his pediatric cardiologist that it is one of the best repairs he has ever seen and that ButterCup will most likely never need surgery again. That is truly the best news we could have ever hoped for.

ButterCup is now nine years old and thriving in ways that we could only have dreamed of when we first learned the news of his condition. He is in fourth grade now and doing very well (we started physical and educational therapy for him almost immediately after he recovered from heart surgery). He is an amazing little boy who loves his daddy like no other (though I’d like to point out that he comes to me when hungry-I guess that means he loves my cooking, huh?). The nurses told us our best asset for our little ButterCup would be his older brother (older by only ten months and twenty days!  Credit should go to hubby, thank you very much).  They said that ButterCup would want to do everything that SugarPlum does. That has been so true. They are the best of buds. RosePetal also is ButterCup’s biggest cheerleader and best big “sissy” (as he calls her). Having ButterCup in our lives has been a blessing. And that is an understatement. I cannot describe with words alone what he has added to our lives.

That is why I just about lost it when I read this tragic news piece.

How someone can do this to anyone, much less those who are our most defenseless (and precious) human beings, is absolutely incomprehensible-and unforgiveable. Please let us express our outrage as citizens of this world against acts such as these-lest it happens again.  Those women did not deserve to leave our earth with such cruelty and indifference.  I can only imagine the grief that their family and MANY friends are going through.  They loved more deeply and laughed more heartily than the cowards who did this to them ever will. I know. Our ButterCup lives life to the full every day-and showers us with love on the most darkest of days. That is what we are here for. To love and be loved.  Simple.  Uncomplicated.  ButterCup reminds us of that each day.  Yet, we forget this reminder constantly in our busy and complicated days that seem to role into one another.  Until a story like this makes us (or at least, I hope it does) appreciate what we have.  And reminds us that we need to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Tonight, I will be giving ButterCup more kisses and hugs than he gives me-and that’s quite a lot.

You know, I have been thinking that our family has to eat better than the food (mostly processed) that we’ve been eating these many years. Being busy with a career and three kids who need to be chauffered to three different places doesn’t help when you are finally home to fix a meal. Usually, the planning is quick, simple and easy-and not as nutritious as one would like to give to their family. Well, no more. HoneyDew and I have decided to feed our family more organic greens and more organic meats, no matter what the cost. We will simply have to cut out the non-essentials (goodbye Starbucks!) and make a budget for “real” essentials, literally. We consider ourselves very lucky that we live here on the central coast of Monterey, where there is many choices to consider in our new healthy-eating endeavors. Wish us luck!

It’s that time of year again………time to sign the kids up for baseball.  They are so excited!  Last year, SugarPlum was put on a farm team, this year, he hopes to be put on a “regular” team, which I am sure he will be, since he played very well last season.  ButterCup is happy to be on any team, he loves baseball so much!  We have both ButterCup and SugarPlum’s trophy’s and team pics from last season on our sofa table and he (ButterCup) is so proud of his trophy with his name on it (this was his first season playing).  RosePetal will again be trying out for her high school softball team, and we hope she gets a spot like she did last year.  She did terrific, so we are thinking she is a “shoe-in”, but you just never know. 

 The kids are excited to begin playing, but I don’t think anyone is more pumped up than HoneyDew.  Last year, he helped coach ButterCups’ team and was frequently in the field with SugarPlums’ team, assisting the coach there as well when he could.  He’s a big kid at heart, and we love him for it!

But, you know, I will have the most fun of all:  I get to run around taking and picking up kids from practice, man the snackshop once or twice a month and wash a lot of dirty uniforms.  Can’t wait!  Seriously, it was so much fun last season.  It’s just great fun when you are finally taking your seat in the bleachers and get to yell your head off along with all the other mommies!  Plus, our weather hear in the Monterey Bay is usually either brisk or sunny-not bad either way.  Batter Up! 

This weekend, the boys and I took in the sights and tastes of San Juan Bautista, a quaint and historic city near Hollister, CA. It is not far from our home, so we decided that we would go out there for lunch. JJ’s Homemade Burgers was our choice, as we LOVE their cheeseburgers and hadn’t been there for a while.

Afterwards, we went to the Old Mission San Juan Bautista and explored the grounds and store. There were many people on Sunday, and it was nice to see the different folks who come down to tour this beautiful mission, which is owned and run by the Catholic Church since 1812. We also took in sites from the State Historic Park, which includes several structures built in the 1800’s, including a stable, blacksmith shop, jail and Plaza Hotel. Very interesting to two little boys who love the old west. ButterCup especially loved to look at the old-time carriages in the stable-it was hard to get him out of there! The Mission gift shop had many items which were great, such as candles and jewelry. We picked up some postcards there before we left.

After the Mission visit, we took a stroll through downtown and went into many antique shops (which wasn’t easy with two boys!). SugarPlum loves antiques, especially old radios. He has about half a dozen at home which he keeps in good shape. Always a favorite stop in this beautiful town is Margot’s Ice Cream Parlor. Yummy! I also love to stop in at The Glass Connection to look at the wonderful selection of stained glass. The boys like to go next door to Charmed, a bead store which has a huge selection of all-things beads. SugarPlum has made a few bracelets and necklaces for me from the beads he’s gotten from here.

We walked over every inch-it seemed!-of San Juan Bautista and learned so much of the missions and way-of-life of the 1800’s. It was great to expose the boys to the culture of the those times. We loved taking a stroll at our leisure-no rushing for once!-and are looking forward to visiting the Carmel Mission next.

If you are interested in the many businesses of San Juan Bautista, please visit the SJB Chamber of Commerce. You won’t be disappointed by your visit!