Santa Rosa, CA. ~     I understand this cliche, but it can be confusing at times. The theme of ‘less is more’ came up in a recent conversation. ‘How is less more?’ I said. It’s a bit confusing. If I have less, I have less, not more. Even metaphorically speaking it is hard to grasp...but just kidding, I do understand its meaning more than I....More here

Upbeat July 4th ~ Happy 240th Birthday, America!
By Ellie Schmidt

It’s a new, complicated world, obviously.  When a wave of nostalgia about NYC hits--where I relished the first three decades of my life--I feel a distinct upbeat ripple of amusement, right up my spine, realizing that unless I am “just chillin’” with other “golden oldies,” or, with my curious young family members who “want to know what it was like way back when,” the NYC I recall has not existed for a very long time.  Seeing photos from their recent trips, I can no longer identify the radically different skyline or even recognize the huge variety of neighborhoods that I felt so proprietary about long ago....Read more by clicking picture

Santa Rosa, CA. ~ It’s great to see all sorts of media starting to add a bit more of a positive flair to their outlets. My wife says to me the other day that she heard a local radio station requesting to have the public send their good news to them so they could announce it. They still have to report daily news, good or bad. It is often the type of information we really all don’t need to hear, but it is aired non-the-less. Before the Upbeat Times was first published in 1998, most media‘s main focus was who did.....More Here!

Santa Rosa, CA. ~ Even though Mother’s Day publicly is shown to be celebrated one day a year, I am calling every day Mother’s Day.

    Every day, mom’s are busy with one thing or another, with kids, family and life in general. They have mothers and their mothers had mothers and their children one day to will be mothers, if they are girls of course. Even for those women who do not even have their own biological children, kids sometimes adopt theses suragate moms as a mom they never had.   There is always a need to be nurtured...no matter what

Santa Rosa, CA. ~ There is something about the first warm days that arrive in March & April. The smell of the grass, wind and rain. The first rogue tomatoes that pop up in the garden...Even the blossoms on the peach trees, cherry & apple. It is amazing.  I feel fortunate to work out of a home office most of the time. At times, it is hard for me because I get distracted with everyday life happenings. I want to do everything simultaneously. For example, preparing dinner, playing with the animals or when…

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Santa Rosa, CA. ~  Old Father Time again gets the boot by a frisky toddler wearing only a banner—imprinted: 2016!  “Out with the old, in with the new.” --Sometimes an early clean sweep is most desirable.

   Here, Ren and his trusty plumber Doug, of RTB Property Management, came to our rescue on Black Friday at the unheard of hour of 6:30 pm to rescue us from a kitc

Santa Rosa, CA. ~ It’s that time of year again to take some time off and enjoy the great outdoors for some much needed R & R. I looked back over some older photos and was trying to think, ‘What reminds me of Summer?’

   Cherries do! I remember picking cherries for hours in 100 degree weather out in Sebastopol, Califonia. My end goal was to sell them. I wanted to be like my parents and run my own business. I had told my mom about what I wanted to do and she told me to get the card table and then to make a sign that…..Read the Full story Here. Paper available July 1st!