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I realize "health & wellness" is pretty low on the list of topics people like to read about, so I'll try to keep this short ( Read more... )

I may have moved away from Covina over 40 years ago, but there are still many reminders of my life growing up there on display around my house. Most prominent are these two wooden signs, both more than 70 years old now.


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For five years beginning in 1999, I owned and operated an online retail store that sold fine plush animals. I had the idea for the business years before, but searching high and low, I had never been able to find any kind of suitable (or affordable) commercial space locally in which to house an inventory ( Read more... )

I guess I missed my 40th anniversary of moving away from L.A. For some reason, I thought it was in April, but it turns out I left home for new horizons on March 18, 1983. And irony of ironies, where was I on March 18, 2023? In L.A.! For eye appointments, and for general R&R. As before, I stayed with my lifelong friend, Richard, who I grew up with ( Read more... )

It's sad to see a thing of beauty destroyed, especially when it's the house where you grew up. Designed by my father, our custom home in the Covina Hills was a source of pride for our family for 32 years, and to me - an adopted child - it was my ultimate sanctuary, my best of all possible worlds ( Read more... )

In just under a month's time, I've seen two places central to my life story be destroyed: the house I grew up in in Covina - which was my family's home for 32 years - has been gutted and altered beyond recognition, and the commercial building in Eureka where I started my retail business in 1999 razed completely to the ground ( Read more... )

When I finally struck out on my own at age 28, I wanted to make my living working with seniors, so I took a class to become certified as a home health aide ( Read more... )

The young lady who was singly responsible for my meeting and adopting Shadow in 2009 also just happens to be a very talented artist, so it seemed fitting that I commission her to paint a portrait of my late canine companion. I was truly delighted to see the result! So thank you so much, Allison Curtis: both for Shadow, and for realizing this ( Read more... )

I just found out that one of the more important people in my life's timeline passed away on September 18th. Back in 1999, I had searched everywhere locally for someplace to base my new online retail store, but vacant commercial rentals in this area were very hard to find, and none that were available were what you would call 'affordable ( Read more... )