ZEST FOR LIFE

What do you get when you mix equal parts "thirst for knowledge" and "quest for living?"

ZEST FOR LIFE!

That just about sums up how I experience every breathing moment. It's out there for the taking and I'm on the Journey.

So.....after many years in my beloved Maine, I've made the decision to journey on. Life is calling. It's unclear as to what or where, I just know the time in now for me to venture forward.

First I must sell my condo on The Back Cove. It has been my home for three years. Life on the bay has been healing, thoughtful and full of

splendorIt's time to turn it over and let another share this magical place. You can take a virtual tour by clicking on the following link.

http://bit.ly/1RickerPark34. Maybe you know someone yearning for rooms with a view of the sea.

As Jimmy Buffett says, "Changes in latitude, changes in attitude." I'm looking forward.

STANDING OVATION FOR "ENCORE"

For eighteen years Rita has been holding court in ENCORE, a vintage clothing emporium with a world-wide following. Touted as the best vintage store in New England by BOSTON MAGAZINE, featured in TRAVEL and LEISURE, ENCORE is located at 521Congress Street in Portland, Maine.

The retail location is open Tuesday thru Saturday, 11-5. Inhabiting the old Peterson's Jewelry Store where Portland society once selected diamond engagement rings and fine china patterns, ENCORE now fills the rolling glass enclosed cases with signature costume jewelry, hats, shoes, handbags and boots. You name it, you can find it. Racks of clothes run center aisle,from store front to the very rear. It's all chocked in.: Hermes, Gucci, Tiffany, Oscar de la Renta, Mulberry, Prada. Couture from past and present.

On any given day the patrons present a cross section of society; some local, some from away. A matron commissioning vintage Lily, a college student seeking 1960's Audrey Hepburn, a film crew securing props, a family visiting Portland and reveling in the abundance of "everything" to touch and see.

Rita has much more than meets the eye. Usually once a year she has an "overstock" sale. The upstairs is opened for Saturday AM only. Serious selection and treasures await the "hunter at heart."

For a true Portland experience, add an ENCORE stop to your itinerary To meet Rita, make it a Friday or Saturday.

WHITE WOMAN WALKING II....LA

Just off the hum and heat of Sunset Boulevard and Sycamore Avenue, step into the serenity of Mickey Hagarity's Plant Store. Maybe step isn't the best description. It's more like fuse with the lush greenery that inhabits this cityscape corner. There is no door. A path invites . Meandering about, one is completely encompassed in an oasis of Southern California vegetation. The rippling sounds of water from in-ground pools and table top fountains drown out any honking from the raceway called Sunset Boulevard. Sunlight filters through the tree tops. Like stage lights, it shines upon container trees and terrace plants reaching for the sky. All will be nourished....including the visitor seeking the perfect plant.

Since visiting this establishment some seven years ago, it has called me back, again and again. Within walking distance of my LA home base, it is a favorite destination. Not always searching for plants or pots, it's the solitude and spirit found within that calls.


One is left to browse as the hushed voice of the sole proprietor, Mickey junior, drifts from the office which seems more like a tree house from The Castaways. Where do the trees end and walls begin? There is no clear definition which, I believe, is exactly how it was designed.

Ribbons of sunlight streaming

Palm fronds sway

Rippling water

Rock

SERENITY

WHITE WOMAN WALKING..LA

In Los Angeles, the body beautiful, exercise capitol of the country, walking is not the norm. People drive everywhere. Half a block to battle for a parking space so they can attend stretching class at the gym. I've never quite understood this as the terrain is predictably flat, unless hiking in a canyon, the sun almost always shines and humidity is almost nonexistent. Being a walker, I find these conditions irresistible and have taken to the quiet, lonely sidewalks of Hollywood where I can combine exercise with exploration.(Sounds like something out of Indiana Jones!)

Just a block north off the Hollywood Walk of Stars, where throngs of tourists mingle with Michael , Marilyn. Spiderman and CP3O, you will find The Magic Castle, a hotel catering to clients with magic tendencies! Unless your name is Harry, skip the castle and take the steep climb up the hill to the Thursday evening farmers market located in the lower Yamashiro restaurant parking lot. Here tantalizing tastes await you as approximately ten artisan vendors present their goods overlooking the vast LA spread. Indulge in a light supper of freshly prepared tacos filled with a choice of blackened cod, duck confitt, or free range chicken. Four freshly made sauces are for the helping....including all the guacamole you can eat! Crepes are another option with both entree or dessert fillings available. A perfect example of "less is more." Anchoring the ends are a wine bar featuring very affordable wines and at the other, a chocolatier who grinds the cocoa beans on the spot. www.livechocolate.com The freshest sea food is provided by a wholesale vendor. Get there early for oysters on the half shell. They slip away quickly. Stay a while and enjoy the jazz combo. Once you've eaten, back down the hill with calories already burned. This farmers market was sunset magic and the perfume of flowering jasmine permeated the air. Senses are in over-load!

There's something about experiencing one's environment from the pavement. Is it being grounded and moving at nature's pace? I don't have a definitive answer, but walking in the hustle and bustle of LA, on the avenues of NYC or the footpaths of Portland, Maine I always feel more connected. Guess that makes me a white woman walking!

Next walk....to a lush garden shop on Sunset and Sycamore.

Get Back In The Saddle.....

Get back in the saddle and ride.
Get back on the keyboard and write.

I've been feeling the absence from blogging. Was it winter hibernation, the lack of inspiration, or just putting too much energy and focus on other things? Maybe an equal measure of all three. Fortunately, I have a very prolific friend who reminds me that she too, takes breaks from writing. This "laying off," goes against all my training of "doing-doing" until perfection is achieved. I'm beginning to realize that perfection is a state of mind.

Well, my blogging is a choice so I've been able to let it slide. But now it's time to get back on the horse and ride. A break to the left coast has given me a sunny view on life. Different temperatures, different pace, a totally different groove. Clear the Maine winter cobwebs. Celebrate re-birth and a much appreciated early spring.

So I'm getting back in the saddle and letting my fingers dance across the keyboard. I have some LA stories, not from the red carpet, but from walking about. Stay posted for WHITE WOMAN WALKING!

SAYINGS !

Little, non-sensical expressions that add a dash of whimsy to conversation. Where do they originate? Do you use them? Which ones are your favorites? How did I happen upon this topic?

The Christmas gift of a small, desk top horoscope calendar awakened me to the humor found in sayings. On January 1, 2010, my horoscope stated I was "the bees knees." Needless to say, it made me laugh. Exactly what are the "the bees knees?" It was so delightful, I decided it must be a good thing.

From there I began writing down sayings that popped into my head.

Knee high to a grasshopper.

See you later alligator, after while crocodile.

You're history. I'm out of here.

Bone tired.

SNAP!

...and the following two I gleaned from a spontaneous discussion of "Sayings" that occurred in an Old Port gift shop:

Don't get your knickers in a snicker! (There's some age on that one!)

Step on all the stones and you'll never get home.

Do you have any favorties? Share them with me. Lighten your conversations with these light-hearted expressions. Spread the joy. It gets us through winter gloom and stressful moments.

Things may not be perfect, but I'm off to a very good start. After all, I'm the "bees knees!"

TWENTY TEN

The new year has come and gone. For those of us in the Northeast, it was amidst a flurry of blustery forecasts, blustery snow squalls and blue moon high tides. It seemed as though we prepared for days, were under gray skies for a few and when we finally emerged to less then noticeable snow, it was January 2. Twenty-ten was underway. We kind of slid into it without much fanfare.

I did my traditional "Enough Alreadys" on New Year's Eve; writing out proclamations of change on slips of paper and tossing them into a blazing fire.(See the ENOUGH ALREADY blog from January 1, 2009.) And yes, one slip of paper floated away from the flames and had to be plucked back. I'm not sure which "Enough Already" it was, but I have a good idea. Some journeys are longer then others and life doesn't want us to release the "worry hold!"

Checked in with friends, near and far, via phone. All were content to keep the home fires burning and enter the new decade rather peacefully. Maybe we all just need a rest. Living on alert is totally exhausting.

LA friends were toasting with eggnog, while I was celebrating with their more traditional blood orange mimosa.

New Year's Day the snow swirled in the East, The Rose Bowl Parade happened in the West and Bowl games dominated the TV. Somethings don't change......and that's good.

Wishing everyone tranquility in twenty-ten.