A time of gratitude and celebrations
November 30, 2017 by
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Our November has been full with celebrations, thankfulness and gratitude.
One of those celebrations was my mother-in-law Barbara’s 90th birthday. The whole family was together; her son, his wife and family from Washington state, our daughter and her family from Dublin, CA, and Joan and I from Pittsburg, CA, along with other dear friends of hers. We all gathered for lunch in Auburn, where she lives. She is such a special person and we were honored to celebrate her 90 years on the planet.For her birthday cake, Mom picked chocolate with whipped cream frosting and raspberry filling. After all, chocolate is her favorite and she knows what she likes! We even gave her an extra piece of cake to be sure she had plenty of the delicious raspberry filling.
Each year, Mom and I share birthday celebrations, mine falling only two days after hers. Over the years it has been great fun to observe our special days with each other.
This year, for my birthday, Joan and I (along with our aging dog Lexi) are traveling to Corte Madera to one of our most favorite bookstores, Book Passages. We love to browse for a new book, eat a meal there, and people watch while we enjoy our new books. Book Passages has a patio that we can share with our dog Lexi, as we talk with each other about our book selections and other aspects of life.
From our home to yours, we hope you enjoy this holiday season in whatever way is joyous for you.
We know it is a busy, and often stressful time, so if you should need a helping hand, please let us know.
Thank you to all who are our family, friends, newsletter readers, and clients. We appreciate you.
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Are you ready for the upcoming holidays?
November 9, 2017 by
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I always associate Halloween with daylight savings time. We turn back the clocks and get one extra hour of sleep. This also reminds me to replace the smoke alarm batteries throughout the house. Sort of like a reminder string on your finger!
Now that Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving and other seasonal holidays are fast approaching. With that, there are many preparations to keep in mind. Here are a few we tend to do — clean the gutters, test outdoor outlets for Christmas lights and bring patio furniture in before the rain. That way we are all set for any of the holiday decorating we will do.
One thing we don’t need to change, at the moment, are the pumpkins we put out for Halloween — They fit right in for the Thanksgiving holiday.
How can we help your upcoming holidays be more fun and less maintenance for you? Just give us a call if you need a helping hand.
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Happy Halloween from our house to yours
October 27, 2017 by
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My Grandson told me he wants to be one of the characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean. I said, “Why don’t you get an Octopus mask, like one of the characters in the movie?” He just rolled his eyes at me which basically means — Silly Papa is just sharing “silly ideas.”
I must admit that I often do that with him. Talk about another idea that may, or may not, have anything to do with his topic. Usually done to be silly, to exaggerate, or just to make stuff up.
His safety is important to me — I take heed when Nana Joan warns me with a stern “Mr. Silva!” which is a heads up that my idea might just be a bit over the top!
Which makes me think of a safe Trick or Treat idea for this year. Have you heard of the new, safer, “Trunk or Treat” idea? Churches and schools are organizing Halloween tailgate parties. The parents bring their cars and let the kids go “car trunk” to “car trunk” and get candy. Everyone knows each other and feels safer.Sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll dress up as that Octopus and join in!
Hope you have a very safe and Happy Halloween and if you’d rather be out trick or treating versus doing home maintenance — How can we help you be prepared for any tricks that your home might treat you to? (See our special offer)
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What’s in your go-bag?
October 14, 2017 by
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Joan and I are safely across the river from the awful fires in Northern California. They have been a reminder to us of the need to be better prepared. So, we are taking pro-active steps to prepare for this type of emergency.We are stocking our “Go-bags” with all we need for three days; food and water, plus others supplies, important papers and documents, clothing, bedding, medications, and pet supplies. And, from the advice of others who have lost their homes to disasters. we’ve included precious pictures and mementos.
We want to be sure to also include who to notify and where to go, if we should get the knock on our door to evacuate.
It has helped to calm our nerves a bit to take these safety steps. Maybe you too can calm your nerves by taking some of these same steps and ask — How else can I be better prepared for this type of disaster?
Be safe — My heart goes out to all those suffering through this disaster. I know, once the fires are contained and people return to their homes, it will take a long time to heal and rebuild their lives.
Are you prepared?
September 28, 2017 by
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Recently we celebrated Joan’s 65th birthday, for three days, at the Russian River. We stayed in Monte Rio in the rustic, renovated Highland Dell Lodge, originally built in 1906. We visited the ocean at the Sonoma coast (Jenner by the Sea, Bodega Bay, Fort Ross) and drove through the whole of the Russian River valley. The views were spectacular, the food great — a truly peaceful get-away.
The Russian River area does often flood during the rainy season. We saw many homes raised on stilts, well above the first story. There were many berms, small hills, placed to keep the river within its banks. In harmony with all the beauty and lushness, there were obvious plans to blend with the seasons of the river — To protect and safe-guard homes and businesses.
I did wonder — Do you have plans for the different seasons in your life or natural disasters that may occur in your homeland?
Do you have a backup contact out of the area to say we are safe? What safe place would you meet your family, if need be? What supplies and needs to you have at the ready? Food, water, generators, flashlights, etc.?
Can we be of help with your preparation?
With this in mind, we wish to offer you our special report on earthquake preparedness.
“In a Quake, How Will You Shake ~
When the Big ONE Hits, Will You Thrive Or Merely Survive?”
The preparation recommended may be used in any disaster and can be downloaded on the right side of this page.
How well are you prepared for a catastrophic or natural disaster? Maybe The Fix-It Professionals could be of help.
