LA Marketplace: Twilight zone, bermuda triangle?

I go to the LA marketplace about twice a month and for a week every other month. Besides the fact that people are freakishly good looking and trendy here, weird things happen here. I mean weirder than everyone looking good every day. Today as I was sitting in my showroom the ground began to shake. Not unusual in California, but the odds of my being in LA confirm my suspicions.

At first I thought, "That is a big person walking down the hall!" Because the ground tends to shake with lots of movement in the hall, but the shaking got stronger until I knew it was either an elephant (and there is no service elevator equipped with enough peanuts to pacify an elephant long enough to stay cramped in an elevator for 6 floors) or it's a 5.4 magnitude earthquake.

The second guess was correct and very astute. The building began to shake with excessive gusto as the clothes swung on their hangers around me. Being a creature of habit I immediately jumped up to stand in the safety of the doorway, grabbing my computer to protect it as though it were a child.

Here's the problem. My door is all glass. Like ALL glass, and one small metal handle. Not much for protection. So there I stood, eyes wide, surrounded by glass in a shaking LA building. It reminded me of the movie, "LA story" where a group is eating dinner in an LA restaurant and everything is shaking and the only one who notices it is the visitor from England. Tables are gliding back and forth, ice sculptures are cracking, and everyone is carrying on without missing a beat except one bewildered foreigner. So today that was me. And it made me laugh. And next time I will hide under the table...

Our Little Farm

One of the most enjoyable parts of living in Riverside with Jarom's family is that they have a gigantic back yard with room for a garden. This year Kim and I planted all kinds of veggies and I thought I'd take a few pictures of the ones I'm most excited about.

It's really no wonder that countless stories take place in gardens or borrow elements of nature to convert a simple story into a masterpiece. They really are miraculous. I am constantly amazed when seemingly overnight a zucchini goes from just a fiery blossom to a squash. How does the water, sunshine, and soil make something so vital to our lives? Even knowing the science of it doesn't make it less majestic.

Our favorite stories borrow from gardens, where as children we held our breath as Peter rabbit narrowly escapes Farmer McGregor after munching in his garden all day, or dreamed of riding in a splendid carriage fashioned out of a pumpkin, it's curling tendrils providing the wheels. How many of your peeked among the flowers and wondered if a tiny girl could really emerge from the petals like Thumbelina? I know I did.

Walking along the boxes of continually changing plants I find myself in awe and I wanted to share some pictures. Oh how I love summer gardens.

Witching Hour

So Jarom and I have a funny relationship. He likes to shock me with random comments and I like to act shocked and make him eat his words. Usually the funniest conversations are when Jarom makes a comment about my appearance that I pretend to take in an offensive way. In these mock serious discussions he goes round the comment trying to justify what he has said, while I act offended and try to box him into a corner. By the end both of us are laughing and Jarom has humorously decided that I'm a mean wife because he was only trying to give me a compliment. (=

Recently there was one conversation that really got me laughing. In fact it was so excellent that I wrote it down word for word in my planner as he was talking and threatened Jarom with a blog. Horrified, he told me I wasn't allowed to write it because people would think he was mean, but I interpreted his laugher as permission to go ahead...

A few fridays back I was sporting a lovely constellation of acne on my face. One on my forehead, a small cluster on my cheek and a rather large one on the side of my chin. As much as I love revisiting my youth I'd much rather relive it by going to the beach and getting a Thrifty's ice cream cone, but apparently acne is a little easier to fit on the schedule.

Anyhow, after slapping on some makeup (with a useless attempt at camouflaging my visitors), pulling my wet from swimming hair into a ponytail and putting on my least rumpled clothing I was semi-decent enough for our impromptu date we'd decided to go on that night. We chose to go to a hole in the wall place for dinner and a movie and I figured that since most of the date would be in the dark he would forgive my somewhat unkept appearance. One of my favorite things about Jarom is he praises me when I look pretty and when I know I don't. He thinks I'm pretty all the time, bless him. But that night he had a funny way of telling it.

"So," Jarom said in a velvety voice a mischievous smile playing across his lips, knowing he was going to say something that would set me off and looking forward to the forthcoming banter, "That's a pretty good pimple you've got going on your chin. If you painted your face green you could do pretty well."

"What??" I asked him feigning offense, "You think I look like a witch? That's soo mean!"

"That's not mean," Jarom retorted, "Very beautiful women can play witches really well."

"Which beautiful women?" I asked tartly, "Like the wicked witch of the west? Or the old witch in snow white? Those beautiful women?"

"No," Jarom said back tracking. "Like Nicole Kidman, or Michelle Phifer. They played witches really well. I'm saying YOU could be a pretty witch..."

"Well, thank you... I think. But how do I possibly look like a witch?" I challenged him, laughing at the references to the only two possible pretty witches in silver screen history (and before anyone argues Glenda was pretty I say that she was- until I reached the age of ten and realized that under the sparkly dress and ten pounds of makeup she was not such a distant cousin in the looks department of the scary witch. In fact, the only pretty people in that whole movie are dorothy and possibly the cowardly lion after he gets the bows in his hair).

"Well," Jarom said gearing up with his explanation, "You have the right facial structure."

"How's that?" I question him.

"Well, you have a long narrow face and large eyes." He said while I chuckle at his answer. "Not to mention, you DO have a pointy nose and chin." he throws in matter of factly.

Fast forward two weeks. In an effort to maintain my failing looks I decide to give myself a mud mask, paint my toes and do a little plucking to my eyebrows. I wash my makeup off, observing how dull my skin and eyes look. I need a tan, or something on my face but I don't have the time to lay out, or the desire to develop the wrinkles and cancer all the dermatologists on "10 Years Younger" are talking about. As I slather the green mud all over my face and prepare to paint my toes I can't help but notice how pink my lips look, and how green my eyes are. What's the change, I wonder?

Suddenly it dawns on me, it's the green! Jarom was totally right, I could work it as a witch. So that's why I've posting for you a picture of me a la witch, or sea sick. You're choice. Just know, green is coming people, since we all know tans are unhealthy maybe it's time to switch to a new color. Just a thought...

About Jarom

It always sort of surprises me when people tell me they think Jarom is a serious person. They make comments about him being very reserved, very quiet, a good listener. And they are right, for the most part. Jarom can be reserved and quiet, and he is a good listener, but that is just the surface.

What people don't seem to discover until they get closer to him is that he's got a goofy sense of humor like me. Ok, he is waaay goofier than me. And I love it. He is always on the lookout for a joke or something funny. When you really get him laughing he rocks back into his seat and does this silent laugh that makes his whole face light up. It's adorable and you can't help but laugh because you can tell he's really enjoying himself.

Jarom looks for ways to crack me up. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes I will miss it and catch on later to what he's been up to, like the following pictures. He plays pranks, delights in scaring me (especially when it's dark!!), and he can make his rubber face into just about any look in the world- which I love- except that it shows up in all the pictures that I actually look good in, so I have to discard them as family pictures. One day when I snap you might get a picture of me looking semi-normal and Jarom making a face for your Christmas Card, since that's all he will do for me. (=

In the mean time I thought I would post the ongoing saga of bendable puppets that have been popping up on the bookshelf in the living room. Every few days I notice they have been silently changed. Hope you like the little glimpse into the real Jarom!


This is the first to show up. Needless to say it cracked me up.


Adoring Tyler's bust... (=


First he tries to kill him...


Now they're friends.


Day dreaming.


Sit-ups.


Kermit doing Flash Dance?

About me:

So, my mom in law sent me this email a while back and I thought I'd post it. I needed something new on my blog and now you will know a little more about me, because I am so private and don't share very much on here... (=

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Nope, they had to leave room for me to make my own name. (=

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Maybe a week ago, who knows, it's pretty regular and short lived.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I actually do. When I was a kid I HATED my handwriting so I meticulously practiced until it was nicer.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Turkey or chicken, but ONLY if it's from a Deli and not the soggy lunch meat kind. I like mine a little bit drier.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Sigh. Why does everyone keep asking that? (=

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Never. <---- (sarcasm)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes, I'm still 100 percent, minus some brain power that was lost when I got hit by the car. (=

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Oh yes!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
It's a toss-up between Lucky Charms and Total Raisin Bran. A strange mix, I know.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I didn't know flip flops had laces.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Physically I'm pretty strong, emotionally I'm not. I'm very emotional and can get worked up or sad at a the drop of a hat, which is something I'm working on. Darn artist tempers.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Rocky Road.

14 .What's the first thing YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
If they have a sense of humor.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Man oh man, that I can gain 20 pounds in the blink of an eye.

17. Who DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Everyone I love is still in my life.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Since this is a blog, nope. But you can copy this and stick it on your own blog...

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
No shoes (but bright pink nail polish) and pink striped pajama capris.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Last night I had popcorn and ice cream before I went to bed. I was watching a movie! Please see #16.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Birds outside and Jarom typing.

22. IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY WOULD YOU SHARE IT?
Yes. With people I know.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Rain, the hint of ocean on a breeze, the smells of ice cream parlors- sugar cones, baking bread.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My cousin Dana!

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Considering she's the coolest mom-in-law in the world, I'd say yes...

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
I'm not a sports watcher, but I do like college football and volleyball.

27 HAIR COLOR?
Light brown, which Jarom said looked somewhat red when I was cutting it last night.

28. EYE COLOR?
Green-gold.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Good Mexican Food, Indian food, Thai food, food...

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy Endings

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
10,000 B.C. But the movie "The List" which Jarom and I discovered too late was a "Christian Thriller" was the taker this week. It was frightening, not because of the cool intense plot, which was dumb, but because the way they used the power of prayer was somewhat exorcist-ish. It's really scary to see people pray so hard that they have heart attacks and die in the hospital. Favorite line, "The Evil and the Righteous have one thing in common. They both underestimate the power of prayer." Sigh.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING
Dark blue.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Depends. Kisses from Jarom and close family, hugs from everyone else.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Something with lemon.

37. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
"If life is a bowl of Cherries, why am I in the pits?" by Erma Bombeck (I gotta see who people keep comparing me to), and "A tree grows in Brooklyn" my favorite childhood book for bookclub.

38. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't have one.

39. What did you watch on TV last night?
"What Not To Wear." Man, I need new clothes. They would rip me apart.

40. FAVORITE SOUND?
The ocean, birds outside my window, rain.

41. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Turkey

42. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Singing, writing, and I cook like martha stewart.

43. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Anaheim, California