Paso, Wine Country

This past week was Danny's birthday. Now, he wasn't too hot on celebrating his age, but he was ready to celebrate another project completed. He had just finished up the "Hellnback", Mohard Racing's new rear disc brake for Honda. So, Saturday morning, he said, "Pack a bag, and lets get out of here." Well, like most women, you don't need to tell me twice. Quick, before he changes his mind. Pack makeup (check), pack camera (check), pack a corkscrew (check)!

We headed West and zig zagged through Paso Robles Wine Country, stopping at a few places we never had visited: Ranchito Canyon (they need a little more time to mature, but nice people), Silver Horse, (a Favorite, where they were crushing grapes ) the last stop was Jada. They do a nice Cheese and wine pairing and we did get their "Jersey Girl."

Barrels in Ranchito Canyon

We like staying in Morro Bay, so we headed into the sunset.

Got there in time to eat a great authentic mexican dinner, I know, strange choice when we're on the beach, but we did some more drinking in the room so we had to walk to dinner.

Next morning we drove to Cambria, we have a few favorite spots there. Love the food at a simple diner, "Redwood Cafe", and strolled downtown, looking through the shops..... .....and new museum. They had a set up of a few 'famous' statues outside to humor us. Dan & Willie

Danny loves this one Glass shop, they have some beautiful artists' works, and one makes a glass putter...... go figure:)

Then back home through Wine country again, this time I just drank so he could drive. We were after some good Sirah's.... so we hit Jack Creek, where she had 4 on the taste menu. Then on to Hearthstone, where I bought a T-shirt...... what does that tell you. Last stop, just before closing, Opolo.... We gotta spend more time here next time! Great wines....nice tasting room and good service.

Interesting drive back through the windy roads, we saw at least 20 young deer and a couple road runners.... pretty cool.

Just one thing missing...... reservations for next time.

Accident, Again.....

Well, we spent our weekend in the ERs. First our local ER, then Fresno's ER. It's just an hour North, but they wanted us to seek better care. If you're apart of our kid's texting network, then you've got the scoop minute by minute. But, for those of you not in that loop here's what happened: Danny and Kyle were working in our shop, moving a large piece of 1" metal on the plasma table. It was afternoon Sat. about 100* plus in the shop, and the metal needed to be shifted. The metal got away from the guys, coming down on Kyle's hands as he pulled away quickly his right index finger got caught underneath. He's not sure how the metal gave way to his finger, he thinks it may have 'hopped' before it landed again. But, the damage was done: it cut through Kyle's glove; breaking and severing his finger just between the lower two knuckles. Now, if you don't know what a plasma table is, the table has metal runners about 1/4" thick, so the effect of the metal on top is like a guillotine to the finger when the metal came down on it...... uuugghhhh! So, Danny hurried him to our ER, calling me on the way, and Danielle & I met up with them. They pulled and tugged on his sore finger for x-rays and cleaning of the wound. Kyle's finger was just hanging on by about 10% of the skin. But, he had feeling in the tip of it, so they knew that the nerve was still intact. The local on-call surgeon and orthopedist wanted him to be seen by a hand specialist. So, we drove him to Fresno and had to go through the entire ER experience again. Kyle was given Morphine in Hanford's ER, which as most of you know makes a person a little edgy..... so, Danny had to stand with him outside, as all the 'sick' people and other ER visitors were taking up room. And Kyle, normally more tolerant wanted to "tell them off." But, soon we were seen and he had a cute nurse to care for him and give him Vicodin. Hours later the Hand Specialist from Plastic Surgery saw him. They admitted him around 4am planning to place a pin through his finger. In the meanwhile Danny's catching a few winks in the car, and I'm trying to sleep in a chair, then on the floor with my make-shift bed. At 9:30 they took him to pre-op, with the final decision being to stich up his finger and place a splint on him: keeping his fingers from bending. I think Hanford's ER could've done THAT! But, hey we just hope it's good enough. We were on our home by 1:00 which they told us was a short ER visit.... less than 24 hours was a good record for them. Apparently they wanted to get rid of us :) little tip for you all. "make them want to get rid of you" on your next ER visit. He's in good spirits, and yesterday spent most of the evening sleeping and catching up on all his missed calls/texts. It was great to have the support we had from our family and friends. Danny's nephew and sister came to lend some support in the Fresno's ER parking lot and our friends kept checking in on us..... thanks guys :) We have photos........... but, we'll spare you the gore. Maybe we'll send them out for Halloween. :) just kidding.

"Soundtrack of My Life"

I stumbled onto this English assignment that Danielle wrote. I hesitated to put it on my blog, for fear of embarrassing her if she ever found out that I shared it. But, then after reading through my nieces embarrassing stories about her girls, I thought, "it's fine" just because they're 3 and she's 17 what's the difference?!?!!

right....

keep in mind it's her rough draft, but as parents, it touched our hearts.

"Microphone, headphones, guitars, drums.....chaos; the soundtrack of my life. The soundtrack I've learned to love. Music is a huge part of my life, I've been surrounded by it ever since I can remember. With a music obsessed-ex-band member Dad, a church singing-piano playing mother, and with a recording studio in my backyard, I had opportunity waiting a few steps out my back door, but no nerve to take the shot. I always felt this unspoken pressure to perform, to take on music like the rest of my family, and to be the best. Growing up I never even attempted to express myself through music, for the fear of not being impressive enough. Still, I wanted to know the feeling of finishing a song, laying down a track, of just being comforted by my nail beds dragging across the strings of a guitar. Music; I saw it, heard it, I had learned it, but I wanted to feel.

I saw it; guitars hanging on the wall, the piano in my living room, the endless rows of buttons on the soundboard, but not a clue what to do with any of it. I saw my father playing his guitar on his chair in the living room, eyes close, head down. I remember wishing I could be like that. I saw my mother sit on the bench playing boring hymns, but she loved it just the same. I saw my brother dripping of sweat while pounding away on the drums. I saw my small fragile fingers struggle to stretch across the keys of a piano, but the calculated specks of black ink on wrinkle coffee stained paper, just didn't impress me. I wanted more, I wanted to find my getaway, I wanted freedom. I saw my acoustic guitar collecting dust as it hung on my wall, and decided to give it a shot.

I heard it; the "nail on the chalkboard" type of twangs of my ten year old fingers strumming across the strings of my Christmas present that year. Just like the first time I tried it, not much had changed. I knew for certain, I was no natural, but, in time I would learn. I began to practice more and more each day, learning new chords which were demonstrated on a poster found in my studio. I heard the chords come together, finally starting to sound a little like music, practicing every night as my fingertips ached while callouses were starting to form.

I had learned; I learned the chords, the scales, and how to put them together. I was becoming better at it. I began to express myself through my guitar. Writing songs; lyrics, chords, meaning. I was finally starting to understand what all this fuss was about. It was definitely starting to grow on my. I was able to turn to my guitar and music for comfort. I could play my guitar in times of struggle, insecurity, and happiness. My guitar was the ultimate way to express myself.

I feel it; I feel the freedom, the euphoria, the passion, when playing my guitar. I can't help but feel infinite while I strum the strings of my guitar. I feel the stubborn callouses on my fingertips, the chips in the wood of my guitar, the strings as they drag across my nail beds. I feel the guitar is my getaway, music is my getaway.

Music has defined me in a way. It is a part of who I am. I see the opportunity and blessings I have in my life, I see the notebook full of lyrics on my dresser, the tracks I finally got the courage to record. I hear the soundtrack that makes up my life, the songs that play n my head throughout the day, the chords as I strum my guitar. I have learned that life is short, take up opportunities while you can, it's okay to show some emotion, show that you care, express yourself. I feel the impact music has made on my life, that one decision, like one off note, can make all the difference, that I want the soundtrack of my life to be made by me, no one else."

Toyota Accident

Our son, Kyle, had an accident this year in March. He was coming home from a friend's place in the country, when an oncoming vehicle, who was possibly drunk or sleepy came in and out of Kyle's lane. To avoid the vehicle Kyle had slowed down and then swirved, but got his wheels caught on the edge of the payment, you know where the road drops down to meet the dirt. He lost control of his truck causing him to roll it 2 or 3 times finally landing on the passenger side. He was able to crawl out of his front window, which had come out, and walk away. He called a friend to take him home.

He came into our bedroom to tell us what happened. He was nervous and freaked out. Nervous cause his truck that we helped him get was probably totaled and freaked out that he wasn't hurt or killed. He gently tapped me on the shoulder as he was kneeling down next to our bed, like he did when he was little. I was shocked and gave him a little hit in the arm and said "Shhh, don't wake your dad." Such a strange thing to do but, of course, I didn't know the reason. I assumed it was girlfriend issues.

So, we did wake him and made sure Kyle was ok, sat up and talked awhile to make sure he didn't have any injuries. It seems careless now that we didn't rush him to the ER, but the boy was not visible injured AT ALL! We hardly believed it happened.

Kyle's friend was planning on riding home with him, but at the last minute decided to stay later. If he would've been in the truck...... well, you can imagine. As parents, the possiblity of involving someone elses child is just so painful to think about.

I never went to see the truck, our neighbor has a towing service and he took care of the tow in the morning and I called the insurance. The other driver never stopped, and so we had nothing more to deal with. This photo was only found today on another computer. It's a little difficult to see, but the roof is smashed in at least 3-5 inches. Kyle is a big kid and sits pretty tall in this truck, and we're just seeing the hand of God got him through this.

Kyle's been a very active dirt biker since he was 4, so we've seen alot of injuries and Dr visits, but this one hits hard. Oh, yes, his seatbelt was on. Toyota makes good stuff.... but the truck was 'totaled'

Our Neighborhood

The following is a story from our Local Newspaper. This young man is just 2 streets behind us, and he's an inspriation to us all. It doesn't matter what the weather is, you'll see Daniel walking and waving to everyone as he does his daily walk. The story doesn't mention, but he tries very hard to remember everyone's name and he likes to collect business cards. He's a sweet young man, and I hope you take a moment to share in his short story.


Turning lemons into lemonadeDaniel Coakley quenches the thirst and lifts the spirits of those in his Hanford neighborhood
By Heather Halseyhhalsey@HanfordSentinel.com
If life hands you lemons -- make lemonade, like Daniel Coakley has done for the last five summers.After he found out that his father, Joe, had a lemonade stand when he was a boy, Daniel started his own in 2005 and has been peddling lemonade and conversation ever since."It's fun," Daniel said. "I get to see my old friends."
The gregarious 20-year-old with Down syndrome sets up shop from Monday through Saturday at 3 p.m. on Easy Street in Hanford where he has no qualms about waving to a passing car or chatting up a neighbor or two.Liz Cleveland lives across the street from Daniel and routinely pops over for a quick chat and a cup of the sweet lemony drink that he makes from a powdered mix."We have a big jar of change that we keep for my grandkids when they come because they always want to come over here to Daniel's," Cleveland said.Just like any other shrewd businessman, Daniel has business cards to promote the stand that he made on a computer with the help of one of his seven siblings.He also keeps detailed records of his customer demographics and transactions, which show that last year he sold 43 cups of lemonade from May 27 to Oct. 29.While he runs the booth he frequently calls friends and acquaintances he's met at St. Brigid's Catholic Church to invite them over for some lemonade.He sells a large cup for 50 cents and charges 25 cents for a small or refills.The money he collects are mainly dimes and quarters, which he adds to a jar that electronically tallies the coins for him.On July 15 it was filled to the brim with coins, and the digital screen said he had $72.79, which Daniel said he probably won't spend on anything at all."He would do this for free just for the people that he meets," Joe Coakley said about his son.He said that Daniel gives a lot of his profits to church and to homeless people that he passes on the street when he makes his weekly treks to Blockbuster and back."At least half the people in town know him because he waves to everyone that passes," Joe Coakley said.It's evident that Daniel's business sense and wit never cease to amaze his father, who was surprised when he saw that his son had even dug up an old photograph of him when he was 8 years old serving lemonade in Mariposa.The Coakleys moved from Mariposa to Hanford in 1985 so that Joe could teach special education to students at Shelly Baird School while Daniel's mother, Kathy, home-schooled their eight children.When Daniel isn't sitting behind his lemonade stand he is often canvassing his neighborhood, knocking on doors to collect money for specific charities like he did last winter when he collected money for the Walk for Life in San Francisco."It's fun I got to see different cultures," Daniel said of the people he met while going door to door.Fundraising for charities is one way he works to accomplish his biggest goals, many of which are all listed in a notebook he keeps titled, "Daniel's Dream History."Of course one of the dreams he lists is to sell lemonade but he has more lofty goals, including creating homes for the homeless."I'd like to save my community," Daniel said.For now Daniel is spreading hope one cup at a time from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, before he closes up shop and heads inside to eat dinner and watch two of his favorite TV shows -- "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune."

Connection

Today I realized a couple things as I was eating dinner with my 17 year old daughter. We were both thumbing through our fashion magazines, she her new "Seventeen" magazine, and I, my new Chadwick's catalog.
She was suggesting some cute stuff that I would like, and I suggested a few things out of her mag. What I realized is: We know each other really well. I agreed with her choices, and she with mine. WOW! This connection isn't very common in the teen years. Well, at least, we're told it's not, but it's something as parents we strive for. And when the moment hits, you don't want to make a big deal out of it, just let it happen. Too much excitement and you've scared them off, and then we're weird, again.
Of course, we were both just dreaming, because we're not big shoppers, but we do like to browse the mags and catalogs, and love to watch the Makeover, and 'What Not to Wear" shows. I can look through the same catalog over and over, and pretend I'll buy this dress for some special occasion, or that outfit if I worked at the bank..... I guess it's never too late to play pretend, at least I hope not. But for now, I just cherish those little moments.

Fallen Pine

We have sweet older lady, recently widowed, in the house behind ours.

She had always worried about the effect that her large Pine tree might

someday have on our fence and studio, if it were to fall.

Well, it did Thursday. I was having my morning coffee on the back patio, and noticed how close the pine tree appeared. A little too close..... yikes! It fell on our studio. I investigated, but not too close, for fear that it wasn't done breaking.

I took a few pictures, because my sister, the Insurance lady, has taught me well, while Danny took a walk around to tell the owner.

She was very sorry and will have someone out in the morning.

Our studio is behind another fenced area. We did that orginally for clients and privacy.

Here I'm trying to show the very large limb that is broken.

So, 2 days later, it's still lying there. It's putting alot of pressure on our studio and storage area cover. We hope it's not doing any more damage.....

You know, it's crazy, just when you think the Lord has challenged you with all you can handle He hands you a little more. Scripture tells us to be grateful for all these struggles, as they will make us closer to Him and stronger from it.
Watch out Arnie, Superman and Hercules..... cuz, here we come!