Ellen Swenson.com

Perigee Moon

2011-03-20T13:37:00.001-07:00

Did you see it?

Balancing Act

2011-02-24T16:15:00.001-08:00

Life is a Balancing act...

Today

2011-02-23T08:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the rest of your life! Live it like it was the last! Make the most of ervery moment. There is good everywhere, you just have to look for it. My Mother always said "It's just as easy to be nice". So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

What to do...It's July already!

2010-07-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

So I'm thinking...There is plenty of time...Plenty of time for WHAT? The days just keep crashing into one another. So there may not be plenty of time. Better make the most of each moment. A friend said to me the other day "No one ever says 'I wish I would have worked more hours' when they are laying on their death bed." Food for thought! Of course one has to work, one has responsibilities that have to be met. But it is very important to Balance it all. There are some things you just can't change so just accept them: #1.The Real Estate Market is SLOW. You can't change that, but it doesn't mean you should compromise your ethics or values. Hold on to those and you won't have to regret it when you are laying on that death bed. #2. You can't choose your work associates. And you can't change them. Accept people as they are and live with it! Everyone has a right to be who they are. #3. You can't change your friends but you can choose your friends so choose wisley! #4. You can't change the past, You don't know what the futre brings, so Live each moment. There may be plenty of time....But Maybe NOT...

Spectacular Things are Afoote (at Pennypickle's)

2010-05-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since I blogged. Because I can hardly keep up with facebooking! Real Estate and working at Pennypickle's keeps me so busy and my Facebook friends are always posting! How do they find the time?

But I have to say the most Spectacular thing happened at Pennypickle's Workshop! I wish I had a picture to post ... that will come later! The Professor has transformed his old playroom (he used to play in it when he was a child) into the most AMAZING room. It will not be available to the public until the evening of May 14th, but the Temecula City Officials got a special preview last night! It was a great party with hot dogs, pizza sticks, popcorn(with a selection of seasonings from cinnamon to chicken boullion), marshmallow dipping(into caramel and all sorts of stuff)Marshmallow exploding and imploding, fog bubbles, styrofoam melting,tonic water geysers(with mentos and a black light) Glowing rice tricks! and so much more!This is probably not the kind of event City Officials attend very often but it appeared the really enjoyed it. I will post pictures soon. Make your plans to come and see this! If you have never been to Pennypickle's Workshop you will fall in love with it! If you have you will LOVE the new additions! That Professor and his little pal Beaker are always up to something!

Week one is done

2010-02-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

So, It's been a week...the 3 day 8 lb diet is really the 3 day 3 lb diet for me...3 days of dieting and then 4 of eating ended in a 3 lb loss. Not too bad really! It was 6 lbs at the end of 3 days but after going back to eating food for 4 days 3 lbs went back on. This could work...Does not feel like a diet...I am not on a diet...Just eating the "special way" for 3 days. I am not sure what the "girls" at Pennypickle's have done with it...I will post when I find out.

Do I want to blog about the Real Estate Market....Short Sales, Foreclosures, HUD repos...NO NO NO....I am hopeful things will get better...Prices are not going up in my opinion...So if someone has cash, it is a Great Market!!!

NOT a New Year's Resolution

2010-01-28T13:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, Here is the deal....I am fat..always have been as long as I can remember...Even when I wasn't fat I was "Pleasantly Plump". So making a New Year's Resolution or any kind of Resolution to lose weight is totally setting myself up for disappointment. And besides once you are past 60 it might be time to be resolved to who you are...which I am. But that monster scale has been inching up a little more than I like to see!

So the girls at Pennypickle's decided to go on this miracle "lose 8 pounds in 3 days" diet. Steph brought the diet in. If she loses 8 pounds we won't even be able to see her!

The trick is you diet 3 days a week and eat sensible the rest of the week.

The girls were going to start next Monday. Well if I start on Monday...that means the second day of the diet is "Taco Tuesday!" That will never work! So I started yesterday and low and behold this morning when I weighed I was 4 pounds less than yesterday morning! I'll let you know what tomorrow morning brings!

2010

2010-01-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

What will the year 2010 bring? How did the year 2010 get here so quickley? The International Year of Astronomy ended with a Blue Moon. So many people are so glad 2009 is over. Will 2010 be better for them? I hope so!

St. Patricks Day!

2009-03-19T19:44:00.001-07:00

We Started celebrating Early this Year

The Leprechaun was up to his old tricks turning Everything Green - Even the Toilet Water!

There was lots of fun after corned beef and cabbage!

TSquare Chemistry Night at the Imagination Workshop

2009-03-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Here is the Video of Chemistry Night at the Imagination Workshop with TSquare .

Part 1

Part 2

Imagination Workshop Celebrates International Year of Astronomy 2009

2009-02-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

"If only I could have attended Professor Pennypickle's International Year of Astronomy Night! What fun I would have had! But I am only a big fat yellow cat and I have to be satisfied with looking at this 3-d poster without glasses" sighed TJ. So sad he missed the fun.

BEAKER IS IN OUTER SPACE!

Here is some of the fun TJ missed. Did you miss it too? It is too bad that it rained. No telescopes out in the parking lot...But thanks to the tremedous help of Our Astronomer Wes Erickson we pulled it off. We could not have done it without the love of my life and lover of everything Astronomy, Gordon (our Moon-Man), Alexis our ever faithful volunteer, and Jenna and Nancy who kept my spirits up and did EVERYTHING!

Nancy's moon

3-D glasses

Making telescopes like Galileo did 400 years ago! Making our Solar System -------------------- Simulating Craters on the Moon

We learned so much from our Astronomer Wes Erickson!

It may have been raining outside but Our Moon-Man brought the moon to us with "Virtual Moon"!

Galileo would be so proud.

So everyone remember, this is the International Year of Astronomy. "The Universe is yours to Discover" Discover it! http://www.astronomy2009.org/

Antique Roadshow

2009-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

The Antique Roadshow is so much fun! We were lucky enought to get invited by my sister Liz. She is so popular in the Desert. Gets invited EVERYWHERE! And a very good Grant Writer too. Check out her website http://www.lizwritesgrants.com/ And THANK YOU to another Liz in our lives... Liz from the Imagination Workshop, Thank you for taping this so we can save it for posterity! Anyway, as Mark would say "Back to the Roadshow" We enjoyed meeting Mark Wahlburg. We did not have anything of exceptional value except the fun we had! And we did not end up on the cutting room floor. Look close as Mark Closes episode 3 from Palm Springs California!

Internationl Year of Astronomy

2009-01-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

2009 is the International Year Of Astronomy! Don't miss out on the beauty to be found in the Heaven's Above! This is the year for all people on earth to take the time to look in a telescope, attend a star party or just look up and say "hello" to the great hunter Orion and all of his Heavenly friends!

Grampa took this picture of the Orion Nebula from our back yard on 12/30/08.

This Picture of the Orion Nebula was taken by the Hubble Telescope in October of 2007

Also known as M42 the nebula's glowing gas surrounds hot young stars at the edge of an immense interstellar molecular cloud only 1,500 light-years away. The Orion Nebula offers one of the best opportunities to study how stars are born.

For more information about Orion Nebula visit http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2006/01/image/a

The Great Nebula in Orion can be found just below and to the left of the easily identifiable belt of three stars in the popular constellation Orion.

For more information about the International Year of Astronomy visit:

http://www.astronomy2009.org/

It's Over TJ

2009-01-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Yes TJ - Cats have Christmas too. But its over now. Time to put away the ornaments and lights. Time to carefully wrap the nativity and put it in the box. But try to keep the feeling in our hearts. I think we're gonna need it in 2009!

Andromeda

2008-11-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

I have been remiss in updating this blog. Time flies by so fast. I read a book that told the lesson of the 5 balls. We should all remember this. Life is like juggling 5 balls. The 5 balls are Work, Family, Health, Friends and Integrity. The work ball is made of rubber. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls are made of glass. It you drop it may be irrevocably scuffed, nicked or perhaps even shattered. Take care which ball you drop while juggling.

Now to Andromeda. We have been visiting Andromeda a lot lately. Grampa is getting very good at his photography. Remeber the picture is from a very inexpensive telescope and camera. the blurry spot is the andromeda galaxy. We were watching it the other night and I saw a bright light fly out of it. a falling star? or the Mother Ship?

Pumpkins and Riding Lessons

2008-10-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at Riley's Farms. It is great to get away with the family! or "some" of the family anyway....We did have fun! What is it about kids, pumpkins and apples that can put a smile on your face? Check out http://www.hess-familyblog.blogspot.com/

After a full day of pumpkins and apples then we went to the riding lesson:

There were horses and kittens and lots of smiles!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW

2008-10-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

...so our Oldest Grandson is 8 Years Old! How did that happen!!!! Has anyone been to an 8 year old Boy's Birthday party lately!!! Here is a video...and HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW

Politics

2008-10-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Think about it...

Is Sarah Palin qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency?

I ask:

Is Barack Obama qualified to be the heartbeat that is the Presidency!

Then think about this:

Barack Obama smokes. His parents died young.

Joe Biden wanted to be President in 1988! Is there a plan here? But wait...He's really no "Spring Chicken" either and his health has been questionable. A history of aneurysms.

That leaves - Oh No!!! Nancy Pelosi

I'm just saying...there is a lot to think about. ..

John McCain's MOTHER is still living! He knows what it means to fight for our country. He listens when someone disagrees with him.

Where DID Barack Obama come from?

Night Sky and more

2008-09-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

So we are still looking at the sky at night. You would be amazed at what you can see! We actually saw a black hole! It was fuzzy but when I googled it I could tell it was what I saw. The name of "our" black hole is "cygnus x1". Google it and see what I saw. We have also been able to see the Hubble Telescope go over!!! and the Andromeda Galaxy!!! Gordon is getting pretty good with the telescopic camer. Here is a picture of Jupiter. He figured out how to magnify it so the blur rings show in the picture. The moons don't show as well like this but it's fun to see the rings. We can see both through the telescope!

Check out Liz's new web page lizwritesgrants.com

Starry Night

2008-08-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

We have been having a lot of fun checking out the Night Sky. I was in charge of organizing Hot Starry Night for the Children's Museum. It was great fun!!! Thank goodness for all the help I received from all the Pennypickle staff. Our Astronomers Wes and Don and Jordan we amazing. We learned a lot from those gentlemen in just a few hours. We saw a spectacular satellite and learned how to watch for them. The satellite came out of the west and all of sudden there was a flash. Don told us that was the sun reflecting off the solar panels. (It was 8:30 at night and dark out!!)The night sky is Amazing!!! There was Jupiter and it's Galilean moons. Our moon was full and it was amazing the way some of the visitors took pictures of it through the eyepiece of the telescope. We saw deep space sights like globular clusters and a galaxy or two. So the next evening Gordon took what he learned and we found some pretty good stuff with our little telescope...Wild Duck Cluster..M13 Galaxy...and the moon was still a sight to see! Gordon took the picture with our telescope camera. We are having Fun now!!!

Seeing Jupiter

2008-08-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

We went to the Southern California Astronomy Expedition for Gordon's birthday. We went two Saturdays..One night had a Star Party and the keynote speaker was from SETI (My favorite organization) It was great looking through the "BIG" telescopes. And we realized that our little one really does pretty good. The second Saturday gave us a lot of information. I use the term "Us" loosely. I enjoyed all of it but a lot of it went way over my head...Gordon was able to absorb a lot of it. The results will be forthcoming with lots of pictures. The one I'm posting today is the first one he took since learning soooo much. It seems the camera was a little out of focus, because when we looked through the telescope we could see the blueish bands, but this picture is pretty good and you can see three of the moons! More to follow...maybe even some pictures of the sun!!!

Parade in Golf Knolls

2008-07-05T19:26:00.001-07:00

Once again it is time for the 4th of July Parade in Golf Knolls! The Grandchildren Love it!!! They spend the night at Gramma and Grampa's...Get up early...Hurry and eat coco puffs and watermelon...(Gramma says it is the law that you must eat watermelon on the 4th of July!)wash off the chairs...Set up the umbrellas...fill the spray water bottles with ice water... and wait.....The excitement is electric!!! The air is filled with anticipation...

June

2008-06-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

June is almost over

Where did it go

It seems that only yesterday

The weatherman said Snow..

Now summer is half gone

And I really just don't know

Where or When or What is Time

Oh well, Enjoy the show!

It's Kiki's graduation

from Ready set Grow

Dancers

2008-05-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't had time to blog for a month! Who ever knew blogging would take time!! There is so much to talk about...Jury Duty..YUCK....Neighborhood watch....necessary.... Houses for sale....Astronomy....interesting..Landing on Mars!!!...Indy 500...but the best is in this video!!!More later..watch the video...I always LOVED the little mermaid the best!

Birthday Week

2008-04-27T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well I survived my Birthday/our Anniversary Week! Tried to keep it low key this year! even so there was a lot of excitement for an old lady! Flowers,Fairies,Gnomes,Oggies,Islands....And all of this around work and volunteer activities! I was lucky to get to go to Steve Spangler's Science Boot Camp with the Imagination Workshop crew!! What an adventure!!! Then there was the Quarterly meeting of our Homeowner's Association...What an Adventure! For our Anniversary we excaped to the "islands" for a short time it was pretend we were in Hawaii....Some day we'll go again...We discovered Island's now has mini-burgers...We have been on a quest for mini-burgers since Denny's took them off the menu!

Not to mention the Real Estate Market....All I can say is "I will Survive!" Try to read the positive reports! Smile and sing a happy song!!!

Tax Day

2008-04-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Beaker eats with the Baby Chicks! Mice and chicks do not file taxes.

Tax day is here! What a hard day! finally finished last night. I wanted to mail my return since we owed money, no sense paying extra to e-file. But Turbo tax got very difficult. You would think "Print a copy to mail" would be pretty easy? NO!!!I finally gave in and tried to e-file it. Figuring that getting to the post office today would be difficult my time is worth $18.95 X 2. Don't get me wrong...I think Turbo Tax is the next best thing to Peanut Butter....But it does have a mind of it's own! Sooo, I finally finished at about 7:00 PM...The government will get their money on time...And we will eat Peanut Butter the rest of the month! Does anyone have a story about Turbo Tax or Taxes in general? Notice I am writing in red.....

What is a Blog?

2008-04-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

So now I have a Blog....But what is a Blog. Wikipedia says a blog is a posting to a Web Log...So what is a Web Log? Once I thought about it...it does make sense. It's a log on the Web..duh! No, I'm not blonde. But then we all know why blonde jokes are so short, right? (So brunettes can remember them!)

I think this Blog is a good place to let the keyboard take control...or maybe the loose nut in front of the keyboard will take control! After all the best things in life are sometimes overlooked or put off until another day:

1. Gramma can I have a sleep-over?
2. Did you see the last eclipse?
3. Where can I get shoes that don't hurt my feet?
4. Did you know both Saturn and Mars are visible right now?
5. Did you laugh today?
6. What do you think?