P-Day = Pie (not President’s) Day

The President’s Day celebration weekend is only hours away. Hmmm, what would be a fitting American way to celebrate? Let’s eat some pie! There is a wonderful spot in downtown Los Angeles called The Pie Hole that can accommodate your pie craving, whether sweet or savory.

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Deep Thoughts in the Garden

Some days are just meant for deep thoughts. Where do you go for such lofty ambitions? Arlington Garden in Pasadena, California is where!

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Just how tall ARE you?

Have you ever wondered why you struggle to reach the glass on the top shelf of your cupboard in the evening when that morning you reached it fine? Blame it on the water. That’s right, water! To be specific, the water in your spine.

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It’s a date!

Two of my husband’s favorite things are dates (the fruit) and hot weather. Being from Finland, he says his bones are still trying to thaw out. That explains our “exploration” drive through Desert Hot Springs a few months back.

As I smashed my face as close as possible to the cool air shooting from my side of the car’s air conditioning vent, he happily tapped along to the radio and periodically pointed out different vistas in the ever heating desert scape. Suddenly, perhaps because my face was only inches from the windshield or maybe because of my eagle eye for anything food related, I spotted a small sign for dates with an arrow pointing down a quiet road. We decided to explore and how wonderful that we did!

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Why are there four suits in a deck of cards?

Have you ever wondered why there are four suits in a deck of cards and what do they each represent? Well, the four suits in a deck of cards represent each of the four major pillars of the economy in the middle ages: hearts represented the Church, spades represented the military, clubs represented agriculture, and diamonds represented the merchant class. Now that tidbit may add some curiosity to your next card game!

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from …Randon Facts… on the Carnegie Mellon School of Computer website

Upscale Downtown Groceries

Let’s get one thing straight, I LOVE food!!! With that in mind, it was to my great delight that I was introduced to the new “grocery” store in downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District, Urban Radish. I have grocery in quotes because it is so much more than your standard grocery store. The walls of glass let the sunshine stream through to their rustic display of local organic produce, artisan cheeses and sustainable meats. If you find yourself drooling over the food selection, meander over to the robust choice of lotions and soaps. If you happened to drool onto your shirt, they also sell detergent for laundry…a true one-stop shop!

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For whom DOES the bell toll?

We’ve all heard the poem by John Donne that warns, “ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” However, when you ask that question in Perth, Western Australia, people excitedly jump to get a turn to clang the bells.

The Swan Bells, or Perth Bells as they are also referred, are located in the Barrack Square precinct of Perth which is easily accessible by the Blue CAT bus, or you can take the ferry across if you are not in the city business district. The glass spire that sits atop the six-story cement bell chamber pierces the sky as if to let the heavens hear their lovely sound.

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Yum to Mendocino Market and Deli!

My husband and I took a road trip up the coast of California recently, as all respectable Californians must do, and turned off Highway 1 into the artsy town of Mendocino. It felt good to stretch my legs as we walked the town streets. We passed teenagers flirting with one another, a dog fast asleep in the sun while on guard duty in front of the millinery shop, and artists discussing the latest openings dressed in tie-dye while checking their iPhone…you’ve got to love California!

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Ever wonder why we cross our heart to show sincerity?

Have you ever wondered why people choose to cross their hearts to show sincerity? This is because the gesture represents the holy cross and when people cross their hearts, they are calling upon Jesus Christ as a witness to the truth of what they are saying.

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From, “Ever wonder why?” by Douglas B. Smith

Free Self-Guided Bus Tours in Perth, Australia

Perth is a beautiful, vibrant coastal city with a population of roughly 1.9 million people. It watches over the Indian Ocean and is the capital city of the Australian state of Western Australia.

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