Menifee Mom: Here's One Pet Story That's Pretty Fishy

By Michelle Walsh

Since Petco came to Menifee a few years back, I’ve taken my daughters there quite often. This may seem like nothing out of the ordinary until I tell you that we just got our first pet a few weeks ago.

That’s right; we would go to Petco and just look around at the different animals. On lucky days, we’d get a glimpse of some dogs that owners would bring along for their errands, freshly groomed pooches, or even doggies learning good manners in an obedience class. On occasion, we’d also get to stick our fingers through the little cages and pet the sweet rescue kittens.

I won’t lie; I wanted to take them home just as badly as my girls thought they did.

It’s not that I don’t like pets; I do. I grew up with all kinds. We had snakes, turtles, fish, dogs, cats, hamsters and birds, just to name a few. It seemed like every stray animal gravitated to my family. We even had an African Gray Parrot fly into our backyard once. It became a family pet for many years.

Recently, an opportunity came up to acquire a small 10-gallon fish tank, complete with supplies and a fish, and it was in my price range: FREE! I asked my daughters, who have been begging for a family pet, if they’d like to have a pet fish. You can imagine their excitement.

We were certain that our fish needed a buddy. Life is lonely in a 10-gallon fish tank. So we went straight to Petco, this time with our pet in hand. We had our little guy in a baggie and had no idea what kind of fish he was.

I found an employee who identified our new family pet as a Chinese Algae Eater. We named him Kai-Lan. I was so impressed with this young man who works at Petco. He not only identified my fish, he explained in great detail which fish would get along with ours, how the cycle of the water tank works, along with more information than I ever thought I needed to operate this small marine ecosystem.

My girls were disappointed that we were unable to purchase a buddy for Kai-Lan right away. We found out we had to have our aquarium set up for a minimum of 48 hours before they would sell us a fish. We did pick out a buddy and went back the following week to get “Goldie”, our goldfish.

Goldie and Kai-Lan are perfect roomies. Kids are happy, mom is happy and I don’t have to take a shovel around the backyard just yet. There is a Fido in our future but for now, I’m happy with a net and some fish flakes.

Michelle Walsh is a Menifee resident, a wife and mother of three young girls. She is a former teacher who enjoys running, exercise, sewing, gardening and socializing. Each week, she shares her experiences as a Menifee mom. Michelle welcomes your comments here.

Observations, Questions and Tips About Life: Feb. 27

Featuring Bill Rhoads

Each week, Sun City resident Bill Rhoads shares with us some of his "tips about life." Bill keeps a written record of "tips" that come to mind and has a strong motivation to share them with others. His purpose in doing so is to stimulate his own thinking and to stir some ideas into the pot of life. He believes in God and the Golden Rule.


Strength can pull down or lift
Only with understanding is it a gift.

Life’s biggest mistake is spending too much time getting over little ones.

Humor is the salt of life
Sarcasm is the pepper

Answer to last week's limerick:

Hair


If you have thoughts and/or responses to Bill's tips, leave a comment here or send emails with your feedback to doug.spoon@gmail.com.

Man About Menifee: Finding Hidden Treasures Right Here

By David Baker

Anybody who knows our family knows that my middle son, Jeremiah, and I are a lot alike. We have the same hair, the same eyes, and of course the same sense of humor (sorry, honey).

Above all, we share our sense of curiosity and exploration.

Shortly after I began commuting to San Diego on a daily basis, I noticed I was spending less quality time with the kids. Then I heard a scouting podcast mention geocaching and how much fun it was, so I decided to look into it.

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt using GPS coordinates located online at www.geocaching.com (click here to watch an introductory video). Basically, it is all about finding caches that are hidden all around the world by various geocachers. A cache can be as small as a film canister (for those under 20, that was what we used before SD Cards in our cameras) or as large as a shoebox, although Altoids tins seem to be the most common form.

Adventurers can use a handheld GPS device or a smart phone to lead them to the coordinates. Sometimes the caches are easy to find, and sometimes you have to solve a riddle before you can find it. There are usually hints located in both the description and the comments below the listing (this is where a smart phone beats a simple GPS).

Once at the location, geocachers can sign a log and look at the other users who were there before. Sometimes there are trinkets in the box. The idea here is to take a trinket and leave a trinket of similar value. There are even “trackables”, or trinkets that are hidden in a cache here in Menifee with the purpose of eventually making it to The Statue of Liberty in New York City, or the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

So I downloaded the free “lite” version of the app to start, grabbed Jeremiah, and off we went. I figured there would be one, maybe two, in Menifee, but as it turned out, there were dozens. Jeremiah and I found several just in and near the few major shopping centers along Newport Road. We had a blast and it opened us up to a whole new range of conversations, and gave
us both a physical and mental workout.

We talked about a lot more than geocaching, though. We talked about things that were going on at school, about what he thought about life and even current events. My little boy actually had opinions and thoughts all his own. Kids are like little
people that way.

So grab your kids, your smart phones, and go find a cache near you. Who knows, you might learn something about them, or yourself, that you never knew. Watch out for Muggles, though. These are people who don’t know about geocaching, who might look at you oddly as you walk around a shopping center parking lot, looking under bushes while staring at your iPhone.

David Baker, our Man About Menifee, writes about his adventures in and around town every Friday in this space. You may leave comments here for him or email him at manaboutmenifee@gmail.com.

Menifee Mom: Hanging Tough When the Flu Bug Bites

By Michelle Walsh

It happens every year, and every year it is just as horrible.

Cold and flu season.

Having three children, two who are school age, means germs -- lots and lots of germs. Every year we get hit, and this year is no exception. Two weeks ago, we became victims of a very yucky virus. One by one it took us down, with only a day or two in between.

I spent these last two weeks locked up in my house with three very sick kids. I washed every towel and linen in the entire house, twice. I’ve used a disinfectant cleaner on every doorknob and light switch and everywhere in between that I imagined little hands could go.

I’ve emptied several cans of Lysol in hopes that I could conquer the nasty bug that entered our house. I spent several nights holding back hair, rubbing backs and tummies, taking temps, and even pulled an all-nighter in the ER. And at the very end of all that extra TLC and special treatment, I am rewarded with my very own round of “The Yucky Virus”. Lucky me.

We take all the precautions: Regular hand washing, daily vitamins and immune boosters. We even got the flu shot this year. It seems even with all the above, it’s just a part of our winter -- a part I could really live without.

I know I’m not alone. I know that many of you have had your bout with the "yucky virus" or are going through it right now. It’s just part of life, taking the bad with the good. We do our best, try our hardest to make things perfect, but still bad times come. Luckily, they don’t last forever and each round we learn, grow and get stronger.

I try to keep my eye on the rainbow that comes after the storm. I welcome the non-stop talking and energy that comes back after several days of silence and lethargy. I am encouraged about the many snacks and meals that I am once again summoned to make.

And most of all, I am excited to get back to the adventures which we love to fill our days with.

Michelle Walsh is a Menifee resident, a wife and mother of three young girls. She is a former teacher who enjoys running, exercise, sewing, gardening and socializing. Each week, she shares her experiences as a Menifee mom. Michelle welcomes your comments here.

Observations, Questions and Tips About Life: Feb. 20

Featuring Bill Rhoads

Each week, Sun City resident Bill Rhoads shares with us some of his "tips about life." Bill keeps a written record of "tips" that come to mind and has a strong motivation to share them with others. His purpose in doing so is to stimulate his own thinking and to stir some ideas into the pot of life. He believes in God and the Golden Rule.


This week's limerick:

She twisted and burned it and blew it
Ran bleach and dye constantly through it
While all mine fell out
Hers remains strong and stout

For what else could God ever do to it?

What’s this limerick all about?
(Answer next week)

And some more insights:

A blessing sometimes comes
from a stressing.

God lets us understand as we need to understand...
But only if we search.


If you have thoughts and/or responses to Bill's tips, leave a comment here or send emails with your feedback to doug.spoon@gmail.com.

Man About Menifee: A Dad's View of Life in This Town

By David Baker

When I found out about this opportunity to write for Menifee 24/7, my first reaction was a lot like running into an old friend from your past and picking up right where you left off, as if no time had passed at all.

I wrote for my high school paper and was on the yearbook staff. One of the things I enjoyed most was not the writing itself, but the chance to explore and participate in areas that I might not have otherwise been able to do. Since then, I haven’t had many similar opportunities -- until now.

My name is David Baker and I am a 33-year-old married father of four. My oldest son, Nikk, is 18 and a senior at Santa Rosa Academy. My daughter, Alexandra, is 12 years old and a 6th grader at Menifee Valley Middle School. Jeremiah is 9 years old and in the 4th grade at Ridgemoor Elementary, and Joshuah is 11 months old and a very happy and healthy baby.

I work in sales for a Kitchen and Bath Design Showroom in San Diego. I am a founding member of and a leader in Cub Scout Pack 374, based out of Ridgemoor Elementary here in Menifee. I enjoy hiking, camping, bicycle riding, and recently have become very involved in geocaching, which I've found is a wonderful way to explore Menifee.

I first moved to Menifee from San Diego in February 2010, when my work transferred me to the Murrieta office. I looked into a number of houses for rent in Perris and Menifee. I knew I was home one Sunday afternoon when I walked through a Menifee house into the back yard and heard the dulcet tones of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" coming over the fence. All it needed was a pickup truck and Pabst Blue Ribbon to complete the experience (for those who don’t get the reference, watch this video and fast forward to about the 3:00 mark. For those who do get it, watch anyway. It’s still hilarious.

Over the summer, I began looking for a local Cub Scout Pack for Jeremiah to join. He even got to march with another Pack in the Independence Day parade. We had almost joined that Pack when I was approached by the local District Executive for Menifee, who asked if I would be interested in helping start a NEW Cub Scout Pack. At the time, there was only one Pack to service eight elementary schools.

I had to admit, I was intrigued, and I had never started anything like this from scratch. Through the efforts of myself, my wife and a few motivated parents, Cub Scout Pack 374 began meeting in the fall of 2010. We are now up to 35+ boys and still growing. I am very thankful to the Boy Scouts of America because it has given me opportunities to do things with my family that I may not have done by myself, such as trips to Ocotillo Wells and Anza Borrego.

In January of 2011, I was hired by a company back in San Diego. Rather than uproot the children, my wife and I decided that I would make that long commute to San Diego. It's a price well worth having my kids grow up in Menifee. Shortly after that, I took up geocaching. For those who don't know, geocaching is a high tech treasure hunt using a GPS device or mobile phone, where the geocachers find "caches" or containers hidden by other geocachers. There are already a number of them that I have found in Menifee.

The last three years have been awesome. I have been to parades, 5K runs, Father's Day Campouts and hiked up countless trails in the surrounding area. My time has been full of fun and adventure with my family as we learn more about the areas in and around Menifee.

If you have any feedback or know of something that might make for an interesting column topic, I invite you to send me an email at manaboutmenifee@gmail.com.

David Baker, our Man About Menifee, will write about his adventures in and around town every Friday in this space.

Menifee Mom: They All Have a Piece of Her Heart

By Michelle Walsh

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
-- Elizabeth Stone

It’s dark in the room, I lean over and somehow manage to plant a kiss right on her nose. I whisper, "Goodnight, I love you." I move back to my pillow and seconds later, right on my nose I feel her tiny lips followed by, "I love you, mom."

This is bedtime with my 2-year-old.

I love bedtime for many reasons. I’ll admit it’s the most peaceful, quiet time of the day. But it’s also a time for me to reflect on our day. The things I did right, the things I did wrong ... and there are plenty. Even more important is how I can do things better; not perfect, just better.

I want to make sure my children know they are loved, really loved.

I volunteer in my oldest daughter’s Kindergarten class once a week; before I go, I leave a post-it note inside her pencil box. Just a little love note, saying, "You are my sunshine; I love you to the moon and back."

She reminds me each week, "Mom, don’t forget to leave me a note." Last week when I opened the box, I noticed underneath all the pencils, crayons, eraser and glue stick, there was a pile stuck together of all the notes I’ve written all year.

My middle daughter Allie goes to preschool, where lunch is served. The first few months of school I had to pack her a lunch box, because her older sister carried one to school, so it was important to her to carry one, too. I knew it was important for her to feel "big" like her sister. I also knew it made her feel loved.

It’s just the little things we do that show our children how much we love them. Last week when I picked up my daughter from school, she exclaimed, "Mom, somebody put a mustard sandwich in my lunchbox!" She does not like mustard; my husband does, and he does not like mayonnaise. I accidentally mixed their lunches up.

I found it funny that "Somebody" did this, not "mom", because "mom" knows she does not like mustard!

Today, on Valentine’s Day, I will do some extra special things for my girls to show them I love them. Not because I don’t love them all year long, but because it’s a day when I get to go a little bit overboard. My children are my heart, broken into three pieces, walking around outside my body.

Michelle Walsh is a Menifee resident, a wife and mother of three young girls. She is a former teacher who enjoys running, exercise, sewing, gardening and socializing. Each week, she shares her experiences as a Menifee mom. Michelle welcomes your comments here.

Observations, Questions and Tips About Life: Feb. 13

Featuring Bill Rhoads

Each week, Sun City resident Bill Rhoads shares with us some of his "tips about life." Bill keeps a written record of "tips" that come to mind and has a strong motivation to share them with others. His purpose in doing so is to stimulate his own thinking and to stir some ideas into the pot of life. He believes in God and the Golden Rule.


A ripple in the stream, no matter how small,
In time will cause the mountain to fall.

Reputation, like a beautiful house,
takes years to build and maintain,
and only an instant to destroy.

Marriage is a stable state of fluctuation.

If you have thoughts and/or responses to Bill's tips, leave a comment here or send emails with your feedback to doug.spoon@gmail.com.

Menifee Mom: Treasure Those Little Conversations

By Michelle Walsh

"Mommy, how long before we get dead?" my 4-year-old asked me as we were walking down a path after feeding some ducks.

"Not for a very long while, sweetheart," I replied.

A few short steps later, we saw a crow, dead in the bushes. We stopped and checked it out for a few moments. Lots of questions came up; I listened and answered the best I could.

These kinds of conversations are ones we have all day long. They’re deep; really, they are. If you listen to what your kids really ask and say to you, you can have a better understanding of how their minds work. You’ll know what they worry about, and what they are learning.

I know I am my child’s first and greatest teacher. I’m their role model, their best example, and the one whom they are going to look to for answers to life’s greatest questions. I’m winging it, for I am still learning about life myself. Little do they know, they are teaching mommy a whole lot along the way.

"Mom, can I tell you something?" This is how my 6-year-old seems to start every conversation with me. It’s funny to me that she asks this before speaking. I make sure to always respond, "Yes, you can tell me anything." I have three girls; they like to talk, a lot. Sometimes I do secretly wish for a few moments of silence, but I am thankful that I have three girls who want to talk to me. The very least I can do is give them my attention and listen.

I love listening to their conversations with one another. Overheard in the bathtub the other night: "Yes, mermaids really do poop. I saw a real one once when I was 2 and she pooped."

This from the lips of my 6-year-old. My other two girls were in awe of their older sister. I'm not sure if they were impressed that she saw a real mermaid, or that mermaids might really do "number two."

Bedtime is my very most favorite time for conversing. It’s a time that my girls and I are out of our hustle and bustle mode. It is a time that we can sit, lay, snuggle and just chat. So much comes up. It’s often the time I hear about what happened during their day.

We chat and chat, until it’s time to quiet our voices and get ready to sleep. I tell them they need to recharge their minds and bodies. I stay with them until they’ve fallen asleep. Tomorrow is another day, full of wonder and questions. It is another day full of adventures and conversations. I hope that I am able to fill their lives with the right answers.

Michelle Walsh is a Menifee resident, a wife and mother of three young girls. She is a former teacher who enjoys running, exercise, sewing, gardening and socializing. Each week, she shares her experiences as a Menifee mom. Michelle welcomes your comments here.

Observations, Questions and Tips About Life: Feb. 6

Featuring Bill Rhoads

Each week, Sun City resident Bill Rhoads shares with us some of his "tips about life." Bill keeps a written record of "tips" that come to mind and has a strong motivation to share them with others. His purpose in doing so is to stimulate his own thinking and to stir some ideas into the pot of life. He believes in God and the Golden Rule.


Reality can sometimes be considered
Blunt force trauma.

On getting away:
Get away from your kids from time to time;
All artists must step back to view their work.

Music is man’s attempt to speak the language of God.


If you have thoughts and/or responses to Bill's tips, leave a comment here or send emails with your feedback to doug.spoon@gmail.com.

Seniors Corner: United Communities Group Has a Mission

By Chuck Reutter

Garry and Thelma Grant brought the group Riverside County Unincorporated Communities to the Sun City section of Menifee in the late 1990s. The group, now known as the Riverside County United Communities, meets in Boston Billies restaurant on the third Saturday of the month. The meeting starts with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and follows with speakers and information.

In 1983, Riverside County Supervisor Patricia “Corky” Larson, along with LAFCO, the Local Agency Formation Commission for Riverside County, agreed to the formation of the Riverside County Unincorporated Communities. This was the result of the concerns of citizens living in those unincorporated areas of Riverside County. In 2009, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors believed RCUC was hindering the development of a General Plan. As a result, this led to the private formation of the Riverside County United Communities organization we know today.

One of the many focuses RCUC has is bringing in speakers from all levels of local and state government and providing our citizens with the opportunity to ask questions and get to know what their government representative is doing for them. In addition, community activists have spoken at RCUC meetings about such issues as the Medical Marijuana movement and the UN Agenda 21 issue.

Garry Grant desires to create a broad understanding on how to use the tools of democracy and how the United States Constitution best serves our people. High school and college students are welcome to attend these meetings and learn about the workings of our local and state government.

Chuck Reutter, a longtime resident of the Sun City area of Menifee, shares his thoughts on the senior scene here monthly.

The Caregivers' Journey: For Your Sake, Set Boundaries

By Marsha Kay Seff

"The Caregivers' Journey" appears here monthly. Marsha Kay Seff wrote and edited the San Diego Eldercare Directory for 10 years. She knows first-hand about the ups and downs of caregiving, as she brought her aging parents to San Diego from Miami Beach in order to look after them. Her column will discuss the challenges faced by adults in caring for their aging parents. Direct email inquiries or responses to mkseff@gmail.com.

Take a deep breath and buckle your seat belt. You’re a caregiver: Sure you feel overwhelmed. It goes with the job; there’s not a family caregiver around who doesn’t feel stressed to the max – a lot of the time.

Caregiving is a rollercoaster. You go up and you go down, sometimes at virtually the same time. So buckle up and try to enjoy the best parts of the ride. An important way to prepare for this journey is to set boundaries.

You might not want to; you might believe you can do it all, and you might feel guilty if you can’t. But you have to try. Because if you don’t set limits, you’re going to reach yours before too long. And then, you won’t be any help to your loved ones.

Though I didn’t always stick to my boundaries, I always made the attempt. I phoned my parents at their retirement home five days a week. I saw them for dinner and shopping on Wednesdays. I’d put out big fires as needed, but I tried to wait on the little ones that often died out by themselves by the following day.

I didn’t phone my parents on weekends and asked them not to call me then "unless you’re dead, and, then, think twice before dialing." When I went on vacation, I left my sister in charge and I did not leave a phone number.

My parents knew about all the boundaries I set and respected them.

It’s tough saying "no," but you need to learn. You can’t be responsible for every aspect of your loved ones’ care and it’s not your responsibility or even in your power to make them happy. You can’t do it all, no matter how hard you try.

You need to get over rationalizing that no one else can care for your loved ones as well as you. That might be true, but it’s not worth losing yourself in the process.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If your family or friends ask what they can do, don’t be shy. Tell them. Helping you is a gift they might enjoy giving.

Caregivers live their daily lives very close to their boundaries. But if you recognize them and believe it’s OK to set them, life will be more manageable.

As a caregiver, taking the time to renew yourself is imperative. Don’t be afraid to do it.

Sponsored by Right at Home, In-Home Care & Assistance, www.rahtemecula.com, (951) 506-9628, loretteoliver@rahtemecula.com. Contact Marsha Kay Seff at mkseff@gmail.com.