Posted by Sue on: Mon 23rd Mar, 2009

What to do with your little munchkin when they're visiting Santa Barbara?  This is an easy one.  Try the 25-minute Pirate Cruise at Stearn's Wharf.  

If Paycheck the whale happens to be around (mid-week is best), it's a real kick for both you and your grandchild to witness his antics.  Should the whale be indisposed, the captain will venture out to the seals languishing on the buoy just outside the harbor.

Lucky petit sailors get to drive the boat and don a pirate's hat.  

Be prepared for a steady briskness on the water, however.  I brought a warm jacket and a blanket just in case.   

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Tags: whale-watching, sblifestyle, grandchildren

Posted by Sue on: Sat 21st Mar, 2009

Okay, so I'm not a guru at this "writing for an online newspaper" thing.  If my photo actually shows up when I post this, I think I'll fall off my chair.  

As a grandma in Santa Barbara, I am always searching for a place to take my active 2 and 5 year old granddaughters.  

The other day I took the older one to Alice Keck Memorial Gardens where we pushed all the buttons on the tape machines, hiked on the paths and observed the fish and turtles in the pond.  

We watched the turtles maneuvering up the crowded concrete sides of the pond only to slip back into water.  We saw one turtle "get in the face" of another one and taunt him by vibrating his "fingers" (really fascinating to watch).  

And when the 5 minutes were over, we headed back across the street to Kidsworld at Alameda Park where I resumed chasing, lifting, climbing, and my favorite, sitting on the whale.

Tags: sblifestyle

Posted by Sue on: Thu 19th Mar, 2009

The most recent guest at Maravilla is greeted with mixed response.  Many admire his flamboyant showmanship.  Others disapprove of his direct deposits (not at the on-the-premises bank)! 

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Tags: Santa Barbara Maravilla

Posted by Sue on: Mon 9th Mar, 2009

Remember the great television show "In Search Of"?  The program aired back in 1977 and covered topics such as psychic detectives, dreams and nightmares, super children, past lives, ghosts in photography, Nostradamus and the Titanic.

To my recollection, it never addressed "the freshest and most-inexpensive salads in Santa Barbara."

Enter Susan Levine, Santa Barbara's savvy correspondent whose mission is to clue you in on cost-saving and other senior and boomer issues.  

Answering my hunger pains, I had the good fortune of landing at Fresco's North on Calle Real in Goleta (between Patterson and Fairview) where I found my usual Chinese chicken side salad with a fresh roll and butter for only $5.  

I can't honestly say this discovery was better than learning about Houdini's secrets or about the lost Vikings but I can say that I left the restaurant one very satisfied customer.

Tags: sblifestyle, restaurants, Santa Barbara restaurants, bargains, Santa Barbara dining, dining

Posted by Sue on: Fri 6th Mar, 2009

Boy was I wrong.  I thought all hospices dealt with the last 6 months of life.  Not the Hospice of Santa Barbara, I learned Wednesday.

According to Amanda Kastelic, Community Relations/Education Coordinator, the Hospice of Santa Barbara forms partnerships with its clients sometimes lasting for years.  The organization assists those who are experiencing the impact of a life-threatening illness or are grieving the death of a loved one by employing emotional, social and spiritual healing therapies.

Family members of all ages may participate in individual and group counseling, support groups, touch therapy, mentoring and educational programs.

The Hospice of Santa Barbara differs from the common image of hospice since this foundation does not involve skilled nursing (insurance companies and Medicare are non-issues).  Moreover, it is completely funded by donations from the community so there are NO (and I repeat, NO) FEES for professional and other services.

Thank you, Hospice of Santa Barbara, for your compassionate care.  It's groups like yours that make Santa Barbara a wonderful place to live...and die.  

For more information on end of life, caregiving and other issues affecting the over 50 population, visit www.50somethinginfo.com.  

Tags: Hospice of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara hospice, end-of-life, end of life, sblifestyle, sbhealth