WHAT IS THE NUMBER 56?

August 8th is a special date in our family. On that date fifty-six years ago, Elfa said “I do”. I was twenty, my wife twenty-one. Since then, I count our blessings every day. So, what is the meaning of the number 56? Online I learned that “the number 56 often brings good luck and positive energy into people’s domestic lives”. And also, that it is a sign “to be grateful for what you can do and the people you have in your life”. It is also “a symbol of new beginnings”.

 At the age when many people retire, we decided not only to keep going, in spite of the current challenges in mortgage industry, but to begin a new direction by focusing on helping people who retire to have a better life with reverse mortgages. I have even written a book on the subject – “Retirement Solutions for Smart People”, which is going to be available shortly.

As you can see, all three definitions of the meaning of the number 56 are correct. To commemorate this important date, we asked our gardener to plant two young magnolia trees, which, as you probably know, produce beautiful flowers.

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WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

I was recently helping my client, Adar, get financing to buy the property that he and his wife were renting. It seemed like an ordinary purchase transaction. What was special, was his source of income, which was coming from the ice cream store he owned and operated together with his brother. I knew this place very well, since it is located on the 9^th Avenue, not far from Golden Gate Park. I have enjoyed their delicious flavors on several occasions. When I mentioned to Adar that I am trying to hold back on sugar because my pants are getting tighter, he responded that this is what he advised his clients, whom he was training at the gym across the street. “Do not check the scale, check your pants.” It turns out that he used to be a gym instructor while going to Law School. But at the same time, he was dreaming that one day he would have an ice cream shop on the 9^th Avenue. Eight years ago, his dream of opening San Francisco Homemade Creamery, became a reality.

Adar continued to dream. He decided to convert a dilapidated VW minibus into a store on wheels. He was told that this was not possible. Now his red minivan, which on the weekends is parked on Scott and Marina Boulevard is attracting locals as well as tourists. When my wife and I came there last Sunday to take photos, I stood in a long line and we tried Madagascar Vanilla and Chocolate Sorbet. It was delicious. When I asked Kenneth, who works there, for an extra spoon for Max, he gave him a small scoop instead, which Max licked up in no time. On the way home, we went to the 9^th Avenue shop to get two pints to take home for some guests we were having.

If you love ice cream, please read my poem which appeared in my book “42 Encounters with Love”.

Love Of Ice Cream

I love how ice cream tastes,
But I do not like how it affects my waist.
Can I indulge once a week?
And which of the flavors shall I seek?
Perhaps vanilla with cherry?
But I do not care about Ben & Jerry.
How about two flavors,
Covered with berries, in a bowl?
However, this will definitely mess with
My weight-losing goal.
What about dark chocolate on the cone?
By the time I decided, it was gone.
I scream for ice cream;
I love how it tastes.
But what about the size of my waist?

And what is your dream? Enjoy It and Share!

HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLER?

How would you feel if someone you love wrote a book, which became a bestseller? Our daughter Allona has published her first novel, The Weaver. It is filled with suspense, love, mystery, surprises and self-discovery. The story is about a woman, who reaches the top of her career and seems to have it all in life. And then suddenly it is all gone. She finds herself in the forest in the company of a mysterious woman, the weaver. But she does not remember of who she is or what has happened to her. You will find out what happens next after you get the book.

Allona is not only a gifted writer, but also a deeply spiritual person. She has had an incredible life journey, from an art gallery owner in New York and an art adviser in Paris, France. Now she is an author and lives near us in Sausalito. Allona brings the richness of her life experiences into this book, and much more, her spiritual connection and inspiration. I am sure that like me you won’t be able to put The Weaver down.

If you’d like to find out more, you can check out the book’s website or just get your own copy of The Weaver on paperback or kindle on this link. Please help The Weaver stay an Amazon Bestseller by getting your book today, and make sure to write your review.

I decided to share with you three images of the forest, where we could get lost and find ourselves.

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WHAT MAKES PORTLAND WEIRD

Years ago, when my wife and I first visited Portland, I saw a sign on a store window that read: “Keep Portland Weird.” The word weird means strange, odd, fantastic and often has a negative connotation. Browsing the web, I learned about one of the reasons they call Portland this way. “Portland has been affectionately referred to as “weird” for decades perhaps because it has the most strip clubs per capita in the nation.” https://www.goseewrite.com/2016/03/7-reasons-and-more-why-portland-is-weird/

Of course, there are other reasons Portland is on the list of weird cities, which also includes San Francisco. During our recent visit to Oregon, I encountered some weirdly positive changes. A year and a half ago, downtown Portland was filthy, and had a very large homeless population living in tents. Now, it was nice to see it clean. There were still “stoned” people sleeping on benches, but for that I could stay in San Francisco. The streets were crowded with locals and tourists. Restaurants were filled with diners. There were a lot readers at the famous Powell’s book store…

…When we entered a Whole Foods store, a female guard greeted us with a smile. Suddenly, some commotion forced us to turn around. The same woman and another uniformed guard had their hands on their handguns, and without a smile, escorted an unwelcome visitor out of the store. These actions probably would be considered weird in San Francisco. If not our tolerance to the bad behavior, Whole Foods and other stores would still be open. For me, another weird thing was to see a number of people, especially young women covered with tattoos. As another weird city, San Francisco has its own share, however Portland beats us in many categories.

 

These three images show some of my experience.

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HOW TO MOVE

In the Real Estate section of the San Francisco Chronicle recently, three real estate agents shared their view on moving, which is the intricate part of any real estate sales transaction. Any change in our lives can be stressful – moving can be very, very, very challenging, unless you have enough time in advance to prepare. This is a great opportunity to get rid of accumulated stuff. If you can afford it, add the cost of a professional organizer to your budget. You can also check Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo’s book “Kurashi at Home”, or watch her videos.

I am writing about this subject in Portland, Oregon, where we came to help our daughter and her family move to their new home. Our primary job is to unpack boxes. We did such a good job a few years ago when they moved to Portland, that we were invited back. Of course, this was a great excuse to spend time with our granddaughter who is going to be three in September. Though we’ve lived in our house together with my wife for over forty years, we just moved our business office to a smaller space, and I know first-hand how stressful it can be.

To end this essay, I am going to give you two suggestions, regardless of whether you are moving or not:
1. Do not clutter your life with the stuff you can live without.
2. Get rid of the things you are not planning to use during the next year. Donate those things to someone who might need them.
Our daughter and her family moved to an area called Mt. Tabor. During my walks in the neighborhood, I encountered some of the blooms I’ve never photographed before. These three images are a sample of my experience. 

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I THINK, YOU THINK, I THINK…

Many years ago, when our children were much younger, we used to play a board game called “I Think, You Think, I Think”. The essence was to guess what other players were thinking in given circumstances. There were cards with questions like, “You found a wallet with 100 dollars, what would you do?” Another card would list three options. And the guesser had to choose what the other players were thinking about the choice. I had a lot of fun when one of our daughters would think what I think about one of things, while I made a different choice. To this day, I hear in my head, “Dad, you would not do that.”

This game came to my mind when recently during some turbulent events in Russia, when I saw on the news one of the “experts” was asked a question about what is going on. He expressed his opinion by stating, “I think.” The next day the events turned out to be the complete opposite to what this expert was thinking.

And this, I think, can be said about anything in our lives either our personal affairs, economy, or politics, since we never know what the other person thinks and what actions are going to be taken as a result. Therefore, do not think too much, just enjoy the moment. What do you think the three images I am sharing with you represent? Please let me know.

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LIFE CYCLE

I received a phone call recently, with the name Taya on my phone’s screen. However, instead of Taya’s voice, it was her husband Peter. “I am returning your call to Taya”, he said. “Taya is gone.” This was very shocking news. “When?” I asked. “Half an hour ago, I am calling you from the hospital,” -he said.

I first met Taya many years ago when she was a real estate agent. Later on, she and Peter became our clients and this relationship evolved into a friendship. We would meet for a dinner, sharing our latest life stories, about their children, and their grandchildren. A year ago, they told us about their trip to Florida, where they planned to retire. This did not happen. Taya was a very nice person, considerate, reliable, and a good friend. She complemented and stood behind ambitious Peter’s projects. Together they were a wonderful couple for forty-four years.

Being 76 years young, I hear more and more about people who left me behind in our life’s cycle. From the moment we are born, we all have one destination. The question is, what we do in between; how many lives do we touch, and how many positive differences do we make?

Three images of roses show the life cycle of flowers as a reminder to enjoy life while we still can.

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BOUQUETS TO ART

Two weeks ago, we visited the de Young Museum, to see the Floral Art Exhibition. It had 113 floral art pieces displayed throughout the museum galleries. I photograph flowers all the time and you can see images of my bouquets at thehealingimages.com. The bouquets in the museum were unique pieces of art, like sculptures. Since they were positioned in front of the permanent art collection on the walls, I discovered art which I did not notice before. Usually, we go to the de Young for their special exhibitions, like the current one, “Ansel Adams in Our Time”, not leaving enough time to see art.

To absorb and appreciate art, we need more time and not to run from one piece to another. I was reading about a famous photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, who before becoming a photographer, was trained as a painter. At the end of his life, he stopped taking photos and returned to painting. He would go to museums and would sit in front of one painting for hours. The well-known phrase, “The Decisive Moment”, which was a mistranslation of the title of his book called “Images à la Sauvette”, became the cornerstone of my type of photography.

Instead of showing you very complicated images of the bouquets, I am sharing with you these three photos of lovely ladies who volunteered in the museum with flowers on their heads, whom I captured in the decisive moment.

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SMALL AND BEAUTIFUL

Over forty-seven years ago, I first heard the phrase “Small is Beautiful”. At that time, we lived in Israel and I worked as a project manager, supplying and building industrial plants in many countries in the world. When we needed additional funds for one of our projects, we went to the person in charge of money. He used this phrase which comes from the book, “Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered” written by E.F. Schumacher. It is based on the concept that small and frugal can go a long way in any projects.

I thought about this phrase recently, but for a different reason. During one of our trips with Max to Golden Gate Park, I noticed a proliferation of wild flowers. However, unlike cultivated ones like roses, the flowers were very small. I was excited to see and photograph them. I moved from one to the next one, and the next, like a child who sees many toys at once. After all, the flowers were small and beautiful.

If you love nature, I strongly recommend the book, “Seeds of Hope” written by Jane Goodall, who is well known for her work with chimpanzees. In the book, she shares fascinating stories about trees, flowers, and seeds. I am sharing these three images of insects who seem to like flowers as well, though for different reasons.

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WHAT WAS THE LAST THOUGHT THEY HAD?

I received a phone call recently, from a real estate agent whom I had not worked with before. She had a listing for a home which had a lot of problems and could not be financed by a conventional lender. I assured her that there is a special financing program called “Fix and Flip”, specifically for such kind of properties. I prepared a special flyer describing the way the program works, and received a number of calls from the potential buyers. However, when the dust settled, there were thirty-six offers, and the property was sold for cash, well over the listing price. Some call that types of property a contractor’s dream. The feasibility of such projects depends on different factors. One of them is the cost of the financing, which is often ignored because of the stiff competition.

I thought about this during our recent trip to North Carolina. During the last two days my wife and I stayed with our friends in the small town of Mars Hill. Their house is located in the countryside, surrounded by forests and meadows. While driving around, our friend Richard pointed out many homes and barns that were abandoned by their owners, really creating contractors’ dreams, but not many takers. He told me that when he drives by, he often thinks “What was the last thought the owner had before leaving?”

When I was thinking about writing this story, I was considering showing you the images of some of the dilapidated buildings, which I specially photographed. Instead, I decided to share three images showing the beauty of the area, including our friends’ house and one contractor’s dream.

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