About the Blog

You can call me Tia.  My given name is Lori but I prefer the name the people who love me best call me.  Besides, “What’s In A Name?"  In another life I was a special education teacher. I started and led a program with Children’s Home Society, for unwed mothers, and was a foster mother for many years.  I am especially tuned in to foster care, infertility, birth, and adoption as I have experienced them all.  I am an adoption advocate and an advocate for animals. I’ve been raising kind, successful kids since 1976!   I’m constantly searching to make my life count.  To be a better friend, wife and mother.  To be a light in a world where there is darkness, and to search to find people who are so constantly amazing that they shine. I believe you should love everybody, no exceptions. 

This blog started out as a way to share photographs and stories with friends, as we remodeled our cottage by the sea which we moved to about 8 years ago.  A cottage built in the 1950’s which we updated and are still and forever working on!  Then things slowed down and I started to invest my time in this blog in order to indulge my creativity in an upbeat, positive way. They say, you should write what you love.  My husband, my family, including my animals and my friends, fit the bill nicely.  I like to think of myself as a lyricist of memories.

So, I write about my husband Scott, our five biological and adopted kids, all of whom are now launched out into the world leaving mom with an empty nest.  I write about our nine brilliant grandchildren, along with lots of photos.  We are a big, American, Irish, Catholic family, with a passion for the culture of life from conception to natural death.  We live in a small beach town in San Diego, California.  A lot of shenanigans go on around here and this is a positive way to chronicle the beauty and blessings in our lives.  Hop on over to my Family page and I’ll introduce you to the clan.  It seems to be ever changing!

I fill this blog with my original photographs, another hobby of mine.  I am blessed to wiggle my toes in the sand every day and I hope to share Southern California and especially its sandy beaches and gorgeous sunsets with you.  I practice yoga every day, in body, mind and spirit.  I attempt to keep an organic garden, and I also have an Arts page where you can share my heart.  Painting in acrylic, oils and water colors are my inspiration and how I keep sane. 

Sarcasm is a given, me being me, and there’s a dose of silly and blarney and perhaps a wee bit of padwackery thrown in for good measure.  I hope you come share my life on this blog often, because I’d love to have you.  Remodeling, raising kids, chasing grandkids, traveling, my goal is to live life as an art form.   And unless you’re spam, you’re welcome here.