There's No Place Like Home- By John Larimore

The Thanksgiving Holiday is fast approaching.  It is indeed a pleasure to post the following article from Fellow THD Resident, John Larimore, my Guest Blogger for Today. Here's John E-mail, I received the other day. 

Hi David,

It's been a while since I've written a guest blog post for you, and I enjoy contributing to our THD community so I have some thoughts to share with you.  Feel free, once you read this, to let me know whether you'd like to include what I've written in an upcoming post.  My post arises from two sources, the approach of Thanksgiving and my gratitude for living here at THD.  Here goes:

Over the years, two oft-repeated sayings have frequently come to mind for me:  "There's no place like home" and "Home is where the heart is."  When I think about what it's been like for Carol and me to have lived here at THD for 2 and 3/4 years, our community truly has become home to us.  Whenever we have been away, whether it's been for just a few hours or whether for a number of days, when we enter the lobby, experiencing the soft carpet under our feet, the warm yet gentle lighting, and the cheerful greetings of fellow residents or staff members, both Carol and I say to ourselves, "This is our home!" and it gives us a wonderful feeling inside.

We recently shared a meal at Newton's with a fellow resident whom we enjoy very much.  The three of us were talking about our experience here at THD and the resident said how much she appreciated being here, how grateful she was to live here, that THD is home to her, and that if THD didn't exist, she didn't know where else she would want to live.  What struck Carol and me about these comments was that, just a few moments earlier, as we were preparing to go downstairs from our apartment to Newton's we expressed these same sentiments to each other.  THD is home to us and, indeed, if our community didn't exist, we don't know where we'd want to live!

I'm pretty certain that Carol and I are not the only folks here who feel as we do.  No community is perfect, just as none of us human beings is perfect.  We all have our quirks, our foibles, and our shortcomings, but we also have our talents, our strengths, our unique experiences, and our individual perspectives. All of these elements come together in the ambiance here to create our THD community and, Carol and I feel fortunate to be here!

Home is indeed where the heart is!  Carol and I so appreciate not only our fellow residents, whom we have come to love deeply, but also our wonderful THD staff, who give generously to all of us, from their hearts, every day.  

Carol and I say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the concierge staff, the kitchen crew, the dining room  staff, housekeepers, van drivers, gardeners and landscapers, activities folks, maintenance crew,  Jenny, who wears many hats and makes every one of us feel so welcome and loved, and Barbara, who keeps us all on our toes!

Carol and I wish all of our fellow residents and staff a very, very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!  John Larimore

Personal Note: I Agree 100% with the sentiments of the above e-mail. As John noted, there is no perfect place in the world, but again to me,  HOME is not a PLACE, but in the HEART.    

Speaking if Home is a Place, there were 8 places, I once called home, and one place, my current home, The Heritage Downtown, (THD), Walnut Creek, CA since June, 2023 to the Present. 

Here is the list of places that my family have resided in the Philippines and United States, dates(years), the number of years and the Milestone of Each Place in my 91 years of Life, so far.  

1. Jaro/ Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, PI, 1934-1952,  18 years, Childhood, teenage and high school

2. UP, Diliman, Quezon City, PI, 1952-1959, 7 years, College( BS) and Teaching Chemistry 

3. University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, 1959-1964, 5 years, Graduate School- MS and Ph.D. 

4. Chemagro Corp (Bayer),Kansas City, MO, 1964-1969, 5 years, First Industrial Job 

5. Shell Development Company, Modesto, CA,1969-1974, 5 years, Second Industrial Job

6. Stauffer/ Chevron Chemicals, Pinole, CA, 1974-1990, 16 years, 3rd/4th Industrial Jobs

7. Colesville, MD, 1990-2002-FDA Years, 12 years, Involvement with Filipino-Americans

8. Fair Oaks, CA, USA and Boac, Marinduque, PI, 2002-2023, 21years, Retirement Years. 

During these 21years, My wife( RIP) and I spent from 3-4 months each year in our Beach House and Retirement Center in Marinduque, and from 8-9 months in our primary home in Fair Oaks, the Eastern suburb of Sacramento, CA.  We called ourselves snowbirds and our lifestyle, SNOW-BIRDING      

 

https://chateaudumer.blogspot.com/2011/04/is-snowbirding-really-great.html

Meanwhile, here's my short Thanksgiving Reflection: Gratitude as a Way of Seeing Life more clearly. A longer reflection will be posted in time for Thanksgiving Day 

Thanksgiving has a way of slowing us down. For one day, the noise of the world softens just enough for gratitude to speak. Across cultures and centuries, the wisest voices have reminded us that gratitude isn’t just a polite habit, it’s a way of seeing life more clearly.

Albert Schweitzer urged us not to delay the expression of gratitude, as if saying “thank you” is itself an act of courage. Cicero went even deeper, calling gratitude the root of all virtues,  a reminder that the good in us begins with recognizing the good around us.

The Dalai Lama taught that gratefulness creates respect, while G.K. Chesterton saw gratitude as “happiness doubled by wonder.” Perhaps this is why Thanksgiving feels so meaningful: it turns simple moments into quiet miracles.

Meister Eckhart believed that a single heartfelt “thank you” could be a complete prayer. In a similar spirit, Maya Angelou and Oprah Winfrey encouraged us to see gratitude as a daily practice, something that cushions us, steadies us, and enlarges our lives.

From Ethiopia, Haile Selassie reminded us that gratitude is inseparable from our humanity. And from America, John F. Kennedy urged us to find time just a moment to acknowledge the people who make our days brighter.

On this Thanksgiving, may we carry these voices with us. May we look at our lives not for what is missing, but for what has been quietly holding us up all along. And may our “thank you”  spoken, written, whispered, or simply felt be enough to honor this day of reflection.

Happy Thanksgiving, Every One and to My Blog Readers All Over the World 

My Food For Thought For Today: 

 https://www.facebook.com/reel/1898759370851784

Discovering the Morning Show on Apple TV.

This posting is inspired after I finished watching Season 1 of the Show just this week. Looking forward for the next 4 Seasons. 

Discovering The Morning Show: A Late but Joyful Arrival to Apple TV’s Signature Drama

Every now and then, a television series comes along that makes you wonder how you managed to miss it the first time. That was my experience this week when I discovered The Morning Show, Apple TV’s flagship drama starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, and an ensemble that delivers some of the most electric acting I’ve seen on television in years.

As someone who has lived through major national crises, worked inside federal systems, and watched media shape public perception in real time, I find The Morning Show gripping in a way that goes beyond entertainment. It’s a drama about power, truth, and the fragile machinery of American institutions, themes that resonate deeply with anyone who has spent time inside government, health agencies, or the regulatory world.

A Show That Pulls You In From the First Scene

Unlike many series that take a few episodes to warm up, The Morning Show charges out of the gate. The central storyline, a powerful broadcast anchor embroiled in a #MeToo scandal, becomes a lens through which the series explores workplace culture, ethics, ambition, and the quiet compromises people make to survive in high-pressure environments.

Every episode feels current, relevant, and uncomfortably real. The boardroom scenes, the crisis-management meetings, the scramble to control a narrative before sunrise;  if you’ve ever worked in a federal agency or any large institution, you’ll recognize the cadence of those moments.

What Makes the Show So Addictive

1. The acting is extraordinary

Jennifer Aniston delivers some of the most nuanced work of her career. Her character, Alex Levy, is brilliant, flawed, vulnerable, and fierce, often within the same five minutes. Reese Witherspoon’s Bradley Jackson brings moral tension and emotional complexity. And Billy Crudup? His performance as Cory Ellison is a masterclass in charismatic chaos.

2. The newsroom dynamics are stunningly realistic

The show captures the controlled chaos of broadcast journalism, the countdown clocks, the egos, the split-second decisions that can alter careers and national conversations. These scenes remind me how much pressure sits behind every public message, whether on a morning broadcast or an FDA press briefing.

3. The themes hit close to home

The series dives into sexual misconduct, corporate cover-ups, political manipulation, public health crises, and in later seasons the early days of COVID-19. Watching the pandemic storyline unfold brought back memories of my own FDA years, when decisions often had life-changing consequences and every hour demanded clarity, collaboration, and calm under pressure.

The Show’s Emotional Power

What I didn’t expect was how emotionally layered the storytelling would be. Beneath the bright studio lights and glamorous Manhattan skyline is a world full of people trying, often failing to do the right thing. The show captures the loneliness of leadership, the grief of betrayal, the courage it takes to speak up, and the complicated nature of truth.

There are moments that feel so honest, so human, that they stay with you long after the episode ends.

Watching It in 2025 Adds a New Perspective

Discovering The Morning Show years after its debut is its own kind of gift. I’m watching it with hindsight, not just in terms of news cycles, but with the perspective of age, experience, and, in my case, the lived understanding of how institutions function behind the scenes.

It reminds me why transparency matters. Why ethical leadership matters. And why the stories we tell in the media, in government, in our communities shape how people see the world.

A Show I’m Glad I Found Late

I may have come to The Morning Show long after its premiere, but I’m enjoying every moment. It’s a rare series that entertains, challenges, and provokes reflection all at once.

For anyone who appreciates sharp writing, powerful performances, and thoughtful commentary on the hidden machinery of modern America, this series is absolutely worth diving into whether for the first time or the third.

And for me, discovering it now feels like reconnecting with an old part of myself: the professional years spent navigating crises, communicating honestly, and watching the intersection of media, policy, and public trust unfold in real time.

Meanwhile, here's what Wikipedia says of the Morning Show- 5 Seasons 

The Morning Show, also known as Morning Wars in Australia and Indonesia, is an American drama television series starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Billy Crudup. The series premiered on Apple TV on November 1, 2019. The series is inspired by Brian Stelter's 2013 book Top of the Morning. The show examines the characters and culture behind a network broadcast morning news program. After allegations of sexual misconduct, the male co-anchor of the program is forced off the show. Aspects of the #MeToo movement are examined from multiple perspectives as more information comes out regarding the misconduct. Subsequent seasons focus on other political topics and current events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, racial inequality, the Capitol insurrection, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The second season premiered on September 17, 2021. In January 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on September 13, 2023. The series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on September 17, 2025.The series was renewed for a fifth season on September 16, 2025, ahead of the premiere of the fourth season.

The series has received accolades, including 27 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, ten Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and nine Golden Globe Award nominations. Jennifer Aniston and Billy Crudup have received particular acclaim for their performances, with Aniston winning the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in 2020 and earning two nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Crudup winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2020 and 2024.

Premise

Alex Levy co-anchors The Morning Show (TMS), a popular morning newsprogram broadcast from Manhattan on the UBA network, which has excellent viewership ratings and is perceived to have changed the face of American television.

In the first season, after her on-air partner of 15 years, Mitch Kessler, is fired amid a sexual misconduct scandal, Alex fights to retain her job as a top news anchor while paired with a new partner, Bradley Jackson, a field reporter whose series of impulsive decisions increasingly threatens the network.

In the second season, the network CEO attempts to convince Alex to return to TMS as the COVID-19 pandemic engulfs the United States and the show itself. Meanwhile, Bradley deals with an identity crisis.

In the third season, the network struggles for viewers for its subscription service and contemplates a takeover by tech titan Paul Marks.

In the fourth season, the newly merged UBN attempts to further its ambitions, while Bradley investigates a cover-up at the hands of the former UBA.

Finally,  here's the AI Overview discussing whether the Show is Worth Watching: 

Whether The Morning Show is worth watching depends on your tolerance for drama and evolving quality; many suggest the first season is excellent and worth watching for its performances, but later seasons have drawn criticism for being messy or losing focus, though they remain compulsively watchable for some. The show is praised for its ambitious attempt to tackle real-world issues and its star-studded cast, but some critics argue its plotting and tone can be inconsistent. 

Arguments for watching

• Compelling performances: 

  The acting, particularly from Jennifer Aniston and Billy Crudup, is frequently cited as a major strength. Crudup's portrayal of Cory Ellison is often singled out as a highlight. 
• Ambitious subject matter: 

  The show tackles significant themes like the #MeToo movement and the challenges of modern journalism, often with high-stakes drama and a fast pace. 
• Addictive quality: 

  Despite its flaws, many find the show to be "addictively entertaining" and "compulsively watchable". 

Arguments for being cautious

• Varying season quality: 

  While the first season is often praised, some viewers and critics feel subsequent seasons are not as good, becoming more convoluted or messy. 
• Inconsistent tone and plotting: 

  Reviews mention that the show's tone can fluctuate, and later seasons have been described as having too many storylines that don't quite come together. 
• May not hold up for everyone: 

  If you are not a fan of constant, high-intensity drama, the show's "exhausting exercise" in melodrama might not be for you. 

How to decide

• Watch the first season: 

  Many reviewers suggest watching the first season as it is often considered a strong, self-contained story worth experiencing on its own. 
• Consider your taste: 

  If you enjoy glossy, star-studded dramas with high production value and are willing to overlook some plot inconsistencies, the show might be a good fit. 
• Manage expectations for later seasons: 

  If you continue past the first season, be prepared for the show to become more chaotic and less focused, as many viewers have experienced. 

Daily Reading Can Reduce the Risk of AZD

A daily reading habit may do far more than sharpen the mind; it could actually protect it. Recent research shows that reading a book for as little as six minutes a day can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, enhance memory, and improve communication skills by keeping the brain active and resilient.

Scientists explain that reading engages multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, language processing, memory recall, imagination, and emotional regulation, creating a kind of mental workout that strengthens neural connections. Over time, this activity builds what researchers call cognitive reserve, a buffer that helps the brain resist age-related decline and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.

Just six minutes of focused reading has also been shown to lower stress levels by up to 68%, calm heart rate, and reduce muscle tension. This mental relaxation enhances overall brain function, making it easier to retain information, express ideas clearly, and manage emotions effectively.

Unlike scrolling or passive media, reading demands deep focus, stimulating both hemispheres of the brain and promoting new neuron growth. The result is improved memory retention, stronger vocabulary, and better emotional intelligence, even in older adults.

The takeaway is simple: reading doesn’t just expand knowledge, it preserves it. A few quiet minutes with a good book can help strengthen memory, sharpen communication, and build long-term brain protection, one page at a time.

Meanwhile,  here's a more personal write-up on the topic. I titled it,  Six Minutes to Remember

Every morning, before the day gathers its noise, I sit quietly with a book or a newspaper. Sometimes it’s a few pages of poetry, sometimes an article that stirs the mind and specifically AI technology news. It rarely lasts more than a few minutes, six perhaps and yet those six minutes have become my daily act of renewal.

A recent study says that reading for just six minutes a day can sharpen memory and even lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. I smiled when I read that. Science is finally confirming what the soul has long known that attention, curiosity, and imagination keep us alive in ways no medicine can.

When I read, I feel my mind stretch and soften at the same time. Words reach into places I didn’t know needed light. They pull me out of the narrowness of self and into the wider landscape of human thought. Each sentence is a gentle electric current, keeping the circuits of the mind alive.

And when I write these small daily reflections, my blog entries born of quiet mornings, it feels like the return half of the same breath. Reading fills me; writing releases me. One feeds memory, the other meaning. Together, they weave the fabric of my inner life.

Perhaps that’s why I read and write every day not merely to remember facts, but to remember myself. To remember what it feels like to be awake, to be moved, to still care about beauty and truth in a world that hurries past them.

Six minutes a day, that’s all it takes, they say. But maybe it’s not about time at all. Maybe it’s about the willingness to pause, to listen, to let the mind wander and wonder. In those brief moments, memory becomes more than a function of the brain, it becomes a quiet hymn to being alive.

For as long as I can read, and as long as I can write, I will not forget who I am.

My Food For Thought For Today:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/3913322285638878

Lastly, Moral of the Story

Finally, Here are five of the biggest news stories today:

1. Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in DC — Donald Trump is welcoming MBS to the White House for a major two-day visit. Talks are expected around defense deals (including F-35 jets) and a large Saudi investment pledge. The Guardian+2AP News+2

2. UN Endorses Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan — The U.N. Security Council has approved a resolution backing Trump’s proposal, which includes deploying an international stabilization force and a potential pathway toward a Palestinian state. The Guardian+1

3. Global Markets Rocked by Tech Volatility — Tech stocks dropped, Bitcoin slid, and investor concern spiked over high valuations and leverage. Nvidia is in focus ahead of its earnings. Reuters

4. $60B Wiped From Australia’s Stock Market — The ASX fell sharply, driven by weak investor sentiment, and the sell-off rippled through major sectors. The Guardian

5. COP30 Launches Without U.S. Participation — The 30th UN Climate Change Conference begins in Brazil, notably missing the U.S., raising questions about global climate action. Financial Times

My Two Favorite Japanese Restaurants in Walnut Creek, CA

There are two Japanese restaurants in Walnut Creek, that I have patronized recently. The First restaurant is Tatsu Sushi located in the Ignacio Valley Plaza OutDoor Mall near Bancroft Rd just down John Muir Hospital.

  

View all

For Details Visit Tatsu Sushi website: https://www.tatsusushiwalnutcreek.com/

The second restaurant, I just discovered recently ( via recommendation of Fellow
residents here at THD)  is Tanoshi Bistro in Oak Grove Rd and Citrus.  Ditas and I 
had dinner there last Sunday night. We were impressed by the Food Offerings and
the prices were very reasonable compared to Tatsu. 


I took some photos during our dinner as follows:

























Ditas and I came into the restaurant ONE minute before 5PM. We were seated in a
more private area. We were served immediately our green tea with toasted rice💚.
After 5:15PM, 
the restaurant was filled with diners. By the time we finished our
 
dinner at around 6PM, there was a line of 10 diners waiting outside and another 
10 diners were waiting inside. For Details, visit their website:  


https://www.tanoshibistro.com/


Meanwhile, here are the Japanese food terms you should 
know: Nigiri, sashimi and 
 sushi 
rolls. 


Nigiri is a type of sushi consisting of a hand-pressed oval of vinegared rice topped with a slice of raw or cooked seafood or other ingredients. The name "nigiri" means "hand-pressed" in Japanese, and it is a classic style of sushi known for its simplicity, showcasing the balance between the rice and the topping.  
• Construction: 

  A chef uses their hands to shape a small amount of sticky, vinegared rice into an oblong mound. A slice of topping, most often raw fish like tuna, salmon, or yellowtail, is then pressed onto the rice. 
• Ingredients: 

  The topping is often fish, but can also include cooked seafood like shrimp or eel, or even vegetables or egg. A small dab of wasabi is sometimes placed between the rice and the topping, and a garnish may be added. 
• Distinction from other sushi: 

  Nigiri is different from sashimi, which is just raw fish without rice. It also differs from sushi rolls, which are typically wrapped in seaweed and contain multiple ingredients inside. 
Artistry: 
Nigiri is considered a true test of a sushi chef's skill, as it requires years of practice to consistently shape the rice and press the topping together to create a perfectly balanced, melt-in-your-mouth piece. 


💚Green tea with toasted rice is called 
Genmaicha, a popular Japanese green tea 
that combines green tea leaves with roasted brown rice. The toasting process gives 
the rice a nutty flavor that balances the grassy notes of the green tea, creating a 
unique, comforting taste that is often described as having hints of popcorn or toast. 


Meanwhile, My Photo of the Day_ Trump ( Banksy Art)

Finally, My Food For Thought For Today: