by Maryann Ridini Spencer

In October 2014 I learned the devastating news that my mother was suffering from a massive brain tumor. Doctors gave her six to eight months to live. As it turned out, we celebrated for six weeks with family and friends, enjoying dinners and the most beautiful moments together. She died on November 25, 2014.

Although she lived a long life — she was in her 80s — I was deeply affected. As I discovered, no one knows what it’s like to lose a parent until they have that personal experience. You can sympathize with people, but until it happens to you, there are no words to describe the depth of what you feel. Thankfully, there were no words of love that weren’t shared over and over again with my mother.

To help heal, I turned to reading books of a spiritual nature, an activity that kicked into full swing a few days after my Mom’s funeral. Books such as Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander, Raymond Moody’s Life After Life, Judith Marshall’s My Conversations with Angels, Theresa Caputo’s You Can’t Make This Stuff Up, and There’s More to Life Than This, and the Bible, have provided me with comfort and affirmation beyond words.

I was in the midst of writing “Lady in the Window,” a novel about family and healing when my dear mother passed. I poured my heart into my work, drawing from some of my experiences and observations, and family home in Hawaii. In the book, my main character Kate experiences a series of events that turn her life upside down.

When she retreats to Hawaii to welcome the land and its beauty into her healing process, angelic and other worldly occurrences transpire that are too poignant to ignore, which ultimately lead her to her destiny and provide proof that our loved ones live in spirit and surround and guide us. A belief I hold to be true.

To this day, in addition to finding great comfort in reading and praying, I also find solace in life’s synchronicities or “signs.”

Shortly after my Mom passed, my sister and I decided to dine out for breakfast. Driving around looking for a venue and busy in conversation about Mom, we turned into the parking lot of what looked like might be an eatery without even taking note of the name. When we finally looked up at the sign, we turned to each other at the same time in complete awe. “Sweet Momma’s Good Kitchen” was the name and the sweet retro-looking woman with a short dark bob pictured on the logo was an absolute cartoon version of our mom if there ever was one! We both felt chills. Sweet Momma was a name we often called our Mom. It was no accident that we just happened to land at Sweet Momma’s; it was our sweet Momma letting us know that she was with us and that she would be with us always.

Maryann Ridini Spencer is a local author of the Lady in the Window (SelectBooks), a new novel sold at Barnes & Noble and Amazon, which captures Aloha Magic, Hope, Healing & the Infinite Mother-Daughter Bond. Please visit her website at MaryannRidiniSpencer.com.

Realty Watch
by Patricia Fasen

In a sign that consumers may be shifting preferences from renting to homeownership, an analysis by TransUnion found that 55 percent of those who shopped for a mortgage in Q1 2017 were non-homeowners – most of whom are renters. This is a significant rise from Q1 2016 (50 percent) and Q1 2015 (45 percent).

TransUnion’s report found that millennials’ interest in homeownership is growing steadily over time. In 2017, three in 10 (29 percent) non-homeowners who shopped for mortgages were millennials, up slightly from 28 percent in 2016 and 27 percent in 2015.

In addition, 34 million renters between ages 25 and 44 – typically a prime age range for homeownership – were credit eligible for a mortgage. Just 36 percent of renters under 44 years old had a VantageScore 3.0 credit score below 580, a common benchmark used by some institutions to determine whether a borrower qualifies for a low down payment loan. However, many renters prefer keeping their rental status until they are at a good place financially before considering home buying. Doing this helps them financially, saving them money in the long run and allows them to work on improving their credit score. In the meantime, they can maintain their lives and build their credit, through rent, small monthly payment services, and renters insurance offered by companies like Insured ASAP.

A prior TransUnion survey of renters found that more than half (51%) would be more likely to choose a property if they knew their landlord would report their rental payments to credit bureaus. Nearly eight in ten (79 percent) survey respondents said they prioritize rental payments above all other monthly bills.

Property managers use TransUnion Resident Credit to report the amount and timeliness of a monthly rental payment, or any balanced owed for a payment. Renters’ payments appear on their credit report along with other financial obligations. Some consumers, especially subprime consumers, may experience an increase in their credit score as a result of on-time payments being reported.

A high-profile section along the Ventura River bike path will soon become Ventura’s newest ocean-friendly garden. The Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) and the Ocean Friendly Gardens team of the Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation have teamed up to re-landscape and reinvigorate land at the entrance to the Willoughby Nature Preserve.

The two organizations will host a series of community work days to transform the property, the first taking place on Saturday, Aug. 19 beginning at 9 a.m. Volunteers will help remove old vegetation to prepare the area for future plantings of coastal native plants.

Located next to the “Welcome to Ventura” sign along the Ventura River Parkway the landscaping will be updated using ocean-friendly garden techniques designed to capture rainwater and eliminate urban runoff. The project, funded by the City of Ventura’s Community Partnerships Grant Program, seeks to beautify the area and educate the public about the benefits of ocean-friendly gardening.

The new garden will be named in honor of Paul Herzog, Surfrider’s National Coordinator for the Ocean-Friendly Garden program, who recently passed away at age 49.

Ocean-friendly gardens are designed to reduce urban runoff which is the number one source of ocean pollution. Pollutants such as fertilizers, sediment and pesticides that wash from gardens and hard surfaces into rivers and oceans lead to a host of environmental problems including beach pollution, soil erosion and wildlife habitat degradation.

The volunteer work day will begin at 9am with an orientation at VHC’s informational kiosk located along the bike path at the Main St. Bridge in downtown Ventura (Main St. and Peking Streets). All volunteers should wear pants, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and bring a refillable water bottle. Volunteers must be at least 12 years of age and minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Volunteers can RSVP online: http://www.venturahillsides.org/ocean_friendly_garden_work_day

For more information, call the VHC office 643-8044 or www.venturahillsides.org.

Wheel Fun Rentals, the number one recreational rental company in the country, announced it is renewing a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters for a program called “Biking & Boating Buddies.” For the eleventh consecutive year, “Biking & Boating Buddies” provides free rentals to underprivileged children and their mentors around the nation. To date, $1,280,000 in free rentals have been distributed to Bigs and Littles at over 20 BBBS chapters around the nation.

Wheel Fun Rentals launched the “Biking & Boating Buddies” program in 2006, offering free rentals to Bigs and Littles any time matches are together. Each year, more than 32,000 individuals directly benefit from the Biking & Boating Buddies program. Over 16,000 underprivileged youth and their mentors have the opportunity to rent products that range from a fleet of unique bikes, including multi-passenger Surrey cycles and a plethora of other specialty bikes, to a variety of water rentals including kayaks, canoes, and more. The program is valid at more than 60 locations nationwide and supports over 20 Big Brother Big Sister chapters.

“At Wheel Fun Rentals we like to see children moving, biking, paddling, laughing, and enjoying the great outdoors,” said Sheena Walenta, Marketing Director at Wheel Fun Rentals. “We chose to partner with BBBS because they target children who would benefit the most from mentorship and wholesome quality activities. Physical activity builds confidence and resiliency, releases endorphins, is good for the body, nurtures the soul, and is above all – FUN! We believe every child deserves a bright future, and that starts with wholesome extracurricular activities and good role models.”

“I’d like to thank Wheel Fun Rentals for extending this very generous donation to BBBS,” said Mike, a Big Volunteer at Big Brothers Big Sisters San Diego Chapter. “Much of today’s youth spend their time inside, off their feet, completely reliant on electronics for entertainment; so it’s great to have a fun outdoor activity readily available.”

Throughout the country, Wheel Fun Rentals supports tens of thousands of individuals involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

If you’d like to become a volunteer or support BBBS programs, please visit www.bbbs.org. To find out more about the Biking Buddies program visit http://wheelfunrentals.com/big-brothers-big-sisters/

Founded in 1987, Wheel Fun Rentals started with four wheel Surrey cycles, evolved into specialty bike rentals and bike tours, and now offers recreational rentals of all kinds from more than 100 outlets in 16 states.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America – The oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. The leader in one-to-one youth service for more than a century, they develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. For more information, please visit www.bbbs.org.

Pam Baumgardner, VenturaRocks.com, Staci Brown and Jaime Baker from the Ventura Breeze were there at the their booth enjoying the large throng that attended the recent Surf Rodeo. Held at Ventura’s Pierpont Beach it was a 2-day surf and music festival for all to enjoy. It featured surfing competitions, rodeo games and a full-on music festival on multi stages as well as an outdoor street fair.