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Elizabeth
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 11:04am | IP Logged
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I guess it was inevitable...My husband is a television producer. ESPN is building a huge new facility next to the Staples Center, a little south of LA. He hasn't committed to anything yet, mostly because his wife is a Virginian to her core  . Tell me why I want to live there! Please don't tell me anything negative. I'm praying I can be positive.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Maryan
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 11:06am | IP Logged
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Oh no! Don't they want to build a huge facility just south of D.C.???
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 11:17am | IP Logged
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You will be 2.5 hours by car from Lissa.
You don't have to go over the Bay Bridge to get to the beach.
California Missions.
Excellent Mexican food.
Inexpensive, good-quality state universities. UC Riverside just implemented a homeschool-friendly, portfolio-based admissions process which is being studied by the UC system as a whole (and needs our prayers).
Your field trips will not be rained out.
I'll come visit you when I head west to visit my parents.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Maryan
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 11:52am | IP Logged
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Okay, sorry - I totally ignored your last sentence -- I was just thinking of myself and stuck on the rest of your post. So let me try again --
I've never been to L.A., but I hear the climate is lovely! And think of all the great museums and nature study that they must have out there!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 12:05pm | IP Logged
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More reasons:
You won't have to take every out-of-town visitor to the Air & Space Museum. You can go to the Page Museum instead (La Brea tar pits).
American Girl Place. 
No tornadoes.
Did I mention good Mexican food? 
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Diane
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Lissa (and all of the other amazing CA 4Real ladies) was my first thought too.
Gorgeous scenery and near perfect weather.
The chance to experience America from the other side of the country. A grand adventure. Lissa has written beautifully about this perspective, but my favorite post on facing the daunting task of uprooting your family comes from her husband.
And that leads into what I think would be the absolute best reason to move to LA...you'd all see more of Mike! (at least I'm hoping...yes?)
Not sure how far south of LA the ESPN facility will be, but my brother- and sister-in-law and their family live in San Clemente and love it. They think it's one of the more family-oriented communities in So Cal. We lived in San Pedro for three years when Elena was little. Neither Jim nor I wanted to take that assignment, but it ended up being one of our happiest times ever. It's really hard not to be happy in all of that sunshine.
Who can predict the miraculous and unexpected joys that our Lord may have planned for you and your family in a move like this? Sometimes we have to let go and trust Him to find out. I for one would love to see it all unfold.
Please know that you have my prayers.
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Peace,
Diane
Mom to five fair lasses and one bonny prince
The Journey of a Mother's Heart
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Maryan
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 2:57pm | IP Logged
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Okay here's a real one...
You can become well-versed in Franciscan bluebells?
description here
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 3:42pm | IP Logged
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How could I forget?
In-n-Out Burger! (I know, no buns...)
And...
The Tournament of Roses Parade (way better in person).
The Getty Museum.
Sunsets OVER the water when you are at the beach (this is a total west coast thing!).
I think San Clemente is too far south. I could put in a plug for Pasadena, my home town...or South Pasadena (I know a good church there...).
As one who often faces moves to foreign parts (and I recognize that for you, L. A. will be a foreign place), I know how hard it is to leap off that cliff. I promise, there are lots of nice people in L. A.!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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SuzC
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I was going to say In-n-Out, too!!!
mmm the burgers...and the french fries...and the shakes! Yum!
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Suz in TX
dd~12, dd~9, ds~8, ds~6, ds~4, ds~1
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momwise
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You could caravan up to the West Coast Campout with Erica!!
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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LisaD
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Well, I am certainly biased, because I LIVE HERE! Sorry for shouting Here are some reasons to love L.A.:
Los Angeles County Arboretum
Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens
The Getty Museum
The Norton Simon Museum
The Page Musem
The Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Science and Insdutry
Will Rogers State Park
The Rose Bowl
Dozens of Canyon Parks and hiking trails
30 minutes to the beach
30 minutes to the snowy mountains
Orange, lemon and avocado trees--in your own yard!
In-and-Out Burgers
Coffee Bean & Teaf Leaf
Trader Joe's everywhere
San Gabriel Mission close by, and several others w/in 2 hours' drive
There are many other great things about living here, too.
IMO, you wouldn't want to live too close to the Staples Center (think South Central L.A.--remember the riots?) I am partial to the San Gabriel Valley (I think it's much prettier and less congested than the San Fernando Valley, personally). This would be towns like Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, and a bunch more. I just named my favorites. I love waking up each day and gazing out at the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains. Where else, except maybe in Hawaii, do you get to gaze at mountain ranges framed by palm trees?
All those towns mentioned have really easy freeway access to the Staples Center area. It's a 20-30 minute commute in normal traffic.
I will pm you with my email/phone if you'd like more details or information about the area.
edited to add: Elizabeth your pm mailbox is full. If you'd like my email or phone number, just pm me.
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~Lisa
Mama to dd(99), ds(01), ds(03) and ds(06)
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Erica Sanchez
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Nancy and Lisa - you're killing me!! I was going to say "everything north and south of it", but you're listing some great things about L.A.! Maybe this San Diego gal will need to spend a bit more time up there. Actually, Chari and I (and hopefully Robynn) have a Getty field trip planned. Lisa, I just pm'd you about it.
Elizabeth, my brother-in-law and his brothers would know a lot about the area around the Staples Center and UCLA and probably other nearby areas/neighborhoods. Los Angeles is so large with many diverse neighborhoods that you would really, really need to have some solid advice about housing, etc. Please let me know if I can be of help.
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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MaryM
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I'm glad some of the locals (or former locals) are answering as I really don't know what it's like to live there. My only experience is from visiting. One thing though - everytime I go to southern California for a visit I am struck by the feel of it. I can definitely see way so many people for so many years have been drawn to California to live - the climate, the landscape, the culture.
But on a personal note, one of my brothers just moved to LA last week and will be there a couple years at least so we anticipate some more visits there. We'd come see ya!
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Mary M. in Denver
Our Domestic Church
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Lavenderfields
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Elizabeth,
I just saw this and you have some wonderful lists of places to go, but the best part will be the people who will be able to go with you, like ME.
Also, Pasadena has a great homeschooling group with an outstanding Choir led by a wonderful man.
A great homeschool store that is so much fun to go into.
Beaches
Mountains
Desert (you have to visit)
California has so much going for it, would love to help if I can.
God Bless
Robynn
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Angie Mc
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It's WAY closer to Arizona than Virginia  . Dave was just saying that our next trip to CA should be to LA to stay at a military base hotel on the beach there...woo hoo!
Now...you aren't just teasing me, right?
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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SeaStar
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The fruit trees! I have such fond memories of going out to the backyard as a kid, looking at all the trees and picking out a snack.
Also- the beaches. I loved studying the tide pools as a kid.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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8kids4me
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1. Tommy's
2. South Pasadena(I graduated from high school there)
3. San Gabriel Mission
4. Beaches
5. San Pedro(lived there as a child)
6. Leanne(oops sorry that was for me...best friend in school)
7. Clos-ish to Lissa
8. San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park not too far away
9. Best Mexican food anywhere
10.Lacey Park in San Marino...the best place for frisbee throwing(whoa, I just googled it and apparently it's only free for residents of SM now 
11. Farmer's Market
12. Olivera Street
13. Griffith Observatory
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Cindy B, mama to 8 great kids, and 5 grandbabies!
http://www.magnolialane.wordpress.com
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guitarnan
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Lacey Park used to have great July 4 fireworks...that's where we went.
I googled Oak Grove Park (home of first disc golf course and site of my Girl Scout tadpole-catching adventure) and discovered the name is now Hahamongna Watershed Park (!); can't tell if the golf course is still there.
Doing that led me to the website of Christopher Nyerges, who taught survival, wild food preparation and orienteering classes when I was a teen...and still does. He's apparently now a San Gabriel Valley institution. (Prickly pear omelettes don't taste good. Just in case you wondered.)
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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LisaD
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Lavenderfields wrote:
Elizabeth,
Also, Pasadena has a great homeschooling group with an outstanding Choir led by a wonderful man.
A great homeschool store that is so much fun to go into.
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Robynn, I heard the Schola Choir from St. Monica Academy at this years FHC with St. Monica's and Christ the King Homeschooler Group. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. They gave me chills!
Where is the homeschool store? I've only ever heard of the EIE store in Monrovia. Is that the one, or is there another?
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~Lisa
Mama to dd(99), ds(01), ds(03) and ds(06)
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Rachel May
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I'd say that all the bad stuff about California is the same bad stuff about living in the DC area so you don't have anything to worry about there. But the weather is vastly superior to here. It's dry hot not muggy hair-frizzy hot, you know?
My favorite thing about growing up in the OC was 20 minutes to the beach and 2 hours to the mountains. And think of all the weather words you can ditch from your vocabulary! So Californian's "go to the snow", and until I went to college I had never heard about snow "sticking". That means a major savings on wadrobe!
Did anyone mention Thomas Aquinas College or St. Michael's Abbey? Two places near and dear to my heart. And San Juan Capistrano and driving distance to the Grand Canyon and..........Hmmm, I almost want to move home now!
And I too promise to visit when I go home to see family (hopefully next time in 2009 on the way back to Hawaii. Please God!).
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Living in California near LA
