Letter Appreciation- I

Time to exercise the gratitude muscle in the region of the letter “I”

Ice- The ultimate luxury in warm climates. On a hot day, my puppies love to chase miniature icebergs afloat in their water bowls.

Iris- Even when not in bloom, these are green exclamation points in the garden.

Ireland- Land of my father’s- father’s father.

Intuition- Which whispers the spark of genius awake

Imagination- The greatest talent which cannot be taught- but must be harnessed to be useful. The collaborative imagination of this nation is the tide on which this nation rose.

Intimate- My favorite type of garden does not tell me it knows the rules of propriety. It shows me it knows the gardener, and that they are in love with each other. Deeply.

Intelligent discourse- To lecture is easy. To engage thoughtful conversation that will lead to good- that is talent and something to be striven for.

Immigration- That generation after generation, people leave their homelands to come to this nation, is proof of this being a land overflowing with goodness.

Jack Ingram. This man is emblematic of why I am drawn to country music. His music wraps up stories about life in poetry and gives it as a gift to the fans. Country musicians uplift other artists. In August of 2006, there weren’t more than a couple hundred people at the Whiskey in LA when 16 year old Taylor Swift thanked Jack Ingram for letting her open for him when she was even younger. Next time I saw them, Jack played before Taylor. Her upcoming headliner show at The Staples Center is sold out.

Your turn. If you live near the latest epicenter- it will take your mind off the shaking. Stay safe and be well.

The photo of Jack and Taylor from the Whiskey are from my personal collection.

The other images are by Gene Sasse. Used with permission. The hotlink to his site must be down from earthquake, but please drop any post where his work is featured. You should be able to link from there.

Letter Appreciation- H

ll muscles need exercise. Including the gratitude muscle. As the hip bone is attached to the leg bone, gratitude is the sinew connecting happiness and mental health. "Plan A" is to once a week trot out a list of things to inspire you to think of what you appreciate. This week we workout to the letter “H”.

Hugs and handshakes.

Honesty: the mother of clarity and father of reliability.










Heroes.


Men like my nephew Juadon Tabor, who has found his calling with the US Navy. He didn’t complain about basic training. He said that compared to football- it was easy. God be with you, Juadon.








My sons and my niece, Anka (shown) who worked to earn their privilege of a college education.


















Also, my unnamed unwed friends who went through with the pregnancy. Especially the one who saw to it the child went to a good home.





The French writer, Victor Hugo. In his time, he used his pen to fight for human rights. He railed against nature being reduced only to scientific rationalization. I wonder what the man who wrote

Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.

would think of our modern habit of robbing nature of her sublime aesthetics and awe: reducing our relationship with her to graphs and incessant insistence that she should be controlled more than enjoyed?






Home.
Every house a temple, every heart an altar, every human being a
priest."
--- Moritz Lazarus

I have slept in fine hotels in some of the world’s great cities. But the hearth of home is where my heart best finds heaven. Except, perhaps, the garden, where hummingbirds sip wild sweet honeysuckle and vanilla-scented heliotrope.

What are some of your favorite things which start with the letter “H”? Please share.







Portrait of "Cosette" by Emile Bayard, from the original edition of Les Misérables (1862)

Letter Appreciation Wednesday- G- wiz

Time to name rougly ten favorite things- starting with the letter "G".

My husband Gerry (Gerald to everyone who knew him before UCLA), strolling through the herb Garden at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Botanical Garden in the summer of 2006. I was a newspaper editor. He is an engineer. This was the rarest of occasions. We were both awake and not picking something professionally apart.

GWA- Garden Writer's Association. What a Godsend- an absolutely superlative organization. I could not have transitioned from Editor to writer without their educational programs and contacts.

That was where I first met some of the most important people in my current professional life. Including photographer,Gene Sasse. If you enjoy the many photographs he allows reprinted here, run up to The Garden in Pomona, and pick up his inspirational gift book Garden Thoughts.

Three roses, all with names starting with the letter "G" beautifully demonstrate the versatility of the genus.

"Gourmet Popcorn'

'Gentle Giant'

'George Burns'

Garlic. Who isn't transported to a dreamy vacation by the aroma of a head slowly roasting in the oven in a bath of olive oil with a sprig of thyme.

The Golden Gate Bridge. Who doesn't remember the first time they saw it? How it felt to cross the ocean in a car?

The Grace of God. I love this quote by London journalist Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) about his devotion to his relationship with the Almighty-

"You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink."

Finally, this shot was taken at a location starting with a "G". First correct guess will get a surprise gift from me.








All photos in this post, except top photo, are by Alta Loma photographer Gene Sasse. http://www.genesasse.com/

Letter Appreciation Wednesday - F

To garden is to show faith that there will be a future. One where flowers will bloom with abandon.












This week I interviewed ceramicist Leslie Codina. The quote we both love was written by the German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who published in 1810, The Theory of Colours, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. “


The peach Angels Trumpet (Brugmansia) began as a cutting from the University of Riverside's annual plant sale. In colder climates, it is grown under the protection of a glass conservatory. But here- where it rarely freezes- in open shade it reaches the full height of the patio. When the pendulous blooms wave in the evening breeze, the heady perfume calls the night pollinators to it.















Flowers bloom everywhere. Even next to my husband's shed. Tufts of lavender Armeria and swaddles of nasturtiums prove that even common flowers glorify the garden. Look closely- spot the miniature roses which beat most of the bigger ones to the festival of blossoms.























The yellow blossoms of the new Julia Child rose bush are the color of good Irish butter. Behind it, the scented geranium, around 10 AM, is the all-you-can -sip hummingbird hangout.




























On the corner of the patio is this spiky thing. I bid on it at a silent auction to benefit the Southern California Horticultural Society after a glass of wine.
I do like it. Whatever it is. Not that I was sure how to safely replenish the soil as it sank beneath it- but Nan Sterman- author of the California Garden Guide, Vol II instructed me- wrap it in an old blanket and tip the pot to the side. Both the plant and I obviously survived.

Back to the letter F- I love freedom. Good food- especially enjoyed al fresco with family and friends.

And football.

Thank you to the Diamond Bar City Council and staff for exercising bold genius. The agreement negotiated regarding the proposed NFL stadium in the City of Industry - WOW! The City of Walnut chose a different path. For their own reasons. However- when it comes to litigation vs mitigation- rarely is litigation the perfect solution. I think time will teach that Diamond Bar did better with what fate brought to our border.

Now- what are your favorite things which start with the letter "F"? Have FUN!


Leslie Codina's website is at http://www.lesliecodina.com/

E-preciation

Easter. Everything else on this list is but an accessory to the holiday.

In years ahead, we don't always know what we will remember most. That is why we should strive to enjoy each moment when it happens. One of my favorite memories was our high school church group helping to serve Passover dinner at the local synagogue.

While their are differences in our faiths, that evening made real the centuries of common tradition and humanity to a girl of an impressionable age.

Eggs. For painting, throwing at picnics, enveloping quiche ingredients for brunch.

Entertaining. Spring time is gorgeous. This copy of an old Polaroid is of my mother's former garden in Whittier. Imagine the egg hunts a child could enjoy in that garden as colorful as the eggs which were hidden among a jungle of bright flowers.

Easter vacation. My family are my best friends. Easter vacations for our young family was a time to bond. My husband traveled extensively throughout much of his career. When he wasn't on travel- he was frequently burning the midnight oil on a proposal. Being rare, family time together was very precious. Easter break was a time we tried to commit as best we could to spend playing together. It might be at the beach, baseball games or horseback riding.

This photo of the very handsome guy with deep dimples and gorgeous hair- that's my husband when he was teaching our oldest son, Trevor, to swim.

Easter Sunrise service has always been my favorite service of the year. Each chapter in our lives had different traditions, but all included worship on this holiest day. The decade immediately past, it was our ritual to worship with extended family in Fullerton, then share brunch. However, life changes and we must adapt. This year we plan to watch the sun rise and reflect on the fulfillment of God’s promise with our own church family here in Diamond Bar.

My father was not a Christian. During the Civil Rights Movement, he was aghast that the Lutheran Church came out in support of the non-violent marches of Martin Luther King. My mother rarely stood against my father. But on this she was adamant. Their girls would go to church. We were free to choose how to worship or not- however we would have the advantage of participation in faith as a part of our early life experience. Even though my mother is not herself a woman of faith, I pray for God’s mercy on her soul, for this action on her part allowed me to become one.

What are some of your favorite things that start with the letter “E”? It would be a blessing to hear from you.

Top photo by Alta Loma photographer Gene Sasse. Used with permission http://www.genesasse.com/

Photo of Gerry and Trevor Plunk by Albert Rossett.

The last image is available from the Archival Research Catalog of the National Archives and Records Administration under the ARC Identifier 542010(Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C., Leaders marching from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963. In the front row, from left are: Whitney M. Young, Jr., Executive Director of the National Urban League; Roy Wilkins, Executive)

Easter Sunrise service will begin at 6:30 AM on Sunday, April 12th at Mt Calvary Lutheran Church and School, 23300 Golden Springs DrDiamond Bar, CA. For more information, please to to info@mtcalvarylutherandb.org

D- Lightful

Time for the alphabet exercise! The sweatless routine where pushing-up memories of favorite things builds the happiness muscles. I lead with some of my favorite things- this time starting with the letter “D”- you are welcome to jump in add your own to the collection.

Dogs. Meet Reno and Tahoe. No matter how old they get, they will forever be our puppies.
Weighing in at 10.8 pounds, with a sleek, short hair, Tahoe is a Min Pin- Chihuahua Mix. She was born to be the leader of the pack. She experiences the world through her nose. The one she put right up in the face of the coyote last year. Tahoe is obedience trained. But before she does what “the master” wants, she tries to see if she can negotiate a treat up front.

Reno, weighing in at 8.8 pounds is allegedly half long haired Chihuahua and toy poodle. She is fully in touch with her lap-dog heritage. She doesn’t care what you are doing or where you are going. She wants to be with “her people” at all times. She experiences the world through her mouth. If something can’t be chewed, it must need to be licked. Especially toes.
Their favorite TV program is The Dog Whisperer and yes, we bought Beverly Hills Chihuahua in Blue Ray to watch together as a family.

Diamond Bar. We moved to our first home here on Saint Patrick’s Day, 1979. From our backyard we had this lovely view of a rolling green hillsides. After a time we noticed that large trucks that went up it during the daytime. One day I drove over to see what our view was of. Turns out we had a view of the driveway leading to the dump with the lovely name- Spadra Landfill. When we moved to Diamond Bar, we might have had a signal at Diamond Bar and Grand Avenues. But I don't remember it. Now on a typical day between 32, 425 and 43,135 cross the intersection, which definitely is managed by traffic signals. Not that there aren't parts of Diamond Bar dedicated Open Space where our natural heritage is self-evident.
This last shot was taken from the South parking lot at Summitridge Park. This spot is roughly 3000 foot higher than were I live. From here you can view much of the San Gabriel Valley. The tree with red berries in the foreground is Toyon. Like most canyons in Diamond Bar which are not developed, the plant population is largely indigenous chaparral and oak trees. The snow covered peaks in the background are the San Gabriel Mountains.

Dessert. Just as not all men are the same, not all dairy products are the same. Some cows are better treated, better fed and cared for differently.

If you’ve only dallied with the whipped cream which spurts out the nozzle of a can- you are settling for mediocrity. The Trader Joe’s brand of heavy cream is richer, creamier, dreamier. Whip it up with some baker’s sugar and real vanilla. Serve over fresh strawberries and let the tongue linger over simply luxurious mingling of taste and texture. The secret to Trader Joe’s heavy cream is the attention to detail. The cream isn’t over-pasteurized and is not made from the milk of over-medicated cows.

Dating. One of the secrets to a happy marriage is to keep dating- each other. Huell Howser frequently makes great suggestions of places to go on his PBS program- California’s Gold. His tip led us to The Nethercutt Collection in Sylmar.

Built by the Merle Norman fortune, the price of admission is right. It is free. It features functional art- mostly cars. Extraordinary cars. Some heralding from the days where there were 1,ooo auto makers in open competition for the hearts and dollars of the public through proprietary colors, gleaming brass lanterns and polished woods- sometimes even on the wheel spokes. A Ford with an etched glass floral design caught my eye.

Behind the main building is the fully restored 1912 Pullman Rail car commissioned by E.J. “Lucky” Baldwin’s eldest daughter, Clara, when she inherited her portion of his vast estate. It is difficult to imagine that this gleaming restoration was found in Massachusetts in a dilapidated state, shivering weather sealed away only by a coat of shrink-wrap. If you can find the bell mechanism in the attached 1937 Hudson locomotive- you can ring it. This exhibit does not need a reservation, but it is toured only at certain times, so check open-times in advance or be prepared to be disappointed.

The main building is open without a reservation, however a little advance planning to get a reservation to tour the Collection, opens up the gleaming showroom just across the street to touring with guides, premier examples of meticulously maintained classic automobiles in a setting authentic to the Hollywood glamour in which they were introduced. I am not particularly an auto aficionado. But this collection filled me with awe and understanding why some people are.

This special tour also allows you access to fine music ‘boxes”. Some of the players fit tabletop. One is large enough to fill an entire wall of the ballroom. Many were played. Seeing violins mounted so they struck the bow to make the music go’ round- that was just the beginning of an era meant to bring music to the masses when a traveling troupe of musicians might not work. I listened to the radio on the way home with a new appreciation for all the steps it took to make enjoying music performed for personal pleasure so portable.

Distictis. Loosely translated, that is Latin for the family of trumpet vines. This D. buccinatoria “Blood- Red Trumpet Vine. ” She wasn’t happy where I planted her. The first summer she cooked in the heat. Never thought I would see her again. But about 5 years later- up she sprang. Happy the tree had grown, giving her just enough protection from the sun for her to be healthy in the micro-climate that grew in her absence. She can grow quite large with time – but she’s a hummingbird magnet- and looking up at her from the neighbor’s garden- she’s worth the effort.

Except as noted here- photos are from my personal collection.

Thank you to commercial photographer Gene Sasse for permission to use the photo of the dairy cows. http://www.genesasse.com/

The Photos of the Nethercutt Collection Cars and Train are from their website at http://nethercuttcollection.org/. More information on the Museum and Collection, including hours and how to make a reservation, are easily accessed here.

Toyon is not an easy tree to find for sale. However, the Garrison Foothill Nursery, 679 East 16th St., Upland, usually has both 1 gallon babies for $6.79 and some good sized 5 gallon specimens at $19.50. Larger sizes are available on request. You can call ahead to (909) 949-9878 or go to their website at http://florasouthwest.com/ to learn more about the nursery with the motto, "Preserving California's Water Resources"

Favorite Things – C here

For as long as I live, I will be a California Girl.
If my nose is “up in the air”- it is because I am gazing at clouds

Or sniffing at a climbing rose.

The frothy 'Lemon Meringue' is one I am considering adding to my collection as it blooms on both new and old wood- I won't have to "think" when pruning. I found it in the Weeks Roses catalog. If my local nursery doesn't have in stock when I can hold back the temptation no longer- I can always ask them to order a pair.

It is time to request a blooming calla lily, the flower of resurrection and rebirth, be sent to church for Easter celebrations.
Like many Californians, the long-stemmed beauty traces her ancestors back to a foreign land and the name changed to something “more American”. With family roots (or in her case, rhizomes) originally springing from South Africa- the calla’s tribal name- her genus- is zantedeschia.

Clothed in elegant, clean lines that are almost sculptural- the calla is a traditional flower with modern appeal. Callas are to flowers what Prada is to plants.

Nigella Lawson commented in her cookbook How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food about how grocery store carrots have turned cardboard in flavor. For all the good things cardboard packages up- flavor is not one.

Some of life’s problems are not so easily fixed. But those we can, should be. Chives, cilantro, cucumbers and carrots will be tucked into open garden spots. When they are “just right”- their just picked flavor will add to the sweetness of life.

Be creative- What are some of your favorite things which start with the letter C?

Thank you to commercial photographer Gene Sasse for permission to use the images in this post. Other than the book cover- they are his work. Go to his site and be amazed http://www.genesasse.com/