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To Paris

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Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

I  just kept hearing my Mom saying you should go, you should go. You love it there. She was talking about Paris, France. I’m a very fortunate person. When I was young I sort of found a career that I knew existed, but never entertained realistically. I spent my high school years in Reno, Nevada. In Reno, gambling is legal and there where billboards on just about every road and freeway advertising the casinos and the shows. One particular billboard had a huge blow up of a showgirl in red feathers with a broad smile having the time of her life. I jokingly said to a friend one day as we were passing. by, ” That’s what I’m going to be” . Two years later, I found myself on the stage of the largest show in the world. It happened fast.

Fast forward 35 years and those shows have been retired. People aren’t into showgirls anymore and they are actually pretty tame compared to today’s entertainment. I was invited to a couple of really amazing reunions over the past year and half. The first one, I couldn’t make it and had to experience via hundreds of FB posts from old friends. It was amazing and I knew I had missed something incredible. The next one, I decided to cast of my doubts, my schedule and go for it.

It’s in Paris and it’s far to go, but this is my life and I think I should live it. There were many of us from around the world who were fortunate enough to experience a very special dance troupe that is almost gone now. We lived in the era of showgirls and caberet. We were taken under the wing of Margaret Kelly and woman who had talent and business acumen oozing from her pores. A former dancer from across the pond who made it big in Paris, France.

The Bluebell girls have filled the stages of the world’s nightclubs and theaters for decades. To understand what being a Bluebell Showgirl is, it’s helpful to know who Margaret Kelly was and how she started the most successful dance troupe in the world. Margaret Kelly (aka Miss Bluebell) was from Great Britain. She was an orphan born with polio who was placed in dance classes to straighten her legs. She eventually became a professional dancer and danced her way to Europe and eventually to Paris. She met her husband and became a member of the allied resistance during WWII. She risked her life to save hundreds of her neighbors, fleeing the Gestapo that invaded France. She was gorgeous, but tough. She lived through the ordeal and she continued to dance. She formed her own dance troupe and began to provide opportunities for other young hopefuls to make it on the stage. Once she chose you, you were hers and she would form you into a sophisticated Parisienne showgirl with the ability to dance upon any stage in Europe. Bluebells were often former members of the most famous ballets of the world. From the L’Opera De Paris to Bejart’s Ballet of The Twentieth Century.

Most of us were just regular girls at heart. We loved the same things that other girls loved. We had boyfriends at home, pets, families that loved us and we loved dancing. To be able to actually become a professional was a dream come true. Behind the shows, our lives were filled with trying to find an apartment close to the theatre to share with a roommate. Shopping for groceries and having Al Fresco dinner parties. Treating ourselves to French pastries found on virtually every street corner. There wasn’t a lot of shopping, because the pay was just enough to pay your rent, buy groceries and a metro pass. Even though we knew we weren’t getting rich, knowing that we had made it as professionals was enough.  

So, here we are again, decades later and we will reunite in the City of Lights to rekindle the days filled with dance, rhinestones, feathers and travel. Most of use barely out of puberty who took on the world with innocence and curiosity to find adventure and make a life. Besides all of these memories, we also have a love for Paris. A city that’s a Virgo. Beautiful, creative and mother to all.

Photo by Angelos Michalopoulos on Unsplash

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Un Biere Please

Summer is around the corner and we are about to say goodbye to the chill of Winter and Spring. Here is one last ode to chilly days, tea and beer.

What is it about a French cafe that brings to mind feelings of spring day, love in the air and delicious beverages and food? As Americans we see the cafe as a quaint location cozily sandwiched beneath and between old city buildings. Small round tables dressed in white table cloths strategically placed on the sidewalk to garner the best views of the Parisian street spectacle. But the true Parisienne cafe takes many forms; from a quiet place to relieve the stress of the day and drink a beer, to a meeting place for neighbors to have a bite or un cafe, a miniature cup of coffee with the strength of a full size American cup of coffee.

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash

This was my idea of the French cafe until one very cold winter I found myself in the streets of Paris that were almost completely snowed under. I was out walking with my chosen one. My destiny and I were moving with purpose. Underneath all the layers of clothes, my muscles were warm and toned and I was sweating into my underlayer of a t-shirt. It was a foray into distraction that was also a good way to relieve stress and get more exercise to keep in shape for my nightly show. I was working as a dancer in a cabaret six nights a week, with two shows a night and walking was a good way to stay limber.The sidewalks were coated with a layer of frost and a slim path peeked through the high banks of snow. The air was icy and snowflakes swirled about my head festooned with furry ear muffs and knit cap, my neck swathed in a thick scarf. Only my face was visible.

The streets were quiet and few ventured outside. Cars were garaged for the days as the streets were impassable. The streets of our quarter had not been cleared. It was the weekend and everyone sat cozily inside. If we were in London I would say the people were drinking tea and watching the tele. But France was different. The French didn’t seem to sit much. They seemed to like to be out and socializing, but not on this day so I was stumped.

Photo by Fernanda Marin on Unsplash

After trudging along for sometime, the best part was at hand. It was time to nestle into a warm cafe; with something refreshing for my companion and something warming for me. The cafe was large and mostly empty, with the bar at the back. My partner went to the bar to order a beer and the waiter took my order of tea and a biscuit. The ceilings in the cafe were high and the whole interior was in shades of a warm honey and brown. The windows to the street were large and let in ample light near the front of the interior which became darker as one moved further into the space. We sat along a wall on a bench that was the length of the wall about 30 to 40 feet long. The bench was a cool maple leather. It was not so cozy, but it was a place to rest. My partner came back and waited for his beer. I didn’t see how a beer could be warming on this freezing day and it perplexed me. Soon the waiter arrived with beer and tea. We sat silent and drank. I ate my cookie feeling guilty, knowing that I would heavier and harder to lift when we went to work that night.

Photo by Bence Boros on Unsplash

He didn’t say anything. He drank and his skin began to blush and turn bright pink and his blue eyes sparkled and came alive as the beer hit his circulation, he relaxed and the blood flowed. He launched into the history of the Belgian beer he had chose and why it was the best. I listened attentively and dutifully and tried to absorb the details of beer making and the countries of origin. I learned that Belgian brewers made beer that was on the dry side and spicy. There were over 500 different types of Belgian beer. Different beers were served for various occasions and different glasses and syrups and flavorings could be added. To try and know the beers of Belgium, was a journey into the Belge psyche. The waiter eventually drifted over to our table and began to expound on what seemed a serious topic. Their voices were deep and serious as they conversed in French about things that were important to men on an icy winter day. I spoke some French, but not enough to really understand what was being discussed. Later on I would find out it was to do with the competition between the beers of France and Belgium and then later morphed into a discourse on bar fights.

We sat for hours and the wintery day played out it’s icy performance. As the tea and biscuit warmed my soul, I relaxed. The conversation that swirled around me was a comfort against the cold. Eventually, as our bodies warmed, we took off our hats, earmuffs, scarves and coats to reveal sweaters and wooly pants underneath. Nary a soul passed that window that afternoon. It was just us and the waiter on that white frost-bound day.

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Stevie Taken-Passion And Opportunity Making Riverside Theatre Relevant

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Stevie Taken is probably one of the most unique, energetic and talented people I’ve ever met. I met her at a community event at a local museum in downtown Riverside. She was involved in a conversation about theatre and I joined in because it’s one of my favorite subjects. I immediately realized that her depth of involvement in Riverside’s theatrical world was significant and she was one of the key players. She spoke with passion and authority about different productions that were happening about town. I was struck by her friendliness and her ability to collaborate and draw people to her projects. More importantly, it was evident that she wasn’t out for fame, but for the love of the process and collaboration. She was involved in several projects that required many key players, crossing economic and cultural barriers that usually prevent communities from accessing the world of Art and Theatre.

Currently, Stevie is the artistic director of The Homespun Players in Riverside, California.   With the support of Patrick Brien, executive director of the Riverside Arts Council,  they obtained non-profit status and physical sponsorship from the City of Riverside.   For those who are not familiar with Riverside, it’s a fairly large Inland Empire city. The home of University of California Riverside. Despite it’s accolades for superior educational opportunities, Riverside maintains it’s small town artistic feel. It’s ranked by Forbes as the eighth coolest city in the United States. This has a lot to do with the bevy of creative communities that can be found in Riverside. The original citrus town humbly sits on the banks of the dried up Santa Ana River and the people of Riverside love theatre and almost anything to do with the Arts.  It’s somewhat of an oxymoron; a city that forged it’s success with farming; morphing into a cultural hub and being a major force in Southern California’s art scene. This is where Stevie comes in.

What makes Stevie so special? It all started when Stevie was  a child growing up in  Riverside. She was one of five siblings raised by parents who loved the arts. Parents who encouraged their children to study dance, acting and the stage. Going as far to build a stage in their garage with lighting and a disco ball for dramatic effects.  Stevie and her two younger siblings were all high energy and spent their days in a whirlwind of planning shows and performing them for anyone who was interested in their performances.

As Stevie grew, she continued to follow her love of performing and was involved in productions throughout her high school studies. She began her college education at Riverside Community College where she overcame intense struggles with math (A very common problem for artsy right brained people) to earn entrance into Cal State Long Beach’s baccalaureate program for Performance and Directing. At Cal State Long Beach. She studied under professional working actors and directors who had graduated from prestigious performance schools such as Juilliard and Yale. The students produced and directed weekly showcases to develop and refine their directing chops. In 2007-08, while at Cal State she was among a peer group of 16 who established the Alive Theatre Group and after graduating produced and directed local theatre. Her first show being iShow. The show’s theme was based on our culture’s fear of and obsession with technology.  Then during 2008, the United States economy collapsed.  Stevie decided to head back to Riverside, bringing her talent with her. This led to more traveling to work in the tourist industry. In Alaska and Hawaii she utilized  her skills to engage people and sell them entertainment opportunities such as whale watching excursions. She loved this work, but Alaska turned out to be life changer. Due to the unusual cycles of day and night and the pathological effect on the human sleep cycle, Stevie health suffered. She decided to head back to a healthier environment in Southern California. 

Stevie found herself, once again in Riverside and pursuing her dream of a life in the theatre. She ended up at the Mission Inn, where she became a waitress and tour guide. She loved the work and the flux of interesting people from around the world that flowed through the doors of the art-filled Mission Inn.  There was a never-ending stream of visitors from the world of arts, theatre and history. While working, Stevie continued to pursue the arts and took Los Angeles based acting classes.  She  took classes with Hugh O’Gorman, who was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble and owner of a successful actor’s studio which bases it’s theory on the works of Chekhov and Stanislavsky.

In 2013, while working and taking Los Angeles based theatre classes, she formed a local group with fellow thespian, Erin (Maxwell) Maroufhkani. Initially, they performed in backyards as The Backyard Players. The first show was performed in the backyard of renowned local celebrity and artist, Tiffany Brooks.  Tiffany Brooks’ gorgeous paintings embellish the interiors of the Mission Inn and The Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. It was an economical way to establish the acting company and develop a grassroots following.  It was a humble start and the group was dedicated. Their first show was Metamorphoses by Tony award winning, Mary Zimmerman. A complex piece, utilizing Greek Mythology to embody several plays within a play. Following Metamorphoses was Shakespeare’s A Midnight Summer’s Dream.  With each performance, their popularity grew and their name was changed to The Homespun Players inspired by a line of one of the character’s in the play. “What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here?”

The next three years were years filled with success. In 2015, Stevie and her colleagues shared their success with the city and produced a children’s show based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The show played at the Riverside Art’s Museum and raised over $750 to fund art scholarships for children.  Following this project, in 2016, Taken and colleagues produced Riverside’s Shakespeare In The Park, which had a successful run for two years. Due to construction restrictions and funding hurdles, Taken’s group was forced to discontinue the project and they moved on to new venues. Their most recent productions were Medea in October 2018, performed at The Box and Performance Anxiety, performed at the Menagerie. Performance Anxiety is  slated for it’s next performance at  Back To The Grind on March 23, 2019.

When interviewing Stevie, it was a lot to take in. There are so many key players and it’s obvious the success of Stevie’s group is due to collaboration and community.  Stevie exudes an aura of gratitude for what she and her cohorts have accomplished. She is constantly bringing forth names of people and organizations that have contributed to the success of her productions.  She remains humble,  matter of fact and realistic about producing successful theatre.  It’s a huge undertaking and she does it solely for the love of the theatrical arts and bringing excellent theatre to the communities that make up Riverside.  I asked Stevie what her goals were for the coming next few  years. It turns out, her next goal is huge and a step away from the world of theatre. For the past two years she had been drawn into the political spectacle that currently has the United States under it’s sway.  The Women’s March and surge of women representatives in Washington D.C. have  inspired her to make a spontaneous and organic decision to run for the office of Ward III City Council Person of Riverside.

 

Stevie has realized that she has a  desire to give back in a new and different way.  She believes that there are huge groups from various segments of the Riverside population that are not represented. She wants to include those people in building a future for their community together. Her perspective of the the current political climate in the United States is a large factor in her bid for City Council Member.  She wants to be a part of the political landscape that is working diligently to fight current negative trends that reflect hate and resistance to positive and progressive change. In conjunction with her foray into the world of politics she is working on producing “12 Angry Men performed by 12 Impassioned Women”. This piece is usually  read by an all women cast and conveys the power one person can have when they speak out in the judicial system. The event will be held on Saturday, April 6th @ 2pm at Poly High School’s Littleworth Theater, tickets are $6 and are available at Eventbrite, or at the door. This production is a collaboration with Theatre Spree and The Homespun Players, they are inviting all of the women running for City Council throughout Riverside to participate. 

cleardot.gifTowards the end of our meeting, I wanted to find out what made Stevie who she was and fueled her desires and ambitions.  I wanted to know those key attributes that made her so successful and so loved.  She told me that she’s never been one who thinks very far into the future. Her goal is not to do theatre just to do theatre, but to do what she feels most passionate about in the present moment. Stevie has a philosophy about theatre people. That is, theatre people are among some of the best people on the planet. They love to help others, they love having fun and making other’s laugh and feel good. And best of all, they are everywhere you go, so no matter where in the world you find people, you will find theatre people. Her main goal was to create access to the world of theatre for everyone.

To find out more about the upcoming performances of the Homespun Players, go to: www.homespunplayers.com

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Raining Here

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Photo by Matteo Catanese on Unsplash

There’s been a lot of rain so far this year in Southern California. We have a weather! It’s not unusual, but last year was a long, hot, difficult year for many around here. When people think of Southern California, they usually think of endless sunshine, palm trees, beaches, sundresses and shorts, but that’s just a slice of life. We actually have four seasons. Winter here is cool, sometimes raining, maybe one day of snow down into the valleys and coating the local mountain ranges. The winter skies are the clearest and the best. Everything is clean, shiny and views are amazing. Then there’s spring, which is glorious as new life bursts forth. Hundreds of species of birds come out and their songs fill the air serenading everyone as the earth starts to warm again in this part of the world. Flowers galore, tropical and roses, bright and beautiful. Next, summer comes and with it the heat. It can hit with a blast in the hundreds and was up to 130 last year in the desert. In the IE up to 117. It’s languid, luxurious and if you get your schedule right, relaxing and enjoyable. Last, and my favorite, fall. Excitement is in the air as we cool and the holidays are approaching.

Fast forward to today- it’s winter and it’s raining. It’s heavy, in sheets, forming curtains and washing away everything. There are leaves, branches, garbage everywhere. Pools and puddles of water sitting clear and cold. The earth dark and wet- oversaturated. The birds are out and reveling in the wet air. They bathe in the fresh water, flocks of seagulls soar on currents gusting along up in the clouds. The emergency alert system is sending out flash flood warnings to everyone’s cell phones. It’s hot tea weather that softens the icy edges of the rain.

Photo by Corey Agopian on Unsplash

The moisture in the air, the lack of sunlight and the constant pitter patter of raindrops create a quiet, thought provoking mood. Thoughts rambling slowly over everything in your life. It gives our sun soaked brains cool relief and time to drift around savoring ideas we usually don’t have time to mull over.

We love the rain in So Cal. It’s like your favorite relative or friend that you only get to see a few times a year. The visit is brief, refreshing and reminds you of why you love the rain. It doesn’t stay long enough to really cause any lasting changes. It’s a reminder of renewal, new life and changes to come as Spring lies sleeping and waiting around the corner. Rain washes away the debris and brings promise of a new day. The seasons still exist and we are still here.

Photo by Corey Agopian on Unsplash

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Balancing Ambition

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Photo by Leio McLaren (@leiomclaren) on Unsplash 

I was recently contemplating ambition and the force of nature that compels human beings to push forward or not.  Pushing forward meaning working towards goals and how we choose to move towards these goals.  We live in a culture that celebrates hard work and success.   Our success is often defined by what we own and what title we hold in our chosen career.  Did you attain fame or notoriety? Where do you live, what kind of dwelling do you live in? How hard did you have to work? Are you working now? Just a scant few of the thousands of ways that success can be measured.     

Photo by Adam Jang on Unsplash

Ambition is a force of nature.  It moves like a river with an unrelenting force; yet delicately molding and shaping what it flows over. It’s a dance of intricate moves and balancing.   Similar to a professional ballerina who performs a high releve on her toes and holds a graceful arabesque; looking fragile and effortless, but requiring intense strength and complex coordination. It’s a perfect game with all the right moves, the team moving expertly through each of their positions and meeting the goal.  

As we move toward the goal, there are twists and turns and setbacks, but the river still flows and the key is to move with the flow and don’t stop moving.  Let life takes it’s course and you end up in wonderful places.  You pass through dark places too, but it’s all transient; sometimes when the bad part is over, it’s almost as if it were a dream.   

How much is enough and will ambition fade out and diminish as we age? How long are we willing to stay on the treadmill of life or how long will life let us stay there?   As our bodies lose strength and vitality, our minds and spirit grow stronger and balance is maintained. Some say that once you have had the career, the family, that there’s nothing else, but I beg to differ. There is more, so much more.

  

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

There is the celebration of life that we wake up to everyday.   If we wake up, we are alive and we choose the day ahead.  Yes, the circumstances may seem bleak, but as long as you are living, things will most likely change, because life is always changing.   And then there is beauty, all around and free.   It make just take a tweaking of your perspective, but it’s there.

Ambition is human and it’s fluid.  We balance ambition carefully to create the perfect equation for success,  whatever that means to us.  It’s different for everyone.  My choice is to flow with my ambition and have faith that I’ll get there. Stay open to all possibilities and opportunities for growth, sometimes even the scary ones.   Change, growing is challenging and as we gain years and experience in life the challenges grow greater and make life exciting and worth living.   So we grow, we change and hopefully keep the balance. For that in it’s self is everything.  

A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them- 

Liberty Hyde Bailey

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Doors Open Riverside Coming May 11, 2019, 10am to 4pm.

 

Once again, the public will have free access and tours of Riverside’s most iconic historic buildings. Doors Open was inspired by a French event that has swept Europe. This will be the third year for Doors Open Riverside.

Once a year Riverside celebrates it’s beautiful historic architecture with the Doors Open event. It’s an alluring evening for those who love history, architecture, mystery and all things beautiful. The doors to Riverside’s most iconic buildings are opened to the public with free tours that are gateways to Riverside’s illustrious past. Few today know that Riverside was once the wealthiest city per capita in the United States and that statesman, land developers and a who’s who of the gilded age flocked to Riverside for business, respite and entertainment.

The architecture of Riverside is eclectic and much of it was created by illustrious and famous architects. There are buildings that were designed by Myron Hunt, Julia Morgan, Arthur Benton, G. Stanley Wilson, Peter Weber and many others.

I love volunteering for this event. It’s a fast paced, fun and exciting night. It’s usually in the middle of the week, after work and school. Even though it’s at a very busy time, people come from far and wide to experience the beauty of old Riverside. It’s starts at six in the evening when the tours begin. The tours are usually short in duration and present the historical and architectural highlights of the building. There are approximately 20 buildings to see, so it’s a race to see how many you can actually tour within the allotted four hours the buildings are open.

The best part is meeting the people that have journied to see these fabled buildings. I’ve met so many wonderful and interesting people from all walks of life that love history just as much as I do and are fascinated by architecture. Many of the guests recount personal stories that took place in the buildings. Stories that have been passed down through generations in their families. People also come to see the buildings they have passed by for years and wondered what was in it and who created it; coming to satisfy their curiosity.

The grand dame of the night is The Mission Inn Hotel, created by Frank Miller in 1903 and finished in 1931. A magical wonderland of architectural styles from all over the world. Frank Miller loved the people of the world and devoted his life to promoting peace and building a beautiful community. His legacy is the Mission Inn and speaks for itself. During Doors Open a mini tour is provided that gives a good overview of Frank Miller’s vision and a primer of the varied architectural styles gleaned from around the world. It’s a teaser for a 75 minute tour that is presented seven days a week by the dedicated Mission Inn Foundation for a nominal fee.

The Doors Open event, held every May, is just one of the wonderful events held annually in the Inland Empire and makes the I.E. such a fantastic place to live.

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PEOPLE OF THE IE-Tony Gonzalez, Cowboy at heart, hits the Real Estate range.

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To kick off this new page PEOPLE OF THE IE, I decided to start with someone who’s led a life of adventure, loves people and helped many.   Tony Gonzalez, known in Norco as Cowboy is a top real estate producer and also teaches courses at two of the largest Real Estate competitors in the Inland Empire.  

Besides these awesome credentials, what is unique about Tony?  I have to go back to the beginning when I first met him.  

I had reached a point in life where I was looking for new opportunities and pursuing change. I’m a huge believer that change is necessary to thrive.  It’s the human condition to long for stability, find that safe place and then relax.   But, I haven’t met a person yet, that reached that goal. Life will also give you a nudge, sometimes a kick to get you going. So, I prefer to be proactive.  This belief spurred me take a real estate course.   I went to a well-known national chain with several local offices and my instructor ended up being Tony.   

The class was in the evening, after work and we had a small group of hopeful individuals wanting to better their lives by selling Real Estate.  I anticipated a very business like, maybe boring person, to lead us through the course. We sat around the table chatting until a  guy, dressed  like he was going to the rodeo entered the room.   He was loud and commanded our attention at once. He was articulate with a slight accent and happened to be trilingual.    He proceeded to start talking about  music, guns, cars and then real estate.  He was funny, hilarious, talented and knew his stuff. Several of the students and myself attempted to challenge him, but he knew the subject backwards and forwards. And he was humble about it. He kindly put us in our places  with encouragement to keep challenging him and learn.   He was nice to everyone and genuine.   His friendliness wasn’t a facade. He remembered our personal details and our personal motivations for being in his class.   

I found him to be fascinating and it really piqued my curiosity how he became this successful, yet kind and giving person.  He was willing to lead students through difficult and sometimes boring tomes of information.  It was obvious that he didn’t see barriers or stereotypes. Everyone was fair game.   It was all about teaching Real Estate and making it real for all of us. Giving us a vision of success.

So this post is about how he became the person he is today and the good work he is doing for the community and business world out here in the Inland Empire.

It all started in Los Angeles.  Tony was the youngest of four children and only son of Juan Palomo, famous mariachi and Mexican national treasure. Juan Palomo was from the famed Guanajuato, Mexico.  Guanajuato is best known in Riverside as the home of the Reyes family who commissioned the Reyes Retablo housed in the Saint Francis Chapel of The Mission Inn.  Countless celebrities and people of fame have been married in front of this priceless piece of art that is over 300 years old.   Tony’s ancestry also traces back to Sweden. His maternal great grandfather, Stephen Green,  immigrated from Sweden to Mexico, landed in Baja and decided to establish is legacy there.

Juan Palomo eventually moved to Los Angeles to purse the American dream. He worked there for several years and then for health reasons decided to buy a farm and move back to Mexico, closer to family.  He bought a 250 acre farm in Mexico and began his  recovery.  The farm was successful. His crops were alfalfa, wheat, and there were some dairy cows.  There was also a drilling business. This is where Tony’s  love of ranching began and would eventually morph into a dream to travel the world, visit ranches and write about them. He dreamed of ranches in Australia, Alaska and Argentina.  He found he carried the musical gene as well and learned to master the guitar, piano and harmonica.  When he told his father he wanted to continue his schooling,  become a writer and travel around the world, his father would tease him and tell him to climb to the top of the drill rig where he could see the world.

Eventually, Tony moved back to the US and stayed with family there to finish his education. He went to Veterinary school and then decided to live his dream and become a cowboy. He was able to secure a position on a ranch in Montana and began to ride the range and work with cattle.   He loved the outdoors, even the bitter cold.   As he worked on the vast Montana ranch, his dream  to see ranches around the world and photograph them continued to grow. 

Photo by Chris Murray on Unsplash

His next move was to the 12,284 acre Avenales Ranch on the California Central Coast. At that time, the Avenales Ranch was owned by Jim Stinton. Jim Stinton held a degree from UC Berkeley in agricultural economics. He was deeply involved in agricultural research and executed many projects and experiments that advanced the science of ranching. Jim Stinton was a friendly and kind man and well-loved in his community. He shared information with the ranch hands and rode side by side with them over the range; teaching and working the range. At the Avenales Ranch, Tony worked the land and became an expert on wildlife and game, while working under the tutelage of John Arnold, the ranch manager and his Uncle Humberto Castro from the neighboring ranch, Las Piletas.   There was a broad range of wildlife that included bears, mountain lions, elk and several species of snakes. The impact of Jim Stinton’s, as well as John Arnold and Humberto Castro’s teaching, stayed with Tony and inspired him to become a teacher and mentor later, when he became successful in Real Estate.

While working on the Central Coast, life happened and Tony met his beautiful wife and started a family.  Along with that came the demand to settle down and provide a good life for his wife and three sons. First, they moved off the remote 12,000 acre ranch to a town nearby. Here, Tony took on additional work at a veterinary clinic. He settled here until an opportunity to start a tech business in Mexico arose. He moved back to Mexico briefly, learned the business from the ground up and then Y2K hit, which led to his return to the United States and the Inland Empire. In the Inland Empire, he was introduced to selling Real Estate by a friend. He took to selling land, like a fish to water, and soon became an award winning  top producer in the Inland Empire, selling millions of dollars of Real Estate.

Fast forward today and Tony’s role as a teacher and mentor to Real Estate students. Not only is the work philanthropic in nature; but it provides networking, access to new trends in the industry and consulting opportunities. This as a whole benefits the industry.

I asked Tony why he teaches. He responded he really enjoys it. He loves meeting people and finds the teaching process fun. He loves helping people succeed and see them improve their lives. He keeps inspired by following motivational speakers on Ted Talks and is a big fan of self improvement. He loves to pass this on in his classes. 

My last and favorite question for Tony was, what is the meaning of life to you? He quickly responded that he believed everyone was here for two reasons. He liked to think those reasons were to learn and grow and to make the world a better place for future generations.  He believes that life is always changing and had not really ever considered retiring, but restructuring his life.  This would be a balance of dividing his time between selling Real Estate, teaching, traveling and spending time on a small rural property that is not a working ranch.

Meanwhile, you can reach Tony at: www.norcolife.com 

 

 

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REDLANDS GLASS MUSEUM

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A New Years Visit To The Redlands Glass Museum

January is always an interesting month. It comes after a slew of celebrations, communing with family and marks a new start. A New Year to make your life anew. It’s cold, even in SoCal. In SoCal you can have a sunny brilliant day one day and the next it’s cold and dark, snow clouds hover close to the earth casting gloom over everything.

On such a day, I made a trip to a place I had been meaning to visit for several years. Several years ago I attended an antique glass auction to benefit the Redlands Glass Museum. It was such an unique experience and the glass so beautiful, I promised myself I would visit the museum one day.

Redlands is beautiful city located in the Far North Eastern portion of the Inland Empire along the 10 freeway and is the last large city before you get to Palm Springs, which is about 45 miles East of  Redlands. Redlands is the home to a multitude of historic homes and mansions. The types of architecture represented is abundant and it’s worth a day trip just to drive up and down the old boulevards to drive past the old mansions and homes. Redlands founders made their fortunes in Citrus, like many of the neighboring cities. 

The Redlands Glass Museum is located on the Northeast sector of town and located in a home that was built in 1905 by Jerome Seymour who owned a successful and popular mill in Redlands. The home is a large Queen Anne bungalow and embellished with all sorts of lovely cornices and trim. Guest parking is to the rear of the house. There is parking for differently abled guests and a ramp to the rear entrance.

Everyone enters through the rear and the front doors are kept locked.

Admission is voluntary donation of 3.00 and they allow photography, which is wonderful. The volunteers are dedicated and know everything you every wanted to know about historic American glass. The museum has the largest collection of historic glass West of the Mississippi. A large part of the collection was manufactured East of the Mississippi in great glass factories.

It was a different time and those fragile treasures created in those factories have survived, (some almost 200 years), and now are cared for and cherished by the museum in Redlands. The museum is constantly receiving donations and rotate collections on a regular basis.

The house itself, is a treasure and well-preserved. The carved moldings are in their original condition and exquisitely carved. There are transoms above the doors that open to circulate air, (a personal favorite). There are several rooms that center around a foyer and then move back through the house plan spaced evenly and parallel to each other. The front entrance is no longer utilized and guests are asked to enter through the back door which has a convenient ramp for those of us who can’t take stairs. There is a welcome room with a nice clean bathroom to the right for guests use and a small gift shop located in the old kitchen.

Each room is filled with case filled with various collections of antique glass. My favorites were the depression glass and children’s glass objects (child size dishes, cups and salt cellars). The rooms are filled with sparkling light in all shade of the rainbow reflecting off the glass. Each collection is carefully marked and described so that you know what you are looking at. The docents at the museum are friendly and excited to share the unique history of vintage glass and how they came to love antique glass objects. The stories are fascinating and I would have loved to pull up a chair and spend the day chatting.

For more information and history, The Historical Glass Museum Foundation has a wonderful website full of information to help you plan your visit:

http://historicalglassmuseum.com/index.html

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Paint And Flow

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So I painted pots today and they turned out so cute.   I’m passing on this fun garden decorating project, because it’s inexpensive, relaxing and will add a fun vibe to your out door space.  It’s a great time to add some bright colors to your backyard to celebrate the New Year.  

I’m on a serious budget right, preparing for the New Year and embracing minimalism. I know that it’s super important to get outside, commune with nature and to maintain a healthy balance while working hard. I know this sounds really simple, but that’s the whole point.  Taking it easy, accepting it for what it is and enjoying the moment.  This isn’t about elaboration, complexity, talent or purpose-it’s for flow, acceptance and basically letting go.   This is for those who are up for fun, baggage free.  Get ready to relax your mind.   

To do this little project I needed pots, paint, shellac and brushes.  The pots would cost the most, so I had to get creative and source them cheaply. My mom had the paints and shellac and was in the process of painting bird houses. She invited me to join her, so everything just seemed to fall into place and I accepted her invitation.  

I wanted to do several small pots in rainbow colors. To source the pots,   I headed to a couple of my favorite thrift stores. This turned out to be a great idea.   There was a great variety of cute, small pots to choose from. There were pots in varying designs and sizes with different coatings and containing different objects.  For instance I bought a couple with old fake flowers stuck into styrofoam that were glued to the inside of the pot.  They were fairly sad looking and bent out of shape, but I planned to remove the flowers and upcycle them.

I picked out five and proceeded to the check out counter.  I asked the girl if she was open to bargaining. She was hesitant to admit she would, but she rung it up at the price I asked for, while saying she couldn’t do it.   That’s why I always say, It never hurts to ask!

I felt really lucky after that and went home to clean up the pots.  I scraped away the foam, curated the salvageable flowers for gift wrapping and collected the broken pieces that were big enough for painting.  I planned to paint them and then break them further to add to the stones in a handmade Bee Plate in the back yard. It was full of river stones and the colorful pieces would attract more bees.

So, I cleaned it and then the painting was a breeze.  It was fun to experiment with different patterns and colors.  As my mom and I painted she recounted stories of our past.  She had an amazing recall of our family history, funny stories and our vacation travels.   I relaxed painted and listened.   Once the painting and coating were completed, I attached them to the shed to add colorful inspiration and compliment the flowers that would bloom in the spring.   I walked across the yard and seated myself in a chair that was resting on cold grass wet with drops of moisture from the rain the night before.   The day had been cold and sunny with a brilliant blue sky, but not warm enough to evaporate the wetness from the night before.   I gazed across the garden at the shed which was backed by a huge oak with foliage that was thick, glorious and a dark earthy green.   The colors of the small pots created brilliant pops of light and fun punctuating the coldness of the wintry December day.  

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

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The Golden Thread

Photo by MUILLU on Unsplash

My mother related that her mother, (my grandmother),  had a favorite petite homily. This lovely bit of advice was that golden threads connected us to Heaven. A filament so thin and fragile in it’s beauty and meaning, but with unworldly strength unknown to man. A love so great it’s unfathomable.

It was another timeless saying that had passed from generation to generation, perhaps for hundreds or years or maybe she had just picked up the pearl of wisdom in this century during her many travels.  My grandmother was well-travelled for a farm girl from Nebraska. Her mother was sent out to work at eleven years of age and then married a farm hand without a farm, so she continued to work on other people’s farms and started her family while doing so.  So my grandmother’s traveling began at her birth and as soon as her mother had recovered from childbirth and well enough to move to the next farm.  Eventually they moved into town and her father just moved from farm to farm and sent his income home. My great grandmother had to become self-reliant, especially when the depression hit. She brought in income by sewing, doing laundry, up cycling (before it was popular), taking in boarders, setting up her own beauty shop and working as a nanny. As my grandmother grew up, she followed in her independent mother’s footsteps. She went to college and she became a career woman. She worked as a book keeper for a well-known insurance company based out of the midwest.

Photo by Vladimir Kudinov on Unsplash

For fun she went to dances, sang in a choir, went on a lot of dates and travelled the United States performing on a drill team sponsored by her employer. She was also an accomplished pianist and was offered a tour to Europe, but for reasons buried and left undiscovered, she did not take up this amazing opportunity and decided to never play the piano again. Throughout all of this and for the rest of her life, she kept a prayer book at her bedside and read it on a regular basis.

This belief that there is a beautiful golden thread tethering us to heaven  describes the power of faith and the miracles that occur in our world everyday. Miracles that are inexplicable and affirm  that there is a greater power at work here. A power that’s a gift.

Photo by Ben Ostrower on Unsplash

When I was child, I was named by a rabbi, attended Saturday school, learned Hebrew and my name was installed on the Tree of Life. Eventually,  Life changed and my spiritual journey began.   I attended many houses of worship and found something valuable in each one.

With experience, I  let what I had learned as a child go, because with knowledge comes a new path.  

Photo by Artem Bali on Unsplash

There are many different religions in the world; up to 4200, per Google.  Christianity is the most popular, followed by Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and then Shintoism. New age thinking has emerged and the concept that we are  spiritual beings more than anything else.  Spirituality doesn’t require structure to exist. 

My grandmother has been gone for many years now, but I keep her homily  close to my heart. It’s a small beautiful idea, but it’s everything too.

Photo by Artem Bali on Unsplash