My darling granddaughters live about an hour south! Once or twice a week I navigate a very active freeway…and oh the trucks!  This particular stretch of highway ends at the busy Port of Los Angeles.  Approximately $236.4 billion in cargo passed through the harbor in 2010, the busiest container port in the United States. The containers and contents are off-loaded and then divided between rail transport and the trucking industry.

View of the Ports from the Bridge

And the trucks contribute to heavy traffic with potential gridlock. But, consider this.

We’ve had a birds-eye view of the global recession while watching port activity. In 2009 it was reported that the container industry was being hit by a $20-billion loss. The Port was noticeably affected, with new cars off-loaded and no place to go, parked in a massive static parking lot! The absence of full activity was sadly noted, and the Port suffered (that’s job loss) an unprecedented slide!

Port activity appears to be booming, or at least from an outsider’s vantage point it appears to be quite healthy once again!

As much as I do NOT enjoy driving in a sea of massive trucks, I always note that those trucks do represent jobs!

So back to my well-being! This week after a nice day with Nan and Papa, I took the girls home to their mommy and daddy.  I scheduled the drive to avoid the expected evening rush hour traffic–yet it happened–sirens in my rear-view mirror and vehicles screeching to a halt!

Traffic reports warned of an accident of considerable proportion ahead, also signaling the narrowing of four lanes to one. It didn’t take a genius to rapidly calculate that two lanes full of the largest possible diesel trucks somehow snaking into one lane with the rest of us wasn’t going to be good!

I’ll spare you the detailed maneuvering, but I got off the freeway, and although my navigation system told me it was still going to take me an hour to go 30 miles—at least I could control the flow! If I could see the San Gabriel Mountains all I needed was to head north, and I’d eventually get home.

How’d I fare? I remembered to breathe lighter! I was thankful that the girls were not with me—very thankful for that. I had a good car with a great radio—I sing show tunes with my XM Broadway station., and best of all, I decided that if people take road trips and go off the trail to see the largest ball of twine or a house made entirely out of glass bottles, I’d just do the same. I’d take advantage of some sightseeing and make the best of it!

I could always look for amusing bumper stickers and signage! 

It crossed my mind that snapping pictures along the way might increase my own accident risk, so I’ll just have to tell you what I discovered without the benefit of photos.

Passing a large sign for Downey Studios I discovered movie studios I’d never even heard about! I had to wait to get home to learn they indeed are working movie studios. Previously the former Boeing plant where the Space Shuttle orbiters were assembled, the studio has been used for many major TV and film projects, including Iron Man, Charlie Wilson’s War, Terminator 3, Space Cowboys, and Spider Man. I had no idea!

I also discovered  The Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey–a hands-on learning center bringing the excitement of space to children (of all ages!) and I had no idea it was in my back yard! This is a great resource to pair with our Observatory experience!

I traveled on, noting the military banners flying in honor of Downey’s residents in active military duty. It’s really hard to be cranky about traffic when you’re reading those many, many names and considering their current “inconvenience” don’t you think?

And then a traffic light stop gave me my first good photo-op!

World's Oldest McDonald's

Not California’s oldest, but the “World’s Oldest McDonald’s.” Now you’ve seen it, too! This Downey, CA location opened in 1953 and the 60 foot high neon sign with “Speedee the Chef”is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  I wasn’t about to stop, but we are going back so that I can see the employees wearing 50′s style uniforms of paper hats, white shirts and bolo ties. Apparently the facility now has a museum and gift shop. You know how I feel about museums, but true confessions, I like gift shops, too!

My spirit was really quite high at that point! I enjoyed my sightseeing trip and could now sail home in good fashion.

Mountains ahead...it's a straight shot now!

It’s all in a good attitude. If a person is going to navigate in Southern California you’d better have one of those! When the going gets REALLY tough, I just thank the Lord that we’re no longer in covered wagons! Travel doesn’t seem quite as slow if you keep that in mind!

Happy Trails…Debra

Perfect timing! It was a good weekend to increase a little knowledge about what to me is always “the mystery” of space. Today marks the 50^th anniversary of Astronaut and Senator John Glenn’s historic flight aboard Friendship 7, making him the first American to orbit the Earth.  In 1962 the spacecraft circled Earth three times in a flight lasting a total of 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds. I was just short of ten years old and remember something of the excitement of this event, although I have no memory of hearing anything about control problems requiring Glenn to switch back to the manual fly-by-wire system, piloting the spacecraft in that mode for the remainder of the flight.

“Astronaut fever” was a part of my early years—not so much for me personally, but for the more adventurous! School children were challenged by President Kennedy’s decision to “Go to the Moon” and even children’s television programming supported the imagination through introduction of the futuristic family, The Jetsons. George, Jane, Judy and Elroy (I can still sing the song, can you?) represented the family of the future, complete with every-day space travel, people-movers, and a robot maid, Rosie—just push the button and the work is done. We wondered if one day we’d have our very own personal robot!

So Sunday we made a day of it! Griffith Park is the second-largest city park in California covering 4,310 acres, featuring many inviting activities.  It is home to the Los Angeles Zoo, the famed Greek Theater, the Gene Autry Museum and Travel Town, and dozens of nature and hiking trails.

Weekend experiences in Los Angeles often pose the challenge of crowds! But Griffith Park is HUGE, making it possible to have a comfortable experience with thousands of other friends.

We enjoyed a meandering walk along the Ferndell Trail, located near the western entrance of the park. Home to over 50 fern species, the lush and charming area follows stream beds with hanging plants under the canopy of California sycamores and redwoods. Jay and I never head over to the larger park area without at least taking the thirty minutes to stroll through this verdant picnic area.

I’m a stay-on-the-path pseudo-hiker, but there were plenty of more adventurous trail blazers! Some appeared to be climbing to our eventual destination. We opted for the car!

From a lower vantage point we spied the Observatory. Isn’t this a beautiful building?

Griffith Park was once a part of a Spanish settlement known as Rancho Los Felis. Griffith J. Griffith, a wealthy mining speculator, purchased what remained of the original Rancho in 1882, and it was his dream to one day make science more accessible to the public. Griffith offered the City of Los Angeles $100,000 (1912 money!) for an observatory to be built on top of Mount Hollywood, owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles. Griffith didn’t live to see his dream realized, but today millions of people enjoy a wonderful learning observatory.

The exterior grounds are beautiful offering a spectacular panoramic view of the greater Los Angeles area. Our view was a little obstructed by fog and a heavy marine layer, but on a clear day the view extends all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Many well-known movies have been filmed on the Observatory grounds, including Rebel Without A Cause—thus the memorial statue of James Dean.

The Foucalt Pendulum is the most popular central feature in the beautiful rotunda.  The 240-pound brass ball, suspended by a 40-foot long cable, swings in a constant direction, demonstrating the Earth’s rotation. As time elapses, the trajectory of the pendulum shifts, knocking down pins at different positions, indicating the progress of rotation. It is mesmerizing.

The Central Rotunda also boasts a vaulted ceiling and upper walls of great beauty. Hugo Ballin, muralist, film producer, and author (1879-1956) painted these beautiful murals depicting images of classical celestial mythology in 1934-35. They have recently been completely restored and are a great artistic treasure.

I’ve been coming to the Observatory since I was a child, and brought my own children many times. This trip was also a chance for me to preview the areas I believe Sophia and Karina would most enjoy. Sophia is very inquisitive about the planets, and I’ve had more than one conversation with her about falling space debris and meteors! She heard something on the radio and hasn’t stopped asking questions. I have mixed feelings about showing her this exhibit!

I hope this meteorite, the largest found in California, wouldn’t give her nightmares of falling objects!

The Apollo astronauts trained under the stars in the Griffith Observatory’s Planetarium and the Edge of Space Mezzanine showcases samples of the universe that come to Earth from space or that we acquire through space exploration.  I think both girls would enjoy seeing a real rock brought back from the Moon.

I’m not particularly knowledgeable about the Cosmos, but I have a fascination! I do stare at the night sky and think and ponder and question and wonder…and I want to share that fascination with my granddaughters. Each trip to the Observatory provides just a little more knowledge, but mostly it opens up questions. I look forward to exploring and learning together!

Happy Anniversary to Senator John Glenn. What a brave explorer!

…Debra

Related articles

• Photos: 50th Anniversary: John Glenn’s Earth Orbit (abcnews.go.com)

Meet Darwin!

If you didn’t previously read my post on how he came to be mine, you might enjoy reading more about this once fifty-cent sized Sulcata Tortoise! Read this charmer’s brief

Darwin joins the familybiography here. I'll tease with a photo.

biography here.  I’ll tease with a photo.

Housing him has been a problem! He long-ago outgrew even the largest glass reptile aquarium. Free-range time in the yard works well in good weather, but this guy needs a constant source of heat in cold. So, as soon as summer turned to autumn I gave him temporary housing in my greenhouse. Or at least it was supposed to be temporary–just until we built him his own home!

We thought he could just “winter” in the greenhouse with his side-kick Rocky, a much, much smaller box-tortoise. I didn’t think of giving it to him permanently! But this hulk of a guy has figured out how to move about freely. He has claimed his space. When the sun is high, out he goes, and with no prodding on our part he lurches over the raised threshold, finds a spot of sun and basks until he’s ready to exercise.

Strolling around the yard

After a season of motoring about the yard he seems to watch the sun and before we can even note the changes he very quickly reverses course and heads home!

Remember my comment that he needs a constant heat source?

Oh yes it DOES rain in Southern California

And it didn't stop!

All photos, bright sunshine and rain, were taken this week. It’s not at all unusual for us to forget that rain may sweep in unexpectedly leaving this guy vulnerable, especially because he likes to burrow. So since it’s clear that the greenhouse is giving Darwin his ultimate independence as well as protection, I’ll be spending some time this weekend mucking out the floor and giving in to 50% less space than last season.

Protecting this little guy is important, but so is my pre-garden space. I may have to do some readjusting in the greenhouse for shared occupancy, but I’ll probably be sharing some of the vegetable yield with Darwin, too, so I might as well start thinking cooperation!

The well-being of our critters is important, too

Enjoy a peaceful weekend, my friends.  Debra

Related articles

• Frugal Friday | Grow your own (mike10613.wordpress.com)

There is a great deal of history connected to the City of San Gabriel, the City with a Mission, and the surrounding neighborhood, the Mission District, which includes the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, Historical Museum and many other cultural sites. Heavily influenced by mission architecture, the charm and importance of the District is designated by the National Parks Service as an interpretive center for the De Anza National Historic Trail that runs from the Mexican border to San Francisco.

I have a deep appreciation for the San Gabriel Mission, one of the 21 Spanish Missions scattered along California’s El Camino Real, or “The Royal Highway.” The Mission San Gabriel Arcangel was the fourth established Mission, founded in 1771 by Father Junipero Serra.  The Spanish-Moorish style Mission is a large, particularly beautiful structure. Its bell tower and outside stairway is very different from the other Missions, and it is constructed from stone, brick and mortar instead of adobe. The Mission Cemetery is notable for the many pioneer families buried on the premises and it was from the San Gabriel Mission that 11 families left on September 4, 1781, to found El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles. Not medieval history, perhaps, but cool!

The high school I attended is also in the same district and I have felt a kinship with this great structure for most of my life, but I happen to know as a certainty that for many local residents the Mission has just “always been there” and it only gets fresh attention when we have an earthquake and it suffers a little damage–a California “shaker” brings out everyone’s concern.

Well, what do you know, but it is getting plenty of attention now! Ta-Da!  We have our very own high-profile archaeological dig taking place within walking distance of our home and adjacent the Mission. A 2.2-mile construction project to lower a little more than a mile of Union Pacific railroad track into a below street level trench has been temporarily put on hold.  Archaeologists were called in when remnants of early Mission life were uncovered.

Archaeologists have currently unearthed the remnants of a mill dating back to the 18th century as well as foundations and footholds of other buildings once associated with Mission property, including the remainder of an important and informative water route. Clay stones with animal paw prints, an 1816 gold piece depicting the likeness of Ferdinand of Italy, spiritual medallions, as well as animal bones are part of the 20,000 already retrieved, with the promise of more artifacts being sifted in the more than 300 containers of soil (daily!) providing clues into how people lived.

You can't see it well...but here's the site of all the flurry!

The dig is being monitored by representatives of the Gabrieleno Tongva Native American Tribe (a significant part of Mission history) to assure dignity and respectful handling of human remains–thus far, no human remains have been uncovered, but the dig is an ongoing and lively excavation.

Because the site is in a very high traffic area (they were lowering railroad track after all!) it is not at all convenient for the public to observe, even from a distance, however, educators have been given private tours of the site and school field trips have been carefully planned. A webcam (which works most of the time!) has been installed and I drive by every couple of days…my yoga class is across the street…and I’m excited just to know it’s there! I’m anticipating the final reports and the possibility of future museum exhibitions.

It’s not difficult to accept that our local economy is boosted by the combination of Disneyland, Pasadena Rose Bowl/Rose Parade revenues and the glamour and glitz of Hollywood, but I often wish Southern California historical sites were more of a tourist draw! This may be a good start to renewing interest in local history. I simply had to share my interest and enthusiasm. I frankly think it is VERY exciting!

I just can’t tell you how much this little journey has increased my historical knowledge and at the same time given a nice little boost to my sense of well-being! Should something incredible be unearthed, you’ll hear it from me!

Debra

Related articles

• You: At a planned train trench, an archaeological treasure trove (labspaces.net)
• San Gabriel Mission archaeological excavation unearths 20K artifacts (puvungna.wordpress.com)
• Spanish coins from 1800s found in dig near San Gabriel Mission (latimesblogs.latimes.com)

For those of you unfamiliar with this product let me give you a little back story: Bag Balm was used in the late 1800′s, maybe even earlier, when a Vermont dairy farmer saw how much it helped relieve his dairy cows from the irritation of frequent cold weather milkings. Applying this lanolin based product to the milking cows’ udders–the teats–resulted in softening while still making them stronger. “Ahhhh,” mooed the cows, “Much better!” Pretty soon the farmers noticed their hands were softer, too, not all cracked and painful! “Ahhhhhh,” said the farmers’ wives and kids, and the cows mooed right along.  In no time at all people were finding all kinds of uses for Bag Balm!

What's in the green can, Mom?

So, here we are 2012—Yes! Can you believe that? And I use Bag Balm on my dogs, also. Many dogs get calluses as they lay on concrete, decks, ground, kennel rock—hard surfaces. Our dogs are just like us! We get rough elbows and knees, and my dogs get toughened skin spots, too!

Some of my dogs’ pals tell me of another reason to break out the Bag Balm! Winter is very rough on paws! Walking out on cold, icy and salted walkways can leave paws in need of comfort.  Many trails here in our moderate weather will toughen up those paws as well. Sandy beaches and ocean water are so fun for dogs but rough on the paws and those skin spots.

What have you got there, Mom?

Mae-be Baby likes it when I give her the ‘down‘ and ‘show me your belly’  commands. She trusts and knows that a treat is nearby and the Bag Balm does NOT smell funny to her. As I rub into those tough spots on her body I  look for scratches that she might have while also putting Bag Balm on the ones that are healing. It is a good time for both of us and we both get softer in the process. And Mae-be doesn’t moo like those dairy cows but she does give a big relaxed exhale, as only a dogs with flews can do!

Not so easy to find those spots on Ruffles! That hair on a Soft-Coated Wheaten can cover up or cushion her body, and sometimes I do think she feels left out. So, we have more treats all around, and a tug-a-war—or even a dance contest.

When life has given me some of those rough and tough spots I sure do wish I could just open up that handy green tin and apply the contents directly to my heart or my spirit—Oh, that soothing balm! Lately, in these times, whether with my dogs…

Smooches!

…with my human friends, or maybe with a blog post or in prayer, I feel like I AM smoothing out. “AAAHHHHHHhhh,” and exhale.

Some people do not like using lanolin, but there are many available products. Use something agreeable for you and your fur-baby– something that works. Because “LIFE IS TOUGH” , and as my Pastor Joe said last Sunday “Rough Roads Ahead” is a sign that should be given to every newborn child! Whew!

Blessings, Beth & the Girls

Related articles

• Paw care (newenglandpetguide.wordpress.com)
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I am currently on my fourth “round” of mushrooms. They pop up overnight, and depending on how quickly I get to them, they are harvested as little buttons or large, earthy globes. I’ve turned a corner of a kitchen pantry into my mushroom garden, and I intend to purchase a new box when this one stops producing.

Melt-in-your-mouth goodness!

If you caught my previous mushroom post you may recall my rapturous “Ode to a Porcini Mushroom Cutlet.”  Since I last mentioned my interest in learning the nutritional value (make that calories) I have been on a quest for resolution. I wasn’t exactly able to “cut a deal,” but Whole Foods brokered a box directly from the Field Roast Grain Meat Company.  When I went to pick up the delicious Cutlets, YUM, the helpful Whole Foods crew had discarded the original packing box for one with a more suitable presentation…so, out went the nutritional information! I later learned that wholesale food products are not required to post them anyway, so, good for me…it’s a sign! I think I’ll let that one go, and just enjoy my GIANT box of Porcini Mushroom Cutlets!

As one quest is phased out, I’m moving on. My new obsession is still mushroom-related, but on a whole new level. An out-of-this-world taste…truffle oil! I’d go for the truffles themselves, but at also out-of-this-world prices, I don’t think I’m competent enough in the kitchen to take on that culinary adventure. I think for now I’ll stick to the truffle oil.

Santa brought me this beautiful bottle of Truffle Oil

The oil can also be a little pricey, but it is entirely worth the investment. A little goes a long way, and even a very small amount perks up almost any dish. I have recently been adding just a little bit to sautéed spinach or kale. I know there are many more exotic ways to use this fragrant and decadent oil, but I’m still learning. You’ll have to do your own homework here!

If you want some fantastic truffle taste without even cooking, look what I found at my favorite grocer…truffle honey, truffle vinegar, truffle salt…many points of entry!

As you know, I do love my vegetables and I have a good suggestion for you! If you’re interested in adding a few more vegetable dishes to your own diet, let me invite you to join me in an on-line VegBookclub. I joined in January, and it’s bringing together other cooking explorers! It’s very simple. Hosted by Britt Bravo,  we dive into a new vegetarian cookbook each month, and participants post successes, challenges, and when possible, photos. The only requirement is an interest in trying to add a few more plant-based foods into the diet. No pressure! And it is NOT just for vegetarians. If you’re interested, do check it out. I’ve been enjoying the challenge to try new combinations. And trying new things is good for your overall well-being!

Thanks for hanging in there with me on my mushroom odyssey–I probably won’t have a reason to revisit a conversation about my love-relationship with mushrooms anytime too soon, but I will submit one final plea…if you have firsthand experience with truffles and can tell me more about them…I’m all ears!

…Debra

• Meatless Monday & Mushroom Madness (mybigearth.com)
• Truffle Weekend (virtuousgracious.wordpress.com)
• Mine may not be magic, but they do give me a little ZING! (breathelighter.wordpress.com)

Dickens wasn’t short on words! His books were published in installments, making them the pulp fiction of the day, which also made them more affordable. Some critics review his books as cheap soap operas. Oscar Wilde said that you would have to have a heart of stone to read of the death of little Nell without laughing! Oh well. I don’t really agree, but I don’t think Dickens needs my defense.

I don’t know that I have a valuable book collection, but I have an interesting one.  I’ve collected books all my life, and was particularly fortunate to acquire several wonderful sets and editions when we purchased this house. One of the collections that most pleases me is a 30 volume Complete Works of Dickens. The editions don’t have a publication date, but the previous owner of the books dated one volume 1917.  They are in excellent, readable condition, and they are valuable to me anyway!

I also have a large Illustrated Works of Dickens which includes six of the more popular titles. This book is in good condition–considering it was published in 1879–just nine years after Dickens’ death.

There was a time, and not that long ago, when many households had volumes similar to those in my collection. But library space today is at a premium. Also, we are unusual in that we have lived in our home for more than 35 years. If we ever choose to “downsize” I’m in real trouble with my books!

Dickens may officially belong to the English, but he is celebrated in countries all over the world. When I was in high school Dickens was a mandatory read! I would love to know if that is still true or if he has been bumped to make room for more current authors–perhaps those who were born less than 200 years ago!

I am fairly sure that school children today must find Dickensian language, settings and characters rather archaic–no Harry Potter, that’s for sure, but I’m old…to me the stories are  really  timeless and I kind of relish the “flowery” language and  Victorian settings.   I say that, and yet I haven’t read more than the most famous titles. I didn’t really think of how many I have yet to read until I looked on my bookshelves this evening. It may take me the next 200 years, but I like a good challenge and hope to one day say that I’ve read them all.  I’d better get started!

I’d love to know if you have a current interest in putting Dickens in that huge pile of books that sits next to your bed.  You know, the one that never gets any shorter, no matter how much you read? I know…I have one of those, too.

I’ll close for now… I need to have a little time to read before I close out my day! Debra

Related articles

• Happy 200th Birthday Charles Dickens! (bookclubbabe.wordpress.com)
• Charles Dickens: Prince Charles leads tributes (telegraph.co.uk)

But I am not comfortable when wildlife invades my bathroom.

OK...I know he's just a little guy, but...

So wildlife might seem to be overstating it a bit, but I don’t like anything that crawls or slithers indoors! Sorry for the blurry picture, but my iPhone didn’t quite do the job, or it might have something to do with the sudden flurry of frantic activity–I began to fly around the room.

Do I throw a towel over him? He’s small–it might hurt him–don’t want to take the chance.

Oh, the blog! I’ve got to take a picture, but better hurry. What if he scurries under something. I won’t be able to sleep if I think he’s in the house!

I paced and considered, from a distance, until I came up with my emergency response measure.

Lizard in plastic dome

I quickly grabbed a microwave food cover (we use it to hold paper plates) and tip-toed behind the little guy, gently placing it over him, vent opened enough to give him some air. Jay had worked the night before and was still snoozing…and the lizard relocation plan was going to wait until my dear husband could rescue me…I mean rescue him!

Husband to the rescue

Safely and securely folded in a gentle paper envelope!

Set free...and out of my bathroom!

And once again, all is right with the world. I’m spoiled by having a patient husband who just accepts that there are some things I suppose I could do, I just don’t want to!

Hoping each of you has a wonderful new week. Be sure to watch your step! Debra

I’ve recently been posting about my trips into Hollywood and it IS Academy Award season! It’s also true that at particular junctures in my life I’ve been symbolically awarded one of those little statuettes—apparently I have a flair for the dramatic. But in the spirit of the award season, our little blog has actually been given two very delightful recognitions.

I want to first say that the outcome of being singled out for any positive acknowledgement is a certain boost to confidence. Every time someone tells me they enjoy what we have to say in our little blog I just smile and shake my head a bit. The pleasure we in turn receive from that feedback is a continual surprise. I have always thought that I am primarily an intrinsically motivated person not particularly requiring a lot of overt attention, but recently it has occurred to me that perhaps that isn’t as true as I’ve thought. For one thing, I do have a lot of regular encouragement and support in my family, and with the addition of good friends perhaps I have more than my share.

This has been a thought I’ve been chewing on…so many people I know do NOT get their fair share of encouragement. And we all do need it, not matter what we’re doing. So upon accepting our recognitions let me also take the opportunity to truly thank Meg of Meg Travels for the Awesome Blog Content (ABC) Award. We feel both honored and encouraged. Given the eclectic nature of some of our ramblings we are truly delighted that Meg considered an award highlighting our “content”–we humbly thank you for the gold star!

And I really encourage our blog friends to travel over to view Meg’s wonderful site. I read her rich posts to enjoy the benefit of vicarious trips around the world–even a virtual pleasure trip is going to help you breathe lighter!

The guidelines for the award begin with Alyson of the Thought Palette. And as part of accepting the award I’ve added the ABC award logo and complied with an interesting alphabet challenge! Instead of sharing specifically about ourselves, I think we do quite a bit of that in our blog, we’ll list some words that fit very nicely into our overall theme of promoting wellness. Here are some genuinely POSITIVE words:

And I would like to pass the award on to three blogs I have enjoyed specifically for their positivity! It’s difficult for me to choose favorites from among the many wonderful blogs, but I’ve chosen three for the way they support and emphasize well-being!

Let me introduce you to Elizabeth at Mirth and Motivation and Deepali at Wellness Kriya. I also really enjoy Melissa at West Coast Nest. I first found her blog thinking we “shared” the west coast…she’s sharing life from Vancouver, and has a really lovely and visual blog. I always breathe lighter after reading each of these three wonderful authors!

And, hold onto your party hats! Meg also passed on The Candle Lighter Award. How lovely to be associated with this award conferred because of our positive and uplifting posts! We gratefully accept this award and will hold on to it for just a little while before passing it along. But we will!

Receiving acknowledgement from you, Meg, means a great deal. We are always so pleased just to find some lovely comments in our inbox and to know that those who read our posts come back again! Drawing even more attention to us is the icing on our party cake. We thank you kindly!

With much appreciation, Debra –and I gladly share this recognition with my dear friend Beth and the girls!

Image via Wikipedia

I tend not to operate in all-or-nothing mode. When I want to do something and come up against a roadblock, I can usually find a way around it; I simply have to re-imagine the goal line a little bit. So…

There was a long stretch of time when it was possible for me to access live theater and musical performances with regularity. My schedule was flexible and I could “shop” for bargains. I found that by going on odd nights, or in preview periods, I could comfortably afford season tickets to favored venues, or spend time collaborating with like-minded, interested friends cutting a wide swath across the whole of Southern California pursuing even lesser known venues. We could always find quality theater performances at bargain prices. And then it seems life got really busy!

Perhaps you recall that I expressed my admiration for cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Since I’m not able to actively pursue my goal to one day meet him, AND I don’t currently have ready access to a live concert performance, I tweaked my expectations and took advantage of a reasonable interim substitution.  Last evening my friend Linda and I trotted off to our local movie theater and thoroughly enjoyed The Goat Rodeo Sessions LIVE featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile. This exclusive event was broadcast LIVE from Boston’s House of Blues to hundreds of theaters across the country, with the four string virtuosos performing their chart topping “Goat Rodeo.”  (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, my previous post explains the story behind a goat rodeo here).

Prior to last evening’s performance countdown, the musicians shared about the unique circumstances that originally brought them together, crossing musical genres and combining experience to “just play music.” Some music! Each artist is indeed exceptional: Ma, world-renowned cellist, Duncan, legendary Bluegrass fiddler, Meyer, acclaimed bassist, and Thile—well, what he brings to the mandolin is nothing short of amazing.

At the end of a long day I’m often disinclined to go out on a school night! But what a fun evening it turned out to be and now we’re energized to follow the concert circuit from the ease and comfort of our local movie house! I’ve already got my eye on Sunday, March 18^th,  when LA Phil Live will present musical director Gustavo Dudamel (Venezuelan-born musical sensation and conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic) with Herbie Hancock (American jazz pianist, among other musical descriptions!) in Celebrate Gershwin, pre-recorded from the LA Phil’s 2011-12 season Opening Night Concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I was priced right out of that gala event! But it looks like I can have another crack at it!

And it isn’t just about the music! Billed as a first-of-its kind cinema event for one night only—LEONARDO LIVE is a cinematic tour of the sold-out National Gallery (UK) exhibition, “Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan,” created expressly for a movie theater audience.

I’m not suggesting that filmed concerts and theater productions are a substitute for being in a Live audience, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. And I think it’s pretty great that a wide variety of artists—from Andrew Lloyd Webber to The Metropolitan Opera–are expanding to include filmed performances with the screen and sound amenities of a movie theater, making the experience accessible to a broader audience.  Families can more affordably attend together, not priced out by exorbitant ticket prices, and individuals with mobility concerns are easily accommodated.

Surely there is something in the calendar line-up that you would enjoy and I hope I may have enticed you to do some web-searching (fathomevents.com)  to see what you might find to suit your own creative and artistic tastes. If you do not have access to one of these theater listings near you, I would encourage you to make persistent inquiries. With enough interest, I would imagine future “off-site” theater and concert performances might begin popping up!

Don’t let the sluggish economy or geographical limitations keep you home! Use a little initiative and find something interesting to do! And when you do, please share it with the rest of us. I’m eager to spread the word!

Smiling and humming, Debra

Related article:  Music Review: Goat Rodeo Cinecast – seattlepi.com.