Author Joyce Oroz

Inside the Characters of Read My Lipstick.......by Joyce Oroz

2012-02-23T14:57:00.003-08:00

What makes a person a trend-setter? Extra good taste? A strong personality? Access to impressive or unusual clothing? If Josephine wants to know the answer to that question, she should look no further than her own mother. Here is an excerpt from READ MY LIPSTICK.......

........Looking down West Alisal, I saw multitudes of people already
congregating in front of the Civic Center. As I plodded down the street
leaning into the wind, two Greyhound buses stopped in the middle of the
congested traffic and let a hundred or so senior citizens disembark. As soon as
the old folks hit the sidewalk they unrolled bright green banners and began
chanting as they marched over to the plaza. The women wore clear plastic rain hoods, the men
donned baseball caps and everyone wore raincoats and galoshes. Someone familiar
caught my eye.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” I shouted through the down-pour.

“Hello, dear. I brought some concerned friends with me.” She smiled and
waved her hand to show that these were her people. Mom wore a green visor over
her clear plastic hood and her overalls were lime green, the same shade as her
rain boots.

She had always been a trend setter.

Big Bubba in the Backyard........by Joyce Oroz

2012-02-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Top 5 Reasons to Harvest Rainwater!
Protect our rivers and streams from runoff
pollution
Divert water from the municipal storm
drain system
Conserve this vital natural resource and
reduce your water bills
Use the rain water to grow healthy and
lush plants
Control moisture levels around the
foundation of your home

Keep emergency water on hand

Last year I decided we
should install a rain barrel in our backyard because I thought it was a cool
idea. Being a lucky person, I turned out to be right. Our Big Bubba water tank
holds 550 gallons of rain water, straight from the roof-gutter of an out-building. I
turn the red lever at the bottom of the tank and the water is fee to move
through one hundred feet of hose, down a slope to my precious plants.
My husband and I installed
the tank ourselves through trial and error—or you can follow the easy
instructions when you buy the tank. There is a big hole in the top (with a screw-on
cover) so you can look inside and see the water level. A little further down is
the inflow port and the overflow port so you can direct excess water somewhere else—maybe another
storage tank. At the bottom is an outlet hole where you hook up a hose. It’s
all very simple, especially if you are of the male gender. For other genders, the rain tanks and barrels come in many sizes and colors. If you like this
idea, please let me know.

Buy Local, made in USA......by Joyce Oroz

2012-02-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

The Dragonfly Gallery event last Sunday was a big success. Thank you, Kathryn. Goods were sold locally, made in the USA. For the sake of our economy we need to buy American products and support American workers. I recently came across an article on the subject and want to share it with you.

I DIDN'T KNOW HALLMARK CARDS WERE MADE IN CHINA! I don't buy cards at Hallmark anymore. They are made in China and are more expensive! I buy them at Dollar Tree - 50 cents each and made in USA. Yesterday I was in Wal Mart looking for a wastebasket. I found some made in China for $6.99. I didn't want to pay that much so I asked the lady if they had any others. She took me to another department and they had some at $2.50 made in USA. They are just as good. Same as a kitchen rug I needed. I had to look, but I found some made in the USA - what a concept! - and they were $3.00 cheaper. We are being brainwashed to believe that everything that comes from China and Mexico is cheaper. Not so. I was in Lowe's the other day and just out of curiosity, I looked at the hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were made in USA. Start looking, people . . ...In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else - most often, their job. My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is now marked "made in Mexico." I don't buy it anymore. My favorite toothpaste, Colgate, is made in Mexico... I switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything. This past weekend I was at Kroger . . . I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy -- was an off-brand labeled, "Everyday Value." I picked up both types of bulbs and compared them: they were the same except for the price . . .the GE bulbs cost more than the Everyday Value brand, but the thing that surprised me the most was that that GE was made in MEXICO and the Everyday Value brand was made in - you guessed it - the USA at a company in Cleveland, Ohio.

So, on to the next aisle: Bounce Dryer Sheets... yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand cost less, and was MADE IN THE USA! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like the Bounce Free I have been using for years, at almost half the price.
Costco sells Goodyear wiper blades for almost half the price that you will pay on the outside and they are made in the U.S.A. Unfortunately our politicians and top CEO's have pushed for trade to China and Mexico for years so Americans are now out of work. Did you know that there are no electric coffee makers made in the US? I have been looking at blenders available on the Internet. Kitchen Aid is MADE IN the US. Top of my list already. My challenge to you is to start reading labels when you shop for everyday items and see what you can find that is made in the USA - the job you save may be your own or your neighbor's! The people at the Dragonfly Gallery understand this concept.

Please tell us what you find and give us the good news!

The Breath I Breath.......by Joyce Riley

2012-02-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

Capitola Beach in the Winter

A meditation written by my cousin, Joyce Riley

The breath I breath renews my soul,
Cleanses me and makes me whole.
A peace returns, for I am still,
Surrendered to a higher will.
And, as the cycle strengthens me,
Truth becomes Reality.
The breath I breath, the Vital Force,
Is Love, the One, the only Source.

Joyce Riley
2-3-1989

Lentils, a Wise Choice.......by Joyce Oroz

2012-02-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

If you are leaning toward lentils, let me explain the lentils in my life. From the beginning they seemed bland and I didn’t like their texture—they had no particular smell and they weren’t even pretty. So what’s to like about lentils?

The answer is my easy crock-pot lentil soup! Gluten-free and vegetarian if you wish.

I happen to have a “chopping disability” and I’m always running late so I tinkered around with a few recipes and came up with a really good one. Fire up your crock-pot or slow-cooker and here we go………

Crock-pot Lentil Soup Ingredients

One pound lentils, rinsed

7 cups vegetable or chicken broth

3 T grapeseed or olive oil

3 T dehydrated onion flakes

2 t garlic powder

1 T cumin powder

1 T curry powder

2 t turmeric powder

1 T coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in crock-pot or cooker. Cook on medium temp for 5 to 7 hours or until lentils are soft.
Stir in 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda….a little at a time. Stir until the foam disappears. Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy.

Katherine Stutz-Taylor in her own words..........

2012-02-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

Katherine Stutz-Taylor is known for her jubilant personality, her warm hugs and her excellent prints made from original wood cuts. Kathy is an active and valuable member of the Aromas Hills Artisans. Here is Kathy's story in her own words..........
........when I was in second grade I decided I was going to be an artist. I loved to draw, trying to capture what I saw before me. My family traveled a lot, exposing me to wonderful landscapes throughout the United States and Canada. My fascination of plants and landscapes began at an early age with architecture coming in a close second after I saw the castles and ancient buildings in Europe in my twenties.
I was twelve when I became fascinated with the printed curtains that my parents had made when they first were married, botanical plants my mother had drawn and my father had carved and printed. With my father’s tools and advice I began making relief prints. Through school I explored many forms of printing making with a side step into sculpture before settling on etching and relief prints.
I received my BA from UC Santa Barbara in Printmaking in 1980 and my MFA from San Jose State in Sculpture in 1988. I started teaching art in 1981 through the local parks and recreation department. Always finding a way to share my love of art I’ve worked for SPECTRA, the San Joaquin County Arts Council as Artist in Residence, and as an Art teacher in Tracy. Currently I teach Art as a release teacher in the Pajaro School District.
I turned to copper plate and non-toxic printing in 1998. My etchings and woodcuts are E.V. (edition varies), that include hand coloring and possibly Chine Colle. I have been currently focusing on relief prints. All my work is original from drawings or photographs I have taken of the world around me. Images of my own travels and interests in nature are reflected in my art work. I try to capture the serenity and beauty of the moment.
I have participated in juried, solo and group shows since 1985; including Santa Cruz Open Studios, KPFA Crafts and Music Fair, The Triton Museum, and San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art.
In 2003 I decided to share my work with the public and participated in the Santa Cruz Open Studios, (2003, 2005-2011). From the beginning of making prints one of my reasons was I could share and keep one for myself. I am currently a member of the Valley Art Gallery co-op, Salinas where my work is for sale. The Wild Rose art store in Watsonville carries my prints and my work can be viewed on my website www.stutz-taylor.com. My passion for art and sharing what I see and create continues to thrive.
I may be reached at 831-917-2329 or my email
Katherine@.stutz-taylor.com
Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your life's journey through the world of art.

The Heart of Aromas......by Joyce Oroz

2012-02-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Now and then I like to write about local events and promote them as best I can. Since my paintings and books are for sale in the Dragonfly Gallery and many of my friends display their work at the gallery--this event is extra special!

Small-town Big-hearted Event happening in Aromas February 12, 2012

Nestled in the green hills of Aromas, the Dragonfly Gallery sends Valentine wishes to the Central Coast and beyond. Kathryn Aguras, owner of the gallery, wishes to thank artists and shoppers for their tremendous support over the last six months. She is planning a special Valentine thank you event as we speak.

Sunday, February 12, 2012 from one to four o’clock the Dragonfly Gallery will be open, serving up gourmet coffee and free Pacific Cookie Company’s famous cookies.
Folks are welcome to browse through three rooms of paintings, photos, lovely jewelry, handmade dried flower journals, hand carved wooden Santa’s, quilts and knitted items, worsted wool chickens, stained glass creations, fused glass, greeting cards, Dragonfly t-shirts, artistic pottery, homespun wool, handbags, signed books by local authors and so much more.

The Aromas Hills Artisans guild actively supports the Dragonfly Gallery with their exceptional artwork. As you wander through the gallery you will see antique items and furniture for sale. You might wonder how a modest building can turn into an emporium of quality goods. The secret is Kathryn’s vision, the heartbeat of the Dragonfly and the spirit of Aromas--neighbors, friends, businesses all pulling together with high hopes for the future. You are invited to celebrate Valentine’s Day with us at 380 Blohm Ave., Aromas, California.
The gallery is open weekly, Tuesaday through Saturday, 10:00 to 4:00.

An Interview with Gayle Sleznick........by Joyce Oroz

2012-01-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

Today I have the great pleasure of interviewing a very accomplished watercolor artist and lovely person, Gayle Sleznick. She is an active member of the Aromas Hills Artisans. Gayle frequently and joyfully shares her newest painting techniques and materials with the members—along with her regular students. I know you will enjoy the answers she gives to my questions.

Gayle, who in particular has inspired you?

One who was my real inspiration was Muriel Doggett, an artist from Livermore, who pulled me out from under a bush my first day at Asilomar, where I was trying to paint something/ anything, shaking in my boots, knowing it would be critiqued by Millard Sheets that evening. Muriel Doggett was a powerful woman and artist in her own right. She spun me around and said, "nonsense, Millard will love this", and he did. Later a friend and student of Muriel's, Marge Alderson, joined us. Marge was one of the founders of the Torpedo Factory located in Alexandria, (an art complex, built in what had been a torpedo factory during the war, housing 250 artists who work and sell out of their studios, has two galleries, teaching space and art supply store). It revived the Old Town of Alexandria. We three roomed together, painted together, went to other workshops, always pushing each other to do our best. Muriel died of cancer 27 years ago, but, her constant yammering in my ear, with solid instruction, remains with me today. Marge instructed for Flying Watercolors and ran workshops from the Torpedo Factory. I continued to join her as a roommate and helped where ever needed when she was instructing in England, Bali, France, Italy, Mexico or Ghost Ranch. Another fine lady, Miriam McNitt, who lived at Yosemite, was a stitchery artist of renown and an accountant. She insisted I pursue my passion to painting along with helping me set up my books. Her large murals can be seen at Yosemite. Richard Nelson, who lives on Maui, studied under Joseph Albers at Yale, introduced me to painting with the three primaries. Since I was traveling to Europe to paint at the time, limiting my list of colors seemed like a good idea. It was and has been my method ever since. Some of these friends are gone, but they set my course.

Why do you paint and teach?

I paint, because I cannot, not paint. It is a complete part of me. It defines my personality. Once you have been exposed to so many fine teachers and methods and have become rather competent yourself, it is time to give back. Learning an art form is difficult in a structured classroom. I have always felt the Arts are best taught in a mentoring or apprenticeship format.

What do you enjoy the most, painting or teaching and why?

•I love the painting part the most. It requires discipline, but where I go with the brush is for me. It is me.
•Teaching is more structured and makes one really understand the subject by putting it into words. It is for the students. With a teaching background, I want to be prepared with an outline and course of study, to give them the most for the time we have together. That takes time and thought, but nothing is more fun than to see the visuals that come out of those who suddenly not only look at things, but actually start to see them.

Besides watercolor, do you like any other mediums?

They say oil painting is like a dog. Watercolor is like a cat. I tried oil painting. Guess I am a cat person. I tried stitchery, macramé, stained glass (love the end product) ,sculpting, but watercolor became all consuming and the easiest to pack up and move and we were moving a lot. Drawing is a part of a watercolorist’s world. The use of pencil, ink and pastels are a recreation to my painting. With over 35 years of painting I have explored all sorts of water based paints, mediums that change the surfaces of the paper and every color imaginable and multitudes of new brushes on the market. I have gone from realistic to loose renditions, colage, abstract and back again. Not sure I have gotten any of it right, yet, but all the possibilities keeps me going.

Gayle, what is your best advice to up-starts in the painting business?

If you decide to paint, never consider it a hobby you might enjoy. Push towards professionalism from the beginning. Taking on watercolor is not a frivolous medium. Understand it will be costly to gather supplies. Start with the best paint, brushes and paper. Student grade will only be a handicap. Expose yourself to master painters early on. Colleges offer classes and a place to start, but the true painters, who are in the business, give workshops. California has some of the best. Set yourself up to many methods and subjects. Drawing is just as essential as Painting. Do not expect success immediately. Watercolor is done in layers. Your learning follows the same path. You are you and no one else contains your background which will definitely show in your painting, if you stay true to yourself.

Go to art shows, museums, subscribe to watercolor magazines, buy books on watercolor. Look and look and look some more at paintings.

You may give away some of your earlier paintings to family and friends, but once you sell a painting, you have to set yourself up with the Board of Equalization. At that time, you know you have gone professional.

Once an artist is properly trained in the fine art of painting, she feels comfortable breaking the rules now and then. What rules have you broken-if any?

Classes in formal school teach rules, the student parrots them back and those rules lead to correct answers. The painter has rules called the Elements and Principals of Design, but the choices of color, how to lay down paint, use of surfaces and the final product is unending. If you correctly follow the rules you may NOT come up with an answer. For a Mathematician, this would be frustrating. For the Creative person, this opens up all possibilities. I do feel comfortable with a brush, but hopefully never feel comfortable with what I know. This is what pushes me to learn more and try more directions with a creative twist.

The Impressionists were the first to go outside to paint and come up with images which were not just as they looked in life. They opened the freedom to constantly experiment. After painting pure watercolor for years, it was a break away for me to go abstract, using opaque paints and transparent watercolor together, sand, glue, rice paper, stamping, plastic wrap...anything I could find. A total change in approach for me where the happenings on the paper pulled images and shapes out of my head instead of the scenery in front of me dictating the direction of my painting.

I enjoy keeping the mindset of breaking rules in most everything I do. Alter a recipe, use a piece of furniture differently than its original format, add or take away from jewelry, alter clothing and their use, use a scarf more than just around the neck (and I don't mean hanging myself if my painting bombs). Creativity allows everyone to break the rules and it saddens me that it is not the center of our educational world.

I know you are an active and valuable member of AHAs. How has the organization helped you?

I had been in San Benito County for almost twenty years before I discovered AHA. From the first meeting, I was impressed with the variety of mediums and the professional work and attitude among the members. The easy, friendly way of the meetings, was a breath of fresh air. Artists can hold egos and none of it was there. Just the simple evening of members sharing their work at AHA meetings brings me pleasure in seeing their accomplishments and jogs a direction for creativity within me. Setting a theme is brilliant in pushing all of us to come up with something within the month. Meetings are never boring since each month is led by a different member. The events throughout the year give all of us opportunities to show, sell and share our work. It is an impressive family.

Gayle, where can we see your paintings?

I have a wonderful working studio and gallery in my home, open to the public to visit and tour whenever I am home.I have hung my work at Ella's restaurant on two occasions, my painting grace the walls of the clinic here in San Juan Bautista. This month I have paintings hung in the Valle del Sur show at the Art Alliance in Gilroy. This show comes down February 4th.

• Paintings hang in the permanent collection of the Office of the White House Historical
Association, Washington DC in memory of Ronald Dickson, architect to White House for
25 years, Wheeler Hospital in Gilroy, Hazel Hawkins Hospital, Hollister, CA., Hollister
Sister City of Takino, Japan and Magadon, Russia
• Christmas ornament by Sleznick, representing Pinnacles National Monument, hung on
2007 White House tree. The ornament is in a box, being stored at the Smithsonian.
• Watercolor of Pinnacles National Monument graced the Holiday Cuvee label for ChaloneWinery

Choosing the RIGHT Career.......by Joyce Oroz

2012-01-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

Today I want to share something I recently wrote for "Career Day" soon to be held at the local Junior High and High School.

As an impressionable twelve-year-old, I remember distinctly a "paint-day" with my uncle who was a teacher and professional artist. Using oil paints on canvas, we each painted the same forest scene. Uncle John gave me his finished painting and I gave him mine. I painted passionately for the rest of my life because of that one experience--until I retired and discovered writing. I believe we should expose children to as many career choices as possible. Finding the right calling in life can mean happiness and prosperity.

Writing Your First Novel
By Joyce Oroz

Writing is something you can do between other things such as school or work. Chances are you will not write a popular novel right away. It could happen, but most likely you will have to study and write, work and write, think and write, keep writing and hope that you will be “published” some day.

I don’t mean to sound bleak, but there are millions of “writers” in this world struggling to get their work noticed and published. It does not matter how fast you write, it matters that you are like the turtle—you don’t give up. Anything worthwhile is worth working your fingers to the bone and then some. Writing isn’t “work” if you enjoy doing it.

Write what you know about, your experiences, thoughts, beliefs. If your character is going to the Congo, research the Congo thoroughly. Want to include a fox terrier, research it. Be able to describe its bark, the color and length of its hair, etc. You must be able to convince your readers that they are looking at the thing you describe. Show how the thing looks, smells and runs—make it seem real even if it’s a three-headed toad wearing miss-matched socks.

I have been writing a journal for ten years. Writing about the days events helps me to honor my own life experiences, no matter how minor. Some of those experiences will end up in my mystery stories. Your life experiences are all your own. Draw from them in your writing. The habit of writing for five or ten minutes in a journal every evening will help to form a habit of writing which will carry over to your novels and a lifetime of serious writing. Just think, if you wrote one page a day—every day, you would have a 365-page book in one year. Set realistic goals and follow through.

When you take Creative Writing classes (which I recommend) you will be encouraged to write an outline or a time-line of your story before you begin the first chapter. Most writers do this, but not everyone. It is helpful to know your plot in the very beginning. I wish I could come up with an outline, but the plot doesn’t appear for me until I am halfway through the book. Instead of giving up, I created my own methods.

I write mystery stories in an unconventional way. When I am ready to start a new book, I think up a quirky or unusual murder which usually happens in the first chapter. I spend months and many chapters trying to figure out who, why and how this murder happened.

Example: In the first sentence of the first chapter of my fifth book, my protagonist’s neighbors’ house blows up in the middle of the night. I am only on page 92 and the plot is starting to reveal itself to me. I think I know who murdered the neighbor and why. Of course I can always change my mind. My characters tend to lead me where they want to go.

In my head I am the protagonist searching for clues, wondering what happens next. Usually I set up three or four characters who might be the murderer, dropping clues along the way. At some point, I decide who’s guilty, but Josephine and my readers don’t find out until the end of the book. By that time the plot is clear to me and I can push it to the finish line.

Simple rules for writing an interesting book are:

1. Set realistic goals and follow through.

2. Start the action early so the reader is quickly drawn into the story.

3. Everything you write should push the story forward.

4. Showing what happens is better than telling what happens.

5. Create a good mix of dialogue and narrative.

6. Create characters readers will “love to love” and “love to hate.”

7. Take Creative Writing classes—daytime, evening—whenever you can.

8. Learn to write a perfect query and synopsis.

9. Write about what you know and write, write, write!

If your book is published without doing half a dozen rewrites and your walls are not papered with rejections—you are one-in-a-million! Good Luck!!

Solow recommends "Shaking In Her Flip Flops"

2012-01-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

Did Santa give you a Kindle? If you're not afraid to use it--download my latest book, "Shaking In Her Flip Flops," recommended by Solow himself and have a shaking good time! Here is a little preview.......

...... putting it all together—I realized that Inez had piloted a classic Mustang through dozens of redwood branches, narrowly missing their deadly trunks and finally landed in an unsuspecting oak tree with no one around to see her do it. No clapping or bands playing for the little lady who landed her craft like an ace. I looked back over my shoulder toward the road, through a clear path of destruction that ended in a miracle......

Solow writes.......

2012-01-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

BASSET ACTION By Solow
A basset mind is a terrible waste
I’d rather chase a rabbit
Than Google, cut and paste
Thinking is not my habit
I’d rather run in haste
After that crazy rabbit
The one I almost faced.

Steve Snyder In His Own Words.......presented by Joyce Oroz

2012-01-20T17:39:00.000-08:00

Steven W. Snyder is a 59 year-old photographer & printmaker from Aromas, CA. He is an invaluable member of the Aromas Hills Artisans, an outstanding self-taught photographer and an all around nice guy! Steve specializes in giant, colorful canvases of microscopic worlds found in nature such as rocks and ice. He has mastered landscapes, seascapes, Yosemite, oak trees in the mist and so much more.

It is my great privilege to share Steve's story with you today…….while he vacations in Death Valley in the middle of winter! Did I mention how dedicated to photography Steve is? Here is Steve in his own words………

……..my desire is to make large canvas prints that look like detailed paintings. Examples of my work can be seen at the Framer’s Corner in Prunedale and the Dragonfly Gallery in Aromas.
Since I love bold colors, I search for scenes rich with color and contrast. Although much of my photography is of local landscapes such as Point Lobos State Reserve and Big Sur, my most recent work involves microscopic pictures of polished stones (macro landscapes). Most viewers think these macro photographs are abstract paintings.

I purchased my first digital camera in 1997. The digital camera’s instant feedback renewed my interest in photography and allowed me to experiment without worrying about film and developing costs. Upgrading to professional digital cameras and high quality lenses improved picture quality enough to allow for making very large prints.
In 2002, my acquisition of a large format Giclée printer and hours of labor making test prints, resulted in a big canvas print that met my high expectations. With the encouragement of family, friends and co-workers over the next 2 years, I made and displayed many canvas prints and joined Aromas Hills Artisans. I began publicly selling my photos on canvas in September 2002.
Steve Snyder’s work has been displayed in shows like San Juan Bautista Open Studios, Black Sage Gallery, Cherry Bean Coffee shop, Sand City Westend, Bargetto's Winery, Aromas Day, San Juan Bautista Art and Wine and Popular Photography (contest)

Look for Steve's work at the Dragonfly Gallery in Aromas!

Thank you, Steve for sharing your story and your talent with us today!

Kan't Fail Kale......by Joyce Oroz

2012-01-18T14:43:00.000-08:00

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you greenery, better known as vegetables. Your Mama pushed them on you, your doctor pushes them and your grocer peddles them. I recently met a new vegetable friend … rather stand-offish, deep green and curly. Turns out—lots of people have run into my friend, kale. In fact, these people have convinced me that I should eat kale for good health. Great. How does one eat Kale? After a bit of experimentation, I came up with a delicious way to prepare this new mineral-packed vegetable. Here is my recipe for Kan’t Fail Kale………makes two servings—double it if you want more.

3 cups leafy kale, chopped
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
4 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
1 tablespoon water
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan, cover and simmer until kale is limp—five to ten minutes.

Kale Basics
In Season: Kale turns sweeter in cold weather, so it's at its best from mid-fall through early spring.
What to Look For: Choose kale with firm, deep-green leaves, avoiding any that are wilted or have yellow spots.
How to Store: Keep kale in the coldest part of your refrigerator, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag. Though it seems like a sturdy vegetable, kale will quickly wilt and turn bitter

J O Phone Home.....by Joyce Oroz

2012-01-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

Remember when phones were expressly used for verbal communication? Wow, I just dated myself. Actually, I can still remember the wooden-box-phone hanging on the wall at my grandfather’s house. It was the phone that didn’t work because years ago Grandpa told the phone company he didn’t want a new-fangled phone so they cut off his service. He left the old phone on the wall, maybe thinking Mr. Bell would be hard up for money someday and hook up his phone again.
There is no time for human nostalgia over phones these days. We barely have time to learn about the various apps and such before it’s time to turn the thing in for a newer model that does twenty more unnecessary things, that is, if you can learn to do them before the next trade-in.
I am obviously speaking from the mature and seasoned adult view. Young people are free to explore all the wonders of a little pocket phone. They use their phones to text, take pictures, check the mail, order pizza, look at life on Mars and even talk on the phone if they wish.
I have to admit I like the phones photo feature and love to share my pictures with you—especially when it’s a picture of my grandson taking a picture.

Crunchy Caraway Kraut....by Joyce Oroz

2012-01-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

I recently learned about the health benefits of homemade sauerkraut. And it just happens to be delicious! Luckily I had a daughter and granddaughter to teach me how to make the stuff. We chopped up five cabbages and dumped it all into a plastic bin (slightly bigger than a breadbox). We added one and a half tablespoons of pickling salt and a small handful of caraway seeds. (fennel seeds are good too) We took turns kneading and scrunching handfuls of the mixture for about twenty minutes—until the batch became “watery” and shouted, “Uncle!” We stuffed the mixture into three canning jars—two medium and one large. We pressed down on the cabbage over and over until the liquid rose above the cabbage. A plastic lid was placed directly on the cabbage with a bottle of water weighting it down. A couple hours later we put tops on the jars and waited three days before opening the jars to burp them (open and close the lid to let air out). The jars rested at room temperature (ideal is 67). We sampled our work a week later to see how the kraut tasted. The sauerkraut can take from one week to three weeks to arrive at perfection. Just taste it now and then and when you like it, put the jar in the fridge. It will still be good a year later! It is not only delicious and good for digestion—it’s indestructible!

I am including official instructions in case I forgot something.

Things You'll Need
Mature cabbage heads
Pickling (non-iodized) salt
Crock
Large mixing bowl
Table spoon
Large sharp knife
Kraut cutter or Cabbage shredder
Measuring scale
Large plate
Jars of water - weight
Muslin cloth

The Recipe: Sauerkraut is a mixture of 3 Tbs salt and 5# cabbage.
The salt frees cell water from the shredded cabbage leaves. The cell water and the salt forms a brine that aids in fermentation and preservation. Batch size is limited only by krock size!
Remove the cabbage outer leaves. You want a clean firm head. Quarter the cabage. Cut out the core.
Shred the cabbage. This can be done with a sharp knife. Large amounts of cabbage can be quickly shredded.
Weigh the cabbage. (Remember to deduct the weight of the bowl!) Add (3) Tbs of pickling (noniodized) salt for every (5) lbs shredded cabbage. Mix well.
Place salted cabbage in the crock. Pound down thoroughly. You can use your fist, a potato masher, or the end of a baseball bat. Be sure whatever you use is clean. Brine should begin to form as you pound down the shredded cabbage.
Repeat this process until your cabbage is gone or your cabbage is 3" - 4" from the top of the crock. You should now have a layer of brine 1" - 3" deep on the top of your compacted, shredded cabbage.
Press a large clean plate into the top of the cabbage. The plate should be an inch or so smaller than the crock. The idea is to force the cabbage down below the surface of the brine. The brine protects the fermenting cabbage from the air.
Add a weight to the top of the plate to hold it down and keep the cabbage submerged. Any clean heavy object will work. Grandma used a nice smooth stone she kept just for the purpose. We use (4) quart canning jars filled with water.
Cover the top of the crock with muslin cloth to keep it clean. Fermentation will begin in a day or so. Bubbles will form as the cabbage ferments. Skim off any skum that forms every day or two. After 3-4 weeks the bubbles will stop. Your sauerkraut is complete!
Sauerkraut can be stored in the same crock in which it was fermented. This is how the old timers stored sauerkraut. We process ours into canning jars.

Tips & Warnings
· Good sauerkraut starts with good cabbage. Mature, firm, dense, clean heads make the best kraut. Be sure to remove any damaged areas.
· Be sure to use canning or pickling salt. Canning salt does not contain iodine. Iodine can make canned products mushy and discolored.
· Take the time to mix your salt thoroughly with the cabbage to insure uniform distribution.
· Spoilage is rarely a problem if the cabbage is properly submerged below the brine. However, discoloration or mold is an indication of a problem. Discard this material. The remaining material is fine in our experience. (Mold can form on the surface of the brine if you wait too long between skimming.)

Tina Baine's article....

2012-01-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

Tina Baine writes a very interesting column for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. She searches out and talks about new and unusual "how to projects." Whether it's painted, taped, glued, sewn, hammered, quilted or knitted, Tina is trying her hand with great success. She especially likes to turn old materials into new useful items. Tina just happens to be a valuable member of the Aromas Hills Artisans. Today I am posting one of her recent articles where she talks about three craft books. I hope you will join her on her blog, tinablaine.blogspot.com and enjoy her colomn in the newspaper. Tina writes......

.......I decided to seek my own artistic inspiration from some unlikely sources. I chose three new books as my point of departure, and created three crafty projects. Here are the books—all of which I highly recommend—and the results:
"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web."—Pablo Picasso

Book #1: PARIS PORTRAITS by Harriet Lane Levy
When she died in 1950, Levy left the San Francisco Museumof Modern Art a trove of art, including La Fille aux YeuxVerts (The Girl with Green Eyes) which she bought fromMatisse in 1908. I used Web images of this painting and severalothers to create Matisse-inspired pendants on Scrabble tilesor in small frames.My favorite movie of 2011 is Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” in which Owen Wilson’s character is magically transported back 100 years to a romanticized Paris where he meets and hangs out with the likes of Picasso, Matisse, Degas, Dali and many other artistic giants of the era. San Francisco native Harriet Lane Levy had her own real-life close encounters with Matisse, Picasso and other legendary artists when she and Alice B. Toklas, joined their friend Sarah Stein in Paris in the summer of 1908. Levy recalls her 2-year Paris adventure in, “Paris Portraits: Stories of Picasso, Matisse, Gertrude Stein, and Their Circle,” a beautiful little memoir that has not been published in its entirety until now. In it, she recalls the eccentricities of her Paris friends, her regret at not buying a $50 Picasso from Sarah Stein, and learning to love modern art—Henri Matisse’s paintings in particular. Like Woody Allen’s movie, “Paris Portraits” is an enchanted portal to a time of unequaled charm and luminosity.

Project #1: An audacious pendant
When Harriet Lane Levy died in 1950, she left the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art a trove of art, including “La Fille aux Yeux Verts” (The Girl with Green Eyes) which, when her friends declined it, she bought from Matisse in 1908 while in Paris. Like Harriet Levy, I didn’t initially take to Matisse’s modernist style; but the joyous, audacious color in his portraits of women gradually won me over. So, I made pendants using printed images from Matisse and Matisse-inspired paintings, reduced to a size tiny enough to fit on the back of a Scrabble tile. There are several websites and YouTube tutorials that show you how. Just Google “Scrabble tile pendant” or “resin jewelry” for instructions.
"The torpid artist seeks inspiration at any cost, by virtue or by vice, by friend or by fiend, by prayer or by wine."--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Book #2: JUST MY TYPE: A BOOK ABOUT FONTS by Simon Garfield
Simon Garfield likes to tackle topics that make people wrinkle up their nose and ask, “How could that be a good book?” Among other historical topics, he’s written about postage stamp collecting and the color mauve. Reading his latest book “Just My Type: A Book About Fonts,” I found myself unexpectedly absorbed in the history and evolution of the ampersand, the controversial switch by Ikea from Futura to Verdana, and a typeface called Gotham, that has been embraced by both President Obama and Sarah Palin. Fonts carry a wide range of subliminal messages that go way beyond mere words, and Garfield has wisely included lots of visual examples to demonstrate the subtle powers of type.
“Retrofonts” by Gregory Stawinski is a good follow-up that allows you to simply bask in the lovely inventiveness of over 400 classic 19th and 20th century fonts. It includes a CD with 222 featured fonts, although many of these can be downloaded for free from the internet.

Book #3: TRASH ORIGAMI: 25 PAPER FOLDING PROJECTS REUSING EVERYDAY MATERIALS by Michael G. LaFosse and Richard Alexander. Origami can be complex and intimidating at times, but the projects in this book are refreshingly simple and practical. The authors show you how to make useful objects such as boxes, checkers sets, photo cubes, bowls and envelopes out of found papers. At a time of year when calendars, catalogs, gift wrap and greeting cards are quickly filling up your recycling bin, Trash Origami offers these paper products—and just about any other kind of waste paper—a great second life.

Will Solow's party ever end?.....by Joyce Oroz

2012-01-03T15:18:00.000-08:00

Just because Solow is still celebrating the new year, doesn’t mean we should be happily looking forward to 2012 with no regrets. Josephine is still stressing over the mistakes she made in 2003. True, she doesn’t always make the best choices, but she spends a good deal of time worrying over them later.
Josephine loves to read Winnie the Pooh stories to Solow, who understands Pooh’s message. Pooh exhibits less stress and more trust, less struggle and more giggle, less strife and more friendship, less worry and better sleep. Josephine read the stories, but Solow “got it.” So, party on, Solow, and have a very happy new year.
If you are wondering about the mistakes Josephine makes, just read a copy of “Secure the Ranch” or “Read My Lipstick” or “Shaking In Her Flip Flops,” by Joyce oroz

The Dragonfly Lives.....By Joyce Oroz

2011-12-31T16:40:00.000-08:00

If you have not ventured into the Dragonfly Gallery in Aromas, why haven’t you? Not a gallery groupie? Haven’t the time for snooping around a cozy establishment bursting with creativity? You have better things to do? If I were you, I would spend a precious fifteen minutes investigating the claims I make about our beloved gallery. Discover for yourself the treasures on display. If you would like to know more about the artists, I will be happy to help you any Friday between one and four o’clock. Yes, there are Dragonfly t-shirts for sale along with hand-carved wooden Santas, handmade jewelry, knitted items, pottery, quilts, cards, wooden boxes, paintings, photographs, prints and books by local authors. What more could you possibly want? The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 to 4:00, but not this Sunday because it's New Years Day. Hope I see you Friday. Make it a New Years resolution!

Now, motor on down to 380 Blohm Ave., Aromas, California.

Video by Joe Truskot

2011-12-29T16:58:00.000-08:00

I recently heard from my friend, Joe Truskot, who has put together a video you don't want to miss--instructional as well as beautiful to watch.

Joe owns more talents than toes, including his rose book (Central Coast Rose Manual)

You'll find this video especially interesting if you've ever served on a board of directors for a nonprofit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPi2oPNtoWw

Passing the white glove test.....by Joyce Oroz

2011-12-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

Holey moley, the new year is right around the corner—time to toss the tinsel and nix the pine needles. But I’m exhausted from the holiday hoopla. Suppose I don’t feel like cleaning closets right now. Suppose Aunt Clara is coming for a visit. Read on…….here is a little story from a friend that I want to share with you. She says, "I just read about a decorating tip that I thought was brilliant and wanted to pass it on. Go buy yourself some 'Get Well Soon' cards and put them on your mantle or table, so that when people come over and the house isn't Martha Stewart ready they'll see the get-well-cards and it will give you the excuse .... that you haven't been feeling well. A woman after my own heart. Brilliant."
hugs,
AR
Thank you, AR

Lint for Christmas

2011-12-24T19:01:00.000-08:00

"In the spirit of Christmas............

A dear friend recently wrote……
When we went to New Orleans to see our son, Dave, he took us to various art galleries and one in particular had some "strange art." One artist had collected dryer lint for the last 10 years and then stacked it, by separating the years. The price of this art was substantial and I commented, "You have GOT to be kidding me!" I was quickly chastised by Dave, to remember that, "Art is in the eye of the beholder." I try. I really do try to let these things go but sometimes I just can't. So, as soon as I got home, I started collecting my dryer lint and the attached is Dave's Christmas gift from me. I know he'll be in awe with the lint from his father's underwear, bathroom rugs, towels, t-shirts and the like. This woman artist in New Orleans has nothing on me. I even amazed myself and this is my first ever try at stacking & collecting dryer lint ~ artist that I am. Enjoy the laugh and Merry Christmas to All!
AR

Thank you, my friend, for sharing

Who's Counting?......by Joyce oroz

2011-12-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

An original carved wood Santa by Barbara Scoles

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Albert Einstein

In Christmas terms, the knitted tie, the potted cactus, the pet rat and the electric nose trimmer might not be counted in the “most adored present list,” unless, of course, they were given with good intensions by people who love you. In that case, they make the top of the list.

Presents are tangibles, easily sorted, rated, recycled or trashed (in extreme cases.) But sorting out the family and friend dynamics is a little tougher. Does Aunt Mary wear the skunky perfume because she knows I hate it? Did Uncle Bob burp at the table because he didn’t like his gift from cousin, Martha—tickets to a musical? Will my niece ever forgive me for buying her a sweater three sizes too big? Yes, I gave George the peanut brittle--didn’t know he was allergic to peanuts. But I’ll call the paramedics right away. And so it goes with family and friends.

Isn’t it funny how God gives us ugly bilge to work on so that we can be more prepared for the bigger, more significant problems and choices in life—like, the choice whether to be happy—or not when your world seems to be falling apart.

This Christmas, count up all the good things in your life and put them in your breast pocket. Now add up the bilge and drop it in the dumpster with the knitted tie, the cactus, the rat and the trimmer, and walk away. Feel better? I hope so. Now, enjoy the new year with a happy heart!

Sandy discovers greatest recipe ever!.....by Joyce oroz

2011-12-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

Sandy licks her lips when she reads my recipe book, and barks a happy tune when she discovers Barbara Gilkey's peanut butter cookie recipe. Being a typical Lab, she has a full range of favorite foods. She has been known to lick up spilled oatmeal, fermenting green leftovers, kitty pooh and other undesirable organics.

Moving along, I really should be baking in the sun on a beach in the Bahamas, but the reality is, I don’t have a ticket. While my mind is toasting in the sun, my hands are busy whipping up old-fashioned peanut butter cookies in a new-fashioned way. The recipe is so simple it only has three ingredients and it doesn’t even call for flour of any kind! Are those joyful shouts coming from the gluten-free peanut gallery? Now, let’s fire up our ovens and BAKE!!

Peanut Butter Cookies

1-1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 unbeaten egg whites

Blend peanut butter and sugar well.
Add egg whites and mix thoroughly.

Roll into walnut sized balls,
Place on ungreased cookie sheet
And flatten each one with a fork.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes @ 375 degrees.
Cool before removing from pan.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

gluten-free goodies.....by Joyce oroz

2011-12-16T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe for Cherry Date Balls by Barbara Endersbe…..
gluten-free and fabulous!
I eliminated the granulated sugar because the dates and
cherries are so sweet—your choice.

Cherry Date Balls

2 eggs, well-beaten
1 cup sugar—optional
1 cup chopped nuts---I used pecans
1cup chopped dates
½ cup flaked coconut---I used unsweetened
½ t. almond extract
½ t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
Cooking spray
36 candied cherries
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, nuts, dates, coconut, almond extract, vanilla and salt. Place in buttered 8-inch square pan.
Bake 30 minutes, stirring mixture thoroughly every ten minutes. Remove from oven and stir well, then let cool.
Spray a little cooking oil on your hands, then shape the dough into balls around cherries. Roll in powdered sugar.

This is my gluten-free recipe for molasses cookies……hope you enjoy them!

Molasses Cookies

2 cups almond flour
½ cup millet or rice flour

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 t. teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ginger

1 t. teaspoon cinnamon
¼ t. ground cloves

1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil

1/2 cup black strap molasses
1 egg

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
Mix wet ingredients into dry
Scoop batter one tablespoon at a time onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet
Bake at 350° for 8 minutes
Cool and serve makes about 20 cookies

Gopher Takes Down five-year-old.......by Joyce Oroz

2011-12-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

Gopher takes down five-year-old Shoestring Acacia

It’s hard to imagine a rodent the size of a small fruitcake, taking out a ten-foot tree. The tree happened to be a shoestring acacia I had babied for five years. I planted it in a wire basket, knowing there were critters in the ground plotting its demise. I faithfully tended my little tree, giving it food, water and kind words.

Two feet down, right under my feet, the gophers were laughing and doing high-fives as the acacia roots lengthened, eventually pushing their way out of the wire cage, and deeper into the sandy earth where the greedy monsters drooled and waited.

Over the years, my favorite little tree grew straight and tall, it’s branches proudly wearing thousands of foot-long stringy (but graceful) leaves. I imagined my tree growing to twenty feet and giving refuge to small birds needing a place to hide from the local cats. I couldn’t wait for its branches to stretch out and provide filtered shade over the grass.

Under the grass the fruitcakes were busy gnawing delicate tree roots down to the nub at a time when Mother Nature was orchestrating a mighty wind storm all over California. Finally the winds diminished enough for me to go about my gardening duties. Suddenly I noticed that my tree was leaning. I dropped the hose and reached out to the acacia’s slim reddish trunk. It easily moved several inches in every direction.

Life can be cruel, but I was not about to let my tree die. I raced to the back yard, making several trips actually, gathering long sticks, rope, a large rock and duct tape. I quickly staked and wrapped the trunk until it looked hokier than the blouse I sewed in my seventh grade Home Ech. class.

I quickly stuffed half a pack of juicy fruit gum into my mouth and chewed until it was soft. Juicy fruit is a gopher killer. I didn’t make that up. I poked the wad down a gopher hole. Now, if the tree grows new roots and the gophers partake of gum (and die) I will be satisfied. Later that day my neighbor told me his cat smelled like juicy fruit gum. A flavor I love!

The Nosy Rat.....by Art Oroz

2011-12-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

This little ditty comes from Art's novel, Okinawa Moon....taken from a real event and a really huge rat living in the B-29 bomber he was assigned to during the Korean War.

The Nosy Rat

by Arthur Oroz

The food was eaten,
But not by the crew.
Holes in the boxes,
Yet tied up like new.

I knew twas not me,
And it was not you.
So it must be the rat,
Not the B-29 crew.

We finally found him,
As huge as a cat.
Reading the plane’s log,
So cocky and fat.

Sadly we crowned him,
Hard with a mace.
Buried him deeply,
In a box lined with lace.

Fish for December......by Joyce oroz

2011-12-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

It’s December, time to take a trip to the aquarium, observe
the fish, their fabulous fauna and their freaky friends. Why December? Because
Christmas is coming and the average frazzle-minded shopper-planner person needs
a little get-away. How do I know that fish relax the mind? Because it happened
to me.

I entered the aquarium with food-lists, gift-lists,
to-do-lists and lists-of-lists buzzing in my head and weighting me down.
Moments later I was laughing hysterically at three rambunctious otters romping
and wrestling in and out of the water. Their fat fluffy bodies flailed and
flounced in pretend otter fights. They were having more fun than a sea animal
should be allowed to have and I couldn’t stop laughing.

Subsequently, my grandchildren led the way to a giant kelp
tank where a scuba-girl fed a variety of fish-types from a small bucket that
held an endless supply of recycled fish parts. She talked to us in garbled utterances
as she fed small squid to passing sharks.

Moving right along, our motley party visited Betty and Bee
(penguins) at, of all places, the penguin pond. Bee did her laps under water by
pressing her beak against the glass while working her wings back and forth (about
ten miles worth), coming up for air periodically. Betty preferred to pose,
penguin-style, on the rocks above, while Reggy waddled down the path looking
studly in his black and white tux.

Then came the octopus, spread-eagle and suctioned onto his
glass enclosure. His arms were as long as mine but he had six more of them.
From there we trekked to the opposite end of the building where we found
displays of swimming jellyfish, seahorses and silvery anchovies. Suddenly my
stomach growled and I had visions of fresh pizza. Fortunately, the restaurant
downstairs had everything we needed.

After a great lunch, we climbed the stairs and stood in the
dark in front of a giant (humongous) glass tank where sharks prowled, giant
turtles did the breast stroke and tuna loafed. Or was that lunch? At that
point, my mind was so relaxed, I would be lucky to remember the way home.

Book Review of "Read My Lipstick" (Josephine Stuart Mystery)

2011-12-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

Dear mystery reading friends, I want to share a review of “Read My Lipstick” with you, and encourage you to cuddle up with your Kindle $4.99 and enjoy my stories. Yes, I am unabashedly asking for more reviews.

By B. Altman (Reviewer)

This review is from: "Read My Lipstick" (Josephine Stuart Mystery) (Kindle Edition) $4.99

Well, Ms. Oroz has done it again!! A really fun book and I found it very hard to put it down. The adventures of Josephine and her darling Basset Hound...This story takes you all all the way from Aromos,Calif. to Tahoe in the snow. There is just one crazy thing after another that happens to Josephine. I am anxious for her next book..
I loved it!

Barbara Frances in stitches.....by Joyce oroz

2011-12-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

Today I am interviewing a very special lady, Barbara
Frances, who is a remarkable and dedicated quilter. Her quilts are hand-stitched
(even king-sized quilts, hand stitched?) It's true. I watched her making those
tiny precise stitches over and over again. The results are astounding. Her
designs are original and speak about the glory of nature.

Barbara, how did you become a quilter? Did anyone
influence you along the
Way?

I was fortunate enough to grow up surrounded by marvelous
textiles and
handwork. My mom was raised in Madagascar, and had
wonderful fabrics and
African handwork that we were allowed to take to school
for “show and
tell” at an early age. As I got a bit older, I would
visit my grandmother
and watch her take fine, tiny stitches as she made doll
clothes for me,
and I wanted to be able to sew like she did. At age
eight, I designed and
sewed my first garment out of a pink flowered flour sack.
For some reason,
my mom did not want me to wear it outside the house. Go
figure!

When we were living in San Leandro, we weren’t able to
get to the beach
very often. I was missing the ocean, and wanted to have
something that
brought the look and feel of the ocean into our home. I
thought about the
Hawaiian quilts that I had fallen in love with while on a
vacation to
Hawaii. Since I had no experience cutting a true Hawaiian
quilt pattern, I
decided to use the seaweed picture I had in my mind, and
applique it on a
natural colored background to capture the essence of the
Polynesian style.
A friend saw my work and wanted the same style of pillows
for her new
sofa, but preferred leaves to seaweed, so I created
applique patterns for
her which were inspired by the plants around my home.

Please tell us about the technique you use. What is
different about your
work as compared to other quilters?

When I started working with appliques and hand stitching,
I decided that
since I was just doing this for myself, I could do
whatever I wanted. So I
used my favorite hand stitch, the running back stitch
that was easy, fun
and created a great texture. With the exception of one
row of binding, I
prefer doing all the work by hand, while sitting in my
antique rocking
chair. I enjoy the control of doing one stitch at a time,
and there is
something very soothing about hand sewing. I do not know
other quilters
committed to using only organic or sustainable fabrics,
or doing all the
work by hand, but it is what gives me satisfaction and
pleasure.

Barbara, these quilts are truly beautiful. What materials
do you like to
use and why? Who dreamed up the wonderful designs?

As a confirmed vegan and tree-hugger, I decided to use
only environmental
fabrics. I use organic cottons, hemp, hemp blends and
bamboo fabrics. I
used only organic cotton batting in the quilts for a
number of years, but
recently switched to a bamboo batting. The pillows that I
make have kapok
inserts (kapok is the fluff from the seed pod of a
silk-kapok tree). All
my designs are my interpretation of what I see in Nature.
I often take
pictures of kelp or copy a leaf for a pattern. We were in
Maui when I saw
a breadfruit tree for the first time. As many times as I
had read about
breadfruit trees, I never realized how big the leaves
were. So I traced
several sized leaves and brought the patterns home. I am
not a swimmer, so
several of the quilt patterns are my vision of what it
would be like to
swim among the seaweed. Since the subjects are always
earth related, I
feel it is very important to use only Earth and animal
friendly fibers.

When you are not quilting, what other creative things do
you enjoy doing?

When I’m not sewing, and that isn’t often, I enjoy
working in the yard and
garden or walking on the beach. Then I get new
inspiration, and head back
to the sewing room!

Barbara, how can the public look at more of your work and
where can they
purchase your lovely quilts?

My quilts are custom order only, since there are so many
options with
size, color and design. They have been shown at the Santa
Cruz Art League
Fiber Arts show, the Pajaro Valley Quilt show and the
Pacific
International Quilt show. We have also shown them at
events, such as Earth
Day, Cabrillo Music Art and Wine Festival and the
Capitola Art on the
Beach. Some of my wall hangings are available at the
Clear Heart Gallery
in Petaluma. We are expecting the new studio, located at
our home at 399
Carpenteria Road, Aromas, to be completed shortly after
the holidays. Once
completed, we would be happy to have people stop by to
see the quilts.

Thank you, Barbara for taking
the time to educate us on quilting. We wish you all the best.
-----

Shaking in Her Flip Flops....by Joyce Oroz

2011-11-27T17:54:00.000-08:00

“Allie, put your collar up like this and pull down the hood. Nobody will know who we are, you know, in case the owner’s around.”

“Right,” Alicia said as she rolled her eyes and adjusted her jacket. “Why don’t we have lunch in that little café over there?” She pointed to what looked like an old cable car attached to the side of the pier about ten feet above the water. “We can watch the boat from there and no one will see us snooping around.”

The trek to Connie’s Café included climbing back up the steep stairs to the wharf, a short walk and then down a set of wooden stairs to the ‘open’ sign hanging on the Café’s weathered door. Alicia opened the door, looked inside, and grimaced.

“These places always look a little dingy, but that’s where the best food is,” I said as I nudged her through the door. “I love places like this.” We sat down at the first table with a view of the boats. It was near the door and across the small room from a group of four noisy men who were tan, windblown and smelled of fish.

“That’s our menu, up there,” a young blond woman with big hips said as she pointed to a scribbled chalkboard-list of foods hanging above the grill. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She marched over to the men and refilled their coffee mugs.

“See anything you want, Allie?”

“No salads, guess I’ll have the chowder. How about you?”

“Chowder sounds good. I wonder if they serve it in a bread bowl,” I said, brushing someone else’s crumbs off my paper placemat.

“Don’t forget to watch the boat.”

Avery's chicken and Art's ditty on Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-23T17:23:00.000-08:00

Alright, already! I know it's not a turkey. Happy Thanksgiving.

True Love

It can happen at once,
With a look or a glance.
Or linger so sweetly,
It must be romance.

No matter, however, how
It happened to you,.
The lawyer’s your friend,

when it’s time to be blue.

The fault lies in heaven,
You both were so true.
The flower just withered,
It lost all its dew.

Your counsel agrees,
With all of your chatter.
While counting his silver,
So, what does it matter?

Aromas explodes with art! by Joyce Oroz

2011-11-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend is a “two-fer,” two fantastic art sales in one trip to Aromas! The Holiday Art Festival at the Aromas Grange is in full swing Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 4:00. It is the first time ever that the Aromas Hills Artisans have put on this kind of all-out art show and sale under one roof. That’s right -- November 19 and 20, so get your list, check it twice and then check out the goods!

What can you expect to see at the Grange? How about zillions of original paintings, (oil, acrylic and watercolor), or maybe you want to feel the fun fur knitted items or gaze into stained or fused glass creations. The pottery is excellent, not to mention the photography, jewelry and on and on. Top it all off with some homemade baked goodies!

The other half of the “two-fer” is the Dragonfly Gallery, just one block from the Grange. You can’t miss the building decorated in extra large silver dragonflies all over it. Inside you’ll find wonderful arts and crafts and gift ideas such as worsted wool chickens, decorated magical boxes, jewelry, pottery, carved wooden Santas, Photographs, paintings, hand crafted wooden boxes and so much more. Even some signed copies of my book, Secure The Ranch and copies of Kathy Nichol’s book, Smell It Like It Is.
That’s how it is and we hope to see you there!

Julie Conrad takes the cake!...by Joyce Oroz...actually, she makes the cake

2011-11-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to be interviewing Julie Conrad today. She is a shining star in the AHA's Galaxy. I saw one of her scrumptious cakes up close that just took my breath away. It was just one of many original, beautiful, creative, detailed, yummy cakes.

Julie, how did you get started in the cake business?

Well I have had two daughters grow up in 4-H. They always competed in the Home Arts Division at the Santa Cruz County Fair for baking. Each year we spent loads of time making cakes to come up with a winning cake recipe. The cakes tasted great but looked home made. As my children moved out I started taking cake decorating classes. I just did it as a hobby for friends and family. But the word spread and pretty soon I was getting calls from people I didn't know. So I decided to open up A Slice of Heaven Cakes last spring. We officially opened in July of this year. What are your favorite cakes to make?

Well honestly I enjoy them all, but I would say I have two types of favorite cakes. One is wedding cakes, I love to make the big elaborate cakes with all the fun wedding type decorations. The other type is where a client gives me an idea and lets me get creative with it. Like this chocolate cake they just said they wanted lavender- I had been wanting to do something different, so the dome was a fun challenge.Julie, please tell us a little bit about the process.

I usually ask for as much notice as possible when I am making a cake. It's not like a grocery store cake that is whipped out in a few hours. I start asking the client what they want, carved cake or standard cake shape. Then what type of decorations. Almost all of my cakes are made with some sort of sugar decorations. I start making them weeks in advance if possible. The figurines need time to dry and harden in between working on them. The flowers are a minimum of several days for the same reason. I start a rose by making the center several days ahead of time and let it dry. Then I hand make each petal and add them in one by one. Say for a peony it's about 40 petals, so you can see how this would be a lengthy process. Do you have hobbies or other fun things you like to do?

Over the years I have been an avid gardener, though while raising children and livestock I didn't have as much time to devote to it as I liked. I also love cooking, preserving, crafts. I was the local crafts and 4-H Guide Dog Leader for several years. I think my love of flowers and crafts really helps me now with the different aspects of the cakes. I also enjoy a little spot in my backyard that is reserved for the wild birds to come eat, bathe, and perch. That seems to be my latest passion, along with cakes. How can people see your cakes and contact you?

I have a website now for viewing my cakes and my flavor chart. asliceofheavencakes.com, also people can see my cakes on Facebook. I only make 2 cakes a week, 1 if it's a wedding cake or carved cake. By limiting my number of cakes I make each week, I can make sure to concentrate on the details. I usually ask of a deposit to hold the date. Some people have already booked into July and August of next year!

Contact me by phone at 831-726-1837.Thank you, Julie for a fascinating look at cake making.

2011-11-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

A little ditty by Arthur Oroz

Bump in the Night

Has it happened to you,
in the middle of the night?
A sound, a movement,
Not much for a fright.

You listen so hard,
You can hardly listen.
Was that a thump?
I heard a bump bump.

Should I cover my head,

in my blanket secure?
My heart is pounding,
I must not demur.

So after more listening,
More noise in the house.
I crept creepy crawly,
Still as a mouse.

It was only a shutter,
Murmuring a mutter.
I closed it up tight,
so goodnight and goodnight.

Smell It Like It is.....Kathryn McKenzie Nichol's book......by Joyce oroz

2011-11-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

Kathryn McKenzie Nichols once wrote a book called "Smell It Like It Is" full of insightful small-town facts and humor plus everything you ever wanted to know about garlic. Kathryn's books are on sale for six dollars at the Dragonfly Gallery in Aromas and proceeds will be donated to the Aromas Hills Artisans (a non profit organization for the arts)

California journalist Kathryn Nichols has been writing for newspapers and magazines for more than 25 years, and is the author of two books. "Smell It Like It Is" is a composite of local stories, landscapes and giggles. It's Kathryn's off-beat look at things like the county fair, the outlet mall, holidays and, of course, more garlic than you've ever seen in your life.

Kathryn Nichols grew up smelling the country air she writes about. She worked for eight years as a journalist in central California, writing for the Paso Robles Country News, the Hollister Free Lance and the Gilroy Dispatch, where the stories in her book first appeared. Nichols won many journalistic awards during her two-year tenure as lifestyles editor.

Kathryn is currently a Featured Contributor in several categories on the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and writes for Yahoo! TV, Yahoo! OMG and Yahoo! Movies. Kathy is also a home and garden writer for Patch.com, Bay Area Spaces magazine, and the Monterey County Herald, and writes about art and local personalities for Carmel Magazine and Artworks. She also helps edit the political website Foolocracy.com. When not writing, she can be found spending time with family and friends, watching a movie, or digging in the garden.
...
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2011-11-07T16:38:00.000-08:00

THE CLOCK ON THE SHELF

by Joyce Riley

When the clock struck the floor parts flew everywhere, springs over here, hands over there, its face on the floor with a broken clock stare.

“Why did you do that?” Raggety Ann cried.

“It was the monkey,” Andy replied.

Monkey let his small symbols clang.

“It was the cat,” Canary bird sang, while, in the corner, a cat with soft fur closed its bright eyes and began, softly, to purr.
“Oh, my,” said a child as it walked through the door,“How will I wake without a clock any more?”

Then, picking up springs, two hands and a face, the child did its best to put them in place. But, there was no tick. The hands wouldn’t stir. And, the cat on the shelf continued to purr. The child looked around, then, with a nod of the head, Invited the cat to sleep on the bed.
Now, every morning, when it’s time to get stirring, the child wakes up to a cat’s gentle purring. And, high on the shelf, where it has a good view, the clock’s hands are stuck on a quarter to two. But, it doesn’t mind what the other toys say. Clock knows that it’s right twice every day.

Dodged the Bullet.....by Joyce Oroz

2011-11-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

The old question comes to mind, does art imitate life or does life imitate art? Today I felt like I was living through an episode from “Secure the Ranch.” It all started when I decided to drop off a few things at our local Dragonfly Gallery. Since I volunteer there on Fridays, I had a key and since Kathy wasn’t in town I decided to try out the key and since the gallery has a security system I heard an unusual ticking sound and seconds later found myself being screamed at by an ear-splitting pulsating siren. I rushed outside and sat in my truck wondering what to do. A passer-by told me that the Sheriff’s Deputies would probably be arriving soon. Sweat ran down my face. I never think clearly under stress and lack of action is stressful, so I drove two blocks to the Market and pulled in next to a Sheriff’s car that happened to be parked there.
“Are you on your way to the gallery?” I asked.
“No, why?”
“I accidentally set off the alarm ….”
“The gallery is in Santa Cruz County. I’m San Benito,” he said. I decided to order lunch at the market. While I was there I borrowed a phone book and called the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s department. The nice lady who answered said I did the right thing, but it would be better to call the security company, whoever that is. So I left a message on Kathy’s phone, took my lunch home and hoped for the best. Kathy called a short time later to say she got my message and she had called the security folks. Everything was cool and no guns were drawn.

Excerpt from Secure the Ranch by Joyce Oroz

….Theda’s SUV was not at the cabin. I tried the door. Locked. I pulled out my key and opened the door. The house was quiet except for a soft humming sound coming from the wall beside the front door. Finally, I realized it was coming from a newly installed panel of numbered buttons with a flashing red light. My cheeks flashed red. “Oh my God, what do I do now?”
My cell phone rang. “Ah, hello.”
“Josephine, this is Barry, your insurance agent. Is something wrong?”
“Dang, I mean, Barry, you caught me at a bad time. We have a new alarm system in the cabin where I’m staying and I think I triggered the alarm. How do I turn it off? I don't know the code.” Solow must have sensed my panic and belted out a series of howls, making it difficult to hear Barry’s response.
“Better hope it's not one of those systems that goes straight to the sheriff's office.”
“Did you call the company that installed it?”
“I just got home.” I shouted, over the howling. “Hang on a minute.” I began pressing buttons, combinations of numbers, but with no good result. “Barry, what should I do? I’m pushing buttons, but the red light is still on and so is the humming noise.”
Solow howled urgently. “Quiet!” I shouted. My poor puppy dropped his head down and tucked his tail between his legs, making me feel even worse.
“Barry, are you still there?” Suddenly tires squealed outside, Solow wailed and my heart pounded double-time.
“Call ya later.” I dropped the phone and peeked out the front window just in time to see two deputy sheriffs, guns drawn, crouched behind their white sheriff's car. A rack of red lights revolved in circles, silently, from the roof of the official vehicle.
“Come out with your hands up!” shouted one officer. They had my attention. With legs like Jello, I walked to the door and slowly opened it. Both hands reached for the sky, just like in the movies. Things weren't supposed to happen like this in real life. Sergeant Machuca stepped forward as he holstered his gun, but the other sheriff kept his gun trained on me. Machuca rolled his eyes.
“I see you took my advice and had an alarm put in.”
“I'm sorry to get you up here like this,” I said, “but the door was locked and I don't have the code numbers yet.”
“Just happens we were in the area, no harm done.” Machuca waved at his partner.

Mysterious log-jam.....by Joyce Oroz

2011-11-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

It was a day like any other day, except the fog was out, the sun was in and the ocean was calm as green cool-aid. Even the gulls were resting quietly or maybe they were chuckling under thier breath at the blubbery log-jam floating beside the wharf.
About a hundred plump, lethargic, do-nothings rested their wiskered noses on their neighbors paunchy bellies. They closed their eyes and rode the gentle movement of the water as if they were a living, snoring, flotilla of seals. But there was mischief afoot. Every so often a young over-achiever seal would leap across the water and bounce over Mom, Pop, Baby Bubba and Uncle Snooze. The whole flotilla snorted, fussed, rearranged itself and finally settled down--until the next athletic juvenile swam toward the pack and jumped into the fray. No wonder the seals are always trying to catch up on sleep. Have they never heard of day-care?

Beware the orange smiley faces......by Joyce Oroz

2011-10-31T17:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered about your neighbor’s nocturnal escapades? What’s with people who set a couple plastic jack o lantern candy buckets in front of their house to be festive. People passing by encourage them by saying, “how sweet.” Five years later there are bazillions of round-headed smiley faces pointed at the street. They cover the steps, climb the trees and collect ants. They outnumber the lawn chairs, rose bushes, blades of grass and rocks in the gravel driveway. But don’t worry, China can spit these bright orange babies out in no time. Who knew your water bottles would be turned into smiley-faced pumpkins….all the better to make you smile. Thank you neighbor for the smiles that will hold us until Christmas when you really plug it in!

Giving Wings to Creativity Award......by Joyce Oroz

2011-10-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Giving Wings to Creativity Award presented to Paul Burns, October 26, 2011

It’s not everyday the Aromas Hills Artisans give an award to a local business owner. In fact the GIVING WINGS TO CREATIVITY award was created because of Paul Burns, owner and President of Fireclay Tile located in San Jose and Aromas. Today I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Burns and touring his Fireclay factory in Aromas where old toilets, recycled windows and granite dust are magically turned into beautiful ceramic tiles.

The magic happens when the oddest of materials, the sharpest minds and excellent equipment come together. It’s the “green magic” we’ve all been searching for. Who knew it would be found in old toilets? In this case, 1,700 donated toilets from the Monterey Presidio, but don’t worry, replacements are on the way.

Linda Bjornson, president of the Aroma Hills Artisans, presented a handmade wooden box (crafted by Daniel Smith, AHA member) to Paul Burns, owner and mastermind of Fireclay Tiles. It was a joyful moment for all and all because fourteen years ago Mr. Burns had an idea. He wanted to make tiles out of porcelain toilets. He worked at the idea for a year before he found a way to successfully incorporate ground up toilets with other ingredients to make tiles. Now his Debris Series tiles are 70% recycled material.

Mr. Burns ordered a special kiln from Wisconsin. It arrived in four boxcars—yes, it’s that big! How hot is 1,800 degrees? He says his biggest expense is labor. Gosh, do we still make things in America?
YES WE DO!

Paul’s thirty employees turn out thousands of tiles ranging in size from one inch by one inch to fix-foot long solid counter top slabs. The tiles come in a full range of textures, shapes and vibrant colors. The intricate, Italian and Mexican style tiles are hand painted by ladies with steady hands and good temperaments.

The process is beyond interesting. It was wonderful to see American enterprise in action. Hat’s off to Paul Burns.

Nancy Oleata in the spotlight.....by Joyce Oroz

2011-10-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am very excited that Nancy Oleata has agreed to tell us her story, and of course I will share it with you. She is an active member of the Aromas Hills Artisans group and a top-notch artist. The pictures of her work speak for themselves.

Please tell us about yourself, Nancy.

I was born in Washington state but never lived there. I have lived in every city on the Monterey Peninsula and now reside in Prunedale. I have a daughter, a son and 4 grandson's 4,5,6, and 14 and believe me they are a handful. I was married to my husband Mike for 39 years and last May lost him to cancer. Needless to say my life has changed. I now have an urge to make as much art as I can.

Were you always a creative person?

As a child I was always drawing and art was my favorite subject. My father was an abstract painter and I have many memories of him painting in his studio. I graduated from Carmel High and attended MPC for a while before marrying. When my kids were older I got a job as a floral designer and spent 15 years making floral art. It's not as much fun as some people think. Long hours at holiday times and many hours on your feet. I'd always painted at home but never showed anywhere. After taking a glass fusing class at MPC I decided it was time to quit my job and try my hand at art. The Aromas Hills Artisans was a great place to start. I met Linda Bjornson at open studios and she encouraged me to join the group.

What steps did you take once you decided to give up the floral design?

I've taken workshops in L.A. on fused glass lead by Roger Thomas. I just happened to find him on the web and really related to his style. He inspired me to try my hand at landscapes in glass which are so much fun. They take about 4-5 firings in the kiln before I'm satisfied. I also make practical pieces like plates and bowls but from an artists point of view. When I paint I like to start with a photo I've taken or some times a magazine photo will catch my eye. I think I'm a pretty fast painter and can usually finish a painting in a week. After a while you reach the point where you start overworking the piece. That's when it's time to stop. Although I have been know to change a painting after a couple of years if something about it bothers me. I switch back and forth from painting to glass whenever I get tired or frustrated with one.

Nancy, do you have other artistic things you like to do?

My other artistic endevers would be home decorating and gardening. I've taken 25 years to landscape my property and enjoy adding annual color.

Where can people find your lovely paintings and glass work?

I am currently showing my work in The Valley Art Gallery in old town Salinas and hope to expand to other galleries and the web in the future.

Thank you, Nancy for sharing with us today.

The Crocheted Lei story.......by Joyce Oroz

2011-10-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Let the fur fly!

I don’t get around much so you can imagine my surprise—hearing about crocheting on silk flower leis (lays) using fun fur yarns (not stories). When I joined the crocheting leis class I was oblivious to the perils of having three thumbs on each hand. But that’s OK. I have three left feet to match, just don’t put me in a room full of zoomba-jazzer-aorobic-dancers because most people cannot do the moves while laughing hysterically.

Back to the fun fur yarn, no animals were harmed, by the way. It really was fun, chatting with the students and cashing in on 90% of the personal instruction. It seems most women, even some men have experienced needlework in their past. My past was completely deficient in that area, but that didn’t stop me from finishing my furry lei—the next day. I think it is beautiful and I am proud to say I did 22% of the work myself.

My instructor’s name is J. Rosella Myers, a truly gifted creator of beautiful things. She invented the crocheting silk flower leis idea and method, but that’s only one project. Jay works like a sculptor as she designs unique, flowing, dramatic and very beautiful clothing. If you’re looking for Jay, try SueDee’s Quilting and Knitting…..222G, Mt. Hermon Road, Scotts Valley—they know where she is.

Autumn's Story......a poem by Joyce Riley

2011-10-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

Thank you
Shirely Sedgwick
for the picture

AUTUMN’S STORY

By Joyce Riley

September
There’s a touch of autumn in the air,
Not much but it is there,
Soothing a sun parched land.
There’s a ripple in the trees.
Tired leaves are touched
And tinted by a gold tipped hand.
October
The painter’s hand is crimson, now.
Transforming leaves and boughs
From a dusty green to gold and umber.
Frost turns the landscape into flame
And game obeys an urge
Awakened from its slumber.
November
There’s a touch of winter in the air,
Not much, but the trees are bare
And geese have flown from sight
Now, where the picnic table stood
Fire wood is stacked and ready
To give us warmth and fire light.
December
Autumn’s story, now completed,
Will, in time, be repeated.

Shaking In Her Flip Flops........by Joyce Oroz

2011-10-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Shaking In Her Flip Flops has been available on Kindle for a week now. Here is an excerpt......

.....“Hi, Trudy, looks like we shop at the same market. How is your husband feeling?”
“Oh, hello, Josephine. Poor Dash is feeling a little overwhelmed right now. He depended on Del for so many things.” Ava appeared and pulled on her mother’s sleeve. “Not now honey,” Trudy said, and then turned back to me. “Dash told me how you helped him with his headaches. In fact, he tried to show me how you do it.” She pointed to a spot above her eyebrow.
“Is this the correct spot?”
“It might be. Just push difference places until he complains. That usually means you found it.” I showed her a few more pressure points and reminded her to push for fifteen seconds no matter how hard Mr. Dubois cried.
“Josephine, where did you learn all this stuff?”
“I heard it on the radio, you know, an infomercial,” I said. Trudy’s smile faded. “So, I guess Delroy is missed by everyone.”
“Not me,” Ava said. Her mother frowned and turned to Ava.
“We don’t speak about Uncle Del that way.” She turned back to me. “He wasn’t a family type of guy.”
The pretty little ten-year-old rolled her eyes and walked further down the aisle ....

Meet author Joseph Valentinetti.....by Joyce oroz

2011-10-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today I want you to meet a wonderful author, Joseph Valentinetti.

Mr. Valentinetti, please tell us how and why you embarked on a writing career?

I started writing early but without consistency. But I think the `Why’ part of your question is more relevant to me. I’m a reticent person-the quiet type. When people are being kind they say, Still waters run deep. What have you been up to? or, what are you thinking about? are two questions that freeze me up. I’m sure there’s a description of my disorder in the DSM outlining its characteristics, and, I’m just as sure there’s a description in there for each of us. So I write to say what I feel, and, to say what I am unable to say face to face. I’m there in my fiction somewhere, not quite as disguised as in real life but probably not that open either.
By the way, when people are not being kind they say, I bore them to death. Though there is no documented case of someone dying from being in my company.

Mr. Valentinetti, what genre do you prefer to write?

I seem to have ended up in the mystery field. I like my characters to let their weaknesses get them into places they have never been before, and, from where they have to find the strength to get themselves out.

Please tell us about "Tyler Palewhite: Soft-Boiled Detective" your most recent book.

Tyler Palewhite is a salesman who dreams of being a novelist. In fact he’s written a P.I. novel. He’s not having much luck getting it published until he hits on the idea of pretending to be a Private Investigator to impress potential publishers. He makes letterhead, prints business cards and adds it to his resume. As people he knows find out they take it seriously and begin to ask for his help. He tries his hand at a couple of simple things and has some unexpected success. As far is writing is concerned his pretense has the desired effect: It works. He gets a publisher and things are going as according to plan.
Just when he thinks, What Could Possibly Go Wrong? things begin to spiral out of control and he finds himself embroiled in kidnapping and murder. What he does to try and fix things keeps making matters worse.

How many books have you written and which one was the most satisfying to
write?

I have five novels. Each had rewards and punishments unique to itself. I am proud of each of them.

Please tell us about how you write your novels--your methodology.

I start with an idea. I don’t do an outline unless you consider a first draft an outline. I do try to stay true to the original idea. What I mean is, when I get an idea that excites my imagination I stick to it. I know that as I think about it again and again it will start to sound dull and stupid. New modifications will occur to me and new ideas always sound better than old ideas, if for no other reason, their freshness alone will make them appear better. If I let the `new’ take over I’d never get anything done.

Do you enjoy writing?

I can’t top what Woody Allen said: I like everything but the paperwork.
I do like it. I enjoy the solitude. I enjoy the times when the writing takes over and I am nothing more than a conduit. When the thoughts shake free of my grip and I am carried along with them as though we are, my thoughts and I, travelling side by side, driven. I can’t say what that force is, creativity maybe? but it is something that frees me. I enjoy that.
Thanks for interviewing me Joyce.

I am also on Goodreads, Librarything, Facebook and Linkedin.

Where can we find you and your books?

Web Site, Book Purchasing and Blog www.valentinetti.com

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/valentinetti
Articles etc. http://ezinearticles.com/?=Joseph_Valentinetti
Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/valentinetti

Thank you, Joseph for taking the time to tell us a little bit about yourself!

David Coombes talks photography......by Joyce Oroz

2011-10-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Today I turn the spotlight on a distinguished photographer and AHA member, David Coombes. David's pictures capture nature at it's best. He actively supports the Aromas Hills Artisans and the Dragonfly Gallery.

• David, please tell us about yourself and how you became a photographer.

My parents owned a Brownie 44 box camera which I used to play with and then they discovered that it actually had an undeveloped film in it. I was 5 years old at the time and it was fun seeing everything upside down in the viewfinder. It was even more fun when they had it developed – nothing memorable but I was hooked. My first camera was given to me on my 10th birthday and I still have the black and white snaps from the first film in a scrapbook.

• David, I have seen the lovely pictures you take. How do you find such beautiful pieces of nature?

My camera and I tend to hang out together wherever I go, however most of the shots are either in our garden or in the local area. Let’s face it, when you have Moss Landing, Watsonville Beaches and Monterey on your doorstep, how can you go wrong? My favorite times are hanging out in the garden and waiting for that perfect set up with the flowers, bees and butterflies – it is so rewarding when it all comes together.

If you weren’t taking pictures, what would you be doing?

I seem to collect hobbies, so the list includes golf, or more accurately, finding golf balls in long grass and wooded areas close to golf courses. More items on the hobby list include trains – Great western Railway from England, fly fishing – I once caught a 7 pound mosquito  – I enjoy tying my own flies and rod building, and occasional gardening, which includes some bonsai, cactus and succulents.

• Please tell us how the folks find your photos? Will you be participating in any selling events?

I currently host my galleries on photo.net – my page can be found at http://photo.net/photos/davidjcoombes , I have also started a new facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002954118804 Coming soon will be the web site for which the domain name is www.coombesphoto.com (under construction) which may evolve into an ecommerce site, although I am taking orders via email (coombesphoto@gmail.com) and I am exploring some of the stock photo sites such as istockphoto.com, etc.

I have several images on display in the Dragonfly Gallery in Aroma which is being run by Kathryn Aguras.

My work will be for sale at the AHA Holiday Festival at the Aromas Grange, November 19 and 20.

On Course, by Joyce Riley

2011-10-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

The seasons are changing and no one says it better than Joyce Riley........

ON COURSE
By Joyce Riley
Tides ebb and tides flow.
Seasons come and seasons go.
But, in the ebbing and the flowing,
The endless coming and the going,
There is a rhythm and a force,
Which keeps the Universe on course.
No less are we than the tides;
For, that Power, in us, abides.

Shaking In Her Flip-Flops....by Joyce Oroz

2011-10-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

Shaking In Her Flip-Flops is now available on Kindle--be the first to review it! Here is an excerpt from my newest novel in the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series.

“Hi, Thelma, see anything interesting out there?”
“Honey, it’s dark. I check my monitor now and then, but nothings out there yet for at least two miles in every direction. If it picks up something I’ll let you know.”
“Actually, I was wondering if you have a phone I can borrow.”
“Sure, hold the wheel.” She climbed down from her swivel chair and crossed the room.
“I don’t know how to do this … ah, David … help. Wait a minute, I got it,” I said, as I corrected the overcorrection. David flew across the room and slammed into poor Thelma who grabbed David’s pant leg on the way down. They rolled across the floor when the boat crossed the wake I had just created. I felt like I was really getting the hang of driving the boat, when Thelma crawled up to me, her eyes on fire, yanked me out of the chair and grabbed the wheel. David finally stood up looking dazed.
“Josie, take the phone and let’s go see what Wally’s up to.” He handed the phone to me, took my arm and pulled me downstairs to the dining room. Wally was awake, his eyes wide, staring at the chandelier as it made giant swings back and forth.
“I dreamt I was on the Titanic and it was going down.” He wiped his forehead with the back of his leathery hand.
“I think I had that nightmare too,” David said, patting Wally on the back.

Joyce Oroz interviewed by Joseph Valentinetti

2011-10-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

Since SHAKING IN HER FLIP FLOPS is coming out on Kindle this month, I thought I would share an interview I recently did with a fabulous author, Joseph Valentinetti. I hope you will look him up and follow his blog.

FOR WORKS OF FICTION: http://valentinetti.com

Joyce Oroz writes about the things she loves; mural painting, animals, California, relationships, mystery and adventure. Her ambition is to entertain, speed up the heartbeat, raise some hairs on the back of your neck and make you laugh.
Book title: Secure the Ranch ISBN: 978-1-4327-5892-9 price: $18.95
Websites: http://www.mysteriesbyjoyce.com
http://authorjoyceoroz.blogspot.com/

……………….Joyce, what’s the name and genre of your book?

Secure the Ranch is a contemporary murder mystery. It is a fast-paced suspenseful adventure with laughs at every turn. I try to create interesting characters and relationships that grow and change. I write about people from a wide range of cultures and generations.

………………..Who is the audience for in this book?

Secure the Ranch is an adventure mystery that appeals to men and women ages twenty to one-hundred. Women between the ages of forty and seventy identify with my fifty-year-old protagonist, Josephine who paints murals for a living and ferrets out bad guys on the side. She is a slightly flawed, but very sincere widow who finds herself in deep trouble.

.……………….. Is this book part of a series?

Secure the Ranch is my first novel in the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series. It is a Nancy Drew meets Stephanie Plum type mystery full of adventure, suspense and fun. My second book in the series is “Read My Lipstick” which is available from Kindle. The third book, “Shaking in Her Flip Flops” will be available from Kindle later in October 2011.

……………………Describe your protagonist (hero), physically and emotionally and describe the challenges the protagonist needs to overcome and the motivation for overcoming them.

Josephine Stuart is a fifty-year-old widow. She has her own mural-painting business and two regular employees, Alicia Quintana and Kyle Larson. She also has a handsome neighbor, David Galaz, who seems to have his eye on her. She is a self-made woman who takes pride in her ability to paint for a living. Unfortunately, the mural business has been slow. Because of her financial situation, she jumps into an iffy painting contract at the Munger Mansion atop a lonely mountain. Even when strange and terrible things happen, she feels she must finish the job. Between her work ethic and her curiosity, she is on the job.

…………………….. Quote a passage from your book (up to 100 words) that you love.

….I helped him to the ground, noticing his whole backside was crimson. I stifled a cry with my hand. Tears welled up as I embraced the best friend a person could have. Down close, hugging him, he smelled like strawberries. Once I realized Solow was wearing strawberries and a few other food groups, I relaxed considerably. He had polished off a pound of ground round, a pint of cookies and cream ice cream and a dozen raw eggs. He had been literally rolling in groceries under the dash. Every dog’s dream .....

……………………Elaborate on the meaning of the passage.

There is nothing really profound in this excerpt, but I think it’s a good visual, and Solow is an important character in the story. Actually, he has an active role in all my stories.

…………………….What is your philosophy for writing?

I am a mural artist turned writer. When my (mature) body could no longer stand up to the hard physical work of painting murals, I searched for another creative outlet. One night a vivid dream laid out a simple but complete children’s story. I quickly wrote everything down word-for-word and then spent a year writing more stories and illustrating the first one. I discovered it was the writing I enjoyed, more than the painting. After writing twenty-seven children’s stories, I decided it was time to write a real book. I finished Secure the Ranch and was hooked. I write because I love to write, and I love to share the fun with my friends.

………………What surprising things did you learn while writing this book?

I was surprised by the fact that my characters introduce themselves and lead me to places I never expected to go. I was surprised that I could stick with a six-day writing schedule for nine months, and I was blown away when the story came full circle on page 343. More surprising than that is the fact that my next book took nine months and ended on page 343!

……………….How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

I think I am eager to try new things because my parents never warned me that I might fail. My folks are hardworking and very creative. Guess some of it rubbed off on me. I was close to, and greatly influenced by my grandparents and several uncles who wrote philosophical and religious books that I never read.

If you want to buy my books go to…Amazon Books and type in “Joyce Oroz”
“Shaking In Her Flip Flops” will be available on Kindle in two or three weeks.

Fall Fair in San Juan Bautista......by Joyce Oroz

2011-09-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Have you been to San Juan Bautista lately? The mission, the beautiful gardens, shops and restaurants are one thing.....the other thing is The Fall Fair! Nobody throws a party like Jan Juan Bautista!

This year they are hosting their 1st Annual Fall Fair on Saturday, October 1st. It and will run from 10am to 5pm. FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT, and more ART treasures than you can imagine.

David Coombes and Christine West (Aromas Hills Artisans) will share a booth loaded with fabulous photos and stationary.

There will be a variety of sales booths with a mixture of arts, crafts and antiques. This will be a great opportunity to pick up some early Holiday gifts and support some local artists.

Darlene Boyd.....Part Two

2011-09-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today I would like to present another side of Darlene Boyd, AHA artist and sculptor. Teaching art is a big part of Darlene's life, and the lessons are a wonderfully valuable experience for her students. She will tell you about herself and the lessons she has been giving since 1977 to people from age 3 to 83. Here is Darlene.

I began studying art faithfully at the age of 11 and found it to be a very satisfying experience. I am very versatile in my approach, being equally interested in both two and three dimensional expressions. I currently display much of my own work at darleneboyd.com.
I also enjoy teaching art lessons to participants of varying ages and have a California Multiple Subject teaching credential with a Visual Arts Supplement.
Some samples of art lessons that I teach are:

Intro to Drawing........ Students will explore some basic drawing techniques and exercises and exploration of different drawing materials.

Illustrations....... Students will explore further techniques and materials related to drawing and apply it to illustrating.

Painting with Pastels....... Students will learn to draw, compose and create a composition using charcoal and pastels.

Calligraphy .......Students will learn a basic joined-italic Chancery Cursive script which can also be used for personal handwriting.

Acrylic Painting .......Students will learn to do color theory using the primary colors and apply this to a simple composition.

Watercolors
Bold and Free Students will learn and incorporate varied watercolor techniques into some of their drawings, to create visual textures.

Calligraphy .......Students will learn a basic joined-italic Chancery Cursive script which can also be used for personal handwriting.

Georgia O'Keefe: Closing in on Nature Students will explore the idea of scale and enlarging forms to fill the entire format. This will be done using watercolors and/or acrylic paints.

Henri Matisse:
The Art of Cut-Outs Students will explore using cut-out forms and creating balanced compositions by dividing space aesthetically.

M.C. Escher:
Visions of Symmetry Students will learn to create repeated patterns using tessellated systems and forms, using colored pencils and/or color cut outs.

Darlene, what is an 'Artists'-Writers' Workshop?

Artists'-Writers' Workshop curriculum is a progression of art, literature and writing experiences designed to teach the key elements of writing to students with diverse learning styles. Within it, key literary elements are taught in a way that is both inviting and engaging to students with a variety of learning styles. Through hands-on explorations in art and writing and the sharing of quality picture books, students with diverse learning styles are able to comprehend, absorb, digest and apply important literary concepts.

Darlene, where can people sign up for your lessons?

Currently I teach art lessons at client's homes, Country Rose Gallery and Frame in Hollister and Michaels in Gilroy and Salinas. For information concerning my lessons please peruse my website at darleneboyd.com.
I am also active in several arts organizations, such as the South Bay Area Womens Caucus for Art, Aromas Hills Artisans, the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association, and the San Benito County Arts Council.

Ms. Boyd is now the Chief Creative Officer of The ART Experience, LLC studio, nestled in the pastoral mission town of San Juan Bautista, California. She is currently working on figure sculptures in clay for bronze casting. She also creates landscape, floral, still life, portrait and architectural paintings. She finds time to occasionally work on projects in other contemporary media and genres. Her work is currently on exhibit in several California Central Coast venues, including Stone Griffin Gallery at 416 E. Campbell Avenue, Campbell, California 95008. Various on-line galleries showcase her work, such as sbawca.org. Her work is enjoyed by many private collectors, local and international. To learn more about Ms. Boyd and her art please visit her on-line gallery at www.darleneboyd.com, or you are welcome to make an appointment to visit her studio in San Juan Bautista, by calling 831-623-2750.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." ~ Edgar Degas

Thank you, Darlene, it's a wonderful thing you're doing.

Time to reflect....by Joyce Oroz

2011-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I walked through Roaring Camp, a place of noise, crowds and happy energy in the summertime, a peaceful park in the fall. The trains were still, the quaint little "western" buildings empty and my feet alone padded down the pathes. But I wasn't alone. The shimmery pond was full of duck-play, ducks zipping around, splashing and chasing each other. Probably the tribal wedding dance. After a nice walk and some reflection on life's meaning and clutter, I tramped over the covered bridge, took one more look back and than proceeded home to the meaningful clutter. Looking back is nice, looking forward is helpful, but there's nothing like being in the moment.

The Curious Importance of Schnibbles....by Jill Elizabeth

2011-09-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

On Bookmarks or The Curious Importance of Schnibbles* of Paper
Jill Elizabeth posted this on August 18th, 2011
What do you use for bookmarks?
Me, it depends entirely on where I am. If I’m at home, I have small (or not-so-small) stacks of old tickets, passes, business cards, and forms of identification scattered anywhere I’m likely to be reading (which is to say, in at least one spot in almost every room). I also keep such things in my purse, my wallet and the car, you know, in case of a reading/place-holding emergency. I love using these things as bookmarks; now not only is my book something I’m enjoying, but so is the reminiscing caused by the bookmark itself. An added bonus, if you will. Hooray, she said!
If I’m in a store and have just bought a book, I will almost always take a bookmark if they are freely offered. Not as many places give you a free bookmark anymore though, which stinks. Ironically, most of the large chains (the only booksellers who claim to be making a profit) no longer offer free bookmarks, while most of the small, independent bookstores (who claim to be increasingly suffering if not being outright pushed out of business by large corporate retailers) still do.

Incidentally, I will almost never pay for a bookmark. Most of the ones that are sold are goofy or over-the-top cutesy things; I don’t need to look at a kitty stuck in a tree or a puppy with overlarge paws while I’m reading, thank you very much. Nor do I need inspirational sayings or quotations or tassles or glitter. I’m good, thanks.
If no freebie is readily available, I will first check my purse or wallet (if I’m still in the store) or the car (if I’m heading off somewhere else to read). I will use the store receipt if I don’t have anything from my usual stack on-hand or if I want to make sure that I don’t seem like a freeloader or book thief. I don’t love using receipts though – the paper is often slippery and then those little suckers don’t stay where they’re supposed to, which is just plain aggravating. If I’m reading a hard cover, I will, in a pinch, fold the inside front cover flap to my page as a marker. And if it’s a soft-cover or a book without a paper sleeve, I will either try to remember the page number in my head (dangerous) or will text it to myself (god bless cell phones).
If I am absolutely stuck, I will use a straw wrapper or gum wrapper, string or a tag torn from some piece of clothing, lint from the bottom of my purse. There is almost always some random shred of something usable that can be found somewhere on hand. WHAT I WILL NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES – INCLUDING THE PAIN OF DEATH – DO IS BEND THE CORNER OF THE PAGE. Gasp, shudder. You might as well stab me in the eye. Or intentionally break the spine of the book. EEK, she said! Honestly people, we are not animals – let’s have some respect, hm??
• “Schnibbles” for those of you who are unfamiliar with one of Ann Arent’s favorite words (hi mom!), are small bits of things. This isn’t a “Jill using a big/weird word” moment (see previous post on my feelings on unusual words) – it is a “Jill using a word she’s heard her whole life” moment. Honest.
• http://blog.jill-elizabeth.com/2011/08/18/on-bookmarks-or-the-curious-importance-of-schnibbles-of-paper/#more-1400
Share this Fabulous post with the World:

A former corporate attorney and government relations/health policy executive, Jill Elizabeth Arent walked away (well, skipped actually) from the big-city worlds of corporate and political America and headed for a more literary life (equally challenging, but infinitely more enjoyable) in the small Western New York town where she grew up. For more information, please visit Jill at www.Jill-Elizabeth.com .

Darlene Boyd....Aromas Hills Artisan Exstaordinair

2011-09-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Darlene Boyd, Aromas Hills Artisan and teacher

“I am a sculptor, who also enjoys painting and drawing. I am not
tied to any particular medium, and I thrive in experimenting and
blending many materials. I am interested in forms, surfaces, visual
metaphors and the emotional responses that my art work evokes.
I particularly enjoy teaching art and using these processes both
as forms as self-expression and as a means to heal oneself. ” --
Darlene S. Boyd

Born in Lodi, California, Darlene S. Boyd, a fourth generation
Californian, grew up in the local wine vineyards. She was
nurtured, at an early age, by Constance M. Darden, who gave
studio art lessons for local children in Lodi. These experiences
set many of Ms. Boyd’s expressive anchors and eventually led
her to study art in college. She is a 1973 Honors graduate of
Brooks Institute, School of Fine Arts / Santa Barbara Art
Institute. She majored in sculpture, along with a strong emphasis
in both drawing and painting. She was privileged to have studied
under the notable and esteemed professional artists: Alice Carr
de Creeft (sculpture), Duane Loppnow (sculpture), Ray S.
Strong (landscape painting), Richard Barrett (figure drawing),
Priscilla Bendershore (drawing and painting), Douglas Paschal
(portrait drawing).

She moved to Fresno with her husband, and family in 1981. She
continued to enjoy teaching art at Bullard TALENT and
Camp Shalom as a Director of Fine Arts, among other venues.
She expanded her exploratory studies of fiber media under the
mentorship of Kathy Wosika, a locally celebrated, Fresno artist.

Ms. Boyd is now the Chief Creative Officer of The ART
Experience, LLC studio, nestled in the pastoral mission town of
San Juan Bautista, California. She is currently working on
figure sculptures in clay for bronze casting. She also creates
landscape, floral, still life, portrait and architectural paintings.
She finds time to occasionally work on projects in other
contemporary media and genres. Her work is currently on exhibit
in several California Central Coast venues, including Stone
Griffin Gallery at 416 E. Campbell Avenue, Campbell,
California 95008. Various on-line galleries showcase her work,
such as sbawca.org. Her work is enjoyed by many private
collectors, local and international. To learn more about Ms.
Boyd and her art please visit her on-line gallery at www.
darleneboyd.com, or you are welcome to make an appointment to
visit her studio in San Juan Bautista, by calling 831-623-2750.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." ~
Edgar Degas
All images and site content
copyright by Darlene S. Boyd

Green Time.....by Joyce Riley

2011-09-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

GREEN TIME

By Joyce Riley

Children don’t need more screen time.
What they need is more green time,
Time to dig holes, time to climb trees
Time to fly kites in the morning breeze,
Time to jump and splash and tug,
And play with rolly-polly bugs.
Children don’t need more chair time.
What they need is more air time,
Time to let their spirits fly.
Come to think of it, so do I.

When does the fair smell like a rose? by Joyce Oroz

2011-09-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

The Santa Cruz County Fair opens it's doors Tuesday, September 13 for a fun filled week of food, excitement and fun. The Display Garden of the Monterey Bay Rose Society, located at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 East Lake Avenue (Highway 152), Watsonville, opens it's garden gates for a week of sweet smelling beauty. If you decide to leave the food shacks and hoof-it up to the cow barns, stop along the way and smell the roses.

The Monterey Bay Rose Society was founded in 1980 and now has about 100 members.

The MBRS presents monthly meetings with interesting programs, publishes an award-winning monthly newsletter, The Bay Rose, with tips and tricks for growing better roses in our area, plans visits to rose gardens and nurseries, and sponsors an annual rose show in the spring. They now meet on the last Friday of each month except June, July, November and December.

Proceeds from Joe Truskot's wonderful book, "Central Coast Rose Manual" go to support the maintenance of the Display Garden at the fairgrounds.

excerpt from Shaking in Her Flip Flops..... by Joyce Oroz

2011-09-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

"Robert, don’t tell me you’re out of my favorite enchilada sauce.”
“I’ll check in the back.” He made a sharp right and disappeared into the warehouse. Five minutes later he was back with a jar of sauce and placed it in my cart.
“You’re brilliant, Robert. Thank you.” I pushed on to other aisles while Robert ran to the front of the store and opened the express lane. I finished the shopping list and was ready to pay for my two dozen items. Robert’s “10 items or less” lane was empty so he waved me in.
“Don’t worry, I do this all the time,” he said, just before an older woman wearing thick horn-rimmed glasses and a grumpy face shoved her basket into the back of mine. Her ten bottles of adult beverages, not that I counted, clinked and rattled. She pointed to every item in my basket and counted out loud. She put her hands on her hips and let out a long, smelly breath. Fortunately, Maude didn’t recognize me.
“I heard the FBI is getting involved with the hotel murder,” Robert said, probably quoting the KPIG reporter.
I squirmed, remembering that Maude was standing nearby and forced myself to act casual, but with my face turned away from her froggy stare.
“Why the FBI? It was just a murder,” I said. Robert paused to think.
“Maybe because of the stolen car? I don’t know, but they did say something about illegal immigrants.” Robert looked at the ceiling. “I think that’s what KPIG said, but don’t quote me.” Finally, he dropped the last of my groceries into the second bag. By that time Maude was gnashing her teeth. I hurried off with my two bags of groceries before the old woman could attack me from behind with a bottle of gin.

My Sister, the Tree House and I....by Joyce Riley

2011-09-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

MY SISTER, THE TREE HOUSE and I

By Joyce Riley

On our walk through the woods we happened to see
A little, old house in a very tall tree.
“A tree-house, a tree-house,” the two of us chimed.
Then, up the ladder, the two of us climbed.
The house had a porch, a window, a door
And a small rocking chair on a hard wooden floor.
Next to the chair, on a table, there sat
A tea cup, a saucer and a very small cat.
The saucer was empty, the tea cup was dry
And the little grey cat began softly to cry,
“Feed me. Feed me,” we heard it say
So, we gave it the lunch we had packed just that day.
The cat began purring when it had been fed,
Then went to sleep on a lumpy, old bed.
On a very high shelf a radio sat
So, we found some music to sooth our new cat.

Out on the porch we looked all around
Up through the tree top, down to the ground.
There were leaves on the roof and holes in the stair
And, out in the woods, a giant, brown bear.
We stood very still, started to pray
And, after awhile, the bear walked away.
We scooped up the cat, promised never to roam,
And said to our folks, “Look what followed us home.”

Post Script
We never went back trying to find
The house in the woods where, one day we climbed.
But, closer to home, in a very tall tree
Our folks built a house for Sister, and Big Cat and, of course, me.

High Tech at the Fair?....by Joyce Oroz

2011-09-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

Let's all support our local fair and save it for future generations!

The Santa Cruz County Fair is gearing up for this years “big show.”
I have the inside scoop on the Harvest Building, the showplace for local organizations like 4H, Future Farmers of America and Scouts. The Santa Cruz Technology Team from Felton 4H has installed a hands-on slider-lights display with monitors. Be sure to drop by between September 13th and 18th, and try it out for yourself. See what our teens are up to these days.

Welcome to the 2011-2012 4-H year! This year is going to be amazing. We have tons of exciting projects to offer, like archery, crafts, rocketry, carpentry, flower arranging and much, much more. And you can't forget all our amazing animal projects, like swine, goats and chickens. This year we're planning new events, community service projects and parties throughout the year.

For people new to 4-H, it's a non-profit youth organization that offers lots of fun activities and gives kids a chance to take on leadership roles. Felton 4-H is the biggest 4-H club in Santa Cruz County, and we always are busy in events like the Santa Cruz County Fair and the Spring Fair. We hope you'll join, because we're always welcoming new members! I hope everyone has a great experience in 4-H this year!

Interview with Kay Walters.....by Joyce Oroz

2011-09-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

Today I am talking to a lovely lady, an Aromas Hills Artisan with great artistic talent and an excellent sense of design and color.

Hello, Kay Walters. Please tell us about yourself and how you became an artisan.

I live in north Monterey County with my miniature horses, inherited dogs, and rescued cats.
I have always been interested in glass. Many years ago I was a glazier (replacing glass panels in aluminum frame windows, for new housing projects).
I was drawn to the myriad of colors of glass about ten years ago, bought my first kiln and was immediately captivated.
I started with a small kiln for jewelry and tiny bowls. Of course, that wasn't big enough so I purchased a larger kiln, and then another even larger kiln.

Now I create jewelry, table art, and wall art. I make beaded necklaces with some of my pendants. I am starting to combine other materials with my art. I will be making small table tops.

Kay, can you describe this glass obsession that has captured your heart?

It is the myriad of colors: reds, yellows, greens, cobalt blue, mauve, violet, that light up
my spirit.
It is the joyous process of combining translucents, opaques, dichroics, iridescents, frits,
and stringers, for my inspirations.
It is the magic of the glowing, flowing, fusing process. The kiln melting the glass into a
white-hot taffy-like material, the molecules connecting.
Then! After each individual artwork ever so slowly cools, it presents itself to me;
inspiration for new visions that beg to be brought into the world.
Glass Madness guides my spirit and passion of creating!
Creating glass art has brought out my lighthearted and whimsical side. I am drawn to
the clarity and color of glass and the melting and fusing process.
Each design is individually created for the discerning collector.
Once I am in my creative mind, everything in nature is inspiring, and gives me endless ideas.

Kay, where can people find your beautiful work?

My website is: KayWalters.com e-mail: kaysglassinspirations@gmail.com
phone: (831) 633-3348
I will be participating in the Carmel Craft Fair at the Valley Hills Center in Carmel Valley on Sept. 17.

Thank you, Kay. We look forward to seeing future projects.

Shaking in Her Flip Flops....coming soon....by Joyce Oroz

2011-08-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

..... I crossed the wide cobblestone drive, unlocked my Mazda and discovered Solow still cowering under the dash. I helped my poor traumatized hound dog into his bucket seat, rounded the truck and hopped into the driver’s seat. We cruised down the mountain singing ‘Georgia on My Mind’ with our friend, Ray Charles.
Four songs later, Highway 152 finally leveled off, we made a last sharp right turn, and then the road straightened. We passed the cemetery, an apple orchard, a nursery, a couple houses and some empty fields. Solow howled as something caught my eye up ahead in the grass about five yards from the edge of the road. Something that looked like a pile of laundry with legs. I took my foot off the gas, pulled the truck over and stopped at the side of the road. Solow’s baritone howls sounded urgent.
My flip flops tramped through foot-high grass full of bugs, burrs and other prickly things which I mostly ignored as my eyes focused on the curious mound of clothing ahead of me. I tried to tell myself it was just a fallen scarecrow. Traffic was light, but Solow barked when an eighteen-wheeler shook my truck as it whooshed by. I wondered how much it would cost to put my poor dog in therapy.
“Oh, no,” I whispered as I approached a body lying face down. Had I found the dead body of a child? My heart pounded in my ears as a flash of hot fear shot through my flesh. Should I touch it to be sure? I looked around. No help in sight. I stepped closer, leaned down and touched a skinny arm with my finger. Surprisingly, the smooth, light brown skin was warm. Maybe it had been warmed by the mid-afternoon sun. I bent down to the head full of long tangled black hair.
“Help … me.”
I jumped back several feet. It was alive. I looked up and down the road for help. No one in sight. I crept back to the petite person lying in the weeds.
“Help me, por favor.” The voice was so weak I could barely make out the words. The head moved to one side. Big brown eyes looked up at me for a second and then closed. I squatted down beside the stranger.
“Open your eyes if you can hear me,” I said. The eyes opened. Solow howled. “Quiet!” I yelled. The body shivered. “Sorry, I didn’t mean you … it’s my dog.”
I sat down beside the little Jane Doe. She was definitely female even though she wore men’s baggy, rolled up Levis and a big blue T-shirt. A yellow cap lying near her foot caught my eye. She tried to roll over, so I helped her. Two cars zoomed by, but no one stopped. My mouth dropped open when I saw her face full of cuts and bruises, but the injuries would not be the only things that stunned me.

A special thanks to Evelyn

2011-08-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

A new art gallery will be unveiled to the public with a grand-opening event on the same day as the annual Aromas Day, August 28. Aromas photographer David Coombes hangs several of his photos in the new Dragonfly Gallery in Aromas Friday.

I want to call to your attention the fact that Evelyn Pogrowski has finished her contribution to the gallery--beautiful lettering spelling out "Dragonfly Gallery" on two sides of the building.

The Dragonfly Gallery, at 380 Blohm Ave., will largely feature artwork from the Aromas Hills Artisans, who teamed up with Realtor Kathryn Aguras to turn a plain old building into a thing of beauty.

A sprawling, colorful mural adorns the outside of the building, painted by local artists Linda Bjornson, Kathy Stutz-Taylor, Jovita Hilliker, Sandra Weddell Braga, Barbara Scoles and Joyce Oroz.

“We have so many talented artists in this area,” said gallery founder Aguras. “This was a commercial building that was vacant. The opportunity just seemed to come about. A lot of people have come forward to help make this happen.”

The gallery features paintings, quilts, carved wooden Santa's, handmade jewelry, pottery, stained and fused glass, photography, signed books by local authors and much more.

The small, 1,000-square-foot building has a history in the community, having served as a gift shop, a trophy shop and a chiropractor’s office. Now brimming with artwork, it features works from painter Darlene Boyd, quilter Louise Coombes, painter Gerald A. Harness, wood sculptor Barbara Scoles, painter-writer Joyce Oroz and photographer David Coombes.

“This is the first time I’ve ever shown my work in a gallery,” David Coombes said. “Joining Aromas Hills Artisans has been a good push to get my work out there.”

Aromas Day runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and includes hayrides, car show, yard sales, a variety of live music, shaved ice, food stands, pony rides, a petting zoo for kids, a dunk tank, a climbing wall and other entertainment. A parade will wind through town at 2 p.m.

Dragonfly Gallery will be open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
You'll find me at the shave ice stand signing ice--I mean books!

BY: TARMO HANNULA and JOYCE OROZ

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Aromas Day Surprise.... by Joyce Oroz

2011-08-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Aromas Hills Artisans have teamed up with realtor, Kathryn Aguras to turn a plain old building into a thing of beauty. An AHA mural adorns the outside walls with ponds, koi fish, reeds, rocks, a tree and dragonflies galore. But that is just the beginning. Inside the building is where the real treasures can be found such as paintings, carvings, handmade jewelry, pottery, stained and fused glass, quilts, photography, weaving, prints, etchings and signed books by local authors (including mine). If the unthinkable happens and you don’t make it to Aromas Day, the gallery will be open every week, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 4:00 beginning August 28th. Thank you, Kathryn, for giving us an honest to goodness gallery!

An interview with Jerry Harness.....by Joyce Oroz

2011-08-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today it is my great pleasure to introduce you to Gerald Harness, a talented artist and valuable member of the Aromas Hills Artisans. He is an artist who reaches outside his comfort zone, painting new and different subjects, honing his skills as he goes, and sharing his newest projects with the AHA members.

Gerald (Jerry) was the 17th Naval District Artist (Alaska) in the navy. After serving, he spent 40 years in engineering--mostly in aerospace. He says he "stopped dabbling" in art in 1970. After Jerry’s retirement in 1993 he decided to try painting landscapes even though he had always worked in portraiture. In his words he is “still trying to improve my scribbling.” If that’s scribbling, I’m a monkey’s aunt.

So, my friends, if you’re in town on Aromas Day, August 28, be sure to visit the Dragonfly Gallery and see Jerry’s wonderful artwork for yourself.

Stay tuned for more wonderful talent from the Aromas Hills Artisans.

Haiku poem by Joyce Riley

2011-08-17T16:16:00.000-07:00

Haiku

Willow deep, pond mirrors
shine, ‘till thirsty sunbeams
drink reflections dry.

Wisteria lights
my path. I see the garden
with each breath I take.

Listen, a stranger
walks in the garden. No, it
is the wind dancing.

Caterpillar spins
a silent, grey cell where life
stirs butterfly wings.

By Joyce Riley

The Dragonfly has landed, part 2....by Joyce oroz

2011-08-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

The dragonfly has landed! Not only the dragonfly, but all his family—even some old dragon-school chums. Koi fish circle the azure ponds surrounded by rocks and reeds (sounds like a rock band). Newly painted faux flower boxes grace the front entrance. A charming tree provides shade for the reeds below. The old building has suddenly acquired a new architectural feature, a new focus and a new purpose.

Notice all the nice AROMAS HILLS ARTISAN ladies, Linda, Kathy, Sandra, Jovita and me happily working our brushes into nubs. Barb and Sadie helped too. The Dragonfly Gallery will be open all day for Aromas Day, Sunday, August 28, 2011. Don’t miss it!

Dragonfly Gallery getting ready to land.....by Joyce Oroz

2011-08-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

Excitement is building....no, it's not the big "Z." Aromas is about to open a new gallery where local artists will show their work. The Aromas Hills Artisans are involved clear up to their paint shirts. Several artists have volunteered to paint the conspicuously bland outside walls of the gallery with a mural. The boring white walls have already been painted lavender, which corrected a pepto bismo moment. Who knew a lovely little color chip could mutate into yards of shocking flamingo pink. Being an ex-muralist, and wishing no harm to the neighborhood, I quickly threw two buckets of white paint and half a bucket of black into the five gallons of pink bubble gum goo. Soon, a luscious lavender appeared on the walls complimented by teal trim. Now for the really exciting finale. Imagine rocks, ponds, trees, reeds and DRAGONFLIES. Yes, giant dragonflies....after all, it is the Dragnfly Gallery!
Wish us luck and stay tuned.

Solow's sleep-over....by Joyce Oroz

2011-08-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today, Josephine and her Aunt Clara are traveling to Santa Maria in an empty boxcar. It was an unexpected trip triggered by an angry murderer who saw an opportunity to get the ladies off his trail. It seems the gals were looking for clues in a filthy boxcar when a grumpy old murderer slammed the metal doors together and dropped the long bolt into place.
Josephine’s faithful basset, Solow, didn’t go for a train ride and he likes to eat twice a day no matter what. That’s where I come in. I’m a softy for the dear boy. Naturally I took him in for a few days. I feed Solow and take him for long walks in the hills where he sniffs out every piece of kitty pooh buried in the last week, better known as “dessert.” But I don’t want to damage your image of Solow—he’s still the sweet, lovable old dog with long velvety ears, blood shot eyeballs and a sensitive sniffer. He likes to pull his own weight around the house. He tried gardening but spent most of his time chasing lizards. He wears yellow bunny ears to scare the crows away. Solow is especially talented in the kitchen. He wears a fire hat in case fire breaks out and licks up every food spill. So until Josephine finds her way home, Solow and I are on one long picnic-sleep-over.

Marlene in Iowa....by Joyce Oroz

2011-08-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Summer fun begins at home--unless you happen to be somewhere else, like my friend Marlene who travels all over fly-over country enjoying Americana with a big A. Yesterday she saw one hundred hot air balloons fly in to Indianola, Iowa for the Balloon Classic. Last night, when it was dark, all the balloons were fired up to create a glow. Thank you, Marlene for sharing the pix!

Linda Bjornson, Stained Glass.....interview by Joyce Oroz

2011-08-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

Today I have the great pleasure of interviewing Linda Bjornson….a talented stained glass artist and founder/president of the Aromas Hills Artisans in Aromas, California.

Linda, please tell us about yourself, how you got started in the stained glass business and how did you learn the process?

My love of color and design led me to stained glass. I was lucky enough to have art all through school and was an art major in college. I have worked in stained glass since 1979, so have gotten a lot of practice along the way. As I am drawing a new design, I am always thinking in terms of what glass would enhance the design the most.
I got my start in stained glass by taking a class. Stained glass requires
several skills and I would recommend starting by taking a class as a good way to avoid frustration or some frustration anyway.
After getting a feel for the constraints involved in working with glass, I started designing for glass. After working up some of my new patterns into glass and with my heart in my throat I took them to a local store, the Craft Gallery, in Capitola where I lived at the time. And to my delight they bought them. That turned out to be my best account during the time I was selling to stores. As time went by and people saw my work, I started getting requests for custom work. They went along the lines of -
" I saw this window of yours I really like in a store, but I would like it bigger for our entry"
( bathroom, bed room, etc.) Then I started working with contractors like Paul Mahus, who I still work with today. From contractors to interior designers and the rest is history……………………

I have seen some of your exquisite work in person. These pictures are lovely. Can you tell us about them?

The first photo of the dolphin and me is one of my favorite recent photos of myself as I have done many stained glass creations that feature dolphins and I am often inspired by nature.

I was fortunate to be chosen the first Artist in Residence at the Pinnacles National Monument on the Park's Centennial year in 2008. I created the window "Return of the Condor" on a picnic table outside the little cabin I got to stay in. I demonstrated for the public and answered their questions at the Nature Center one weekend and at the Visitor Center the following weekend. The stained glass condor now hangs at the visitor center at the Pinnacles.
My "Koi and Dragonfly" window uses a fused glass koi created for me by Susan Bradshaw of Woventime studio. I drew the koi I wanted to size and with some ideas for coloring and she created it for me. It made the koi so fluid and somewhat rounded as well. A great effect. It opens up new possibilities to incorporate fused glass with stained glass. More of this work can be seen on my website. www.LBGLASSART.com
The last photo I've included is one of a pair recently created to enhance a view and to have flowers in bloom all year round. I have often done windows that allow the desirable part of the view to be seen while possibly screening for privacy or to exclude a less desirable view.

Linda, please explain your connection with the Aromas Hills Artisans?

I am a founding member and President of the Aromas Hills Artisans. This is a lively group of very diverse artists in many media who have formed an art non-profit to support, educate and enrich the lives of our community. We have events through the year that we sponsor or support. Aromas Country Garden Tour in the spring (the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend) that features Artists in the Gardens, Aromas Day at the end of August where the town of Aromas closes down the streets and has a party!

Go to……. www.Aromasday.com ……..for more info., Autumn Art at the end of October, where member artists give free workshops to the public, and Holiday Art Festival, the weekend before Thanksgiving where you can do all your holiday present shopping.
Go to the Artisan website for more details….. www.aromashillsartisans.org........

Linda, as a Master Gardener, tell us about your beautiful garden and pond.

I love to garden and our flower garden is another chance to use color and texture. We dug our own koi pond and as soon as we filled it with water Dragonflies appeared as if by magic! As you can see--that led to
stained glass inspiration.

Thank you, Linda, for your time. I am in awe of your talents and wish you well in all your endeavors.

excerpt from "Read My Lipstick" by Joyce Oroz

2011-08-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

... I finally took pity on Sarah and carried one of her bags upstairs. I was sure she could manage the last one. After all, she had invited herself to stay at my house. Years ago I discovered a surefire way to keep guests from staying too long. I simply kept the old, lumpy, coil-spring twin-size bed I inherited from my grandmother. It was the only extra bed in the house.
“Thank you, Josephine. Don’t bother with the last suitcase. I’ll get it.” I knew she would get it because I certainly wasn’t going to. I hustled down the stairs and began planning a dinner for two. It was only five-thirty, but I wanted to get dinner out of the way. Peanut butter on toasted rye with coleslaw-simple, but wholesome.
Sarah was still breathing hard when she entered the kitchen.
“What can I do to help?” she asked. I handed her a couple plates, forks and napkins. She set the table, I flipped on the TV and we settled down for the evening meal. I had just taken a bite of melted peanut butter when I saw myself being interviewed on the five o’clock news. The peanut butter refused to go down as I stared in stunned silence at the news reporter who talked about my plan to stop urban sprawl.
“Look, Josephine. It’s Steve and me and Jasmine and look … it’s Mr. Snow with his wife and four boys.” She was so tickled to see herself and her friends marching round and round she almost fell off her chair. At least one of us was having fun.
“Oh, my God! Did you see that?” I shouted. Sarah laughed again when the camera captured Steve cracking his cardboard sign over the kisser of one of the three bronze dolphins featured in a fountain statue in the center of the Civic Center plaza. He had missed the pesky councilman and whacked the bronze dolphin by mistake.
“Sarah, why isn’t anyone else mentioned? Just me?”
“We all knew it was your idea, and we didn’t want to take any of the credit away from you.” She smiled wide as if she had done me a great favor.
“Actually, I’m not entirely into ….”
“That’s OK, Josephine. We don’t mind giving you the credit. Have any wine to go with dinner?”

A Walk To The River....by Joyce Oroz

2011-07-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

I recently walked along the San Lorenzo River with my granddaughter. We kicked off our flip flops and dipped our feet into the cool clear water. After the first cold shock, we sampled the deeper water--all the way up to our knees. Children splashed and played all around us while parents sat on clean sandy beaches, working on their tans. Suddenly my mind flipped back thirty-five years. In those days my children played in the same river, enjoyed the same sandy beaches. But in those days we wore tennis shoes into the water because of the broken glass bottles. Beer cans floated down stream in an accumulation of foam and filth. We could not explore the river very far because around the bend we sometimes happened onto naked hippies and rough parties. Thank goodness for change, awareness and people who care about their environment. We are so lucky to be here, now, in this lovely place.

Annie MacHale in her own words

2011-07-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Today I want to share the story of a friend I admire very much. She is an active, respected and talented member of the Aromas Hills Artisans. Her name is Annie MacHale. Weaving is a mystery to me, so I'll let Annie tell you all about it in her own words.

At the young age of 17, I discovered Inkle weaving, made it a part of my life, and 35 years later I realize that it was one of the best life choices I’ve made.
Inkle looms are designed to weave narrow pieces, usually limited to 4” in width. When I saw someone at a craft fair making belts and guitar straps and such practical things, I decided right then and there that I wanted to try it. The local library shelves produced a book on inkle weaving which included plans for building a loom. With the help of my father, I made a loom and began to weave.

Over the years, I’ve woven miles of narrow bands and am still discovering new things constantly that keep the craft exciting and intriguing. There are always new yarns and materials, new patterning techniques and new things to inspire my imagination.
I’ve always loved patterns and look for them in everyday things. Playing with color is a constant amusement. While I have tried to study color theory, I find that I do best when I let my instinct tell me what to do. Sometimes a single thread of a different color can make the whole pattern pop!

The setup (or warping) of an inkle loom is so simple that I can often accomplish this first step in 10 to 30 minutes. The weaving itself can go quickly with heavy yarns and a simple pattern. Some pieces are complete in an hour or two. Others take up to 15 or more hours if I choose to do a complex pattern technique. These techniques require that I stop every row or every two rows to pick up or drop individual threads out of their regular pattern sequence. One of my favorite patterns to weave is a Celtic knot.

A very good market for my work exists in the world of historic re-enactors, those who love to re-create history and usually make their own costumes. For many years I have attended Mountain Man Rendezvous events, re-enactments of the American Fur Trade Era. More recently I have included Renaissance Faires, re-creation of Medieval Times.
I also enjoy showing at local craft fairs. At all of these events, I am able to have my loom on hand and to demonstrate the craft. Many people in modern times have not been exposed to weaving and find it a mysterious process. I love showing them the simple process and the many practical and beautiful things that this small loom can produce.
Guitar straps have always been a good seller for me.

Custom orders are always welcomed and I enjoy working with a customer to take their vision of what they want and create it with them. Guitar straps can be customized with a band name or song lyric woven in.
Several customers have been Native American dancers, having me create a sash for their “Regalia”.

My weaving has been a life-long passion and creative way to share myself with people I meet. Many of my friends have come from the craft fairs and organizations I belong to. My husband was one of my best customers; we met at a Rendezvous. Now, through my blog, Facebook page and two Etsy shops, I have connected to other weavers throughout the world. We exchange ideas, information and inspiration. If I post photos of my latest piece, I can get comments from 8 countries, sometimes in languages I don’t understand.

My business name, ASpinnerWeaver, is a holdover from my maiden name of Spinner.
You can follow along on my blog at : www.ASpinnerWeaver.com to read about the things that inspire me and see the latest works. Or keep up on my Facebook page at:
www.Facebook.com/ASpinnerWeaver For online sales, check out my Etsy shops at
www.etsy.com/shop/iWeaveSashes or www.etsy.com/shop/aspinnerweaver

Upcoming events include:
San Jose Renaissance Faire, August 6 & 7, Guadalupe River Park, San Jose
Mountain Man Rendezvous, August 13 & 14, Roaring Camp, Felton
Ardenwood Renaissance Faire, September 10 & 11, Ardenwood Historic Park, Fremont

Thank you, Annie Spinner MacHale. Sounds like you are fulfilling your destiny beautifully.

Isn't hind-sight wonderful? by Joyce oroz

2011-07-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

The debate rages on between homeschooling and traditional-institutional-type schooling.
I have enjoyed a front row seat on the issue for the last fourteen years. In the beginning, I felt uncomfortable discussing it, ill at ease just thinking about such a daring diversion from normalcy. I worried about my grandchildren. Today I am a believer. Isn't hindsight wonderful? They are not only bright stars, they are respectful, curious and kind. I hope you will read the resent article by John Malkin, "School's Out...(Forever)" from the Good Times magazine, July 20, 2http://goodtimessantacruz.com/good-times-cover-stories/2765-schools-out.html
011.

Joe Truskot has more to tell us.....by Joyce oroz

2011-07-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

For all you fans of Joe Truskot, the genious I owe my gorgeous garden to, he has more to say. In his own words......

"I will make a presentation at the Watsonville Public Library on Wednesday, August 24 entitled "Something About Roses" which discusses the relationship between humans and roses over the millenia. It's a closeness similar to our compatibility with dogs but even longer. I use PowerPoint so there are lots of pretty pictures and I will tell people things about roses I'm sure they've never heard before . . ."

"My enthusiasm for roses brought me back to my childhood hobby of collecting vintage postcards. It started with cards with roses on them in 2001 when I got a home computer. There was one artist I kept finding who painted beautiful roses and the investigation began. Her name is Catharina Klein and she is probably one of the most reproduced artists of the 20th century.
I've just finished the following videos on Catharina Klein which you may find interesting. She was a fantastic painter and the world needs to know more about her. Please forward these links to your fellow postcard buyers and friends, or paste them on your website."

Thank you, Joe. We look forward to future announcements.

Catharina Klein Video I: The Birds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auj1-_VwAoQ
Catharina Klein Video II: Fruits and Vegetables http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiSpARYlSRo
Catharina Klein Video III: Flowers (Part One: A-L) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gsu6MGwMOM

Catharina Klein Video III: Flowers (Part Two: M-Z) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuQIMQ1teW8

Zucchini Zombies by Joyce Oroz

2011-07-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Zucchini Zombies
Never heard of the zucchini zombies? When the lights go out and the world is at rest, grab your flashlight and tippy-toe out to the vegetable garden. Ignore the tomato branches that reach out with sticky leaves, bypass the lettuce full of gluttonous snails, don’t even worry about grape vines that try to trip you as you make your way to the real scoundrel—the zucchini zombie, better known as “the big Z”. The zombie grows leaves the size of Chicago so that you will not see the monster below. If you are very quiet, you might be able to hear the “the big Z” sucking up all our oxygen. Your flashlight might glom onto a cheerful looking blossom here and there or a sweet little baby zucchini squash, all shiny and new. That’s nice, just don’t get blind-sided by the real thing—“the big Z” under Chicago. My advice, pick your ripe zucchinis everyday. Don’t let them grow when you’re not paying attention because it’s really hard to lift that eighty-pound vegetable. Why do we grow zucchini? Because we can—except for Josephine who can’t even grow a decent marigold.

Zucchini Soup--for people who don’t like the taste of zucchini
Cut up and boil one large or two medium size zucchini until slightly tender
Drain all liquid except one cup—let zucchini cool 10 minutes
Pour zucchini and liquid into blender along with 4T butter or olive oil, 1 T Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
Blend until smooth—it’s that easy

Read My Lipstick, by Joyce Oroz

2011-07-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a suggestion for summer-get-away reading material.

Read My Lipstick is now available from Kindle and all e-books through Smashwords. Read My Lipstick is the second novel in the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series. You don’t need to read Secure the Ranch to understand this new story involving murder and a plot to turn farmland into a strip mall. Josephine discovers an old man at the bottom of the stairs. He lets her know that he was struck on the back of the head before he fell. When the man dies, Josephine automatically begins her search for the killer. Her innate curiosity has her stepping on toes to put the clues together. At the same time, Josephine is trying to save her friend’s farmland from an eminent domain maneuver by the county. She realizes someone is tampering with a critical vote by the county supervisors. One supervisor is missing and the eminent domain vote is tied. The person behind the land-grab and murder lures Josephine to a cabin in Tahoe and is prepared to shut her up for good.

Look out county fair when the horse excrement hits the fan

2011-07-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

Is it fair to sue the fair

For over a year, Santa Cruz local Max Kelly attempted to communicate with the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on issues of noise, pollution and environmental impacts.

Feeling they were unresponsive, Kelly and the organization he helped found in January, Community Alliance for Fairgrounds Accountability (CAFA), filed a lawsuit against the Fairground’s board of directors on Wednesday in Sacramento County Superior Court.

The last straw for CAFA members--who comprise over 100 Santa Cruz County locals-- came when the board of directors decided to claim a categorical exemption from a California Environmental Quality Act review for upcoming events. They did so in light of a rodeo planned at the Fairgrounds, which are located in Watsonville, in October.

“We have an issue with the process being exempted,” said Kelly. “For one, it’s illegal. Secondly, the public would like some transparency in the decision-making process.”

The public legally had 35 days to speak up, so CAFA filed a lawsuit with Santa Cruz-based

From The Patch
Wittwer & Parkin, LLP, which specializes in environmental and land-use law.

CAFA members are pro-fair, said Kelly, but had become fed up with an expanding number of issues at the fairgrounds that they found to be beyond their control. They saw increased noise from the rodeo track, manure runoff into Salsipuedes Creek, and farmers markets, “that had escalated into a party,” said Kelly.

He said the board of directors held public meetings last year, but since November has not offered an opportunity for public comment.

“The Fairgrounds current piecemeal approach to approving amplified uses and new events is illegal under CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act),” wrote CAFA in a press release on Wednesday. “It’s quite simply time for the Fairgrounds to address, once and for all, policies and laws governing noise, environment, as well as legal requirements for transparency.”

The board of directors are withholding comment while they review the lawsuit. Still, fair leaders have previously maintained that events such as the rodeo are similar to ongoing equestrian shows, which predate the CEQA and are therefore not bound by it.
•

joyce oroz
12:01pm on Thursday, July 7, 2011
Let's see--who came first, the crabby neighbors or the fair? The fair has existed in the same spot for over fifty years that I know of. I loved it as a child and I love it now when I go with my grandchildren every year. I have never been to another fair as pristine and interesting as our wonderful Santa Cruz County Fair. Where else can children learn about animals, where our food comes from, hands-on science, the arts, horticulture and on and on. It's wholesome family entertainment--as American as apple pie. Apple pie can be eatten up quickly by cranky neighbors and their lawyers. I say "presere the pie for future generations."

itsmecissy
2:20pm on Thursday, July 7, 2011
I'm with you Joyce. I have entered baked goods and crafts in the Fair for at least 10 years and going to the Fair in Sept kicks off Fall for me. The Fairgrounds were there long before any neighbors. I'm in town and can hear the race track on Friday nights (and it can be loud) but I figure it's one day a week in the summer. I'd really hate to lose our county fair. Something has to be worked out.
Rebecca Tait
3:57pm on Thursday, July 7, 2011
I agree with both of you. The fairgrounds have been here forever. I hear the car racing on Friday nights and figure "Oh well" it will be over soon. People have more trouble with neighbors having loud parties late at night than the little noise from the fairgrounds.

If you love the fair, please "like" Thank you!

Excerpt from "Read My Lipstick" by Joyce oroz

2011-07-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

I entered a dark room and managed to knock my sore foot into a bed post. Clumsily, I felt my way along the walls, located a closet and ducked inside. I pushed some hanging jackets and slacks in front of me, and tried not to breathe. I cowered in the corner of the closet, sitting on the briefcase, wondering if I could plead insanity if I were discovered. A female laughed sarcastically.
“Look at this. He left his microwave open. Men!” I recognized Deputy Lund’s voice.
Someone turned on lights in the living room, sending a weak light under the closet door. I panicked, pulled some shirts off their hangers and draped the clothing over my head and body. I curled myself onto a tight ball, hoping to look like a pile of laundry. I heard heavy steps in the living room.
“It’s a big old briefcase. You can’t miss it,” a man said, clearing his throat.
I heard the search, the moving of furniture, books hitting the floor and lots of mumbling and swearing from two males. But the worst was when I heard footsteps near the closet door. Someone was in the room. There was more shuffling of stuff, a big sigh, silence and then, “ah-hah”.
Oh no! Not the clos … I thought to myself.
The closet door opened and light streamed in. I held my breath as I sat paralyzed, unable to think or even blink. The toe of one shoe stuck out. I pulled it back under a shirt sleeve as my heart thundered in my ears. It seemed loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood, but the searcher didn’t hear it and left the room. Streams of perspiration ran down my forehead. My mouth felt dry and time stood still as I waited an eternity for the lights to go out.

Gardening tip from a pro....by Joyce Oroz

2011-07-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm here to tell you again about Joe Truskot's Central Coast Rose Manual. I have only had time to try a few of his gardening tips, but already I have tomato plants as big as Godzilla and roses like never before. Joe said roses need room (show-offs) so I clipped away at neighboring plants until the rose bushes were happy with their space. Joe said to mix 1/2 cup Epsom Salts with one gallon water and give the bushes a good drink. I went through three boxes of salts and gave everyone, even ordinary flowers and vegetables, a magical dose. He suggested sprinkling alphalfa meal at the base of the plants so that it will be absorbed into the soil as you water. The enzymes in alphalfa help the plant with digestion? Works for me!

Five weeks later my garden is more than I ever expected it to be. Check out Joe's article on my blog for June May 31st. It's worth your time.
The Central Coast Rose Manual can be found on Amazon.

Joyce's newest book...coming this fall

2011-07-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

excerpt from new book
David picked me up at nine-thirty in the morning. We settled into the Miata and headed down the road to Sunday brunch at the Green Valley Grill in Watsonville. I had given Inez strict instructions to stay home and when she wasn’t looking, I hid the dish soap in the freezer for safe keeping.
The night before, David had mentioned that I looked pretty frazzled and offered to take me to brunch in the morning. I would have walked on hot coals in my bare feet to go. So I toyed with the idea and finally said, “OK.”
David had put the top down on the car, but I was ready. I wore my ‘Grace Kelly’ long, white scarf and my newest, only worn once, summer dress. It was green to match my eyes with stubborn spaghetti straps that kept falling off my shoulders. Too late, I remembered why I hadn’t worn the dress more than the one time. I had worn it to my cousin Candy’s third wedding and found the straps even more irritating than Candy’s newest husband.

4th 0f July--Why Celebrate?

2011-07-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Independence Day is the birthday of the United States of America. It is celebrated on July 4th each year in states and possessions of the United States. Independence Day is the anniversary of the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress--July 4, 1776.

The founders of the new nation considered Independence Day an important occasion for rejoicing. John Adams said, "I am apt to belive that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows,games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward for everyone."

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
-- Benjamin Franklin

Finding Your Voice by Joyce Oroz

2011-06-29T18:53:00.000-07:00

Finding Your Voice
So you want to write a book. If you’re looking for fame and glory, get over it. Writing is hard work with little or no monetary reward, unless you’re in the one percentile who do get noticed. On the other hand, writing a novel is a hoot … and the biggest high you’ll ever earn. Once you make the trip from beginning to middle pages to finale, you’re hooked. I’m betting you’ll start a second book right away, hoping to repeat that wonderful, agonizing, mind-blowing trip.
There are two kinds of writers, those who want to write and those who do. There are those who attend writing classes, read about writing, know everything there is to know about writing, dabble with writing, but never actually finish anything.
The real writer learns the “rules” about writing and learns how to write by writing. She isn’t afraid to break a few rules as long as it helps her to find her voice and tell her story. She looks forward to writing sessions even though they are not always productive or easy. She does what she does because it’s so much fun. The fun out-weighs the frustration. If it’s not fun for you, or at least satisfying in some way, why do it? Life is too short to be doing things you don’t enjoy. That’s my best advice and I’m sticking to it. Oh, yes, and don’t use clichés.
How do I know that loving what you do is important? Here is a brief biography to explain how I came to this conclusion.
Life’s flow pushed me forward, from mother to grandmother, painter to writer, contented to jubilant. I enjoyed a long career as a professional muralist, painting walls in cities and towns across California. The day came when tall ladders, long hours and smelly paint did not agree with me. I turned to my love of writing, took classes and jumped right into writing 26 children’s stories. When that was out of my system, I wrote my first mystery novel, Secure the Ranch. What a wonderful experience—I was hooked. At present, I am a novelist and freelance journalist and I owe it all to spell-check.
Secure the Ranch is the first novel in the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series. Read My Lipstick is the second and more are coming. Even though I took classes, learned about writing an outline, etc., it never worked for me. My style is: Sit in front of the computer and write down the first thing that comes to mind and then expand on it. If it was a good first sentence, more information will come. If not, shelf it and try another first sentence.
Be open. Discover your own style. But most importantly, you must find your voice. Keep writing and reading what you have written. One day you will discover that wonderful voice that belongs to only you.
I didn’t understand my protagonist, Josephine Stuart, very well until half the book was written. Turns out, she is a grizzly when it comes to injustice, she’s an accomplished painter, drives like a maniac (when necessary) and adores her basset—and the guy next door. People say Josephine is a lot like me, but I know she is younger, taller, smarter, prettier and braver than I will ever be. She happens to drive a red pickup just like mine, she paints murals for a living, but unlike me, she finds trouble where ever she goes.

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excerpt from third Josephine book by Joyce Oroz

2011-06-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

His embrace was like water on marigolds. My leaves were up and my petals were smiling. I hoped I smelled more like a rose than a marigold.

Muraling Part Eight .....by Joyce Oroz

2011-06-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Muraling Part Eight
The picture above has been painted on a closed door at the end of a hallway. Notice the door nobs in both pictures. This is simply the results of using perspective.
Paintings, including murals, are painted in layers. Start with sky and work forward—that’s back to front for opaque paints such as oil-base and acrylic. Far away mountains, trees, buildings etc. should be painted after the sky. If you use muted cool colors they will automatically fall back into the distance. Closer subjects are next. Use stronger, warmer colors to bring them forward. The last items to be painted are the details in the foreground. For example, flowers on a lattice, in front of a house, in front of a row of trees, in front of grassy hills. An umbrella on the sand, in front of the water and sky. A man sitting on a fence, in front of a cornfield. The flowers, umbrella and man are all painted last. Even these last subjects should be painted in layers. Paint the man first. Add a pair of overalls and then a pocket on the overalls. Highlights can be added any time, but last is good.

Murals are most effective when they fool the eye, have a 3-D effect, draw you into the picture and simutate real depth. Layering is part of creating an illusion, but the proper use of perspective is the only way to create spectacular depth. The best way to see perspective is to observe a long road with telephone poles running along one side. Notice that the poles nearest you are quite tall. They become smaller and shorter as they get farther away. If you have a photograph of such a road, take a ruler and place it at the tops of all the poles. Draw a line and then put the ruler on the road at the bottom of all the poles. Draw a line. Notice you have a triangle—you have perspective. It would be well worth your while to study perspective further.

Five Necessary Skills to Keep Your Career on Track--2nd edition by Richard (Scott) Pearson

2011-06-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

Richard Pearson, better known as, Scott, has a new version (second edition) of his "5 Necessary Skills to Keep Your Career on Track". It is timely and a must-have book for anyone concerned about their current job or the job they are searching for. Scott's credentials stretch around the globe, but he brings home a down-to-earth message everyone can use. This is an author and a book I whole-heartedly recommend.
Joyce Oroz

Richard S. Pearson 3:22pm Jun 20th
I need your help to get my latest book “5 Necessary Skills to Keep Your Career on Track 2nd Edition” in the hands of more people who need it. Right now the average time for a job search is almost 10 months – the longest since the Labor Dept. started keeping records in 1948. My book will never make money – I’m doing this for a goodwill hobby and because I believe it will help almost anyone at any level in their career. Please click on the link http://www.facebook.com/l/8c7c1TVAmNIyRymLjOyDz7s9ENg/amzn.to/lisz1v and give a review on the book and scroll down to “Tags Customers Associate with This Product.” Click the ones most checked and it will drive more searches to my book. If you don’t want to buy the book, click on “look inside” and read parts to base your review. If you are one of the 810 who bought the first book you don’t need to buy this one – as the 5 skills are the same – I just got rid of the problems leading up to the jobs/careers challenges of today. The new edition is a look forward at the future of jobs and how we have to go about finding and landing one in today’s tough job market. Please do not delay – I want to get this book out to a much larger audience. Thank you.

Read My Lipstick by Joyce Oroz...........Second novel in the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series

2011-06-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Read My Lipstick
Two sheriff’s deputies climbed over the fence just as I bellied down to the sandy beach and slipped into the water like a thirsty trout. A snorkel would have been nice, but it wasn’t an option. I held my breath, closed my eyes and swam underwater in the direction of Trigger’s boat. I didn’t bother to open my eyes because the water was darker than Tavia’s black pumps and smelled like duck droppings. On one breath and tons of adrenalin, I was able to swim almost fifty feet. I stopped suddenly when my head hit the side of Trigger’s peddle boat. I popped up gasping for air. My head throbbed and stars floated in front of my eyes..........................
“Did you hear something? Look over there and I’ll go this way,” Deputy Sayer ordered. I watched them train their flashlights on one piece of junk after another all over the neighbor’s property. I saw the lights change direction and bob down the beach to Justin’s dock and then full circle back to the cottage and beyond. By that time my body was numb and my lips were in a non-stop tremble. I held onto the side of the boat, trying not to imagine what kind of slimy creatures might be swimming in Drew Lake at night.
The neighbor dog barked again as the sheriff’s deputies retreated up the path to Lower Cutter. I listened until I could hear nothing except the lapping of water against pilings. Carefully I climbed into the boat, which was no easy task in wet clothes, untied the rope and peddled my shivering body over to Alicia’s dock.

Muraling Part Seven ....by Joyce Oroz

2011-06-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

The picture on the left is the before picture of an ordinary small bathroom. On the right is an illusion painted on the wall.
Preparing your wall properly insures the best outcome. When your mural wall is in good shape (holes patched, bumps smoothed, fresh coat of paint) you are ready to tape off the area. Masking tape (blue is best) should be pressed along all edges of the painting, floor boards, doors, windows, switch plates, etc. A precise taping job helps to accomplish a professional looking mural. As soon as your painting is finished and dry, gently pull the tape off. The sooner the tape comes off the better.
Begin painting the thing that is furthest away, usually the sky. Skys can have much to say in a picture. They tell the time of day or night, the weather and they add color and mood. Even if there is only a small piece of sky showing through a window or balcony, it is still important and still goes first. The window frame will be painted over the sky.
Painting a sky can be pretty tricky, especially with acrylic paint because it drys so fast. Naturally, you will want your sky to be darker at the top of the picture and gradually lighten as it gets closer to the horizon. I not only lighten by adding white, I also add a little yellow to show depth in the atmosphere. (dirty air)
Mix your deepest blue, or other sky color, first. Pour about half of that color into another container. Add white to this batch until it is a shade lighter than the first color. Now, pour half of the new mixture into another empty container and add white plus a little yellow until it is a shade lighter than the last batch. You can do this one more time if you like. This will give you three or four shades to blend.

Start brushing on your deepest shade using a two or three inch brush. Work fast, beginning at the top of the picture, then blend the second darkest shade with quick up and down strokes, finishing with side to side until blended. The lightest shade will be last and closest to the horizon. Again, all blending must be done quickly as the paint dries fast.

Interview with Author Joe Truskot.....Part Three

2011-06-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

Joe Truskot, author of the Central Coast Rose Manual, please tell us about some of your other accomplishments.

I’m most proud of the number of concerts and events I’ve produced over the years from Cabaret Pops concerts in Salinas, to Candlelight Christmas Concerts at the Carmel Mission, to a long list of wonderful musical performances of the Monterey Symphony. I have profound love of classical music and those talented folks that produce it. This passion is currently manifesting itself as one of Central Coast Public Radio, KUSP 88.9FM on air hosts. Tune in every Friday at 8:00 p.m. for OnSite. I guess I’m doing pretty well in this new endeavor as the board and staff of KUSP made me their “Pataphysician of the Year” at their recent annual meeting. I was really quite honored.

I was also named “Director Emeritus” by the Association of California Symphony Orchestra after having served on its board of directors for most of my twenty-one years in California. I had the great pleasure of serving on the National Steinbeck Center’s board of directors during the time we raised the money and built the Center at One Main Street, in Salinas.

What do you like to do in your spare time, that is, if you have any.

My other past-times include designing and sewing quilt tops. I send my creations back to Ohio to have some Amish friends finish them and then make them available for sale out here. I’ve been a potter since my college days and many of those creations can be seen in my garden. I’ve also been a collector of vintage postcards on and off since I was twelve. My latest endeavor in this realm has been research on one of the art world’s least appreciated flower painters German Catharina Klein (1861-1928). She was during her time one of the most successful commercial artists. You may know her work, but I’m confident that you’ve seen her remarkable paintings. At any rate, to read more about her and view some of what I think are the best paintings of roses, check out: http://cklein-artistsignedpostcards.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html

Do you have any pets at home?

In 2002, a black and white, bobtail cat wandered into my rose garden and my life. I was fifty-two years old and had never had a pet of my own. I called him “Princess” for the first six months until my vet said, “You need to pick another name. This is a neutered male.” So he got butched up with “Buddy.” It was a gradual process though, his moving in. I decided to feed him, but he would remain an outdoor cat. It wasn’t long before I was in the pet food aisle, scratching my chin. “Would he prefer Country Home Dinner or Mariner’s Platter. Oh hell. I’ll just buy both.” Then, one day while I was paying my bills at my dining room table, I heard this very curious sound. What could it be? Snoring? Sure enough, the cat that would never be welcome indoors was on the chair next to me, four paws to the sky, sound asleep. I was afraid of what he might do if I startled him. So I continued my task and he snored away for an hour or so more, then opened his eyes, sat up, stretched, looked at me, meowed, jumped down and walked out the open patio sliding door. In 2007, Buddy brought Freddy a rib-cage showing, abandoned older kitten to the food bowl. Hidden from their view, I watched as Buddy showed him the dish and encouraged him to eat with an expression that said, “Yeah, help yourself. Every time the kibbles get low that big guy comes out and fills it back up again without me doing anything.”

Joe, please describe the contents of the book and the benefits of owning it.

The Central Coast Rose Manual is divided into three parts. The first section contains the prefatory remarks and general information on the needs of rose bushes. The second and largest part is a month-by-month guide on what you should do in the garden at that time. The final part is a series of informative articles on many of the challenges (insects, diseases, etc.) that we all face and offers many solutions. The book extols the value of organic gardening and environmentally safe practices. It is also written with a great deal of personal narrative; thus, the subtitle “Creating a Personal Rose Garden.” The chummy prose style adds a degree of warmth to what can be a pretty cold iteration of garden do’s and don’ts. Most of my close friends say they hear my voice talking through the entire book which, I suppose, is logical because it is ME talking through the entire book.

How can people find your book and why should they buy it?

Several very supportive folks have been behind the success of this project. It was amazing how quickly certain outlets jumped on the opportunity of offering the Central Coast Rose Manual and other’s rejected it. You can buy a copy at the following great stores:

River House Books, Carmel

Wild Bird Center, Del Monte Center, Monterey

Old Monterey Book Company, Monterey

Bokay Nursery, Hitchcock Road, Salinas

Wisteria Antiques & Gardens, Soquel

Alladin’s Nursery & Garden Center, Watsonville

The Garden Company, Mission Avenue, Santa Cruz

Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz

The following Public Libraries also have it on their shelves: Salinas, Carmel, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Santa Cruz, Gilroy and several other branches of the Santa Clara Library System.

Thank you, Joe Truskot, for a very informative and personal look into your fascinating life.

by Joyce Oroz

Book Review by Robert Walch, Salinas Californian

2011-06-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

"Secure the Ranch" (Outskirts Press. $18.95) by Joyce Oroz.
ª Local connection: An Aromas resident, Joyce Oroz is a freelance journalist, muralist and author. This is the first in a projected series of mysteries set on the Central Coast.
ª Content: A 50-year-old widow, Josephine Stuart, is the owner of the Wildbrush Mural Co. With business slow, she agrees to tackle a project for Theda Munger, who owns a 9,000-square-foot mansion in the Santa Cruz Mountains
The job entails murals in three rooms. Besides a Tuscan pastoral scene in the dining room and converting the ceiling in the den to a blue sky with "puffy clouds and maybe a couple of cherubs in the renaissance style," Mrs. Munger wants a wall in her music room transformed into a meadow with flowers and redwoods.
Referring to the assignment as a "cupcake," Josephine muses, "What could possibly go wrong in Boulder Creek?"
As you'll discover, a whole lot will go wrong on this isolated, wooded mountain top. Odd accidents, fires and the death of a local resident suggest things are not as they should be in the idyllic community and someone wants the Mungers to leave.
A woman with a lot of curiosity and a strong sense of right and wrong, Josephine is undaunted by the problems and danger she encounters. Unfortunately, this gets her into a lot of trouble and places her life in jeopardy as she disrupts the lives and illegal activities of some rather nasty characters.
ª Quote: "In no way was I prepared for what had happened to the mansion overnight. I parked my truck and watched two workmen roll white paint over large black letters spray-painted on the southern wall outside the music room. The first coat of paint didn't cover the 'LEAVE OR DIE' graffiti very well."
ª Audience: If you enjoy suspense stories with a local flavor and an engaging central character, you'll like this novel. The story unfolds in Santa Cruz County and the primary setting is in the Santa Cruz Mountains outside of Boulder Creek.
ª Robert Walch of Monterey writes about Central Coast Authors for the Arts & Books page Saturday in The Salinas Californian. Contact him in care of Central Coast Authors, The Salinas Californian, 123 W. Alisal St., Salinas 93901; fax to 754-4293; or email to newsroom@thecalifornian.com by Robert Walch

Muraling.....Part Six......by Joyce Oroz

2011-06-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Muraling…..Part Six
The windows in the photo are an illusion, painted on flat dining room walls.

With a screwdriver, take off all outlet and switch plates. These are usually made of plastic, but some are wood or metal. All types can be handled the same way. The switch plates should be sanded with medium weight sandpaper until the shine is removed. A minute or two of sanding is usually enough. When all plates are sanded, wipe the dust off with a damp cloth, dry the plates and paint them with white primer, brushed on or sprayed. An hour or so later, go back and paint each plate with the wall color. When that coat of paint is dry, screw the plates back in place on the wall. When you paint your mural, you will treat the plates as if they are part of the wall, and they will disappear into the picture......................

Your tarps are down, the walls are taped, the plates are prepared. Now you can recreate your sketch, only bigger, on the wall. The first mark is the hardest. Remember, it’s only a mark and you can always erase it or fix it. With chauk or pencil and a numbered level, draw the largest features. A chauk snap-line works well for a horizon line. Use as little drawing as you can get away with, and use very little pressure on the pencil. Sometimes lead is hard to cover with paint. Some pencil lines can be erased when the painting is finished and dry. Never use felt pens or magic markers, as they are almost impossible to cover with paint.

When designing your mural, try to keep the top and bottom portions of the picture relatively simple because near the ceiling and close to the floor are the most difficult parts of the wall to reach, unless you are a pretzel.

When you are finally ready to paint, make sure you have mixed large enough quantities of each color. If you run short of a color, it might be difficult to mix your paint into that exact shade or tone. The shade is the degree of color, how dark or light, and the tone is the quality or intensity of color. Jade green is intense, teal is not. Fire engine red is intense, burgundy is not. Orange is intense, peach is not.

Interview with Joe Truskot....Part Two by Joyce Oroz

2011-06-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Mr. Truskot, your new book, Central Coast Rose Manual, is beautiful and so informative. Why did you decide to take on this project?.........................
For eleven years, I was the editor of The Bay Rose, the Monterey Bay Rose Society’s monthly newsletter. During that time, I produced an eight-page newsletter every month. So when I left my job, I had the book nearly written. It only took me about six weeks to re-organize the information and edit it down. The remainder of the time was spent taking and editing photographs, writing some original content where there were voids and dealing with the challenges of software programs. I also knew that most of what general books on roses had to say about horticultural practices were wrong for California’s coastal communities. In addition, most major outlets for roses—the notorious Big Box Stores—had a purchasing agent back in corporate headquarters who didn’t know a thing about our climate. At various presentations and clinics I’ve run, I kept meeting frustrated gardeners who thought that there was something wrong about them and their ability to grow roses when the specific variety of rose was not suitable to our conditions. Growing certain rose varieties in our climate is like trying to grow cocoanuts in Ohio……………

Joe, I have toured your beautiful rose garden, and wonder how much time it takes to create such a masterpiece. Any special tips you would like to pass on?.........................
Ask any gardener. The work is never done. In preparation for your visit to my garden, I realized I had several empty spaces. I’d cut down a tree that got too big. I’d dug out underperforming roses in January and never replaced them. I’d moved others around which slowed their growth. So I had to do some last minute decorating with annuals and garden decorations to mask the fact that the roses were missing in a few areas. Once the roses are established, the care you provide is feeding and watering, weeding, and dead-heading. It does get easier as the garden gets more established. The important rule is to keep the number of roses you grow to a minimum. And make sure those that you do grow are showy and healthy……………..

Here are six things rose growers can do right now to have better roses……………….
1. Open up the inside of each rose bush. Light should be able to fall on the bud union. This provides better air circulation, encourages new canes to grow from the base of the bush, and will inhibit the development of black spot.
2. Dead head spent roses quickly. Always make your cut to an out-side bud eye so the new flowering stalk grows away from the center of the plant.
3. Add a double handful of alfalfa pellets to the bottom of each bush and water them in. During the next several waterings the pellets break down and release an enzyme which helps all plants absorb the nutrients in the soil.
4. A half-cup of Epsom Salt provides some magnesium which is deficient in most garden soil around the Monterey Bay. Magnesium helps plants transport nutrients. This only needs to be done every couple of years or so as magnesium stays in the soil.
5. Pinch off side buds growing on your hybrid teas. This allows the single bud to develop more so you will have a larger, longer-lasting, more symmetrically beautiful flower and the plant will replace this single flower sooner.
6. Thin out any plants growing too close to your roses, especially trees and undergrowth. Rose roots aren’t invasive and quickly lose their intended nourishment to invaders.
look for the Central Coast Rose Manual on line at Amazon

Pictures from the 2011 Maker Fair, by Avery Laurin

2011-06-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

The Maker Fair in San Mateo was a big hit this year. Here are samples of the wide variety of inventions and fun things to do.

Interview with Author Joe Truskot.....part one

2011-05-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Today I have the great pleasure of interviewing Joseph Truskot, author of the Central Coast Rose Manual, and expert on the subject of roses. The book is a must-have for rose gardeners, especially those living on the Central California Coast. Mr. Truskot was executive director of the Monterey Symphony for twenty years, just the tip of the iceberg in a long list of accomplishments. So let’s get to know this gentleman a little better.................

What led you to gardening, and roses in particular?.............................
My father’s parents came from Poland in their twenties. Although my grandfather worked in a steel mill, he farmed a small plot of land as well and my grandmother kept a garden in her backyard where she grew flowers and vegetables. As a little boy, I remember playing in the garden and riding the tractor out in the field. At the same time, back in the 1950's, my mother’s mother showed me how to sprout a bean in a paper cup with a handful of soil and how to start an Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum) in a glass of water. I think descendants of that plant were still growing in my parent’s upstairs bathroom a dozen years ago. I picked hydroponics as my high school science project and grew radishes in January in Ohio. It was a great sense of accomplishment. As part of our household chores, I always helped maintain the yard. I have a vivid memory of my mother’s close friend arriving at our house one summer in tears. She had just sold her house. Her husband had died a few months before and she was moving into an apartment. As she was leaving her house for the last time, this overwhelming sadness came over her. She didn’t want to abandon her beloved plants to strangers so she haphazardly dug them up, threw them in cardboard boxes, and brought them to my mother. I got recruited to find a spot for them in our yard. I remember wondering at the time what could make this elderly lady have such a deep emotional reaction to a bunch of irises, day lillies and heuchera. I know now. My Uncle Charlie, though, was the avid rose grower in our family. He knew how to make cuttings and tend his roses which he grew all of his adult life. I regret now not spending more time with him on this topic.

The other great influence on my growing roses was my parent’s next door neighbor Jean Glowacki. She was born and raised in Cameron, West Virginia and always had a dozen or so roses growing in her front yard. I specifically remember her growing a deep, dark red one named “Oklahoma.” It had a wonderful fragrance. She also grew “Peace” as did most folks back then and probably “Sterling Silver,” “Mister Lincoln,” “Garden Party,” and “Tiffany.” That began my fascination with roses. The main park in Lorain, Ohio, my hometown, had a rose garden of considerable reputation in its heyday. I remember going out of my way to ride through it on my bicycle to and from the beach. Turns out the shore of Lake Erie is a great place to grow roses (and apples, cherries, grapes, etc.) because the heat of the water in the Lake extends the growing season by about two weeks.

Fast forward twenty-five years. I had lived my entire adult life in apartments and condominiums. In 1992, I was looking for a place to live on the Monterey Peninsula. A friend said look in Salinas. On my first day out, I realized that it was quite feasible for me to own a house with a yard. Bang. I bought 350 Chaparral Street in December 1992. Bang. A sudden case of rose fever developed. Bang. I’ve been happy ever since.

Please view these videos:
MBRS Display Garden

Central Coast Rose Manual....available on Amazon

Solow Celebrates Memorial Day

2011-05-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

It's Memorial Day, time to remember the people in uniform who died to keep us free. We are free to remember ... or not, free to care ... or not, free to thank the soldiers and sailors for doing the work we would rather not do ........... I thank God for the folks in uniform!

Solow celebrates Memorial Day at the beach, nose to the surf, searching out sand crabs. No crabs? Don't worry, he won't go hungry because the BBQ is fired up and the burgers are just about done. Josephine might even share a toasty marshmallow or two.

A Timely Quote from .....the "Father of our Country"

2011-05-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

National Debt, avoid when possible, repay when incurred. As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible, avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear.----from George Washington's Farewell Address.....1796

Like a Rose, let them bloom........another article I want to share with you

2011-05-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

CLINICAL REPORT

The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds
Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MSEd and the Committee on Communications and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health

Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development.It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them. Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers. As they master their world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resiliency they will need to face future challenges. Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. When play is allowed to be child driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue. Ideally, much of play involves adults, but when play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills. In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity epidemic. Perhaps above all, play is a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood.

Children’s developmental trajectory is critically mediated by appropriate, affective relationships with loving and consistent caregivers as they relate to children through play. When parents observe their children in play or join with them in child-driven play, they are given a unique opportunity to see the world from their child’s vantage point as the child navigates a world perfectly created just to fit his or her needs. (The word "parent" is used in this report to represent the wide range of adult caregivers who raise children.) The interactions that occur through play tell children that parents are fully paying attention to them and help to build enduring relationships. Parents who have the opportunity to glimpse into their children’s world learn to communicate more effectively with their children and are given another setting to offer gentle, nurturing guidance. Less verbal children may be able to express their views, experiences, and even frustrations through play, allowing their parents an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of their perspective. Quite simply, play offers parents a wonderful opportunity to engage fully with their children.

Play is integral to the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the social and emotional development of children as well as their cognitive development. It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting and even to enhance children’s learning readiness, learning behaviors, and problem-solving skills. Social-emotional learning is best integrated with academic learning; it is concerning if some of the forces that enhance children’s ability to learn are elevated at the expense of others. Play and unscheduled time that allow for peer interactions are important components of social-emotional learning

Just had to share this letter

2011-05-20T21:10:00.001-07:00

Hi Joyce, My name is Laurie and I went to your book signing at the Brewery and am very thankful I did.... I have lived in Boulder Creek for 29 years and know the area quite well. I bought your book, Secure the Ranch, and even though I am only three quarters through, I have loved every word. I am relating to everything you are writing. I drove down Bear Creek and found myself looking for the road to the Munger mansion and found myself giggling. You are a very good writer and find the book to be an "easy read". I find your book a hard one to put down. You told me to enjoy the ride and boy oh boy am I. Just wanted to take a few minutes to tell you how much I am enjoying your book..... KEEP THEM COMING.

Muraling....Part Five

2011-05-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Muraling…...Part Five

Part of the creative process is problem solving, such as incorporating the niche, mail slot, light switch, vent, thermostat or faucet into your design. Remember to take into account the condition of the wall. Allow extra time to plaster holes, prime and paint.
Never paint your mural directly over primer. The total area should be flawless and painted with acrylic eggshell or semi-gloss house paint for easier maintenance...........
Some people have bathrooms or kitchens already painted with oil-base paint. In that case, your mural must be painted with oil-base paint. Remember to have good ventilation with any type of paint you use.
……….. ….Supplies you will need for an average 10ft x 12ft mural……………….
1. …….Acrylic (water-base) paint….usually 6 to 12 oz size bottles for each color and quart size for white. (more paint for very large murals)
2. …….A variety of brushes made for acrylic paint in sizes 00 up to two or three inches wide. You don’t need every size in between. You might try sizes 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 (which tend to be expensive) plus a two-inch natural bristle brush. ( 2 dollars or less at the hardware store)
3. ……..Tarps, masking tape, sandpaper and a two-foot measuring level.
4. ……..Clean recycled food containers and lids. (yogurt, baby food, tv dinner trays, deli containers, peanut butter jars, etc.)
5. ……..Newspaper, pencils or colored chalk.
6. ……..Cotton rags, paper towels, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some Goof-off in case of spilled paint.
7. ……..Camera for before and after pictures.
8. a sketch or picture of your project

.

Excerpt from Read My Lipstick...

2011-05-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

“Oh my G…!” I screamed. Alberto laughed as he closed my window and made a tight left turn that lasted until we were headed east, back to Pajaro. I looked over my shoulder. The KPUT copter was following the paper trail. If one of the empty cardboard boxes hit the mayor on the head, KPUT would be there to show it to the world.
I was so much happier with the door closed. I took a deep breath and thanked God for getting me through a really tough moment. I even took an interest in the landscape again. Finally, we landed next door to El Milagro. Steve ducked down, not that he needed to, and ran to the copter. He opened my door and caught me as my legs wobbled like Jello.
“You look a little unsteady, Josephine,” he said, as if he could do better.
“Too bad you missed the sights, Steve. It was fantastic.”
“Thanks, Al. We owe you,” Steve yelled. Alberto waved and took off. I was happy to see him go, but I would never let Steve know that.
Sarah sat in the VW bus keeping warm. Steve offered me a lift and I accepted.
“How did you like the ride?” Sarah asked, as I crawled into the backseat.
“Nothing like it in the world. By the way, was I supposed to let the papers out over Civic Center?”
“Sure, I just hope no one saw you,” Steve said. Sarah laughed and I groaned...