Murals Galore VIIII

News from the wetlands….A mural has been sited at the Pajaro Valley High School in Watsonville. Three adult and three teenage muralists have created hills and mountains on the far side of the unfinished slough. We can only speculate on the type of wildlife they will paint in, and near the water. There is a rumor…..that pelicans, owls, egrets, reeds and even humans may be included.

More mural news….the “ladies of the murals” are rapidly approaching the finish line at the Aromas Library. Much important work was accomplished last Saturday, including the addition of a book worm, a Wild Thing, a pig and a spider. You had to be there! Nancy finished painting the children, Heather finished the Wild Things, Kathy finished more flora and such, Terry helped with the flora while Julia added a book worm and lady bugs.

 

FREE Kindle copies of Secure the Ranch.....by Joyce Oroz

Good morning Ya’ll,

Is there anyone out there who could use some light entertainment? A fun read to take your mind away from the troubles of the world. Josephine has the cure for the harried brain, troubled spirit. A little time away from reality never hurt anyone—just ask Sandy. Because she’s a slow reader her smiles just last longer. She prefers to read from an actual book, but she’s missing out on the FREE Kindle version of “Secure the Ranch.”

I’m hoping you will go to Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/Secure-Ranch-Joyce-Oroz/dp/1432758926   on the internet and download a free copy of Secure the Ranch, get hooked on the mystery series and order the next books—“Read My Lipstick” and “Shaking In Her Flip Flops.”

Enjoy the ride!

Jill Troderman and Food!

Today I am passing along good news from a friend of mine, Jill Troderman.

Happy summer! Wow, what an amazing full moon the other night! It was a reminder to me to appreciate the fullness, richness and abundance that surrounds us and to let it in. We are powerful humans and with that power comes the potential to heal ourselves. How can you and your whole family feel your BEST ever with the most simple and tastiest ways this summer? Book a sessoin or group with me!  Read on.... Nutrition Counseling ~ Get Motivated this Summer! You deserve it!  Book a self loving nutition session with me today so YOU can focus on YOUR health and wellness goals this summer. The best health and beauty treatments come from food and nature so why not take THIS summer to explore the in season, natural, organic, raw, fermented foods that will nurture your beauty and health from within?  Nutrition sessions are held at the tranquil Pacific Wellness Center in Soquel Village. Click here for a list of services, office hours.  Click here to book an appointment.

We're Cooking up Beans Things are sure heating up in our Santa Cruz kitchen! We are sizzling away with our fave bean recipes. To stay healthy this summer, we have been cooking up tons of batches of nutritious beans from scratch.  I had a blast teaching this past May at the Santa Cruz Reskilling Expo at the Museum of Art and History.  And as promised, here are a few of those recipes I shared in class. They are sure to be a hit at home (more coming in weeks to follow!). Click on the links for these FAB Adzuki Bean Burgers and Killer Refried Beans.

July 2012 Happy summer! Wow, what an amazing full moon the other night! It was a reminder to me to appreciate the fullness, richness and abundance that surrounds us and to let it in. We are powerful humans and with that power comes the potential to heal ourselves. How can you and your whole family feel your BEST ever with the most simple and tastiest ways this summer? Book a sessoin or group with me!  Read on.... Nutrition Counseling ~ Get Motivated this Summer! You deserve it!  Book a self loving nutition session with me today so YOU can focus on YOUR health and wellness goals this summer. The best health and beauty treatments come from food and nature so why not take THIS summer to explore the in season, natural, organic, raw, fermented foods that will nurture your beauty and health from within?  Nutrition sessions are held at the tranquil Pacific Wellness Center in Soquel Village. Click here for a list of services, office hours.  Click here to book an appointment.  We're Cooking up Beans Things are sure heating up in our Santa Cruz kitchen! We are sizzling away with our fave bean recipes. To stay healthy this summer, we have been cooking up tons of batches of nutritious beans from scratch.  I had a blast teaching this past May at the Santa Cruz Reskilling Expo at the Museum of Art and History.  And as promised, here are a few of those recipes I shared in class. They are sure to be a hit at home (more coming in weeks to follow!). Click on the links for these FAB Adzuki Bean Burgers and Killer Refried Beans.  The Food Tree and Food Tree Magnetic Boards  And- most exciting! We have made and sold our first run of The Food Tree Magnetic Boards. With The Food Tree, it's all about turning kids on to the pleasure, FUN, and joy of eating really good for you foods. We feel the Food Tree is a great tool to teach that! The first run of Giant and Meduim sized Food Tree Magnetic Boards have come and gone! We were blessed to introduce them this spring. Thanks to everyone who has been so amazingly supportive of the vision of The Food Tree - friends, family, clients, customers, colleagues- we love you! We are taking orders for our next shipment. To purchase one, or two, or.. call or email today and we will add you to our list! Also, a huge thanks to the folks at the NANP confernce for a great show of support and interest. The Food Tree currriculm will be ready soon to teach in your school, gym, doctor or nutrition/dietician office's.  My services will reach more of the people you love especially if you pass on this message to at least 2 two of them! I am grateful for the gift of referrals!  Sending you all warm and healthy wishes! Peace and love, Jill Holistic Family Nutrition www.SantaCruzHolisticNutrition.com Pacific Wellness Center www.PWCSantaCruz.com 4841 Soquel Dr.  Soquel, CA 95073 831.476.2303 Nutrition sessions book an appointment.

Library Mural VIII.......by Joyce Oroz

Saturday’s paint-out was a big success. Progress was made as John and Linda hung the new library sign featuring Frog and Toad. Heather scampered up her ladder and stayed there all afternoon painting the Wild Things. Julia added more foliage to the river bank and Linda added more life to the Dinosaur Stomp. Just like Santa and the Easter Bunny, Kathy had already added more magic to the mural on Friday while no one was around. The “ladies of the mural” really get around!

Fairy Bats and Steins?........by Joyce Oroz

Little People’s Repertory Theater in Ben Lomond presents it’s sensational and ridiculously funny musical beginning last night. This year’s show is “Cinderacula, The Curse of the Brothers Grimm,” a singing dancing werewolves, ghosts, vampires, fairy bats and steins production. OK, I already told you about the coming extravaganza. I repeat myself because I love the shows so much—year after year.

Recently I toured the theater as the players (seventy-something) funneled into the large, empty room below the stage. Suddenly they all began singing and shaking hands with each other. It was quite a happy scene. As they mingled they practiced more songs enthusiastically.

My guide, Avery Laurin, walked me up a steep set of stairs to his domain, the light room, where he manages all the lighting for the play. From our perch we watched the children, ages eight to fourteen, practice their parts. After that we headed to the opposite end of the theater, behind stage, where the wonderful props were being painted.

After weeks of practice and preparation, the theater is open! I hope you will all have a chance to enjoy this wonderful production. 7:30 pm July 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28 with matinees on the 22^nd and 29^th.

Saturday Paint-out Stomp.....by Joyce Oroz

Don’t forget to come to the paint-out, Saturday, July 21st and add your own tree, flower, field of grass—whatever, to the library mural. Wear paint clothes and bring your favorite brush if you wish. The Dinosaur Painting Stomp begins at 1:00. See you there!

Extreme Muraling has AHA members in a whirl. The ladies gained more ground (literally) Saturday afternoon when Julia and Terry stopped by to help. Linda set the stage for a storybook dinosaur stomp in the clouds while Julia created trees and scrubs along the river and Terry brushed in grassy weeds like the ones that creep into my garden.

Two days later the “Ladies of the murals” met with three Watsonville High School students and Noelle Antolin, Director of Education Programs, Watsonville Wetlands Watch www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org

Students, Kati, Mercedes, and Sergio laid in the basic blue and green paint defining sky, land and water. AHA painters are extremely happy to be working with the younger painters.

                                           The big puddle

For the benefit of the SLV community and my old classmates, here is a recent article from the Sentinel about Mr. Boomer, a teacher no one will ever forget!

By Shanna McCord - Santa Cruz Sentinelsantacruzsentinel.com

Posted: 07/14/2012 06:20:13 PM PDT

Preston Boomer at the keyboard of his pipe organ in Bonny Doon Saturday. «

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A visit to the unusual home of 80-year-old Preston Boomer, hidden under the redwoods off Empire Grade Road, is a trip worth taking.

The 40 or so people gathered there on Saturday for an organ concert to benefit the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival agreed the place was a "trip" in every sense of the word.

"It's unusual, completely unique," Aptos resident Amy Isaksson said. "It's like fantasyland."

Boomer, a physics and chemistry teacher at San Lorenzo Valley High School since 1956, is mostly known for his towering 2,500-pipe organ that takes up an entire room in a small wood chapel, adorned with Christmas lights, next to his house.

Known as "Boom" by family and friends, he holds yearly performances known as the Boomeria Extravaganza to share the majestic instrument with others.

Members of the audience are welcome to take a seat under the organ and watch the various stops and pipes in play.

The organ was built in 1879 and given to Boomer by his great grandmother. Beginning in 1953, he began renovating the instrument and added 40 ranks. A rank is set of pipes responsible for producing one octave.

While the organ's ominous, thundering sounds lure people to Boomer's home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, many show up because it's sort of a medieval playground created by the modern day mad scientist and some of his students throughout the years.

The grounds include a castle, working guillotine with a steel blade used to cut watermelons not necks, catacombs, catapults and dungeons.

Those who've been there before warn not to trip over the ancient canon sitting outside the chapel.

A set of pulleys open wood doors from the ground that lead to concrete stairs and a dark room that could be a jail cell from another time.

Visitors are invited to tour the castle, a large stone and wood building with guard towers and murder holes, and climb down to the dungeon where a long path of tunnels and hand-cut caves await.

There's a giant metal merry-go-round and swings that hang from the towering trees.
The 14-foot deep pool is another draw

Love that class of '62'......by Joyce Oroz

It was the best of times….and it really was. No one under 50, no stuffy people, no ugly music, no worries. We were all the same age (mature), we wore comfortable shoes, we ate well (wild abandon for some) and the music was from the fifties—sixties. What more could a sensible person want at their 50^th class reunion? Some people traveled long distances—like from Belgium and Sacramento!! Some helped with music and decorations. Others helped to herd the flock over to Peachwood for a rock and roll good time. Everyone had a story to tell and the giggles continued for six happy hours.

Here’s to the class of ‘62’, may they thrive and show up at the next reunion!

A personal adventure.........by Joyce Oroz

I rarely share my personal adventures with you folks—scandals and such, but we only get one 50^th reunion and one pre-50^th-party which happened to fall on my birthday.

Jim and Carmen put on a first class soirée at the Hilton Hotel in Scotts Valley—full of hugs, giggles, yummy food and a gluten-free cake! Jim purchased over a dozen books from me (Secure the Ranch) and gave them to our classmates. I signed books and thoroughly enjoyed the festivities while my husband talked to other husband-non-classmates and wife-non-classmates.

When the party was over we hitched a ride home with Barb and Robert. It was ten when we arrived in Aromas (old folk’s bedtime).

Our house was dark as we forgot to leave a porch light on. Because we were not driving, we had left our keys at home. Sandy was safely locked inside the house. Unfortunately she has not learned how to unlock a door.

Robert pointed his headlights at the back of the house. We heard Barb and Robert laughing hysterically as Art boosted me in the window.

And you wonder where Josephine comes from?

Today I would like to share, second-hand, another typical day in paradise....I mean Aromas. Fortunately, my friends keep me updated on all the activity I seem to miss. Actually, I would have had to be stationed under a bridge to witness this particular event. In AR's own words.......

The saga continues.  Friday after dropping off something to Linda  on Carr Ave., we followed a black truck over the bridge, hoping to find one or two more blue bottles.  The black-truck-man turned into the driveway that belongs to the area where the blue gin bottles are found.  There was a pitbull in the truck with the driver.  We continued on our way up Carr Ave. where we turned around and headed back toward Carpenteria.  One look at this man and you knew ~ a). he is not a blue bottle gin drinker  (b). it would NEVER occur to him to try and hide these blue bottles.  This is a kick butt and take names kind of guy.  There would not be just one or two blue bottles there would be a boatload of them. 

   Okay.  Now I feel like crap ~ (a) because I thought it was a man and now I think it's a woman drinking these little blue gin bottles and it doesn't seem as funny any more (b) I'm taking great delight in finding these bottles when someone may actually have a problem.  This is a whole different picture, not one that I'm very proud of.  Why didn't this occur to me before?  Why when I thought it was a man, it was funny, but now that I think it's a woman, not so funny any more.  If it's not a problem, someone wouldn't be sneaking around, throwing little blue bottles away in the weeds. 

    It's really the pits when you bring the "pin to pop the balloon"  to your own party.  It’s all part of the journey though. Many a time when I have started down a path and not ended up where I thought I was going and this is one of them.  If I hadn’t started, I never would have had my blue bottle tree and all of you along for the journey.  Thanks for being there.  

AR

I'm thinking of giving up writing and going into real estate!

Cinderacula..........by Cindy Laurin and Joyce Oroz

Every summer I attend the latest, greatest little theater production on the planet! Tucked away in the San Lorenzo Valley, in down town Ben Lomond, actually, talented people are working hard to bring us the  production we anticipate each year. Warning--don't go if you fear vampires or can't stand to laugh until your sides hurt.

Little People’s Repertory Theater presents “Cinderacula, The Curse of the Brothers Grimm” a “non-traditional” musical theater performance of the classic fairytale, “Cinderella”  rewritten as a musical parody of classic rock and pop culture songs and pop culture icons, performed by 77 youth actors/singers/dancers.  There will be singing and dancing werewolves, ghosts, vampires, fairy bats and 'steins' as well. A sampling of this summer’s musical numbers that kids will sing; 'Welcome To The Town Of Transylvania'/ Hotel California, 'Oops I Bit Him Again'/Oops I Did It Again', 'Fangs Like Dagger'/Move Like Jagger.  With the guidance of Daria E. Troxell, Janine Chadwick, talented production staff, and 70 something children, Little Peoples Repertory Theater produces a singing and dancing feast for the eyes, ears and mind.  No kidding, a show for the whole family.  Opening night is July 19^th (7:30 pm) additional shows July 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28 (7:30 PM), Matinees July 22^nd  and 29^th (2:00 PM).  Performances at Park Hall, Ben Lomond.  Tickets available at lprt.org, a limited number of tickets are available 1 hour prior to the show at the Park Hall Box Office. 

by Cindy Laurin

Stay tuned as I will be showing you some of the "behind the scenes" stuff. 

Attached is an image of the "Royal Family"

AR tells it like it is..........Joyce Oroz

The blue bottle story continues. AR keeps us in the loop as the small town sagga unwinds. Here is AR in her own words.

Good morning,

I've always felt, for me any ways, that part of the fun of shopping at thrift stores is "the hunt."  Finding a great bargain is exciting for me. And finding some really odd piece always makes me wonder about the original owner, "why would anybody ever buy this and pay good money for it?'  It's no fun coming to the realization that people already think that about me. but that's a whole different issue. 

     So, on Thursday, I'm showing property to Fred's cousin, Stephanie, out on Cole Rd. The listing realtor said the house was abandoned and lots of broken windows and to get into the house I'd need to climb through a window. All right!  My kind of property!   I was smart enough to ask how wide the window was and how far off the ground. Stephanie decides she wants to drive, and I ask Fred to go with us ~ two women, abandoned property, it's his cousin, okay.  Stephanie wants to get the lay of the land, so we take her out Carr Ave.  Properties beautiful, just what she's looking for, house is in tear down condition but has good bones.  Come home, everything's good.

  Fred and I are going to Costco yesterday to pick up stuff for the BBQ at the Grange (to which I hope you're all coming!!) and on our way, we're going to stop and look at another property on Cole Rd.  Fred said "we're going to go by way of Carr Ave. again."  and he slows down at the bridge on Carr Ave. and asked, "do you see anything?"   You'd have thought I'd found a hundred dollar bill.  I found a blue bottle!!  Fred had seen it the day before and wanted to surprise me.  Whooo Hooo! 

   So I'm heading outside to start strategizing about building my bottle tree.  Thank you so much, Tina, for starting me on the blue bottle path.  Such fun!  Who knew? 

Thank you, AR for sharing!

                                           Tina's blue bottle tree

    

    

Aromas Library Mural.....by Joyce oroz

“Where are we and why am I in this handbasket?” Never mind. The “ladies of the mural” arrive at the Aromas Library. Soon their brushes are swishing paint onto the walls with quiet precision. Nancy paints children reading under Sandra’s apricot tree. Linda works on her strawberry fields and later adds trees along the riverbank. Evelyn is given a Frog and Toad Project. Library patrons march in and out of the building, commenting on the progress. Stay tuned for the latest in muraling.