"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work." Emile Zola
Friday, August 31, 2012
The Fox and the Owl.......by Joyce oroz
"The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work." Emile Zola
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Lovely in Pepto-Pink...........by Joyce Oroz
When life speeds up, the turns feel
too sharp, the climb looks to high or the washing machine just chugged it’s
last chug—it’s time for a trip to Ben Lomond, home of a meandering summer
stream, giant boulders, skeeters and salamanders.
A short distance from the river sits
the town of Ben Lomond. A modest two-story building painted pepto-pink stands at
the corner, a nostalgic sixty-year-old sign is nestled under the eves. The ancient
sign has escaped the pink paint and reads, “Freda Carr Photography.”
Next door is an absinthe green miniature
store front from long, long ago.
Moving down the sidewalk, Mountain
Gallery is next with it’s face painted in swirly bright colors, representing a coming together of many unique and interesting creations under one roof.
Across the street is the Ben Lomond
Market, a perfect place to relax and eat lunch from the deli before going home
to face the wayward washing machine.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
We love our soldiers.........by Joyce Oroz
When wars drag on and on, sometimes we are not acutely aware of the victims of war. I am passing on a little jolt of reality and an example of support for the families of the fallen. God bless America!
Letter from an airline pilot
He writes:
He writes:
My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an
H.R. On this flight." (H.R. Stands for human remains.) "Are they
military?" I asked.
“Yes”, she said.
“Is there an escort?” I asked.
“Yes, I already assigned him a seat.”
“Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said.
A short while later a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.
“My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,” he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no other words.
I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.
We completed our pre-flight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. “I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board,” she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. “I'm on it”, I said. I told her that I would get back to her.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:
“Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.”
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'
Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.
“There is a team in place to meet the aircraft,” we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the co-pilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, ”Take your time.”
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, “Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.”
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.
When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.
They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA.
“Yes”, she said.
“Is there an escort?” I asked.
“Yes, I already assigned him a seat.”
“Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said.
A short while later a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.
“My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,” he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no other words.
I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.
We completed our pre-flight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. “I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board,” she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. “I'm on it”, I said. I told her that I would get back to her.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:
“Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.”
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'
Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.
“There is a team in place to meet the aircraft,” we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the co-pilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, ”Take your time.”
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, “Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.”
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.
When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.
They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Aromas Day.........by Joyce Oroz
Aromas Day 2012
Aromas Day is
coming soon, Sunday, August 26th and the ’kick-off’ is a country-style pancake
breakfast and auction at the grange, 7:00 to 11:00. The street fair runs from
9:00 to 4:00 and the parade starts at 2:00.
If you think all
street fairs are the same, like the bazillion I’ve been to, let me tell you
about the Aromas Day celebration I attended last year. I arrived with a ho-hum
attitude, parked in the designated lot and rode the free horse-drawn wagon into
town. I felt like I was in an old western movie as the Giant Draft horses
plodded up the street, wearing horseshoes the size of dinner plates.
As I stepped
down from the wagon I was surrounded by music, food, games, booths, original
art and so much more. By the end of the day I had a new appreciation for small
town hospitality, ingenuity and festivity. To put it bluntly, I had more fun
than ants at a picnic.
This year I plan
to march in the parade and then hang out at the main stage where live bands
entertain all day. I’ll indulge in my favorite fair-foods and buy an Aromas
souvenir t-shirt.
If you’re like
me, and love original artwork, don’t miss the AHA exhibits surrounding the park
in the center of town. It’s not the same old, same old, and the prices are great.
Meet the artists from the AROMAS HILLS ARTISANS, (AHA’s) and lose yourself in
their beautiful creations.
As you stroll
through the recently renovated park, the various artists will be happy to
discuss their medias and methods with you. Be on the look-out for hand pulled
prints, fabulous stained glass, oil paintings, ceramics, and photography. Or
maybe you are interested in weaving, hand made jewelry, inlaid wooden boxes,
gourds and wreaths.
Children and the ‘young at heart’ will
enjoy the petting zoo featuring farm animals such as chickens, ducks, little
goats and bunnies. And, of course, there will be pony rides.
Older children
will want to tackle the Climbing Wall, the Dunk Tank and the Parade or just
ride the free buckboard all over town. There will be enough hot dogs, cupcakes
and snow cones to feed an army, not to mention BBQ from the two grocery stores.
4-H Youth will be selling popcorn, homemade jams, plants and planters.
One of the things that impressed me at last
year’s festival was the display of Classic Cars and Tractors, real
eye-candy.
If you really want to be impressed, stop in at the Dragonfly Gallery. The new dragonfly t-shirts will be for sale in many colors and sizes. There are so many new things to see, original paintings, stained glass, photography, cards, books, jewelry and so much more!
Don’t forget to
visit the Aromas Library and check out the new mural created by AHA artists.
Believe me when I say, Aromas Day is a free,
family-friendly get-together you won’t want to miss. See you there!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.........by Joyce Oroz
Because
I am one-fourth Irish, I will pass on to you an old Irish prayer.
“May you live as long as you want and may you never want for anything.”
I wonder where the Irish find such wisdom? And where does all that singing and dancing come from? Must be from the “pixies.”
My husband and I attended an Irish wedding yesterday. Today I’m still on a kelly-green cloud, floating over the hills of Aptos, remembering the beautiful people, music and food, not to mention a spectacular view of the ocean. Great-grandfather Kinnicutt would have approved!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Finished at last!.......by Joyce Oroz
Our
"ladies of the mural” crossed the library finish line last Saturday, in
style—that is if you think baggy clothes smeared with paint is a cool fashion
statement. After ten weeks, the clothes have become stiffer with
layers of dribbled paint. Actually, the big shirts are more colorful than the
mural. But the mural has more going on—like storybook characters riding in the
clouds and children reading under an apricot tree near the river.
You may be wondering how this whole mural thing started. Linda Bjornson was approached by Hillary( Aromas' Librarian) who wondered if the Artisans could paint a mural at the Library. Than again, It may be that the mural idea originated with the Friends of the library. The Friends had parts of the building repainted to create a fresh surface for the mural. AHA put in a request to "Community Foundation of Monterey County" for a grant about that time and requested seed money to get started on the mural. We received financial assistance for community members as well. A big "Thanks" to the Library Mural Project supporters. Hillary helped Linda and Joyce select stories to be included in the clouds of the mural. Linda requested permission to use these stories from their publishers and was thrilled to receive permission. Several artists from Aromas Hills Artisans (Joyce, Linda, Sandra, Kathy, Nancy, Heather, Evelyn, Julia, John and Terry) worked for the last two months to complete our dream of making the Aromas Library a more inviting and colorful place.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Savory Salmon Cakes.........by Joyce Oroz
Savory
Salmon Cakes—gluten free, or not
Wisk lightly two eggs in medium size bowl
Add: 3T parsley
2T
chopped onion
Pinch
of pepper
1t dry
mustard
4T
mayonnaise
2T
cream cheese
1t hot
sauce—or not
Bread crumbs
from two pieces of bread—gluten free or not
One 6
ounce can of salmon
Mix
well and shape into eight palm-sized patties
Heat
3T coconut or grape seed oil in no-stick fry pan on medium heat
Drop
patties into oil, brown on both sides. About 5 minutes total.
Drain
and shake a little sea salt on them. Yum!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Artist, Heather Cozette.....by Joyce Oroz
Heather
Cozette is a one-of-a-kind artist--bursting with creativity, unconventional
ideas, not to mention the talent and energy to complete her projects flawlessly.
She has a history of independent thinking and doing, success in several careers
and much time and effort focused on helping others. She is a great friend
and help to the Aromas Hills Artisans. Here she is, answering my questions.
Joyce:
Heather, I have seen some of your
fabulous hand painted gourds, stitched items, paintings and sculptures. What
set you off on a creative path, and when?
Heather: I love working with all media types. Lately
I’ve been working with encaustic waxes, cheese cloth and balloons. Wax is a fun
medium with interesting results.
Joyce: Where do you live and how has that influenced your work?
Friday, August 10, 2012
Mural update #10..........by Joyce oroz
The
best library in Aromas—the only library in Aromas—we are so lucky to have a
library in Aromas, has an almost completed mural on its outside walls. The
finish line is in sight and the painters will make one last sprint tomorrow, Saturday,
August 11. You are welcome to be there to cheer them on—or join the fun and
paint something!!
I worked
at the wetlands mural Wednesday. The usual hurricane-winds were wimpy little
breezes and the warm sun felt good. We even got some painting done. Mercedes
painted a fabulous Kingfisher on a post and Katianna created a wonderful
sandpiper. Kathy expertly painted wherever paint was needed—like the energizer
bunny, she just keeps working.
“Curiosity,”
the rover on Mars, has us bursting our buttons with pride, even as our country’s
amazing athletes are bringing home the gold, silver and bronze. We have so much
to be proud of, like our teenage painters, Mercedes, Katianna and Sergio–so
much to be thankful for.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Dragonfly Gallery about to celebrate it's first year........by Joyce Oroz
What
do Jerry Harness, Kay Walters, Susan Ramirez, Jovita Hilliker, Louise Coombes,
Barb Scoles, Steve Snyder and Sandra Braga have in common with Linda Bjornson,
David Coombes, Sally Diggory, Shirley Sedgwick, Christine West, Carol Hughes,
David Smith, Joe Yedlicka and Darlene Boyd—they all have their handmade art for
sale at the Dragonfly Gallery.
AHA
members are not the only ones using the gallery—civilians are using it too.
Ordinary citizens are creating extraordinary art and showing it at the
Dragonfly Gallery…..the gallery that is about to celebrate it’s first birthday!
The Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00
I mind the store on Fridays--see you there!
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