Life Without Email.....by Joyce Oroz

Spammed but good and there's nothing good about it! I think my computer stuffed it's self with imitation pink meat, tried to kick back from the table and fell on the floor in a puddle of grease. I know, Greece has it's own problems.

Everyone tells me to simply change my password. Sounds easy--right?
Friends and family give up on me so I finally call the Att number for real live computer experts. A pleasant-sounding woman answers. She sounds smart, but not smart enough to unspam my computer. As the hours tick by, I can almost see her pulling clumps of hair out of her head as hot tears stream down her withered cheeks. And my mood is going further south by the minute.

Another day goes by without email. I begin to wonder if the world is still spinning. Will I have to connect with my friends by telephone? 

I conclude that life without emails is completely unsustainable and intollerably burdensome. What in the world did I do for entertainment a few years ago--before email? Maybe I'll look for a good book.

music you love to hear is here...............

 

 

 

Chris Webster and Nina Gerber will once again grace the stage of the Aromas Community Grange on Saturday, January 26^th. These two women, each extremely talented in her own right, weave a powerful spell when they play together. Chris Webster’s career began nearly two decades ago when she was a teen-aged lead singer for Mumbo Gumbo. She went on to four highly popular solo releases (Drive, Now Playing, Something in the Water, My Name is Christine) and one amazing traditional Bluegrass/Americana recording (The Webster's 10,000 Miles) with her sister Cassie and renowned guitarist Scott Nygaard. With astonishing power and passion, her voice reaches magical heights, yet effortlessly turns on a dime to deliver gut wrenching torch songs and gentle ballads. Webster has a purity and beauty about her that is seldom seen and never forgotten. She can cut to the bone with tender songs of love-gone-wrong then slap you upside the head with a fistful of lyrics and a take-charge melody that makes you step aside, stand back, and listen.

 Nina Gerber’s first album as a leader, 'Not Before Noon' follows two decades which brought her to prominence without ever placing her name on the front of an album cover. Nina has performed and/or recorded with: Kate Wolf, Karla Bonoff, Peter Rowan, Eliza Gilkyson, Nanci Griffith, Greg Brown, Lucy Kaplansky, MollieO'Brien, Rosalie Sorrels, Laurie Lewis, and many others. She has a unique ability to completely free herself within an eclectic range of styles. Presented with folk, country, bluegrass, rock, or blues, she is able to fall into leads which have rare reverence for the true feeling of a song, always emphasizing taste over technical display. "Nina's guitar style is wide and brave…she uses each of her guitars as if it's the one she was born to play. Acoustic or electric, she sounds beautiful, smoky, precise, full of the licks you love to hear.”

Nina continues to prove with her guitar that some of the truest and most emotional communication requires no words. Chris uses her powerful, sweet, sultry voice as her primary instrument. The combination of the two is unforgettable.

Kathryn's Gift.........by Joyce Oroz

                              Kathryn Aguras, business with a smile

She runs a tight ship in a warm and welcome way, our realtor and gallery lady of Aromas, Kathryn Aguras. She has worked in high finance and top of the heap city jobs, but looks happiest hear in Aromas working her real estate office, brokering and managing rentals and the Dragonfly Gallery. A zillion balls in the air and she makes it look easy.

Anyone who has ever read my blog knows how I feel about the Dragonfly.
Not many tiny towns are blessed with their own gallery and more murals per capita than the Vatican. And it's only going to get better. The surprises keep coming. With Kathryn in charge, things will only move forward.

Volunteers already work at the gallery Thursdays and Fridays. However, fresh blood is needed for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. If you feel you can donate your time once or twice a month, or three hours a week--whatever you can do will help to keep the doors open. You will meet interesting people and if it's a slow day you can enjoy some quiet reading time.
For those who work and cannot donate their time, how about a shopping trip? There is something for everyone. Need a quick birthday gift or card?
The gallery has a huge selection of original cards for every occasion.
The gift ideas are endless--jewelry, paintings, carvings, quilts, photos, antiques, tee-shirts, hand-knitted items, fused glass, stained glass, wooden boxes, toys, furniture, placematts, books and so much more.

Artist of the Month, Jerry Harness has many paintings on display this month. Be sure to drop by and take a look.

Thank you, Kathryn for your gift to the people of Aromas!

How's your resolution working?.....by Joyce Oroz

When pigs fly and horses play hide-and-seek … I will organize my stuff, finish my book, give up chocolate and donate blood. Would pigs and horses make such a deal? Do I really want to organize, write, give up nature’s yummiest food and donate my blood?

                            Solow rethinking his resolution for 2013

1- It’s been cold this winter and I don’t do “stuff” when it’s cold.

2- I have a disease called phyco-writersblock-phobia (fear of writing).

3- I consider Chocolate to be a top-of-the-pyramid food group (the happy group).

4- Would my blood be good enough to donate after giving up chocolate?

What I’m looking for is an easier New Years resolution. One I can keep.

Typical resolutions for 2013 are:

 

Josephine gave up speeding.

Solow gave up Fluffy chases.

David gave up cooking.

Mom gave up the Leola-gossip-grapevine.

Dad gave up bowling.

Aunt Clara gave up junk food.

Kyle gave up tattoos.

 

No wonder I can’t finish my book!

Did You See a Bunny?............by Joyce Oroz

You might be asking yourself, "Why is Solow wearing bunny ears in January?" As an alert reader, you know the manly canine is aware of his huge following and is a style concious trend-setter. You might think the ears are a clever diguise as Solow leads Josephine to the bad guys. Maybe the ears are a leftover from a wild bunny party the night before.
Actually, I have the scooper--I mean the scoop. Solow's real ears were cold like everyone else's because the temperature dipped into the range of exactly twenty degrees this morning. He ran outside at bassett-speed before the sun was fully up--before the ice on the deck melted, and slipped onto his posterior. Maybe he put bunny ears on to cover his dignity. Who knows, but they do look warm.
Anyone have an extra pair of bunny ears?

Deer Ticks.........Ann Breemer

Dear readers,

Today I am passing on some information I stole from my neighbor, Ann Breemer, but I'm sure she would want you to know. When she says, "Deer Ticks," she is not politely addressing your poor old nervous muscle spasms. She is simply nervous because there are ticks in the grass and bushes,

hungry and looking for fresh blood, and most of them carry Lymes disease.

 

Deer Ticks

Hi neighbors, it is cold and wet, right? But deer ticks are still alive and hopping even in the nymph stage. I was "ticked" last Friday, a raw day. Contrary to rumors, nymphs are able to ... View more transmit Lyme's disease, and surprisingly live in the nymph stage on lizards. These little critters are so tiny one rarely sees them and doesn't feel them crawling on the body like a dog tick. Easiest way to find it is in the shower. After working in brushy areas of gardens, run your hands over your body with soap, feeling for tiny new protruberences where they weren't before. If ticked (by a deer tick,) only 3 or more weeks of Doxycycline protects the victim. Another bit of news, 1 in 4 deer ticks used to carry Lymes, today they say 75% carry it. I have numerous clients being treated and they have been told it is endemic and a quiet epidemic.

That isn't the happiest New Year News, so I do wish you all a happy new

year and will try to share lighter things things next time. Ann Breemer 

 

Thank you, Ann 

Check out this mystery......by Joyce Oroz

If you haven't read "Read My Lipstick" yet ... what are you waiting for? Here is a small sample that doesn't give anything away, such as who done it.

 

 

“Did I tell you, Steve’s friend has volunteered to take us up in

his helicopter tomorrow so we can drop the fliers all over Salinas—

like green rain. He usually sprays the crops, but city hall will be

much more fun,” she giggled. “And we plan to put green food coloring

in the fountain.”

 

I tried not to roll my eyes.

“Anyone know the weather report for Thursday?” I asked.

Sarah jerked her head up with a mouth full of beans. She swallowed.

“If it rains we might have to change our plans,” she said, looking

at Steve for advice. Steve didn’t look up because he was in a

huddle with three student-types standing behind his chair. Near

the huddle, a young woman with jet-black hair and a snow-white

face announced she needed to leave. She had to hitchhike back to

her job in Santa Cruz. She said goodbye to Kyle and took off with

a backpack slung over her shoulder.

Finally our food arrived via a ten-year-old girl. Probably a

family member hired two minutes after the crowd arrived. Kyle

ate all of his combination special plus a donated chicken taco from

my plate. Alicia ate her enchiladas slowly as she conversed with a

young couple sitting across the table.

“I think it’s wonderful that you would take the time to picket

against something you feel is wrong,” Alicia said.

“Yeah, well, we know Steve. If he says go, we like, go,” the

young man said.

“I, like, go where Dillon goes,” his friend smiled and took another

bite from her end of the burrito they were sharing. All of a

sudden I felt a hundred years old. Alicia was hip. Sarah and Steve

were close to my age, but they were still able to relate to the modern

youth. I was lost. If I had been a mom and raised teenagers,

maybe I would have been able to understand the younger generation.

“Josephine,” Sarah shouted, trying to get my attention. “I

talked to David today. I tried to get him on the team, you know,

marching. He doesn’t want anything to do with it. I wondered if

you could try.”

“If David said he won’t march, there’s nothing I can do about

it,” I said, smiling a secret smile. Sarah would never understand

David, but that was fine with me.

My painters had finished eating, so I paid the bill and suggested

we go back to work.

“See you tonight, Sarah.” We pushed our way through the

crowd, out the front entrance and over to Alicia’s car.

Back at the Therapy Center, one could hear a pin drop in the

mammoth interior. No sawing, no scraping, no hammering. I

scratched my head. Being of sound mind and a curious nature, I

strolled down the hall, well beyond the mural, to the unfinished

construction area. I heard Hans’ voice coming from one of the unfinished

examining rooms, so naturally, I stopped and listened

from the hallway.

 

Student Art Contest..........by Darlene Boyd

 

Today I am passing on a message from Darlene Boyd, artist in many mediums and writter for the San Juan Star--oh, yes, teacher and sculptor. She has exciting news for art students.

 

 

Dear Art Coordinators, Teachers, Students and Interested Persons,

Attached is the information for the 2013 Student Art Talent Contest, for students in grades 9 to 12. This contest is sponsored by the Native Daughters of the Golden West. This is being sent out early to give the students ample time to create an exceptional work for this exhibit. There are cash awards available, plus the first place winner has a second chance to win another award at our Grand Parlor in June. The deadline is April 19. Please read the prospectus for further details. If there are any questions, please feel free to contact me. We look forward to seeing many wonderful works of art again this year.

Gratefully,

Darlene Boyd
Artist/Writer/Educator
www.darleneboyd.com
831-801-2518 FAX: 408-624-9007

Student Art Talent Contest 2013

Native Daughters of the Golden West - San Juan Bautista Parlor, No. 179 1

Two Dimensional Fine Art Prospectus
Purpose:
To encourage the creativity of our Youth and the interest in the landmarks, history and natural wonders of the State of California. The contest is open to all students in grades 9 through 12 in any school in California. Enrollment in an art class is not required.
Subjects:
An original depiction of California native plants and/or wild life, or an event or people that are part of California history or a California landmark are acceptable. The subject may be anywhere in California. All artworks must have been created by the student within two years prior to the contest deadline.

The artwork must be accompanied by an entry form that includes a brief description of the subject and the reason it is a significant historical landmark or historical event or period in California history.

Limit is ONE entry per student.

Type of mediums that may be used:

Acrylic, oil pastel, water color

charcoal, pencil, collage mixed media Size requirements
of entry, before framing or matting: Minimum Image size = 8 x 10 inches Maximum framed size = 36 inches by 36 inches
Preparation for exhibit:All images need one completed copy of the entry form
attached to the back. (3 copies for entry.)

All art works must be READY TO HANG, NO EXCEPTIONS!!! This means properly matted with a supportive backing and hanging device and/or framed and wired. If glass is needed, you must use PLEXI-GLASS or clear acrylic, not real glass.

Acrylic and oil paintings do not need to be framed, unless there are staples showing, but do show to better advantage if they are framed. If unframed, edges must be painted and presentable. They must also be wired for hanging.

Artworks not representing the good spirit of the contest, as determined by the Committee and the juror, will not be accepted.