Enchanted Grove

On a perfect day, while strolling through a shaded oak grove, you come upon a beautiful, young princess playing a harp.

Be careful. She could be dangerous. There is such a thing as faerie.

If it weren't for the small camera crew and the microphone stand, I might have thought the grove was enchanted. Instead, we chatted briefly with harpist Charissa Barger, and she granted me this lovely photo. Then we moved on, so they could shoot their video.

Do check her website. She plays weddings, concerts for children, etc., and she was every bit as pleasant as she looks. Thank you, Charissa.

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I don't want to forget to mention that as of this writing there are 6 days, 6 hours, 55 minutes and maybe even some seconds left to go in my Camelot & Vine Goodreads Giveaway. Click on the ad on the upper right of your screen and you'll be there! 54 minutes, 53, 52, 51...

Zen Monday #243

Hello, hallowed Zen Monday!

Please express your thoughts (about the picture, about Monday, or about any subject of your choosing) in the comments section.

Proportion

We've been talking about proportions, percentages, possibilities.

Like, pixels is size, yet proportion is something else. I wish, when I was young, math skills in girls had been encouraged.

Like, if my 7-year-old neighbor wants to be an astronaut, what are her chances of becoming one? What are her chances of living to be 100?

Like, what size jeans will I have to buy next year if I don't get my butt in gear this year?

Speaking of bridges, which we obviously were, because you have to understand proportions to build one, the Pasadena blogging community is invited to participate actively in Pasadena's 127th birthday celebration at the Pasadena Museum of History on June 22nd. This year's theme is Happy Birthday Pasadena - Celebrating Bridges. Part of the reason for that is this year is the 100th anniversary of the Colorado Street Bridge, and the bridge won't be getting its own party.

Here's what Jeannette Bovard, PMH Media Consultant, says in her invitation to bloggers:

We would like to invite the Pasadena blogging community to be a part of this event as featured participants in the "Bridges to Community" section. You are our eyes and ears; you share Pasadena-related thoughts, images, inspirations, and news from unique perspectives. We'd love the chance to introduce you in person and give you a chance to chat one-on-one with members of the community.

Happy Birthday Pasadena will take place from 1:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, June 22, on the campus of Pasadena Museum of History.  We’d like to schedule you for 1-hour shifts during the afternoon.  The birthday cake ceremony will occupy most of the attendees during the 3:00 hour, so there will be three shifts available, at 1:00, 2:00 & 4:00.  The activities are outdoors, however we will have you shaded, with tables and chairs and we are checking wi-fi availability in the location we plan for the Community Pod. 

To sign up to participate, contact Jeannette Bovard
at pasadenahistory@sbcglobal.net, 626-710-8639

or

Ardis Wilwerth at awillwerth@pasadenahistory.org, 
626-577-1660, ext. 15

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Like, if 300 people enter my Goodreads Giveaway and I'm giving away 20 copies, what are the odds of winning a free book? What are the odds 500 people will sign up and how does that change the odds of winning?

Zen Monday #242

Around here, when Zen Monday arrives, we open our minds and let our imaginations tell us what the hell the picture's about. We don't have to agree. It's not a bad way to start the week.

Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Litfest Pasadena, 2013

Litfest Pasadena 2013 happened yesterday, May 11th, and a good time was had by all. Such a good time, in fact, that I'm too tired to write much today. But I deserve a day off after Litfest!

 Setting up

The crowds loved it

 My partners in fun, Kat Ward and Des Zamorano

My husband John Sandel brought things I forgot and stayed to help for a while.

This was my first book fair/festival with Camelot & Vine. I loved it. Can't wait for the next one!

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This is a repost from PetreaBurchard.com/blog.

My Share

 

Some of the kids on my block are at the age when they're learning to share. This is a hurdle they don’t want to leap.

"That's mine!" yells Justin, when his sister takes off down the sidewalk on his wiggle car. He wasn’t using it, but that's not the point.

"You have to share, Justin," says one of the older girls. I think she's nine. Justin is five. He knows he's supposed to share. He has plenty of toys. He's grasped the concept, but the execution is not easy. 

Growing up in Dust Bowl Kansas, my father learned this one the hard way. He told the story of the only family hairbrush: each year, one of his five brothers and three sisters would receive the hairbrush for Christmas. That kid had to share the hairbrush with the rest of the family, but for a whole year, he owned it.

My dad liked to pull your leg. He might have made that up. They were poor, though, and he wanted us to know better times than his.

One year at Christmas time, when I was very young, he spent every evening in the basement. My siblings and I weren’t allowed down there because he was working on a surprise. Christmas morning, we each received our own set of blocks. Our father had shaped different pieces of wood and painted them. Blue, aqua, yellow and red. He’d made four sets, one for each of us.

One year, it was little chairs. They came from Mexico, but he didn’t go there to get them. He painted our names on the backs. The yellow chair was mine. There was no way my siblings could mistake it for their chair. If they wanted to use it, they had to ask me. But they didn’t need to, because they had their own. My name has almost rubbed off now, but the chair is still mine.

The last year our father made our Christmas toys was the year of the stick horses. With a jigsaw, he cut four, horse-shaped heads out of wood. He bolted each one to a stick long enough to be the right size for its owner. He painted each head blue, aqua, yellow or red. We were old enough by then, so he left the faces up to us.

Mine was the aqua horse. I gave it a little smile, pretty eyes, and a silver mane. It’s girly. I rode and rode and rode that horse. I had no interest in riding my siblings’ horses.

I believe that was my father's point. 

We had other toys, and those were free game. But my father's way of teaching us to share was to make sure we each had something of our own.

Zen Monday #241

Zen Monday continues! I've missed you!

Goodreads Giveaway

I didn't plan to post again before Monday, but I can't leave you out of this until then, and honestly, it wouldn't be appropriate to mention it then because Zen Monday doesn't have anything to do with books unless it's about books, as you well know.

I'm having a Goodreads Giveaway of Camelot & Vine through the month of May. Just go to the link, scroll down to the button that says "Enter to Win," and sign up. If you're not a Goodreads member you might have to join, but it's easy and it's free. (US and Canada only, sorry. Did you know it costs something like $45 to mail a book to the UK or OZ?)

Friend me while you're there, okay?

Thoughts on what's on Boz's mind? Just because it's not Zen Monday doesn't mean you can't jot them down in the comments.

Living Vicurioiusly

Photo by John Sandel. It's not his fault I decided to use it as a cliche.

First, thank you. Really, that's the first thing.

I've been blogging at Pasadena Daily Photo since January 1, 2008. Although it's been a rewarding education in networking, writing, photography and friendship, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone as a fast track to sanity. But it suited me and I've loved it and it's time to let it go. 

I'll still blog. There's a blog at my website, where I post writing and bookish things. I'll blog here, too, but not every day. For now, it'll be Zen Mondays, and when the mood strikes.

Obviously I had to change the blog's name, and I hope you like the new one. At this point you don't have to change anything in your feed because I still have the pasadenadailyphoto url. But if you bookmark LivingVicuriously.net, you'll be directed here.

This is a big change for me. In some ways it's a break-up, and in some ways it's a relief. But mostly I'm grateful: to the City Daily Photo family, of which I've been a member all this time; to Eric Tenin, whose Paris Daily Photo inspired me and all of CDP to begin, to the wonderful people I've met and blogged about, to Pasadena itself, and to you. Mostly to you.

Zen Monday #240

Please add any soothsaying, scrying, or critique in the comments.
Zen Monday continues next week.

My Muses

I have two muses: Hahamongna Watershed Park, and Boz.

For me and John, Hahamongna is a higher place above our petty concerns, a trail that absorbs tension and makes it disappear, and a connection to nature. For Boz, it's joy, abandon, and direct contact with his wolf-self. Kind of the same thing.

Some of you may remember when bloggers, activists and naturalists had to defend Hahamongna from development. It looks like we might be clear for now, but our eyes remain open. The watershed, especially as water becomes more scarce, is a precious resource.

Boz is precious, too. John and I walk him at his pace, which is slower than it used to be. We might see him running in the watershed's spring runoff next year, but honestly, it's not likely. As I write, he snores on his bed at my feet. I'm enjoying all his noises, his sighs, his smells. He's my little love. How funny it is to have an old baby!

Though I rarely post pictures of him, my husband, John Sandel, is also a muse. I'm blessed because many of his own photographs have appeared here, and because he is nothing but supportive of whatever I do. Except ride a bike. He really doesn't want me riding a bike.

What a blessing to have such a blast and so much love and such happiness. I would rather not be sappy but it's not easy.

Bookmarks: Ludlum I'm Not

I approach the drop.

I steal a glimpse over my shoulder to make sure I'm not being followed by anyone except my camera crew.

"Little...free...liberry...dot..............org! This is the place."

I write an encoded note so my contact will know this is the right book. Or maybe I sign it.

You know, this Little Free Library's got a pretty good collection.

(all photos by John Sandel)

No need to be sneaky. Leave a book, take a book. It's free. This LFL is at 1614 Las Lunas Street, Pasadena.

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As the end of my daily posting looms I'm excited to have free time, but I don't want too much. I'd love to visit your book club and talk about Camelot & Vine, for example. Or if you're involved with anime cons, invite me! I'd love to come.

I keep a calendar on the main page of my website, so if I'm not here you can always check there.
Next up: tomorrow, Sunday April 28th, 2pm at Barnes and Noble in Old Town Pasadena, a group signing of Literary Pasadena: The Fiction Edition.
The following Sunday, May 5th, I'll be signing and selling books to benefit the Bloom Again Foundation at Lunafest, at Descanso Gardens. It starts at 12:30pm. Click the link to buy your tickets in advance.
Then Litfest! May 11, all day, at Central Park in Pasadena. Look for the Boz Books booth.

More on my website. I hope to see you at one or all of these events.

Sarah Emery Bunn at The Womens Room

Clients and volunteers gather at The Women's Room, where Sarah Emery Bunn donates massages.

When I heard about Sarah Emery Bunn, I immediately wanted to post about her. She and I have been trying to coordinate our schedules for a while, and I'm glad we got this one in under the (daily blogging) wire.

When Sarah's job at Caltech was downsized and she had some time on her hands, she decided to study massage therapy. With her certificate in hand but no pressing need to make money (her husband's a Caltech physicist), she embarked on a mission to give massages to those who need them most, especially those who can't afford them.

Sarah won't take just any client. At BlissMission, you have to be in great need or at risk. Sarah has given free massages for Union Station (at the old YMCA building across from City Hall), the Pasadena City College Veterans Group, senior citizens and, pictured here, The Women's Room.

I looked all over Sarah's website for a place to donate money. Maybe you can find it, but I don't think it's there. I guess if Sarah were paid, massage wouldn't be the donation she wants it to be. Maybe it wouldn't even be a mission.

At the Women's Room, director Jackie Knowles told me donations of shampoo, creme rinse and body wash tend to show up regularly, but what the clients really need is underwear. Next time I pick up a package of panties at Target, I'll grab an extra package for the Women's Room. Here are some other ways to help.

Homeless and at-risk women gather at the Women's Room to do laundry, grab a shower, and check the latest job listings. They also certainly come to enjoy the camaraderie of the group. If that weren't enough of a draw, once a month there's Sarah Emery Bunn. I went with her yesterday and watched her work. The sense I got was not that she felt she was doing any favors. More, it seemed she was serving her clients. And, like her clients, that blisses her out. Bliss, after all, is her mission.

Commute, Hollywood

Winding Down

Folks, I am winding down here. This is my final week of daily blogging. 

Ah, WEEP! It's horrible! How will we bear it?

Together. We will bear this tragedy together.

I'm not exactly quitting. Beginning in May, Pasadena Daily Photo will be more occasional than daily. Of course I'll have to call it something else or the City Daily Photo police will come and get me. I'll keep Zen Monday. My booky stuff will go on my website's blog, where until now I've been reposting my Saturday Bookmarks posts.

I'm not sure what other changes there'll be, I just know there's been some entropy around my place, both in work and in play, and something's got to loosen up. As of April 30th, I will have been posting daily for five years and five four months, and that's a little insane, even for me.

No celebration, though, nothing special, because I'm not going away. 

Change is predictable, They say. Of course, They never blogged daily for nearly five and a half years straight.

Cherry on Top

a bench on the Caltech campus

April 23 is a day for books. It's World Book and Copyright Day, World Book Day, and World Book Night, not to mention National Cherry Cheesecake Day. For god's sakes, if you're going to cook, use a cookbook. Or at least read something during dessert.

Zen Monday #239

There is a moment of glee for me when I spy something and think, "Zen Monday photo!" It's like coming up with a good tweet.

If and when you come up with something to say about this photo, please add it to the comments.

Left Coast Literary

I love this photo of Pamela Tartaglio. I took it yesterday at the Los Angeles Times Festival of books. I don't usually think of myself as much of a portrait photographer. It helps when you have a good model.

Pam is the 2013 Past President of Women Writing the West, and the current Chair of Women Writing the West’s WILLA Literary Awards. She's writing a novel set in 1894 in Cripple Creek, Colorado, sometimes called the world’s greatest gold camp. She also blogs at Past and Present With Pamela, and she's a docent at the Pasadena Museum of History where, ahem, Camelot & Vine is stocked in the gift store.

To get to the Festival, Margaret Finnegan (you should click that link) and I took the Metro Gold Line to Union station, where we actually found the free bus that took us to the USC Campus. Our goal was to have fun, find new and different books, meet authors, and (thrills!) sign more copies of Literary Pasadena: The Fiction Edition, at the Prospect Park Books booth.

The big six publishers: Simon & Schuster, Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Penguin Group were not at the Festival, unless you want to count the fact that Penguin owns Author Solutions and Author Solutions had about 20 booths. I kid you not. Google them to find out why this could be, maybe, not great. I don't know why the big six didn't come. Maybe the west coast is not their thing.

You can get your signed copies of Literary Pasadena today at the Festival any time, and/or meet some of the authors between 12pm and 1pm. There are a lot of authors in this book! Probably someone you know. The Prospect Park booth (#63) isn't big enough for all of us, so I got my shot Saturday and I won't be there today because I am pooped!

Bookmarks: Bank of America and Jeezus

Don't mess with Liz Raci.

When Liz and her family bought their home during the last housing bubble, they got a 5-year fixed, 25-year adjustable rate loan. Their plan was to refinance before the end of those first five years.

(We're entering a new bubble. Don't do this.)

At the time, many people did the same, and what happened to Liz happened to a lot of those people: due to its own error, Bank of America raised the adjustable rate so Liz's monthly payment was three times higher than in the original agreement. Liz knew this was wrong, so she took on the bank.

That, and she didn't tell her family their home was in jeopardy. That's a lot of pressure. Don't do this either.

In the book, Liz leads us through her confrontations with Bank of America as well as Jesus, where she learns things about herself, good and bad, that she never expected to know.

Here are a few things we learn:

When you know you're right, don't give up. Be a nice, sweet, constant pain in the ass.

Take notes. Keep names, dates and phone numbers.

Whatever your faith, there will be times it fails you. Let it fail. Be brave. Demand answers from your god.

Liz tells her story in a clear and funny voice. I helped a little with copy editing. Liz knows how to tell a story, but she knows her limitations. In the acknowledgements she thanks "Petrea Burchard, without whom this book would have no punctuation."

I asked Liz if she wanted to say anything in this post. She sent me two of her favorite quotes from the feedback she's received:

"I too am in loan modification and was going to just walk away, it has been so long and hard. And I thank you, now I am going to fight and stay in my home."

"A friend recommended your book and I do not have any loan issues but it made me feel courageous and gave me a fighting spirit, yes, never give up."

Bank of America and Jeezus is, on the surface, about finding faith. But really it's about three years of incredible persistence and personal power, bolstered at times by faith and at times by humor, and mostly by monumental stubbornness for which BofA was no match.

The ebook is available here.

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Notes on other booky stuff:

Today at noon:
Among others, Margaret Finnegan and I will be signing Literary Pasadena: The Fiction Edition at the Prospect Park Books booth (#63) at the LA Times Festival of books. Click on the link to Margaret to win a free copy of Camelot & Vine.

Abbey San Encino

We're in Highland Park, a not-fancy part of the LA sprawl. The Abbey San Encino, which is not an abbey but a private home, hides quietly behind a chain-link fence as though it has taken a vow of silence.

The fence is necessary. The house is too famous to let people approach just any old time and, say, leave a flyer on the porch. It's where singer-songwriter Jackson Browne and his singer-songwriter brother, Severin Browne, grew up. Their grandfather, Clyde Browne, built the house. He, too, was well-known in his day as a printer and typographer. Floyd Bariscale wrote the definitive article over at Big Orange Landmarks.

The house is available for photo and film shoots. Jackson Browne even posed in the courtyard for the cover of his album For Everyman (ironic, as this is not an Everyman sort of house).

My favorite thing about this house that I found online: looky.

Update, 1pm: This house is not usually open to the public, but it so happens that there's a tour THIS Sunday, 4/21/13. Thanks to Pasadena Adjacent for the link.


P.S. If you want to win a free copy of Camelot & Vine, Margaret is playing Pass the Book.