Historian Alexandra K Vicknair on Mineral King-Master’s Thesis: “Mindsets, Motivations, Mickey Mouse, and the Mountains: The Social, Political, and Intellectual Foundations of the Mineral King Controversy, 1965-1978.”

Now a PhD candidate at Arizona State University continuing her focus on history of the American West, Alexandra K Vicknair got her MA in 2013 from CSUS. 

Vicknair's Masters Thesis was on Mineral King and the controversy with Walt Disney 
over proposed recreational use there.


Vicknair's thesis “ Mindsets, Motivations, Mickey Mouse, and the Mountains: The Social, Political, and Intellectual Foundations of the Mineral King Controversy, 1965-1978. It can be found here-
http://scholarworks.csustan.edu/bitstream/handle/011235813/265/VicknairA.spring2013thesis.pdf?sequence=1

Artist Sargam Griffin Helping Transform Stairways Empowered Living Facility in Chico, California

Artist Sargam Griffin Helping Transform Stairways Empowered Living Facility

Founder, Executive Director Mike Little announces makeover of his site by California painter and design
 

This summer, with temperatures hovering at 100 degrees in Chico, California, well-known artist Sargam Griffin was looking at paint samples and getting her hands dirty. This time, however, instead of preparing to create one of the lyrical abstract paintings she is so famous for, she was readying to commence her newest endeavor: a design vision for Stairways Empowered Living, owned and operated by Founder, Executive Director Mike Little. 

Griffin had agreed to become a consultant to Little’s company a few months earlier and would focus on a new ‘look’ for the site working in tandem with Little and the residents. “We couldn't believe our good fortune that Sargam Griffin agreed to help us. The residents here were overjoyed to find out that the place they called 'home' was going to undergo a makeover," stated Mike Little.

Little had been introduced to the art and design of Sonoma County-based artist Sargam Griffin when Sargam suggested to Little that she would like to make few design improvements to his cooperative living facility in Chico, working as a consultant. Little approved and soon Sargam Griffin started with lots of help-and input-from the residents.” I wanted my site to be pleasing to the residents, staff, and visitors. It needed some cosmetic treatment that we had not been able to do," Mike Little added.

Griffin is a well-known, internationally collected artist. She also has a very strong design and architecture background and could immediately see how to implement a few changes at Little's facility that would improve it immensely. She picked out colors for the exterior and interior of the buildings and made recommendations for materials to use for awnings, gutters. She also helped the residents with the redesign and the creation of a 40" by 60" painting.

The residents were very involved in the transformation of their facility and even created a sign in German saying "Willkommen" for the artist. Sargam, originally from Germany, was being given a big "Welcome" written in her native language. This sign touched her immensely. "This is exactly why I do work in the community. I get so much love and feelings of welcome. Art is what I can share and I was thrilled to be involved in this special project. I am very glad Mike Little found my work and agreed to have me make some improvements to his site." 

After nearly four weeks, this initial phase of the remodel was complete. Everyone-from staff to residents-were amazed how Sargam had made their facility more attractive. Mike Little agreed, "Sargam was a miracle and she accomplished a miracle. Her generosity of spirit and artistic talents really made our facility a better place. We are having her return to do more projects." Griffin also informed Little that she would like to initiate an art project with the residents in the near future. An art exhibit by Griffin is being installed in October. 

 

Little stated: "Griffin's vision meshes perfectly with that of our company-plus the residents love her. The site changes we plan on doing will take a year or so to complete, this is a real work-in-progress. We all are pleased Sargam is now part of our team.”

About Mike Little: Before launching Stairways in April 2000, Mike Little worked in Silicon Valley as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies with an emphasis on marketing and process re-engineering. Little’s partner and mentor, Bud Seith, had been the CEO of Xerox before retiring. Mike worked with him for 19 years and the most impactful lesson he learned from him was that everyone has a "Natural Genius", something they do exceptionally well without much thought. Mike Little has found that focusing on identifying, articulating, and leading residents at his facility to discover and express their "Natural Genius" by providing an environment that allows them to do so, has been the reason his residents tend to do so well.

For more information, please contact Mr. Mike Little at 530-893-4083. He is available for site tours by appointment, photo opportunities, and interviews. 

www.stairwaysempoweredliving.com

For complete bio, CV, and resume for artist Sargam Griffin, please visit her website: http://www.sargamgriffin.com/

When Gas Stations Were Fun To Go To!

Yes, those were the good, old days. And, yes, they were really, really good.
Gas stations that would do everything for you are long gone.  I miss the free coffee and a morning newspaper when you got gas.

Attendants would dote on their regular lady customers and make you feel pretty even if you were over 60 or under 10.

I will bet that we had fewer medical problems when other people helped us through life--even if it was filling our tires, checking under the hood or putting the newest gasoline into our car.

I never do any work on my car now, if I can help it, and my car shows years of neglect. The windshield wipers have never been replaced and white, weird volcanic piles are on the battery.
Oh, for those very good days. So distant, so long ago.

Through the door there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh, my friend, we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same...

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days
Oh, yes, those were the days 

The Delectable Food of the Hmongs

Food from the Hmong transports the diner to a land and traditions that seem far away and very forgotten. However, after the Hmong diaspora in the 1970s,  many families settled here n the Central Valley of California.  I discovered my local produce stand is run by a wonderful Hmong couple.

Below is a recipe or two sampled from Hmong culture. "Simple, earthy, fiery, and fresh, Hmong food is an exciting but still little-known Southeast Asian cuisine" states http://www.hmongcooking.com/home/index.php.

The Cooking from the Heart cookbook has recipes such as Nqaij Qaib Hau Xyaw Tshuaj (Chicken Soup for New Mothers) and Dib Iab Ntim Nqaij Hau Ua Kua (Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup). Give them a try.

                         



Hmong Translation-

Ua tsaug koj tuaj ntsib wb rau ntawm wb phab Web Site. Xav qhia rau koj txog wb phau ntawm yuav tawm tshiab rau tom ntej no, Cooking from the Heart-The Hmong Kitchen in America (Kev Ua Noj los ntawm lub Siab).

Nws yooj yim, laj siab, qab ntsim, thiab qab ntshiab heev. Peb Hmoob yam khoom zaub mov nws yog ib yam uas ntxim siab heev, uas muaj ntau leej thiab ntau lwm haiv neeg kuj tseem paub tsis tau txog. Wb tau ntsuam mus rau ntau lub xeev thiab khaws tau peb hmoob ntau yam zaub mov tsam li ntawm 100 yam ua peb sawv daws niaj hnub noj nyob thoob hauv Amelika. Ntau yam ua peb txhua tus kuj paub txog xws li kabyob qhwv, taub ntoo tuav qaub, mus rau ntau yam uas muaj tej yam peb tus puav kuj tseem tsis tau sim thiab saj dua, xws li nqaij qaib hau xyaw tshuaj thiab nqaij ntim dib iab hau.


 

Chicken and Bean Sprout Salad
Hauv SiabQaib thiab Kaus Taum Xav-La
Makes 6 servings

The lemon grass and basil impart a delicate flavor to the chicken. The bean sprouts add crunch, and of course, the cilantro gives this salad a good Hmong flavor!

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken breast, remove skin and fat
• 1 stock of lemon grass
• Several Thai basil leaves
• 4 cups bean sprouts
• 4 green onions
• Juice of one lime
• Salt
• MSG (optional)
• 2 quarts boiling water

Preparation
Prepare the chicken

Pull off the hard outer leaves of the lemon grass and cut away the root and the top 2 inches of the leaves. Put the lemon grass in the boiling water. You may have to tie it in a knot to get it to fit in the pot. Add the basil leaves and season to taste with salt. Add the chicken meat to the pot and allow the chicken to cook gently until cooked all the way through, about 15 minutes. Prepare and mix the saladRemove the chicken from the water and place it in a large mixing bowl. Strain the broth to remove particles and save some of it to moisten the salad. When the chicken is completely cool shred the meat with your hands. Wash the bean sprouts. Wash and chop the green onion. Chop the cilantro. Mix all together, adding salt and MSG to taste. Squeeze the juice of one lime over the mixture and a little of the reserved broth over the salad and mix again.





                       

 

Plain Rice Porridge
Mov Kua Dis Tsuag
Makes 8 servings

A warm bowl of rice porridge is good for babies and the elderly, or when someone suffers from the flu. Not just a breakfast food, it is served whenever a person feels like it, morning, noon, or evening.

Ingredients

• 1 cup hard-grained rice, like jasmine rice
• 1 quart water

Preparation

Fill a pot with 1 quart water, and add the rice to the water. Turn the heat to high. Stir often so that the rice will not stick underneath. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice until it is very soft, even mushy. Add more liquid if you like the porridge to be thin and soupy.

Translations-

Hauv Siab Oaib thiab Kaus Taum Xav-Lav(Chicken and Bean Sprout Salad)

Hauv Siab Qaib Xav-Lav yog ib yam uas tsis muaj roj, zoo noj rau txhua lub sij hawm. Ib pluag mov loj los yog thaum muaj qhua.

Khoom

• 1 lub hauv siab qaib muab tawv tshem
• 1 tug tauj qaib los yog tauj dub
• 4 cups kaus taum
• 4 tug dos (muab tshi kom mos txiav ua 2-inches)
• 3-4 tug zaub txhwb txiav ua 2-inches
• 3-4 tug zaub txwg theem liab (de nplooj xwb)
• 1 lub mav-naus (lemon or lime)
• Me ntsi ntsev
• Peev-nuas (MSG) optional
• 2 quarts dej

Npaj Hauv Siab Qaib

Muab ib lub lauj kaub rau dej rau, tos kom npau ces muab lub haub siab qaib tso rau, rau ib tug tauj dub kom tsw qab, rau me ntsi ntsev kom qab. Hau kom lub hauv siab qaib siav ces muab npog cia kom txias.

Do Li Cas

Muab 4 cups kaus-taum yaug dej kom huv thiab (drain) kom tsis txhob muaj dej tso rau ib lub tais plaj, muab lub hauv siab qaib ntsi kom tej tug me-me tso nrog rau cov kaus-taum, rau zaub txhwb, dos, thiab plooj zaub txwg theem liab, rau me-me ntsev, me-me pleev-nuas (optional), hwj txob, me-me naj-pam (fish sauce), thiab kua mav-naus (lime juice), muab do ua ke ces nog xwb.

Mov Kua Dis Tsuag(Plain Rice Porridge)

Mov kua dis yog ib yam uas peb plaj rau tej lub caij uas tsis txhuam xis neej los yog rau cov me nyuam mos uas tsis tau muaj hniav.

Khoom

• 1 cup txhuv txua yam twg los tau
• 1 quart dej

Npaj Li Cas

Nco ntsoov do kom tsis txhob khub qab lauj kaub. Thaum twj cov txhuv muag tag lawm ces muab hais rau ib lub tim, tshuab kom txias ces noj xwb.



Kua-Dee Nqaij(Rice Porridge with Meat)

Mov kua dis yog ib yam uas peb Hmoob ib tswm noj rau tej lub caij uas tsis txhuam xis neej los yog rau cov me nyuam mos uas tsis tau muaj hniav. Tej lub caij peb kuj ua kua-dis tsuag yam tsis rau dab tsi li, tej thaum peb tej tug kuj nyiam rau nqaij rau, ua kua-dis qab tsev.

Khoom

• 1 cup txhuv txua yam twg los tau
• 1 quart dej
• 1 tug tauj dub los yog tauj qaib (lemon grass)
• 1/2 hauv siab qaib los yog ib qho qaij npuas ntsiv tsuav kom mo-mo
• me-me ntsev
• me-me hwj txob

Npaj Li Cas

Muab ib lub lauj kaub rau li (1 quart) dej, rau cov txhuv rau nco ntsoov do kom tsis txhob kub qab lauj kaub. Rau ib tug tauj dub rau kom tsw qab, tos thaum cov mov muag tag lawm ces muab cov nqaij do xyaw me-me dej kom tsis txhob sib lo, muab nchuav rau hauv lub lauj kaub kua-dis, dox kom sib xyaus rau me-me ntsev thiab hwj txob rau kom qab. Thaum cov qaij siav lawm ces muab hais rau ib lub tais tim ces noj xwb.

"Cooking From the Heart: The Hmong Kitchen in America" is available through The University of Minnesota Press. Alternatively, you can purchase the book through Amazon.com.

WAREHOUSE 416- EAST BAY PRO ARTS OPEN STUDIOS

EAST BAY PRO ARTS OPEN STUDIOS

WAREHOUSE 416

416 26th Street 

Oakland Ca. 

between Telegraph and Broadway

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

JUNE 1 & 2

JUNE 8 & 9

11 am to 6 pm

FRIDAY JUNE 9

Oakland First Friday Art Murmur

6 to 9 pm

MARSHA BALIAN

      

bio:            

Marsha Balian is a mixed media artist who admits great difficulty following instructions, so by necessity is self-taught and often invents her own techniques.  Her work often incorporates found objects including what might be found on the floor of her studio.  Since invention doesn't require strict adherence to rules, her art avoids what might be literal and attempts to engage the imagination of the view.  Humor is never far behind.
 Her work has been shown throughout the Bay Area and in many parts of the country.  In 2012 she won "Best of Oakland" in "Intersection: World Culture in the East Bay, Art.com and an honorable mention in the National Collage Society Annual Exhibit 2011.

www.marshabalian.com

DIANE DUNWOODIE

bio:    

Abstract painter Diane Dunwoodie uses art as a means of growth and discovery and strives to avoid conventional rules.  She allows her right brain to flow freely onto the canvas. She uses acrylic paint because it dries quickly and allows her to create layers of color, and build textures on the surface.  She sometimes abandons the brush or pallet knife and uses her fingers to apply and blend colors.  She loves the the tactile carry over from her days of working with Abstract work is something she finds challenging because she must work without objective references, and this she feels allows her to paint more expressively using color and form.   Her newest work she calls "Observations" as they are observations and comments on life and living.  The work has a simplicity to it, is                  serene yet bursts with color and life.  She considers it a path towards a dream she will follow.

www.dianedunwoodie.com

SALLY LANDIS

bio:    

Sally Landis paints the California landscape, from the sun-bleached beaches of southern California to the mountains and peaks of the High Sierra.  Her work has been influenced by the writings of John Muir and his "Range of Light" as well as the paintings of Edgar payne and Chirui Obata.                          Born and raised in Los Angeles, Sally studied art and graphic design at UCLA.  For many years her graphic design studio, Landis Designs, produced marketing materials for the top corporations in the Bay Area.Her paintings have been exhibited throughout the West as well as internationally, in venues as varied as the Oakland AIrport, the Yosemite Museum, galleries in Paris and Monaco.  She is the founding president of Oakland Fund for the Arts, a non-profit organization which funds arts education programs for children in Oakland public schools.

www.sallylandis.com

JOSEPH CAMPBELL: NATURE, ART, AND MYTH -- Six Weeks of Events in Carmel, California

JOSEPH CAMPBELL: NATURE, ART, AND MYTH
FEATURING JOSEPH CAMPBELL: THE ARTIST’S WAY
WORKING ART: JOSEPH CAMPBELL AT HIS DESK
April 18 – May 31, 2013

EXHIBITION:
Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Fourth Ave. and Guadalupe St., Carmel, CA, 93921
(831) 624-7491
http://carlcherrycenter.org/pages/calendar/calendar.html

DATES: April 18 - May 31, 2013

PREVIEW: April 18, 5 - 9 pm Introduction and talk with Robert Reese, Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Bob Walter, Joseph Campbell Foundation, Safron Rossi, Opus Archives Laura Doherty, Celadon Arts. Food, wine and more.

Catering provided by The Kitchen Angel. Reservations celadonarts.org

OPENING RECEPTION: April 19, 5-8 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: APRIL 19, 4-5 pm with works & conversations art critic Richard Whittaker, curator Gail Enns, artists Rob Barnard, Tom Nakashima, Laurel Farrin, Katherine Sherwood, Peter Hiers.

Join us as we explore timeless and timely myths with Joseph Campbell: NATURE, MYTH & ART, an exploration of art exhibits, panel discussions, films, salon style dinners, lectures, performances and more on the Monterey Peninsula.

For a full listing of events and to make reservations, visit the Celadon Arts website, celadonarts.org and the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts website, carlcherry.org.

How have Joseph Campbell’s ideas on the mythic and creative experiences of life impacted Western thinking and specifically, contemporary art? Joseph Campbell: THE ARTIST’S WAY addresses this question through the work of nine contemporary artists, each of whom shares ideas in sympathy with those of Joseph Campbell opening is Friday, April 19, 6 - 9 pm at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel.

“What is it to fully experience life, to be present to the action of living, the moment of being?” is the essential human question Joseph Campbell asks. Artists Sharron Antholt, Rob Barnard, Kristin Casaletto, Laurel Farrin, RobileeFrederick, Peter Hiers, Tom Nakashima, Katherine Sherwood, and Katarina Wong express this desire for the ecstasy of being alive as they share what they have discovered in Joseph Campbell: THE ARTIST’S WAY.

WORKING ART: JOSEPH CAMPBELL AT HIS DESK, an installation which accompanies the art exhibition, includes paintings, personal items and the desk from Campbell’s apartment in New York City where he wrote, studied and lived for over thirty
years. 

These two exhibits kick off the six-week events program JOSEPH CAMPBELL: NATURE, MYTH & ART produced by Celadon Arts in collaboration with The Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, The Joseph Campbell Foundation, and the Opus Archives & Research Center.

Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology. He lived on the Monterey Peninsula in the early 1930’s and spent time with Carol and John Steinbeck, Robinson Jeffers and Ed Ricketts. He taught in New York City and returned to lecture at Esalen in 1965; thereafter, he continued to lecture yearly in Big Sur, a place he called "paradise on the Pacific Coast."

JOSEPH CAMPBELL: NATURE ART AND MYTH FEATURING JOSEPH CAMPBELL: THE ARTIST’S WAY WORKING ART: JOSEPH CAMPBELL AT HIS DESK
April 18 – May 31, 2013

About Celadon Arts Celadon, Inc., a 501c (3) organization, builds community, relationships and awareness throughcontemporary art. It recognizes that privately funded exhibitions and education programs can make a difference by serving as a catalyst for business and community leaders to form alliances with the contemporary artists in their communities. In so doing, the community fosters long-term commitments to arts education and developing partnerships
with the arts that benefit business, the arts, and society. Recently, Celadon worked with The Japanese American CitizensLeague, Sand City, businesses and arts groups to bring Transcendental Vision, Japanese Culture and Contemporary Art to over 2,000 people on the Monterey Peninsula. celadonarts.org

About the Joseph Campbell Foundation The Joseph Campbell Foundation, a 501©3 corporation, was formed to (1) Preserve, protect, and perpetuate the work of Joseph Campbell, (2) further his pioneering work in mythology and comparative religion and (3) help individuals enrich their lives by participating in Mythological RoundTables and various related activities that the foundation undertakes. Joseph Campbell is a trademark and service mark of the Joseph Campbell
Foundation in the United States and other countries. jcf.org

About the Opus Archives & Research Center The Opus Archives & Research Center, a 501(c)3 organization, holds the manuscript collections and libraries of eminent scholars in the fields of mythology and depth psychology.
The Joseph Campbell collection and library was the first to come Opus, eight other legacies have followed through the years. The mission of Opus Archives and Research Center is to preserve, develop and extend to the world the archival collections and libraries of eminent scholars in the fields of depth psychology, mythology and the humanities. Opusis a “living archive” and offers scholarships, research grants, educational programs, community events, and research
access to the collections, both physically and digitally. More information about Opus the collections it stewards is available at opusarchives.org.

About the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts The Cherry Center for the Arts’ mission is to enhance the quality and diversity of artistic, educational, and cultural programs in Monterey County by encouraging public programs and interactions between artists and the community. The Cherry Center’s artistic purpose is to present arts and theater that are timely, engaging, and cast light on contemporary issues, both aesthetic and intellectual.

Україна і Каліфорнії ферми схожі один на одного!-Ukraine & California Farms look alike!

Здравствуйте Україні!
Ваша господарства виглядають майже так само, як наша тут, у Каліфорнії

California farms-

Türkiye Merhaba!

Türkiye Merhaba!
Bu Bloom Kaliforniya valley.Almond Ağaçlar burada sezon dikiyor Ve rüzgar çok zor ben kar gibi düşen sadece yaprakları bakmak O esiyor.  

Paskalya Haftasonu Yaklaşımlar ve evin boya ve yumurta süslemek için zamanı. Bana yaz ya da gelip bizi ziyaret edin!

TWILIGHT EN CALIFORNIE

TWILIGHT EN CALIFORNIE

par Proxima

 

Peach lumière dorée aux teintes s'attarde dans le coin de la cour. 

Les oiseaux descendent à la recherche de graines pour oiseaux. 

Rampant lentement dans la nuit. Induge dans la beauté de l'instant.

Le train de marchandises 5:30 souffle son sifflet.
Calme couvertures à nouveau notre petite ville.

Have You Ever Been In Love~With An Orange? Cara Cara Mia Mine.

Each time we part my heart wants to die

Darling hear my prayer

Cara Mia fair

I'll be your love till the end of time

I was introduced to my new love yesterday.At Raley's grocery store in Turlock, California. To me, all oranges taste the same so I didn't even know the delights of Cara-Cara navel oranges.  So I just grabbed oranges from the top of the heap under a sign that said 99c.

When I came home with my bags of groceries, my in-house food expert and chef extraordinaire, my daughter Alexandra,  announced "Oh, this is a Cara Cara orange" as she was peeling one.  Then she handed me my slice. I popped the pink/orange bit into my mouth. And-voila! This was the best little orange I had ever had--no seeds, super sweet taste with notes of raspberry and mandarin, no icky white strings. Plus it is beautiful. That was it. I was hooked immediately!.

I am going to go back to Raley's and get some more of those luscious Cara Caras. I'd better hurry since this variety of navel oranges has a short season. I can't wait.  I miss my new love already.

 

Cara Mia why must we say goodbye?
Each time we part my heart wants to die
Darling hear my prayer
Cara Mia fair
I'll be your love till the end of time

Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine

Cara Mia why must we say goodbye?
Each time we part my heart wants to die
Darling hear my prayer
Cara Mia fair
I'll be your love till the end of time

Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine

Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh

Each time we part my heart wants to die
Darling hear my prayer
Cara Mia fair
I'll be your love till the end of time

Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine

Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine
Cara Mia mine

 -Jay and the Americans