hometown part 1: Newhall

Took a jaunt through the little town of Newhall on my way home from school yesterday. Technically, the school I teach in is in Newhall too, just a bit out of the downtown. Downtown Newhall boasts the Western walk of fame, it's own version of the Hollywood Stars walk of fame, with plaques inlaid along the sidewalks with western stars and saddles instead of stars. It is in a redevelopment phase right now, with streetscape projects along Main Street and several empty storefronts as rents change and old businesses leave room for the new. The residential neighborhoods are a mix of Mexican-American immigrants and descendants of pioneer settlers living in small homes and large sprawling ranch-style homes nearby. A tiny library sits on the corner of Walnut and 9th St. It is cute but does not provide the size of scope of services needed in the area. A new library is on the drawing table and property has been secured. It is slated to open in 2012. It will be located two blocks north at the corner of Lyons and Main St. Other highlights of the area include the train station and youth center, the Canyon Theater Guild community theater housed in a pretty brick building on Main St., Yoga Yoga studio, Egg Plantation restaurant (with 101 kinds of omelettes), and Cookbooks Plus bookstore. Peppered throughout are businesses catering the the local Mexican-American population such as Tresierras food market, El Pariente taco shop, Jazmin bakery, and a botanica/pharmacy. There are also several discount dollar stores and thrift shops. It was a cool fallish day (the first we've had) and walking along the newly paved brick sidewalks among the newly planted trees was invigorating and exciting. There is a street art festival every fall with chalk art along this route. That should be fun too. My purpose for the stop was to buy tickets to a local production of The Phantom of the Opera for a matinee performance this Sunday. A co-worker of mine is performing. I followed up my errand to the theater with a stop at the nearby drive-through Starbucks in East Newhall. This area is known for more low-income residents and some gang activity. The elementary school there is known for providing support and workshops to parents and families to help combat the effects. As I pulled into the left turn lane to the plaza where the Starbucks was located, a sheriff's car made a right turn from the opposite direction. I could tell he was driving with a purpose, though he didn't have lights or a siren going. Sure enough, a glance ahead of his trajectory into the parking lot found a second sheriff's car with lights on, and a stopped vehicle. I would've had to drive right past them to get to Starbucks, so I waited at the green arrow until I could get back into the driving lane, and turned into the plaza at a further entrance. As I entered the drive through, I watched the two sheriffs handcuffing two men from the pick-up truck, a mere 100 yards from my moving vehicle. Some of you may remember my post about the time my car nearly got smashed in a grocery store parking lot during a police chase? This felt like a similar experience. Driving back into downtown Newhall for a second look at Main St during its evolution, I considered this new hometown. Newhall is just one of a handful of places with differing personalities that are all considered part of the Santa Clarita Valley. I like it's historical flavor (it's the oldest part, settled in 1876, though the Tatavium Native Americans had been living in the valley since AD 450.) There are a lot of interesting historicla tidbits about the area, including the first documented discovery of gold in nearby Placerita Canyon in 1842, six years before the more well-known Sacramento area discovery.

eating the rainbow

1.red apple
2.orange carrots
3.yellow pepper
4.green spinach
5.yellow banana

Love and Sinatra

My parents and I took a little road trip with Owen this weekend while Derek finishes up some work at home. We drove out to the desert cities east of Los Angeles on Saturday morning and spent the afternoon exploring local consignment and thrift shops. We've decided that the Palm Desert/Palm Springs area reminds us of Naples, FL in many ways so we've dubbed it the Naples of Calfornia. Albeit with more cacti and metal sculptures. I really enjoyed the desert architecture and purple twilight skies. The heat of the day had some atypical humidity so it really felt like South Florida while we were here. Saturday night mom and I went down to the heated pool and hot tub while dad stayed in the room with Owen. On Sunday we went to a neat furniture consignment shop full of home items from estate sales. I fell in love with some wooden giraffes and funky chairs but lucky for Derek they were both already sold. ha! Then Sunday afternoon came the impetus for the whole journey; the wedding of my former colleague to his partner of 14 years. This was the most amazing wedding, centered on love and family and was an absolutely beautiful ceremony. It was held at Frank Sinatra's home in an area called The Movie Colony. The home can be rented out. Some elements of the wedding that were especially amazing;

*Steven's four nieces singing Enya at the beginning
*one of his seven (!) sisters and her daughter Ines burning sage through the space to clear it with graceful spiraling movements
*both fathers and both mothers speaking beautiful words about courage, love, heroes, and forgiveness
*all seven sisters singing together to the couple
*all nine siblings stood as attendants (8 sisters/1 brother) and presented a spoken (in unison) blessing to the couple
*at the end of the ceremony family and then friends were invited to come forward and all touch the couple (or touch someone who was touching the couple) to present a community vow of support and love to the couple

This wedding was my first same-sex wedding and I have to say, one of the most sincere and beautiful experiences I have ever had. The couple was so moved by everyone's presence with them and their families had spent the whole weekend together. Love and light surrounded this couple, and this excerpt from David's vows to Steven sums up Steven to me.

"It is your hardwiring; you take the smallest bit of wind and set sail with it." I just loved that.

I was so happy to know that they had actually married a year ago when it was still legal in California. I wish them a lifetime of love. As David's father said, "They have always chosen happiness when they could have chosen bitterness." He expressed how much he and his wife had grown and learned as a result of his son's challenges as a gay man. Steven's mother said "Be swift to love, make haste to forgive" His father who lives in Cambodia with his wife said, "Forgive your enemies and those that you percieve to be your enemies." He spoke of the lovingkindness and compassion present in the people of his chosen home Cambodia and expressed hope that people in other parts of the world might shift to that state of consciousness. It was amazing.

Working Momma

With the start of school and my new responsibiities balancing work/home life I have really neglected this blog. If I post at all, it's over at JuneBug . I feel like the circus performer who balances teacups and fine china precariously while standing on a rolling ball. Life is good and full of blessings, but I struggle to dole out the right amounts of energy to each part of it. The biggest blessing right now are my parents, who have moved their lives here to the west coast in order to care for Owen each day. It is so fun to watch them interact with him, and see the valuable treasures they are imparting on his forming mind and physical development. They giggle, play, sing, move and read with him constantly. We feel so lucky for this gift.