REDONDOWRITER'S SACRED ORDINARY

Raleigh Studios: Right Here in South Bay

Isn’t it interesting how you can live in a community and somehow or other not “get it” that the entertainment industry has a large studio right in your own back yard? Well, South Bay is home to the Manhattan Beach sound stages of Raleigh Studios right on Rosecrans Blvd. which is experiencing a huge building boom. I knew that Steven Speilberg sometimes shot somewhere in Manhattan Beach and Playa Vista, but at my age, I guess I don’t think about the mystique of the film and TV industry studios much anymore. I sure did when I was a kid and have toured most the large and small studios throughout the city over the years. The most fun I ever had was once watching Murphy Brown being filmed.

Last night I went to watch my friend Kathryn Van deWark at the Raleigh Studios Café Actors Showcase. She has been taking acting lessons there with teacher Anne Hulegard, writer, actor, producer, director. Kathryn works where I work but is also a San Pedro writer, poet, photographer and artist and she is forever introducing me to something going on around here that I didn’t know about. That’s Kathryn on the left and Bev Miller on the right doing a scene incredibly effectively from “David’s Mother.” The showcase will be open to the public again on May 12, if you are in the area. I can't recommend coming by enough. I always think of all the acting studios being in New York City, for some reason. I was amazed by the talent of the people studying with Anne.

But back to the “best kept secret in the South Bay” (according to one of the employees I talked to)—Raleigh Studios. With Hollywood suffering from a shortage in studio/sound stage space, Roy E. Disney (Walt's nephew) decided to take a chance and build the spanking new Manhattan Beach Studios, near the Pacific in the sunny South Bay region of the Los Angeles basin - a good 20 miles away from downtown Hollywood. I gather it was in the mid 1990s, so here I have passed these buildings countless times, but since they are unmarked, I never knew what was there. Located just a few blocks west of the 405 freeway, and only a few miles inland from the beach, it's a great place to work. It's off the beaten L.A. path but surrounded by two malls, countless restaurants, a huge hotel, and has great freeway access.

Within weeks after opening, the new 22-acre, $90 million studio already had more business than it could handle. Apparently the OC, The Practice, Boston Legal, CSI Miami, and many other TV shows are filmed there, and RKO rents studio space, too.

So, all you folks out there who like to experience “the stars” and "the biz," it’s not just Hollywood, Burbank, Studio City and Culver City you’ve got to explore, now you can put Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach on your list of things to see.

Sr. Joan Chittister: Another Poem for You

A Prayer for You

May your journey
through the universal questions of life
bring you to a new moment of awareness.

May it be an enlightening one.

May you find embedded in the past,
like all the students of life before you,
the answers you are seeking now.

May they awaken that in you
which is deeper than fact,
truer than fiction,
full of faith.

May you come to know
that in every human event
is a particle of the divine
to which we turn for meaning here,
to which we tend for fullness of life hereafter.

When a Wave Realizes It is Water

Enlightenment for a wave is the moment the wave realizes that it is water.
At that moment, all fear of death disappears. -- Thich Nhat Hahn

Redondo Beach: A Helluva Great Town to Live In

My city, Redondo Beach, which is a suburb of Los Angeles, is a GREAT town! There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t say over and over, “Thank you, God.” It’s a good thing I bought in 1988, however. I could not afford to buy here now, but that is probably true across the board in the United States.

I love my neighborhood, only two blocks to the ocean, with the people on my street an eclectic mix ethnically, chronologically, economically, and lifestyle-wise. When I walk Cookie up and down the six blocks I tend to take her when I don’t go down to the beach, I especially love the old beach bungalows. There aren’t as many these days as more old homes and apartments are torn down to make way for two-on-a-lots or condominiums. My home is only a half block to Redondo Beach Fire Station 1 and the 100-year-old Redondo Beach Women's Club. Women's clubs no longer thrive, but the club rents their old facility so there is always something going on.

What I especially like about Redondo is we have a genuine community here; it reminds me of the small town I grew up in, also an L.A. suburb, Sunland, though Redondo Beach is much larger than Sunland was when I was growing up. Today was the Fire Department Spaghetti Dinner, held at the old Women’s Club. I went with my son-in-law Lorenzo and grandson Anthony, who is in the fire science program at El Camino College.

This is Chief of Police W. Joseph Leonardi and the Fire Chief Daniel P. Madrigal. The whole time we talked, they good-naturedly ribbed each other, pretending they had a rivalry.

And this is our wonderful mayor, Mike Gin, with you know who. I have only met Mike twice before, very briefly, and I was really impressed when he said, as he was leaving the dinner, “It was good to see you, Fran.” I was amazed that he seems to be able to remember the names of his constituents. This photo is not a favorite of me, that's for sure. Damn, I'm old--but hey, I'm also glad to be here, healthy and happy, wearing my Redondo Beach Art Group teeshirt.

These are two of the firemen serving the spaghetti dinner but a whole cadre was in the kitchen cooking. I see the firemen (and the one firewoman) running in the neighborhood or sometimes down on the Strand in the morning. Once I needed a paramedic in 1989 when I fainted in the bathroom. My youngest son was sleeping over and he called 911. In only minutes they were in the house and I was on the way to emergency—with stress.

On May 10, for anyone who lives in the South Bay, the annual Fire Open House is scheduled as you can tell by the sign. I guess there are open houses across the nation, but I love to go with my little grandkids to the fire station. It was good going today with my big, burly grandson who hopefully will one day be a Redondo Beach fireman himself.

I found these demographics very interesting. There are 63,261 of us in Redondo Beach. 50.38% are male and 49.62% are female. This is the breakdown of our ages:

• Under 5 years
  3634
  5.74%
• 5 to 9 years
  3409
  5.39%
• 10 to 14 years
  3064
  4.84%
• 15 to 19 years
  2749
  4.35%
• 20 to 24 years
  2886
  4.56%
• 25 to 34 years
  13247
  20.94%
• 35 to 44 years
  14000
  22.13%
• 45 to 54 years
  9814
  15.51%
• 55 to 59 years
  3034
  4.8%
• 60 to 64 years
  2058
  3.25%
• 65 to 74 years
  3001
  4.74%
• 75 to 84 years
  1848
  2.92%
• 85 years and over
  517
  0.82%

Do you love where you live? Tell me about your town; I'd love to hear. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would live at the beach, but I'm so glad I do.

Padre Pio: After My Death I Will Do More

Photo courtesy of The Vatican News Bureau

I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about Padre Pio who died 40 years ago at the age of 81 except that he was a simple mystic who was alleged to have cured countless people, lived with the stigmata for 50 years of his life, and was able to bilocate. I knew that he had been canonized in 2002 and was one of the world’s most revered saints. Miracles continue to be attributed to him often though he's been dead a long time.

When I read yesterday's Los Angeles Times, there, to my surprise, was a photo of St. Pio in his coffin in a church in his hometown San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. His body had been exhumed, cosmetically enhanced, and is now displayed in the local church where thousands upon thousands of people are visiting. At first I felt revulsion at the exhumation and what appears to have been partly consumer exploitation. But, I sat with it for a few minutes and then did a little research. In his biography at Padre Pio Devotions, he apparently often said, "After my death I will do more. My real mission will begin after my death."

All I know is that my interest has been piqued and I’ll check a biography out of the library about him to find out more. Several weekends ago, I went to a one day presentation by Dr. James Finley on St. Theresa’s Interior Castle at Mt. St. Mary’s downtown campus. Jim is such a wonderful, down-to-earth, deeply-centered man and I always learn so much from him. He was a novice at Gethsemani Monastery under the late Thomas Merton.

I had a friend die recently and I returned for her rosary and vigil to St. Catherine Laboure parish where we raised our children. Both my husband and I were extremely active in this parish until we separated in 1984. In 1987 I moved and only go back now for weddings, funerals and baptisms. The years fell away and my issues with Catholic dogma and doctrine temporarily were suspended. I was actually Present—and that’s saying a lot. I guess I continue to grow-up when it comes to my faith.

I don’t know where I’m going with my musings except to say that I am interested in all things spiritual and, consequently, every day I observe someone, some situation, some place and I comforted, connected. I've had a spring resurgence of sacred ordinary. And now I have Padre Pio to find out more about. 

Wherever you are is called Here

This photo was taken at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, WA in September 2005.

Some days do you feel like you are lost in the details of your daily routine? Sometimes I do, so this poem "Lost" by David Wagoner, really clarified my fuzzy thoughts on the day I went to print the study guide for Chapter 5, Pain Body, of Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth." At Oprah's website, it says she read it at the beginning of that chapter's webcast. I have not yet looked at any of the webcasts, but I continue to slowly read the book.

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

Why Boys Need Parents: Get Ready to Laugh

A forward came to me today via e-mail that brought tears from laughter. Following is a "borrowed" post, which unfortunately I cannot attribute. It's for those mothers of boys, sisters of boys, and boys that have grown older. In other words, all of us. The whole e-mail had several more photos I haven't posted, so e-mail me if you want to see them all, and I will forward the original.

Why boys need parents...

Did you know that:

1.) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.

2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

3.) A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5.) You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7.) When you hear the toilet flush and the words 'uh oh', it's already too late.

8.) Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9.) A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10.) Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old Boy.

11.) Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12.) Super glue is forever.

13.) No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

14.) Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15.) VCR's do not eject 'PB and J' sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.

16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19.) Always look in the oven before you t urn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20.) The fire department in Austin , TX has a 5-minute response time.

21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24.) 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.

25.) 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

And here are some more photos to make you smile.

 

 

Peter Russell: When the Pupil is Ready, the Teacher Comes

At futurist Peter Russell's website, he says: The crisis facing humanity today is, at its root, a crisis of consciousness. We are being called to put into practice the perennial wisdom of the ages... This site is offered as a stepping stone in that direction. He has a link to Eckhart Tolle on his site and to many other fascinating people, many of whom I never had heard of before.

Recently a friend of mine, Shay, sent a little online test link from Russell's site where real age, virtual age and expected life expectancy are measured. That’s how I got to his site in the first place and I’m so darned glad I did. You can take the test at his link called Odds/Real Age.   I don’t usually fare as well on these kinds of tests because of being a two-time breast cancer survivor, having heart disease in my family, and my 10-year-old co-existence from asthma, allergies and radiation damage to my lung. But, the great and good news was that I am chronologically 70, 58.2 virtually, and my life expectancy is 93.8. For the first time in a long time I feel so darned affirmed and hopeful.

He also has a calculator for how to convert your years of life into days. I found this such an upper as there isn’t the same connotation as years which have such iffy connotations when you get older. I’m 25,827 days old today. I’m trying to figure out how to get this counter on my blog along with the longevity test. He has many intriguing links at the site as well as papers he has given, and literally a plethora of work being done in his field. 

Another invaluable link is a three minute online guided meditation for busy people.

Perhaps everyone but me already know about Peter Russell, but I’m delighted to find this man and his work. His bio mentions a few of his connections. Peter Russell, M.A., D.C.S., F.S.P., is a fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (which I used to belong to), of The World Business Academy and of The Findhorn Foundation (which has been influential on my journey), and an Honorary Member of The Club of Budapest.

At Cambridge University (UK), he studied mathematics and theoretical physics. Then, as he became increasingly fascinated by the mysteries of the human mind he changed to experimental psychology. Pursuing this interest, he traveled to India to study meditation and eastern philosophy, and on his return took up the first research post ever offered in Britain on the psychology of meditation.

He also has a post-graduate degree in computer science, and conducted there some of the early work on 3-dimensional displays, presaging by some twenty years the advent of virtual reality.

In the mid-seventies Peter Russell joined forces with Tony Buzan and helped teach "Mind Maps" and learning methods to a variety of international organizations and educational institutions.

Check him out and take some of his tests while you’re there.

An Earth Day to Remember

I stayed aware of my environment, as I said I would, in honor of Earth Day. Most of the day, however, I was indoors, but I was aware of the trees outside my window, the canyon filled with chaparral below, and the city of Los Angeles beyond. I can also see the oil fields in Wilmington which reminds me of carbon footprints. Have you taken the test to see the results of your own footprint on the planet? Go to Care2 Global Warming.

I guess that we humans are all part of Mother Earth; we are her stewards, and we are our brother and sister's keepers, too. Today our school community welcomed a new baby at Torrance Memorial Hospital. Here is Tanner when he was 2 hours old. He is the second child for Leslie and Dave and the brother of five-year-old Carley.

One of our high school marine biology teachers, along with her students, sponsored Earth Day booths and experiences on the main lawn today for the elementary school children. This is one of the seniors holding up a stuffed otter which was part of the display of sea creatures. Each child also received an otter pop. They fished for things that thoughtless people throw into the sea, did simple lab experiments, viewed hands on fossils and ocean items, got to try out the sea kayaks from outdoor education on the grass, and had several interactive experiences hoted by the big kids.

This little girl climbs one of the really old pepper trees with a very gnarled trunk. We have two gigantic Moreton Bay fig trees, too. I want white Mary Janes, too. 

And here is a picture of our main lawn where the middle and high school kids hang out. It is always breath-taking, no matter the season.

And this is our health center with the metal sculpture of the world behind it. See that rock? It is Palos Verdes stone native to this area. We have many rocks and rock borders across the campus. By the original science lab there are some very large fossil-filled rocks.

There are several beautiful rose gardens across campus, but this bush of lavender-colored overblown beauties caught my attention because when I search for a metaphor mirroring the aging process, I think of myself as a rose just a little past full bloom. I've come to love the sense of Ecclesiastes I see in rose gardens.

And what California spring-time litany of flowers wouldn't include the golden poppy. I hope to get out to Lancaster before the blooming season is over.

Next I stopped at the high school art show displayed in the cafeteria and one senior made this great ceramic piece that I personally call a fertility god. He didn't have a title on it.

And this is what I drive by every day when I go and return from work--the life guard stands by the Pacific Ocean on the Esplanade of South Redondo Beach.

And this what I wish for us and for our planet. This peace pole was dedicated by one of the senior classes several years ago. Every time I pass it, it reminds me to say a little prayer.

So, did any of you find "Earthly" things in your travels today? I'd love to see them or hear about them.

Thanks for visiting.

 

An Earth Day Challenge to Myself--and You

Tomorrow is Earth Day and now that spring is creeping in, I'm so much more aware of my environment than I am in the winter.

My monthly journal group met tonight and I gave them (and me) a challenge for Earth Day tomorrow. Wake up with an acute awareness of your environment wherever you are tomorrow. Begin to "see" things that you have simply been taking for granted. Make a list of ten things tomorrow night that you saw with "new" eyes.  Then take time to show your gratitude to dear Mother Earth, Gaia. I'll begin my morning with a salute to the sun, if there is sun, and then take it from there.