Del Mar was a sleepy little beach town when I was growing up, coined Gasoline Alley by some. There were at one time thirteen gas stations in our little town when Highway 101 was the main thoroughfare to the City of San Diego. The County Fair was a big deal for folks when it came to town! Within a few days of the County Fair closing the Races would start. WOW! Movie Stars all up and down the beach! Summer Days in Del Mar
Lucy and Desi Had a House on The Beach!
I remember summer mornings swimming in the ocean, warm, sleepy afternoons painting and playing with our Barbie and Madame Alexander Dolls and plastic horses with my sister and friends. Our step-grandpa was John Lloyd Wright and we lived right next door to him. We called him Grandbot.Grandbot invented five toys. The most famous one was Lincoln Logs. He also invented a toy called Wright Blocks. They were sooo much fun to play with!!! Wendy and I loved making horse corrals and pastures on the grass for our plastic horses to run! The most fun part of our play for me was setting up the elaborate houses and pastures and placing our plastic horses in them, dressing and undressing the dolls in different outfits!
We also loved playing Indians (Playing Indians) and I loved playing Queen and Geisha girl. I would get bored of those two games quickly because once I was dressed up there was nothing for me to do except sit on the throne and be waited on. I remember one time my sister and our friends bowed down in front of me and said Salami Salami Baloney Baloney! We all fell into gales of laughter! My mother would help me get all dressed up to be a Geisha in a kimono with an obi. But once I was dressed up all I could do was sit, the outfit was so binding! After all that I would ask my mother to please help me get out of the outfit!
As a child I would become bored with some of the games. Looking back on it I am so happy to be an adult! Sometimes with all the stresses of adult life we may look back on childhood as an idyllic time of endless freedom and happiness.But in actuality many of us have more freedoms as adults. I guess what I am saying is even with all the seriousness, grief or traumas that we go through, when immersed in happy work, exercise, helping others we can free the passion of life!
Happy summertime! On that note I am going to go take a swim in the ocean!
Happy Swimming or whatever you love to do for exercise in the summertime.
When our oldest child was a baby I used to say Yvette would be upset when she got older because she lived in Hawaii for almost half of her first year of life. Too young to remember the amazing time we had! Although being exposed to such beauty at a young age definitely went into her psyche.
That was the year that I said I had three summers! My husband, Pete, was working for the government installing the first computer system for the sewage treatment plant at Pearl Harbor. Yvette was three months old and we lived in Honolulu from October to November of 1976. We then returned to live there for the months of May and June in 1977.
In those days my folks used to vacation at a friend’s private shack in Kihei, as Betty called it, twice a year. They would go for two weeks in the fall and two weeks in the spring. Betty had a guest house on stilts. Rolling grass and palm trees extended out in front to her private beach. (Beaches in Hawaii are public, but her little beach was so secluded, being at the end of the road, it was rarely used.)
The view took one’s breath away! And the beach had the softest creamiest colored sand. The way the sand felt between my toes was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The ocean felt like velvet on my skin and the snorkeling off Maui was stupendous! The most colorful coral and water teeming with fish I have ever experienced to this day! The colors of the coral were every color in the rainbow and more; vivid pink, orange, blue, purple, red, violet and white!
Pete and I had decided we had seen the best and knew that the island had been developed. So we chose to remember Maui the way we experienced the Island staying with my folks one week in the fall of 1976 and one week in the spring of 1977.
As our girls grew up we vacationed on the North Shore of Kauai several times.We also frequented the Kona Coast of the Island of Hawaii and Oahu, but I had never returned to Maui until two weeks ago.
Naturally the development has continued on the island in the intervening years, but nonetheless I was not disappointed and had a fabulous time!
The very first day we arrived I found Betty’s Beach. The property is now covered with condos but the beach is the same! My friend and I stayed at the Maui Coast Hotel in the town of Kihei.
The hotel has good prices and they have a great concierge service with Expedia. Whether or not one choses to do some of the many activities the island has to offer, it is great to hear the options! We met in the lobby of our hotel with other guests to hear the fun things available to do!
The author at the top of Mount Haleakala
We chose to go on a 45 minute helicopter ride that toured Molakai and Maui. We also chose to take the snorkeling trip to the Molokini Crater and lastly to take in a Luau at a neighboring hotel.
The day that we went on the helicopter tour, we then took a drive to Kula experiencing a botanical garden and then driving up to the top of Haleakala. The day was crisp and clear!
We ate dinner at the Kula Lodge on the way back to our hotel. It was beautiful and romantic. The views were spectacular and I would go there again even though the food was underwhelming.
The highlight of our snorkeling trip was a surprise sighting of whales fluke waving and breaching right in front of our boat! I was disappointed to discover that much of the coral has died and lost its color. Development and agriculture are the most significant threats to Hawaiian coral reefs because of runoff containing sediments (soil and silt) and chemicals and nutrients from lawns, farms, golf courses, construction sites, storm drains, cesspools and septic tanks. The runoff of sediment reduces sunlight penetration and smothers corals. The reef then starves to death because it can’t manufacture food from sunlight any longer.
We had a fun experience of being there the same week as some friends who showed us excellent snorkeling spots! Honolua Bay offered some great underwater sights. My friends had the amazing experience of swimming with a pod of dolphins back in the mid 1980s in this same Bay. Honolua has treacherous surf in the winter-time but amazing snorkeling in the spring and summer.
Snorkeling in Honolua Bay
After visiting with friends in Napili Point we drove up around the end of the island. The road is a single lane in areas and rules dictate that the person heading downhill has to back up and make room for the person coming uphill, often a dangerous situation and the map reads,
The road around this north side of Maui is desolate but very picturesque. It also has a very narrow section of road and a sheer cliff and no guard rail before you reach Kahakuloa. Not for faint-hearted. Drive at your own risk.
All in all the eight days were fun, beautiful and had new surprises to offer!
Bye for Now,
Francesca
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The 4th of July is just around the corner and I am reminded of summer days growing up in a sleepy little beach town in southern California, Del Mar. Not so sleepy now, but back then it actually was, despite the fact that it was a Mecca for the movie stars.
Stay tuned for more in my Blog on Movie Stars and Del Mar California once the racing season beginsin a couple of weeks. In the mean time, here is a true story about lazy Summer Days Growing up in Del Mar.
My parents had a 4th of July party every year. My father was a lawyer in Los Angeles. Daddy commuted by train, leaving from the train station on Monday morning and arriving home on Friday night. Orange County was considerably far away to drive in those days. Back in the day, home fireworks were legal. They were illegal to buy in San Diego and maybe in Los Angeles too, but in Orange county fireworks were sold. I remember vividly Daddy driving to Orange County a week or two before the fourth of July to buy fireworks for our party. The excitement my sister Wendy and I felt was palpable! With anticipated glee Wendy and I counted the days till we would be able to light our fireworks!
It was like Christmas in July when he would come home with all the beautifully wrapped fireworks! Packages labeled with the names: Sparklers, Sky Rockets, Black Snakes, Fountains, Roman Candles. Wendy and I adored the sparklers! It was like shooting stars on a stick. In the night air you could write with them and they twinkled like little stars or fireflies. Being California girls born and raised we did not have fireflies. We did experience them when we traveled to see our grandparents in Pennsylvania.
The morning of the fourth would always start with a swim in the ocean. Oh, how good the water felt! After breakfast Wendy and I and the other girls in the neighborhood would have a parade. I think it must have been one of my mother’s ideas. We dressed up like revolutionary war characters and would march up and down the streets once I started playing the flute. I played I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy and other patriotic songs. Wendy brought up the rear playing the drums.
FIREFLY
The evening festivities started about 5:00 or 6:00. So exciting! Wendy and I got to have our Black Snakes on the driveway! For those of you who are not familiar with these fireworks, after lighting a small tablet, the tablet starts smoking and an ash resembling a snake is created via an intumescent reaction. Then it was all we could do to wait for darkness to fall and light our sparklers.
As much as I loved the 4th of July there was only one part that I dreaded, making it a some what bittersweet experience. Being hugged tightly by the grown-ups! By the 4th, I had had three weeks of ocean and sun. Back in the 1950’s and 60’s they did not have sunscreen except for the hideous white paste, Mercurochrome. So by the 4th of July my back was red as a lobster! My front side would be all freckled and brown but my back would be on fire with sunburn. I would try to tell people please don’t hug me because I am sunburned but everyone was drinking and smoking and my little voice did not get heard. So I would wince when the company arrived and wince when they left! Otherwise, hot dogs, hamburgers, potato chips, watermelon —Yummy. J
Once it was dark the real fun began! Daddy would give us our long anticipated sparklers. After that Daddy would start with the big fireworks.
OOOH AHHHH We would sigh — SOOOO Beautiful!!!!
After we finished our family fireworks show, the whole family walked up the street to the top of the hill to watch the spectacular fireworks from the nearby fairgrounds. It was really dark back then so you saw lots of stars. We had lots of bats in Del Mar and on one occasion a bat flew into my hair and I screamed! We sat up on the vacant lot and waited till 9:00 pm when the fireworks started, oohing and ahing at the colors, all the colors of the rainbow brilliantly lighting up against the inky black background.
Artists’ works are influenced by events and emotions of their lives. Perhaps my subconscious mind took the colors and hues of those remembered fireworks into the artwork that I am producing today.
Happy painting and dreaming… Fireworks in the sky!
“Saturday, in the park, think it was the fourth of July.” Chicago
This past weekend I was in the San Francisco Bay area. Sunday was the 75th birthday of the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out the picture on the right and this video of the fireworks taken this last Sunday May 29, 2012.
Last week on PBS Evening News a reporter gave some history on the building of the bridge. There was controversy surrounding the idea of building the bridge. There was even controversy on who were the true engineering architects of the bridge! On Sunday May 29th this was all set straight — after 75 years!
“One aspect of the 75th birthday celebration that wasn’t in the plans was the rekindling of an old controversy. Who should get the credit for building and designing this spectacular bridge? The first design, from 1922, showed a bulky unattractive bridge, part cantilever, part suspension. It was the work of Chicago bridge builder Joseph Strauss, who had decided his legacy would be a span to rival the Brooklyn and George Washington bridges in New York.
But Strauss wasn’t a civil engineer. He was a builder of drawbridges, a promoter and organizer. And he organized a decades-long campaign to get the Golden Gate Bridge approved and built by him. Before construction began, Strauss’ clunky design was scrapped, though he remained as chief engineer. In its place was a sleeker structure made possible by University of Illinois engineer Charles Ellis and Leon Moisseiff, who had designed the Manhattan Bridge.” (PBS New Hour Interview)
I will never forget the first time I was with my family driving over the Golden Gate Bridge as a little girl. Imagine a child’s dismay – the bridge was not gold, it was red! The fact that it was red instead of gold disturbed me for many years. Today I am just taken by its majestic beauty.
Birthday Girl Lorraine and Sister CorrineRoses in Lorraine’s Garden
My father used to rouse the family in a song of California Here I Come. During vacations with my husband, Pete, and our daughters years ago; I led the song, much to the horror of my children! To this day I roll down the windows and belt out the song as I drive over the bridge. I have the opportunity to see the Golden Gate Bridge often and to drive across. The experience always takes my breath away. If I am not driving, I am snapping pictures. Shrouded in clouds, in rain or on the occasional clear day the view is always magnificent!
The Author, Cousin Jeremy and Lorraine
This weekend I went to Point Reyes station and Inverness for my cousin’s birthday. Lorraine lives with her family on eight acres surrounded by verdant gardens and nature. Friends and family came with delicious food. A friend raised and roasted a pig for the event. Oysters were abundant, found locally, raw and cooked on the barbecue.
Google weather fore-casted a cold rainy day but to the delight of the birthday girl and the rest of us there was sun to penetrate warmth on our backs and shoulders.
Here’s to celebrating life with family and friends!
Bye for now,
Francesca
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I happened to be one of the fortunate people who heard the Dalai Lama speak in San Diego a couple of weeks ago. He spoke at UCSD, USD and SDSU.
My brother-in-law, sister and mother and I went to see him at SDSU Dalai Lama Transcript of Speech. It was amazing to watch the throngs of people quietly moving along in an endless line outside the amphitheater. I felt like I was at a rock concert or sporting event except that there were people of all ages — mothers clutching newborn babies along with the elderly. Perhaps we all felt that to be in the same space as the living Avatar of our time, might give us blessings, hope or peace. Or maybe it was just curiosity and openness to see what might occur out of the experience.
Peter Rowe, journalist for the San Diego Union, wrote a great article. A shout out to Pete, a childhood friend of mine. Seeking Traces of the Dalai Lama.
We were first entertained by Viejas Casino Native American dancers in all their regalia. There were even little children dancing. The Native American dancing was spectacular and put one in the mood for what was to come.
When the Dalai Lama emerged I was moved to tears and I venture to say that others might have been also. You could have heard a pin drop.
Despite the fact that I felt like a little ant at the top of the amphitheater 12,000 people that day! It was amazing and such a spiritual experience to be in his presence.
The Dalai Lama spoke for an hour and a half. His advice was simple. In a nut shell the Dalai Lama spoke of the importance of raising children with affection and love. That in turn gives one inner strength and confidence to carry on into adulthood with productive happy lives. People who have been raised with affection and love have open hearts and sound intelligent minds. If a person was raised with abuse or in a loveless environment, a person still has the ability to open his heart to let love in and have a sound, intelligent mind.
Everyone has a special gift, one special gift to share with the world. The Dalai Lama pointed out that he is a Buddhist but that it is also important to be tolerant and accepting of other cultures and ways that people worship God. He also spoke that it is not even necessary to believe in God or a higher being as long as one is living a life of honesty, confidence from the heart, love and intelligent mind to help further the human race. The Dalai Lama loves scientists and talked about the gifts they give our world.
Two questions and his holiness’ answers from students posed at the conclusion of his talk were as follows:
As a culture with all the wars and horrors of our world are we improving as a human race?
Yes we are improving as a human race and the scientists are doing their part.
And then he referred back to the importance of human beings having open hearts filled with love to give and receive and sound intelligent minds.
What do you believe to be most important to achieve in life?
Happiness is most important — having a peaceful mind and heart leads to happiness.
In conclusion the Dalai Lama spoke of the importance to live life honestly.
Determination is important. Honesty is a social step. We should live our daily lives with no cheating and live honest truthful lives. To live in a more compassionate world, through knowledge comes advancement.
You have the opportunity to make a new world. May you have a happy life, happy families, better world and make a contribution.
Last weekend I had an impromptu party for some cousins who were visiting from England.
Easy steps to entertain a crowd for breakfast.
Please check out blog post March 21st, 2012. Being that I keep a clean table cloth with centerpiece ready for any occasion I just popped the pretty Trader Joes plants that I have had since St Paddy’s day in my kitchen window where they get plenty of light, back on the dining table. :)
I invited everyone a couple of days before the event.
Menu Ramos fizz Black beans with Quinoa scramble eggs with Gloria’s Pico de Gallo and Tomatillo Salsa (See blog post March 8, 2012) Bacon & locally made Irish pork sausage (I bought sausage from my local farmer’s market in Del Mar California open Sat. 1:30-4:00 pm) Bought: cinnamon coffee cake Toast made from English muffins and whole grain bread.
Locally smoked salmon from a local market.
Strong organic coffee from Jimbos
I heard from a local cousin that our mutual English cousins were visiting on their way to Costa Rica for a big jungle adventure. I asked my cousin if they would all like to come for an early breakfast. Early breakfast was a necessity because I had plans later in the day.
It worked great for them because they were going to our world famous San Diego Zoo after coming to my house.
I made out my menu the day before the event, and went to the market for the few items I needed to buy. As you know from some of my previous blogs I make black beans with quinoa, salsa and Pico de Gallo recipes every week. Easy delectable meal for company was prepared. It’s what I eat for breakfast every day.
I cooked the bacon crisp the night before and just popped it in the oven in the morning to rewarm from the refrig. I also prepared coffee in coffee maker ready to turn on first thing when I woke up the next morning. I set the table the day before the event. The sausages were already cooked. All one had to do is fry them in the pan, add a little coconut oil if need be and turn them until brown. I served the slab of locally smoked salmon cold. I cut the store bought cinnamon coffee cake and put it on a decorative plate.
As soon as I knew the party was going to happen a fun idea popped into my head. I got excited about the idea of serving the first alcoholic beverage I ever had in a restaurant. I was 19 years old and we were out to brunch in La Jolla, California and my father ordered me one. Lucky for me, I was not carded. I felt so grown up drinking the Ramos Fizz!
I made the drink on Friday night to test it out. I felt that it was not as delicious as I remembered it. Perhaps the thrill of the memory was more delicious than the actual drink? This is the recipe a la Francie. My concoction is less work for a crowd and you have lime aid on hand for the non-drinkers. For the traditional recipe, see Ramos Fizz History.
Recipe for Ramos Fizz a la Francie Combine water with frozen lime aid in blender with ice Blend until slushy to this add 2 ounces dry gin (or more!) Add 1-ounce half and half Blend well in blender before serving
Henry C. Ramos created the Ramos Fizz in 1888, in his bar in New Orleans; it was originally called a “New Orleans Fizz.” Back before prohibition this drink was very popular, and because labor rates were so cheap, the Ramos brothers would hire a couple dozen “shaker boys” to whip up these drinks during fair time. The drink was so popular that it was still difficult for them to keep up with the orders. Over time a fast drink replaced the idea of a quality drink and the Ramos Gin Fizz slowly faded away.
The breakfast was so delicious and fun! It was a cold rainy night and early morning. I had a fire in the fireplace going when people arrived. After breakfast the rain stopped and we went out to see the children’s garden and vegetable garden. The weather that day frankly reminded me of Ireland or England more than Southern California.
If you try this some weekend you might find that you enjoy entertaining in the daytime as the Europeans do. There is more time to visit and really enjoy one another or play a game in the garden.
It is an honor to have been selected to be one of 14 artists whose works will be on display in an upcoming show at the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe California. Please open the attachment to see more information about the show and some previews of the art that will be on display. For additional information about my recent works please visit my website www.francescafilanc.com
MILLENNIUM (48 x 60) Acrylic on canvas
What: A Showing of Fine Art – “Artists in Our Midst”
An Evening of Art, Music, Wine & Hors d’Oeuvres
When: Friday March 23rd, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Village Church, 6225 Paseo de Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe, California 92067
