The "Jewel of the Missions"

Known as the "Jewel of the Missions", San Juan Capistrano Mission is a wonderful excursion into the history of California. It reminds us of the rich cultural heritage of California. The Spanish/Mexican and Native American influences abound.

While the County of Los Angeles has deemed it politically incorrect to include the cross in the seal of the county, one can't deny the deep roots of Christianity/Catholicism in California's heritage when one visits the missions. It is a rich and beautiful heritage.

The Lotus: "Primordial Purity of Body, Speech and Mind"...

Lovely Lotus at the Japanese and Chinese gardens at the magnificent Huntington Library...

"[edit] Lotus

lotus flower
The lotus flower (Sanskrit: Padma), representing 'primordial purity' (Tibetan: ka dag) of body, speech, and mind, floating above the muddy waters of attachment and desire; represents the full blossoming of wholesome deeds in blissful liberation.[edit] Lotus"

Ashtamangala

Wikepedia

"You must be a lotus, unfolding its petals when the sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it!"

Sai Baba

Fantastic Flamingo Fandango!!!

And from whence they come...

I LOVE Flamingos!!!! It all started with my downstairs neighbor...Justine...little did I know that I would grow fond of the pink plastic flamingos she put in the bushes by her window downstairs in our age appropriate upstairs/downstairs duplex on a great street in Long Beach! The first sign that I was succumbing to the seduction of the flamingos was the shower curtain in my 40's style bathroom that of course, was pink and black. From there it was the collectibles which grew into vintage porcelain pieces. Now, in the privacy of my tucked away turquoise tile bathroom circa the 50's, I continue to display my collection year round...with a summer seasonbreak out display in the kitchen!!! What's not to love?

If you're so inclined to go and see what's so interesting about them...you'll find a whole passel of them at the LA Zoo...on the way into the main displays as well as the aviary...

Classic Cars with a Twist!!!

I was on my way to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription when I saw these cars and thought of Laurie Allee's old cars of South Pasadena...instead of finishing my trek to the pharmacy, I beelined it home, picked up my camera and returned in a flash!!! I thought to myself, Laurie may have the corner market on old cars in South Pas...but here in Montrose, we do it with a twist!!! Hop them up, chop the top, paint little filigrees on the fenders....and those flames!!!!

Need I add that they were parked on the side of Rocky Cola, the 50's diner of Montrose???

Corazon-Rotary Super Build 2009

Once again, the South Pasadena Rotary club, in conjunction with Corazon, participated in another successful Super Build in Tecate, Mexico!!! Rotarians from So. Pas to Las Vegas helped Corazon to build a house on one site and a room for their school on another site. In the meantime, the Corazon group from Mexico built another house at the 3rd site. Mother Nature was good to us as it stayed in the mid 80's this year, about 20 degrees cooler than last year!!! And as you can see by the photos, there were considerably more trees with opportunities for a shady spot to sit...

This school site houses two school programs, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The building we built on Saturday will be used to house the Director's offices for both programs which will then open a room that they will use for a computer lab. If you're interested in the cause...Corazon is looking for donations of computers and ceiling fans for the school! Yes, they do have internet!!! http://www.corazon.org/

It was a weekend of hard work and great reward, with a lot of fellowship thrown in for good measure!!!

A word of warning to those venturing across the border...upon your return, make sure to dump the fruit...or you may find yourself on the Border Patrol watch list for illegally transporting fruit flies across the border!!!!