April 1, 2026

Happy April 1st. Since this is a place of creative refuge, I won’t be pulling any pranks on you today.

So many GOOD things have happened recently I feel sharing those better serves all of us. I think we all know the power, chaos, chest thumping current events, well enough. So I will leave those behind as we weave our creative world’s together.

I love good design. I recently had to get new glasses and the glasses case made me smile. So I’m sharing that with you. I hope it makes you smile too. Good job #KateSpade #Designers

Next up (or actually prior to my getting glasses) was a #PieFest, hosted by #TheAutryMuseum on a VERY hot day in March. A great time was had by all despite the lack of persons directing traffic out of the L.A. Zoo parking lot nearby. We knew one of the pie judges so we had a brief hello with her and we had a healthy lunch from one of the local stands set up there and of course, some really great pie slices from a local business as well. Too much time has past, and I can’t remember either business off the top of my head. Suffice it to say we were well fed before we walked around the grassy lawn where they had tents set up to show off pies made by adults (WAY too crowded for us to feel compelled to enter) and a kids tent with pies they made. This was my favorite and I’ll post a photo of the young gal’s pie that I thought was the most creative. Bloody Zebra Pie! I would have never thought a pie with that name could look and sound so good! Well done child! Ingredients: Striped chocolate and vanilla pudding with a layer of strawberry preserves in an oreo cookie crust! Bring on the Bloody Zebra!!

There was also an artistic creation of a cow, eating a pie (get it?) made out of a shopping cart, random fur and mixed media. It even moved its mouth when someone pushed the cart! Very funny. This was a booth where children could do headband crafts with small pie tins.

Most recently, we attended the annual event at our local nature preserve, the ONLY nature preserve in the County (how sad is that for a VERY large county… but I digress). We were treated to a spring blessing ceremony by a local band of Native Americans and was invited to be blessed with sage smoke and to drop a pinch of tobacco into a center ring fire, after walking the circle with thoughts of blessing for the whole world. How nice is that? A very positive way to start our spring off. There we many, many tents featuring local organizations that work to make our area better and then nature walks that were led around about 2 miles of the property. I was able to see how the plants I had helped plant were doing in a demonstration garden of native plants (they are all surviving the chaotic weather AND the gophers), so I was pleased. It’s always heartening to know there are people working to heal our planet despite the most vocal and powerful ones doing their best to destroy it. Very positive groups and much to learn there. I’ll share my favorite little image from a kids craft. Maybe I am just a kid at heart? I think so.

Now after all these very happy photos, you may wonder what my header photo is all about. It’s just NOT like the others. Well, it’s about our city, county and yes state leaders putting the money citizens pay in taxes, BACK into infrastructure repairs – which its their duty, right? Well apparently not in my county. We have reported this driveway cut, a median with broken sprinkler pipes and more, to the city for over 3 years. Every response is, “there’s no money”. You see, as much as Gavin Newsome would like to be upset when people say there is a fraud problem in Los Angeles County… there IS a fraud problem in Los Angeles County. Every Neighborhood Council knows it. The local representatives know it, the mayor knows it. And while accounts are closed and investigations are ongoing…. that will take years and meanwhile, “there’s no money”. So let’s work on personal accountability from all of our leaders and encourage them to cut through all of “self created red tape nonsense” to make the citizens proud of where we live. Because that is where national pride comes from, isn’t it? I don’t care what your political leanings are, personal accountability needs to become a real thing again. The powers that be need to figure out creative ways to make things better for the citizens again.

My wish for all of us as we make our way through the ever changing ways of these systems is… may you find the funny, may you encounter the kind, may you BE the one who calls out deception, incompetence and destruction (whether through overt acts or neglect). May you heal a small piece of this earth near you, and surround yourself with people who can heal the dings and dents of your heart. So be it.