A Venice Weekend - From Surfside To Moby Dick!

Another excellent weekend in Venice was just lived, and it was well-needed after all the drama of the world and California last week. The weather was lovely, and I think people were just in the mood to cut loose a little bit. To that end, there was a bunch of house parties and fun like that, and then on Saturday night there was a little book release party for Jason Hill's new second edition of his collection of Venice Stories (and I'm in it!).

I don't believe I've ever seen Harry Perry play anywhere other than the Boardwalk, but there he was shredding it up at Surfside with his band, the Karma Kosmic Krusaders. They were louder and harder than most anything I've ever seen at Surfside, but it was legendary to see Perry play an actual set with a full band.

Friends and locals were all there celebrating life, basically, and it was almost like the last day of school when everyone signs your yearbook, as those featured in this Venice Stories booklet were going around having everyone sign their copy. It was cute, and a good way for everyone to come together.

I couldn't stay as long as I would have liked because all THREE of my brother Paul's bands (The Weight Of Everything/spaceblanket/Shotshell Press) were playing the same night in San Pedro (at Harold's Place, who really need a new person that doesn't double book bands like losers - but I digress). Sunday was a lot of recovery, but we were able to get it together in time to hear a little bit of Moby Dick being read in its annual beach reading at the Breakwater, put on by the wonderful Venice Oceanarium. It's one of my favorite annual events for good reason - literature being read aloud next to the sea where the story takes place. Wonderful, picturesque ... great. I think I missed the clam chowder this year, but the view and the story was more than enough.

Then just like that, it's a new week, a new hustle, and a new opportunity for more great things to happen. My beach walk this morning was rewarded by running into the bulldozers that are building the winter sand dunes as we speak, which means today is Opening Day of Sand Sledding Season! Yay.

As we now enter the hustle and bustle of the holidays with Thanksgiving kicking off this week, let's remember the little things that make life great. Walking along and looking out at the beautiful sea, I recalled a quote a mystical lady told me one day at the beach, that I think goes great with Thanksgiving especially, but every damn day too.

"Gratitude IS the Glory." Think about that. Like, if you're feeling grateful, that IS the recognition of things being good at that moment, and that you're tangibly aware of it. Thus, that feeling IS the glory that we're all going for.  Gratitude is the Glory. Get after it! Happy Thanksgiving Week, Friends!

A Wilderness Getaway To Sequoia And King's Canyon National Parks - American Splendor

"This grand show is eternal." - John Muir

When I was home a few weeks ago, I had asked my Mom what places and things she had yet to see or do in life that she really wanted to. She mentioned seeing the giant trees in California, which I had yet to see myself, so for her birthday yesterday, we had her come out from Minnesota, jump in the car, and speed up to see the biggest trees in the world in Sequoia National Park for the weekend. And I'm SO glad we did!

Before we left on Saturday morning, Mom and I went to see Won't You Be My Neighbor? on Friday night. I mention this because you HAVE to see it. Mr. Rogers was a true American treasure - on a level with Generals Sherman and Grant that we were about to meet in the National Park. We cried our eyes out throughout the film, and silently vowed to try to be more like Fred Rogers. Seriously, no one left when the movie ended ... everyone just sat there in the quiet, trying to gather themselves before leaving the theater. All you heard were sniffles, and then the laughter that comes with an entire group of strangers being equally moved. A gem of a film that should be required American viewing - especially in these times. Please go. A quick sleep, and we were off to the forest the next morning!

Sequoia and Kings Canyon are really not that far away, and a few hours (like 3 1/2) from Venice, we were deep in the most gorgeous nature setting ever. I've been to Yosemite, which is the marquee California park, but these two are just as beautiful AND have these towering trees that honestly made me emotional to behold. We met General Sherman first, and he is the biggest tree in the world. I was super into it ... and not surprisingly - super moved. Pure, breathtaking majesty. It was so cool to see people from all over the globe all excited to see trees. Folks took turns taking photos of families, and kindness and politeness were the norm, as citizens of the world who still care about nature, and take time out of their lives to make these pilgrimages.

I choked up when I read the quote I opened this story with from John Muir, the famous naturalist who many places in these parks are named for. "This grand show is eternal." There has been talk under this current and awful Administration that these parks could be drilled in, or sold to corporate interests, or whatever nefarious things they've got up their sleeves. This. Must. Not. Happen. There is such a sense of relief when you leave the cities and enter these sacred, pristine lands ... that places like this still - and MUST - exist.  I mean, we saw a golden bear and her cub right from the road (with a far away, blurry photo- for obvious reasons)! And multiple deer! And and and! We HAVE to fight to protect them, no matter what. THIS is the best of America.

Mom thought so too. We had this road trip idea for her birthday, but her children got just as much out of it, believe me. I was gasping and yelling and running around taking photos the whole time, and I felt like I was in nature's church the entire weekend - beaming. Tourists, and proud of it.

The last minute plan meant we had no reservations to stay anywhere, but that's often how I roll, knowing that things will work out somehow. And they did. After a long day of driving and sight-seeing, we needed a hot meal and a bed, and we lucked out, pulling over to Gena's Sierra Inn right outside of the parks in Dunlap. The restaurant had a motel attached, with a vacancy! Bam. We ate, we drank, and we sat outside on the patio under the stars, as my brother Paul borrowed a guitar and played for Mom. It was excellent, and positioned us perfectly to wake up, have a great breakfast right there, and then head back into the parks to see General Grant and then King's Canyon.

General Grant is the third largest tree in the world, and was named "The Nation's Christmas Tree" by President Coolidge in 1926. There is a hushed awe when the flocks of tourists approach these giants, as there should be. The surrounding forest is just as impressive, and my brother and I had a grand old time climbing up the rocks and hills while our Mom watched us and yelled at us to be careful ... just like the good old days (Where's Pablo?!).

As it was just an overnight trek, we had a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time - again, how I often roll. We drove the winding roads into King's Canyon, and pretty much freaked out the whole time at how stunningly beautiful it all was. It was hot and sunny, with perfect white, fluffy clouds to add some flourishes to our photographic memories of our Mom's birthday.

Mountains, trees, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, animals, meadows, flowers ... all of it overwhelmingly beautiful, it was almost surreal. It was almost like a backdrop you couldn't believe was real, but there it was.

The river looked so inviting, it was all we could do to not jump in on this hot day, but that would have made for a rather uncomfortable ride back to Venice later ... but now I regret not doing it.

We had a picnic on a rock next to the river, and then Paul and I ran off to check out this meadow, as my Mom is dealing with a bum foot. I wish she had been with us, as this Zumwalt Meadow brought to mind one of Mom's favorite movies of all time ... The Sound Of Music. You almost HAD to twirl around with arms outstretched at the pure glory of what you were beholding. I'm back at the office now, and that meadow is the star of my daydreams, and I can still almost smell the pine needles. Forest Therapy is real.

We had almost every kind of day, from sweltering hot to thunder and rain to chilly and then back to boiling hot as we traversed the roads that took us from mountain high to valley low. Our photos look like they're from several days, but really is was a few hours. Hours that had eternal value.

As do these National Parks, hearkening back to the Muir quote up top. It truly IS a grand show, with oohs and aahs literally around every corner. Even the wildfires that happen up here (as evidenced by the black scarring on trees or barren branches) create new life ... the only thing that could really harm them is corporations and greed ... and we must never, ever let that happen.

 Trips like these re-fire me up about this stuff every single time. We just had the most special weekend together as a family (sans my brother Rich who had to work, but we thought of the whole time), and will remember it for always. Nature is our teacher, and our gift. We have to protect it to show our gratitude. And we will.

A speedy drive back to Venice got us back in time to take Mom out for her birthday dinner, which we spent looking at the photos and re-living our brief, but beautiful, time in the Giant Forest of Sequoia and in King's Canyon. Even after just two days in this American Splendor (another great movie), it was weird to be back in the hubbub of the city. Almost disturbing, really. It really should be on your list if you've never been, and your entrance fee alone is doing your part to show that these places matter - deeply. I'm so excited for you to see it too.

Thank you, Mother Nature, and thank you, Mother Gronner ... for you both were the reason for this road trip, and this story. And I love you both endlessly.

Gratitude In The City Of Angels

We all talk a lot about gratitude at this time of the year, and as Thanksgiving is coming right up, that's great. It's so much more than a word to toss around, though. When you truly feel it, it's super powerful, and as a guru lady on the beach once told me ... "Gratitude is the glory." That is truth right there.

I missed out on a bunch of fun things over the weekend, because last week I woke up on Thursday with my face so swollen it was deformed. It was painful and atrocious to look at, and further reminded me why I would never be a candidate for botox or lip fillers. Yuck. Not a good look. At all. I took Benedryl. Nothing. I finally went in to Westside Walk In Clinic to see the wonderful Hannah on Friday, and though we still don't really know why this happened, my face was pretty much back to normal by the next morning. I still feel a little weird, especially as I don't exactly know what went down, but MAN, did the whole deal make me SO grateful for when everything is working and looking good. We used to see a guy in a wheelchair down on the Boardwalk all the time, and call him our "Gratitude Guru", because he was always so positive and upbeat, despite living under very trying circumstances. People let the littlest things get them down, but when you don't have your health, nothing else really matters. Nothing else can really get done. You simply cannot take it for granted.

A gratitude walk was ultra-necessary for me this morning - especially now that I felt I could go back out into the public. The sky was filled with wispy clouds resembling angels, and I felt completely full with thanks and praise for this beautiful place, and for the upswing in my health (I think). There's still a whole bunch of things that need real work in my life (housing in Venice! lots more work! cool dudes!), but the simple pleasure of not feeling pain and not looking like a total Elephant Woman made me almost click my heels together in the air as I breathed in the golden day and fresh air.

As we gear up for this busy, fun, friends and family time of celebration, let's be seriously thankful - in addition to every other good thing - for every easy step we take, every non-labored breath, and every moment that feels no pain.

To your health!

Keep America Thinking!

Hi Friends! My life is utter mayhem at the moment, and I can't even write anything without first thanking the remarkable folks that have stepped up lately and shown me that they love and care. I've had messages from people I've never met or even heard of, offering me ideas about new places, work opportunities, a spare house or couch, and above all, true friendship - whether we know each other in real life or not. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to any and all that have reached out in any way. Gratitude is the very best way to deal with situations like this, I'm realizing. Big things don't seem as hard when you're grateful for the little things. So, honestly and from the very depths of my heart - THANK YOU. Because of you all, I know that things are actually going to be even better than before - which after the last year, shouldn't be hard.

I'm staying with dear friends at the moment, and while they're in Venice, it's a different neighborhood, and thus a different walking route for me. Today when I was heading down Angelus Place, I saw this great sign, requesting that we "Keep America Thinking - Fund Science". While lately I'm probably thinking too much, I can still get all the way behind this sentiment. When you have a President who appears to be dumber than an actual box of rocks, this idea of THINKING is paramount to our country's survival. I just read that Volvo is now the first major car company that will stop making cars that use gas. While this should have been done decades ago, it's a wonderful start ... which I imagine came about due to some good, old-fashioned, head-scratching thinking.

Think about it.

*As I'm thinking about all of you dear readers with complete love and fierce gratitude. Please keep the good ideas coming ... I promise it will all come back to you. Karma is real.

Thanks, Obama!

As I can't even begin to fathom that today is real and we really do have this ridiculous man as our new President ... I'll today mentally focus on my gratitude for the best President of my lifetime, Barack Obama, and his wonderful wife Michelle.

They handled everything that came their way with poise, class, and wisdom. They always took the high road. They were a beautiful example on how to lead with compassion and intelligence. That's all gone now, and tears streamed down my face earlier today when I saw them fly away. The only solace I can find is that those eight Obama years flew by very quickly ... let's hope the next four (if he manages not to be impeached that long) are just a blink of our collective eyes.

Thank you, President and Michelle Obama. You are the real deal, and we were so incredibly fortunate to have you as our representative to the World. You'll be more than missed. Thank you also for your continued gift of HOPE. We'll need it.


*Top photo from First Avenue in Minneapolis.
*Bottom photo:Reuters

Kiss The Ground

I know it sounds a bit precious to talk about how grateful you are, but I just really am. I spent the majority of my birthday yesterday just walking around feeling super dang grateful for every good thing in my life. I had a tangible awareness of it all day ... like seeing someone in a wheelchair and being so happy I can walk. Like talking to someone suffering from allergies and being so happy I can breathe great. Like hearing someone bicker with their spouse and feeling so lucky that I get to do whatever I want with whomever I want, whenever I want. Like seeing the news and thanking my lucky stars that I'm not digging loved ones out of rubble. Like seeing a homeless man with a sign asking for food on my way to eating a delicious birthday meal ... It was like my antennae were all the way out and picking up on only the good.

Then I went by the very great big garden in front of Beyond Baroque and saw this hand-painted sign planted there ...

Kiss The Ground. And that's exactly what I felt like doing. And then I kissed the sky ...

Thank you! For real.

A Golden State Of Mind

I stopped in to Golden State on Lincoln the other day to see what was new, and what was new (to me) was an awesome mural out in the back garden by bumblebeelovesyou. It's playful and fun, with all the freedom and joy of childhood, and I love it.

Just as my heart was bursting over that, I went inside and saw this Steinbeck quote on the wall, one of my favorites.

Today is my birthday, and this is pretty much exactly how I feel as I look forward to a new year of adventures and growth, with nothing but gratitude for all of the good of this past year. Sincerely.

Come on down to Hinano's tonight (after 8!) and clink a glass with me, won't you? Cheers and heartfelt thank you's to each of you who brighten my every day!

Postcards From The Edge

I guess I still have Thanksgiving stuck in my craw, because this morning as I took my walk on the beach, I was so overcome with gratitude I had tears in my eyes. It was one of the most beautiful mornings on this Earth, and one sight was lovelier than the next.

It felt pretty selfish to have all this all to myself, so I thought you might like to join me on my heart-swelling stroll. Blue skies and bright sunshine accompanied me every step of the way, and the only way you knew it was December was the big sand berms built for the winter swells.

Surfers were out in droves this morning on the glassy water, and every wave was a party wave.

 I've always thought it was weird that surfers and skaters had the rep of being slackers and ne'er do wells, when those guys and girls are the early birds, out there getting it before most worker drones have even gotten out of bed.

The graffiti walls were brightly painted, and where one side looked like a glazed-out Jesus watching the surfers ...

... the other side proclaimed that He rocks. On a day this gorgeous, it would be hard to disagree.

As I felt so much love inside for Venice as I walked around, it was reflected back at me everywhere I went. The ocean air, the palm trees, the colorful characters, past and present, (as I definitely felt the presence of some Venice ghosts this morning ... Bobby Brown - The World's Greatest Wino, Dr. Geek the rapper, and Dr. John the activist were all on my mind and profoundly felt), friends waving as you pass by, all the art, waves, the Skatepark, the mom and pop stores hanging in there ... I love it all so much. And I'll fight to keep it a place "Where the weather is warm, and the people are cool". And I'm not alone.

Heading back home in a hurry - as I'd spent a little too much time in reflection and appreciation mode - I got one more affirmation peeking through the trees.

I hope you've enjoyed your postcards from the Western edge even a fraction as much as I enjoyed living it in the moment.

We love you, Venice!



*It's now later in the afternoon. There was just another mass shooting in America, this time in California. After reading absolutely insane comments from people in other parts of the country about it all online, I want to add how EXTRA grateful I am to live in the Venice bubble. Where people tend to talk reasonably, be informed, keep an open mind, and practice tolerance and love with everyone from all walks of life. At least in my world. THANK YOU!

A Thanksgiving Prayer

This has been a hard year for a lot of people, in a lot of ways. It has also been an incredibly beautiful year for a lot of people, in a whole lot of ways. Every moment has the potential to be hard or beautiful, and much of that is how you view and act on it. I love so much that all Americans take at least the one day of Thanksgiving to do exactly that ... give enormous thanks, with all the gratitude we have in our hearts, even if that's just a little.

e.e. cummings wrote a Thanksgiving prayer long ago, and I'll share it with you now in its entirety. For this very best American holiday, that's the very best we can do - SHARE.

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any-lifted from the no
of all nothing-human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

‡

“next to of course god america i
love you land of the pilgrims’ and so forth oh
say can you see by the dawn’s early my
country ’tis of centuries come and go
and are no more what of it we should worry
in every language even deafanddumb
thy sons acclaim your glorious name by gorry
by jingo by gee by gosh by gum
why talk of beauty what could be more beaut-
iful than these heroic happy dead
who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter
they did not stop to think they died instead
then shall the voice of liberty be mute?”

He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water

‡

when god lets my body be
From each brave eye shall sprout a tree fruit that dangles therefrom
the purpled world will dance upon
Between my lips which did sing
a rose shall beget the spring
that maidens whom passion wastes
will lay between their little breasts
My strong fingers beneath the snow
Into strenuous birds shall go
my love walking in the grass
their wings will touch with her face
and all the while shall my heart be
With the bulge and nuzzle of the sea

‡

when god decided to invent
everything he took one
breath bigger than a circustent
and everything began

when man determined to destroy
himself he picked the was
of shall and finding only why
smashed it into because

‡

love is more thicker than forget
more thinner than recall
more seldom than a wave is wet
more frequent than to fail

it is most mad and moonly
and less it shall unbe
than all the sea which only
is deeper than the sea

love is less always than to win
less never than alive
less bigger than the least begin
less littler than forgive

it is most sane and sunly
and more it cannot die
than all the sky which only
is higher than the sky

‡

love is the every only god

who spoke this earth so glad and big
even a thing all small and sad
man,may his mighty briefness dig

for love beginning means return
seas who could sing so deep and strong

one queerying wave will whitely yearn
from each last shore and home come young

so truly perfectly the skies
by merciful love whispered were,
completes its brightness with your eyes

any illimitable star

Happy Thanksgiving! God bless us EVERYONE.

*Photo (with no filter) was taken during one of my most grateful moments of the year. Just happy to be witnessing that splendor ... Ahhh.

November Summer

Emily Dickinson wrote, "November always seemed to me the Norway of the year." I love that, but it's not at all accurate if you live in Southern California. This past weekend saw temperatures in the mid-80's at the beach. In November.

The weekend was a lot of fun, with friend birthday parties, a Sturgill Simpson show, a Vikings game with friends ... but the very best part was having the gorgeous beach almost all to myself.

Yet another thing to be so grateful for as we head into Thanksgiving week. Wow.

Painterly Skies Over Venice

If you were lucky enough to behold the sunset over Venice last night, you're probably still swooning over it today.

It felt like a privilege just to be standing underneath it, to bathe in the neon colors of the Heavens. The social media feeds blew up with one photo more gorgeous than the next ... but none of them could capture what it was really like to be there, basking in its glow. The photograph above by Ray Rae of Venice Beach Photos comes pretty close ...

These are the every day miracles that let you know there is always something bigger than us all, and that together we can all be something bigger ... and better.

Wow. Just wow.

Gratitude.

May Flowers!

Flowers are busting out all over in Venice, and it is something to behold. Every yard seems to contain its own treasures. The recent rain (still not nearly enough, but we'll take it) greened it all up around here, and life is blooming with a certain natural ecstacy that cannot be contained - even up a telephone pole.

One of my favorite books - and quotes - ever is The Little Prince, when Antoine de Saint-Exupery writes, "If someone loves a flower, of just one single blossom grows in all the millions and millions of stars, it is enough to make him happy just to look at the stars."

Walking around Venice, here on Earth, it is enough to make one happy just to look at the flowers.

The Little Things

March came in like a dang Lion, outside and internally. Sometimes the weather matches your mood ... sometimes the weather helps to cause your mood. Whatever the case may be ... this past weekend was gloomy and so was I. That doesn't happen to me much, but after a bunch of disappointment in people and events that should be better than they are, I was kind of over it. Then it started to rain, and it was actually perfect. We need the rain, I had a couple books from the library, plus my own projects to work on, so I was going to be a hermit and wallow in my misery.

But that's no fun! After a little while of that - and enjoying it, but getting antsy - I decided it was time to go on a search for things that made me happy, for no reason other than just because.

Fresh orange blossoms wooed me with their heady perfume, and filled me with almost a sort of relief with each inhale. Possibly the world's best smell.

Pann's Restaurant made me happy with their $6.95 bottomless mimosas, great waitresses, chicken and waffles, and Pulp Fiction vibes.

Randy's Donuts made me happy, because it's a giant donut serving great donuts.

This fresh yellow car made me happy because it was such a bright spot on an extra grey day.

This toy soldier paratrooping down to Cabrillo Avenue made me happy because it was a mystery, and it looked like someone had had fun.

It made me happy to see this brother taking pictures with his great talent, that somehow makes nature look even better than it already does.

Waving to friends, sharing umbrellas, and stomping in puddles made me happy, especially when the reward for the walk to the beach was one of the most dramatic and stunning sunsets since ... well, last week, but still.

There was an orange glow over everything, that with the ominous looming of a gigantic storm cloud hovering, made it all seem that much more intense. Like something big was about to happen.

And maybe it is. You just never know what's next. When you're staring so hard at something that you think is SO great, and SO beautiful, sometimes you miss what's going on behind you. Like this giant, vertical rainbow that was climbing the skies right behind me, but that I didn't see until someone pointed it out to me. Hmmm ....

The more the sun set, the more spectacular it got out there. There weren't many people out there, because it had been so stormy, and we ran down there between squalls, just to see what would happen with the light. Because you never know if you don't go.

Standing there, bathed in the colorful spectrum of everything being reflected off everything at once, I got that old feeling that it's all going to be alright. Just look! How can anything be that bad when there is this much beauty in the world, right there for you, for no other reason than to be beautiful?

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes ...

"The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen


It really is the little things that are huge.