December Sunset

California has really been putting on a show lately with its nightly Sunset Spectacular. We've literally been meeting at the windows of my office at sunset time each evening to catch the free (and gorgeous) entertainment.

Sunsets (And sunrises. And full moons. And stars. And Winter. And Summer. And Spring. And Autumn ... you get it.) always make me wax poetic, or else think of poems by others that I love. Like this one, by Fred Babbin ...

December Sunset

The pink-blue sky

With the grey-blue buildings

And windows all in pink

With the jet streams flying

The pink becomes blue, 

Becomes grey, 

While our eye forms abstract designs

In the cold.

And the charcoal streets

With their white-blue lamps

To cancel out

The God-given darkness.

And finally, to the stillness of the night

We close our eyes

And dream of other worlds.

... And dream of other (better) worlds. Yes.

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.

The Art Of The Sunset

2015 has already been about the most spectacular year on record for sunsets. The SUNSETS we've seen! They've been so beautiful your heart could just about burst. But last night's might just have topped them all. (So far.)

The social media feeds immediately filled up with Los Angelenos all sharing in the same nature situation. One photo was more beautiful than the next. But nothing compared to the real thing. I saw photos from the art show at the Barker Hangar last night, and every person there said the sky was the best work they saw. Truth. And free for all to enjoy.

I just happened to go outside of the building where I'm currently working to take a call. I nearly dropped the phone when I saw the absolute majesty unfolding above me in the Western sky. I ran inside and made all my colleagues stop what they were doing and follow me to the park outside.

Even the most jaded and cynical among them (and in the entertainment biz, they are legion) stood there, jaws on the ground. No words were needed, it was enough to stand there and soak it all in.

When we did make noise, it was mostly to gasp, but then I had to say how lucky I felt just to feel this glow of the unreal and truly Heavenly light on me. My friend said, "I know! Look at our faces!" It was a real and beautiful moment of people (workaholics) stopping everything to collectively enjoy a rare (not really this year, but still!) moment of natural beauty.

When I lived in Hawai'i, every evening people would stop and gather for "Sunset Hour" instead of Happy Hour. It's a lovely custom, bringing people together to share the ridiculous splendor of the setting sun. No matter what's going on with you, you feel better when you see it. And you can't help but feel grateful, and then you're back on top of your game!

After the buzz of seeing last night's sunset, I aborted my plans to be out and about, and instead, went within. I went to the greatest restorative yoga class at Studio Surya (that I don't even want to tell you about so it doesn't get all packed, but here you go), basically a nap class, where you held stretch positions forever until you zenned out and nearly slept. That was easy to get into, because the class is held in the dark, all candle-lit and trance inducing music vibes. And aromatherapy. And blankets and eye pillows. And TOTAL zone out relaxation.

At class's end, the soothing instructor, Amy, told everyone to inhale what you want to carry inside you. Then exhale what you want to put out into the world.

For each breath, I chose that evening's sunset.

A Thursday Venice Posse

As tonight is the last Pier Concert (Charles Bradley!), I wanted to give a shout-out to a fun-loving group of Venice folks who, for the last couple months, I've had the pleasure of watching ride by in their blocks long group of guys, gals, kids - with one guy in the middle always blasting old school hip hop from a giant boom box strapped to his bike ...

I wish I'd taken a video instead of a photo because it doesn't nearly capture how many they are, how awesomely loud it is for minutes as they all go by, and how they embody fun and the simple pleasures of friendship, bike rides, sunsets, music, and living where we do.

Hopefully I'll see them on their last concert ride of the summer this evening, and thank them for bringing a smile to my face (and heart) every Thursday.

Birthday Bliss Weekend

I just had an extra great birthday weekend, full of sunshine, laughter, love and friends. It was awesome.

Gone was the morning gloom we've been having at the beach, and bright blue skies were happening all weekend long. Which meant I was firmly in place at Playa de los Amigos all day, both days. The water was super warm, and you could already feel the rip pulling from Hurricane Maria (which is now causing our coast to be pumping!), so my annual re-birth baptism in the sea was a little less dreamy and floaty than most years, and a bit more about just survival ... metaphor? Anyway, it was a complete joy.

Venice was showing off all weekend, with the perfect weather, tons of people out, and the Summer Music Festival was happening on Saturday, which created a nice, groovy atmosphere and had the locals and tourists all dancing together.

Little kids and Grandmas were out there learning to hula hoop, bikes were everywhere, it really was exactly the kind of day you expect to find when you come here to visit.

 

As the music and the growing waves competed with the skaters at the park for who could be loudest, I got to close out another year, complete with a magical sunset.

I pretty much got to do it all over again on Sunday, my birthday. A whole day of swimming and sun, and then it was time to celebrate with friends at The Ladies' Gunboat Society.

I cannot say enough how very delicious this joint is, and I'm so very lucky to have its Chef, Brian Dunsmoor, as one of my favorite homies.

Brian hooked us up with a family style feast of favorites like their ridiculously good fried chicken, shrimp and grits, whole trout, and all the sides that make this one of the most talked about food destinations in town right now. For great reason.

So we ate, drank, and laughed our faces off, and I kicked off another year, feeling loved and beyond grateful for the people and places that make up my life.

 

 It's gonna be a great year, I can feel it. I so look forward to telling its stories ...

Thank you, one and all. Thank you, Venice. Thank you, Mom! Thank you, LIFE!

Stormy Sunset

Check out the stormy sunset picture my brother took in Venice:


Skills.

Done with the storms now.






www.PaulGronner.com

Rainbow/Sunset Double Feature!

I stepped out my front door this evening to see this going down to my right:


And this blowing my mind to the left:


I took turns staring at each, and watched the rainbow get more vivid as it got a little darker:


And the Sunset start to give extra sparkle to the sky for you to remember it by:


I came inside after both directions had fully faded away, and went back to the email stuff I was doing, feeling blessed that I can be moved so deeply by just looking up.

Facebook was blowing up with people all over Los Angeles typing DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!! in their status boxes, and I felt blessed anew that EVERYONE can still get excited over such pure and natural beauty as rainbows and sunsets. No politics involved, no family drama, no selfishness involved whatsoever, as it's free and we all share in it.

Just this morning, I sang quoted Bob Marley from "Sun Is Shining" to illustrate how I want to try and be in life, "I'm a rainbow too!" Well, now it's just straight fitting to quote him again, in light of the dazzling we were all just subjected to over here, at the end of the rainbow, at the end of the country ...

When the morning gathers the rainbow
Want you to know I'm a rainbow too
So, to the rescue here I am
Want you to know just if you can
Where I stand, know, know, know, know, know

We'll lift our heads and give Jah praises!


Oh, yes we will. Praise Jah!!

*I promise you that if I was a photographer, these dang photos would make you cry. As ever, real life is better.

Sunset Over Venice

My extra talented brother, Paul, took this photo of the sun setting off of the beach in Venice.


He didn't use any special Photo-Shoppy tricks, just his own eyeballs and the colors of nature.

I'm not mad at it.

You're probably going to be seeing a new Blogtown feature called "Paul's Epic Photo of the Week" or something like that. Because he's really that good, and I rather enjoy making peoples' jaws hurtle to the floor.

Check it - PaulGronner.com