click me

... to view a really fun, timely film clip. this was sent to me by my sweet soul sister("aiko island girl") it features a catchy little tune, with the perfect images accompanying it.

oh, and a picture of our red rhododendron
which is beginning to bloom. spring!

aids memorial grove

at the halfway point of the volunteer work day, everyone gathers on the meadow and talks about the people they lost. actually, it's more like you shout the name of the person. quite a powerful experience.


a small portion of the circle of friends. "someday" i will locate the great shot of my pal tim's name, and post it.


this is a lovely, peaceful oasis. well worth visiting, and remembering all those we have lost to this merciless disease.

weed the people

this one says a lot. click the title, if you wish.

last night

june 1987

just one more of my buddy...

tim and clyde at the greek theatre, u.c. berkeley. this was a few hours before the start of the grateful dead show. the greek shows were always a treat, year-after-year. note: tim's backstage pass and weird red sunglasses. a bunch of us used to wear the propeller hats to shows... made in the u.s.a. by interstellar propeller. clyde was a security guard for bill graham presents for as far back as i can recall. i literally remember him yelling at us as kids in the early 70's. weird side note: after his passing, some of his friends were in eureka, going through tim's archives, and a picture slipped out of a pile and onto the floor. i turned it over and this was the picture. strange thing is-clyde passed away the very same week that tim did. the difference? clyde was in his seventies, and had lived a rich, good life. grandkids, etc.

this photo means a lot.

my sweet friend

on this day, a decade back... i was at the grocery store, and the kids were home with my then-husband. as i pulled into the carport, he came outside with a look on his face that spoke volumes. it was the face of dread, of fear.

"tim died today" he said. i felt a wave of nausea take me over. the kids gathered around me, confused, yet ready to console. we all knew this was coming. that there would be an end to our friend's suffering. and here it was. this was too soon, too sudden. he had been diagnosed with hiv just two years before his demise. he was 39 years old when he slipped into darkness.

i had known him for more than 15 years. like most of the friends of my youth, he was a deadhead kid, born, raised and died in eureka, california. we were instant compadres. there are blissful memories of music and friends and laughter. we had us a high time, livin' the good life.

as the years went by, and most of us settled into our own versions of normalcy, tim kept on partying. and he got himself quite addicted to the powders. devil's dandruff, we called that stuff. at one point, we had words. he was losing himself to his addictions. i wrote him a letter, and said he should get some help, or stay away.
harsh, but i was not into dealing with coke heads while raising my babies. he went to rehab. his friends and family were all so proud of him. after completing rehab, he stayed on as a counselor, helping others find there way out. this lasted for a few years.

eventually, he began using again. nobody saw him much for a while. then he got sick. we went up and saw him, and stayed in touch. so much light in this man, so many talents. all of it shrouded by a drug-induced haze. such a waste.

there are stories. and photos, and memorabilia. one day i will have it organized enough to scan and post more of the archival material. for now, just this one of him. taken in golden gate park in about 1978, the day after a dead show at winterland. the buddha is off limits, by the way. roped-off. tim had trouble with limits.

his memorial was quite an event. held in eureka, of course. that day, i met and became forever friends with a woman he grew up with, yet i had never met. in later years, she spent most of her time in tahiti. in fact she still spends most of her time there. but we never lose touch.

a year after tim's death, about 20 of us gathered at the aids memorial grove, and did a volunteer work day together. even the "tahitian" friend was there. what a day, and what a humbling place. breathtaking, literally. i will do a post about the aids grove soon, including some photos.

after that, we raised the funds to donate and had his name inscribed in the circle of friends. that circle keeps on growing, sadly. so now tim is in his beloved golden gate park, for always. his inscription reads "aiko tim d. vallee"... his mother insisted that we include the aiko part, to pay tribute to his great love for the the grateful dead, and the friendships that grew out of it.

i get there at least once a year. once, a dear pal and i drank a bottle of red wine near his spot, and poured a tiny dribble on his name. people leave lots of things there, mostly flowers. such a sacred space, that place.

on this day, i remember him.

i love you, sweet aiko brother.

1963

~click to enlarge it~

my kindergarten class at sarah b. cooper elementary in san francisco. that's me, the fourth kid from the right in the middle row. the one with the strawberry on her forehead. i cleaned up pretty well, but was always a tomboy at heart. it was a red dress, i think.


some of the kids in this class were friends of mine all the way through high school.
the school is located on lombard street, one block down from the crookedest street in the world. we had some lucrative lemonade stands at the foot of that famed street.

salmon cakes

this recipe is from the fat flush cookbook, by ann louise gittelman.

1 pound cooked salmon fillet, skinned. (i steam it)

1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped

3 teaspoons fresh dill

3 garlic cloves, minced

splash of fresh lemon juice

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cracker or bread crumbs, if desired

preheat oven to 350 degrees. place salmon in a large bowl, and separate with a fork. mix in scallions, dill, garlic, lemon juice, egg, and bread crumbs, if you use them.
shape mixture into patties, about 3/4 inch thick. place patties in a nonstick baking dish in oven, or rub some olive oil on a non/non-stick pan. bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

serves 4

be afraid

Christian youth rally in S.F.
- Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, March 25, 2006

More than 25,000 evangelical Christian youth landed Friday in San Francisco for a two-day rally at AT&T Park against "the virtue terrorism" of popular culture, and they were greeted by an official city condemnation and a clutch of protesters who said their event amounted to a "fascist mega-pep rally."

"Battle Cry for a Generation" is led by a 44-year-old Concord native, Ron Luce, who wants "God's instruction book" to guide young people away from the corrupting influence of popular culture.

Luce, whose Teen Mania organization is based in Texas, kicked off a three-city "reverse rebellion" tour Friday night intended to counter a popular culture that he says glamorizes violence and sex. The $55 advance tickets for two days of musical performances and speeches were sold out, but walk-up admission was available for $199.

After stops in Detroit and Philadelphia in the next few weeks, Luce wants to unleash a "blitz" of youth pastors into the communities to do everything from work with the homeless to find new ways to bring others to Christ. He challenged youth leaders to double the size of their groups in the next year.

And then he plans to return to San Francisco next year to chart their progress.

That's bad news to Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who told counterprotesters at City Hall on Friday that while such fundamentalists may be small in number, "they're loud, they're obnoxious, they're disgusting, and they should get out of San Francisco."

Luce didn't flinch in the face of the counterprotest. The author, host of the "Acquire the Fire TV" cable television program and a President Bush appointee to a federal anti-drug abuse commission, wants teens to find Bible-based solutions for the spread of sexually transmitted disease, teen pregnancy, drug abuse and suicide.

The villains, Luce said, range from the promiscuity and "sexualization" of young people on MTV and the popular online meeting hub MySpace.com to a corporate culture that spends millions trying to woo the under-21 crowd.

Battle Cry will try to bring them back to God through two days of religious rockers, speakers and the debut of what Luce called a Christian alternative to My Space.com.

"This is more than a spiritual war," Luce said. "It's a culture war."

Military metaphors abound in Luce's descriptions of the struggle. He tells young people of how "an enemy has launched a brutal attack on them." At a pre-Battle Cry rally Friday afternoon on the steps of City Hall, Luce told his mostly teenage audience that "terrorists of a different kind" -- advertisers -- were targeting them and that they were "caught in the middle of the battle."

"Are you ready to go to battle for your generation?" he asked, and the young people roared "yes!" and some waved triangular red flags flown from long, medieval-looking poles.

Luce's approach has been praised by conservative leaders from the Rev. Jerry Falwell to Fox News commentator Sean Hannity. Much of the statistical backing for the horrors Luce sees on TV is provided by the Parents Television Council, which is funded by conservative foundations such as the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.

Those alliances weren't lost on the 50 protesters representing a rainbow of San Francisco's left -- from abortion-rights advocates to anti-war activists to atheists -- who staged Friday's counterprotest.

"There is a real intolerancy to homosexuality in a lot of these organizations," said Peter Cobb, an organizer with Not In Our Name.

Earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning the "act of provocation" by what it termed an "anti-gay," "anti-choice" organization that aimed to "negatively influence the politics of America's most tolerant and progressive city."

Luce said it was the first time one of his events has been officially condemned.

A Battle Cry invitation to teenagers made plain the symbolism of gathering in San Francisco for a pre-event rally at "the very City Hall steps where several months ago, gay marriages were celebrated for all the world to see."

Gay marriage "is another sign of the end of times," said Sherilyn David, referring to the apocalypse that some fundamentalist Christians believe is foretold in Scripture. The 22-year-old San Jose administrative assistant came to Battle Cry with 15 other young Christians on Friday and will be joined by 60 other friends Saturday.

Christian Gallion, a 15-year-old in town with his Assembly of God youth group from Humboldt County, shrugged off being called "fascists" by counterdemonstrators.

"It doesn't bother me," Gallion said. "It's a beautiful city, and we don't have anything against the protesters."

His youth pastor had no interest in engaging in political debates.

"I'm not here to hate anybody," Scott Thompson said. "This isn't about Bush or gays or anything other than being here to worship together."

That's not how some liberal leaders saw it.

"Even if it is done by a Barnum & Bailey crowd with a tent and some snake oil, I think we need to pay attention to it," said Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who authored the condemnation resolution. "We should not fall asleep at the wheel."

Separated by barricades and six feet of neutral sidewalk in front of City Hall, the two sides traded amplified calls to arms Friday.

On one side of the barricade was girl carrying a sign that said, "Instead of porn, show us Godly relationships." On the other, a woman held one that said, "I moved here to get away from people like you."

As Battle Cry organizers walked through the crowd of young people telling them, "Don't engage with them," one rain-soaked counterdemonstrator yelled, "And next time, come back in summer."

Luce said they will.

"We're going to be back here in a year, to see what kind of progress we've made," he said. "And we're going to be at AT&T Park. Or whatever it is called then."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
©2006 San Francisco Chronicle

the countdown

on monday night, the man and i will see elvis costello at the louise m. davies symphony hall, in san francisco. a real date. we will then spend the night on tiburon. (it's an island.)

a total of four days off work for us. we need this.

five more

... from the trip to the south coast last weekend.

~click to enlarge them~



her special geraniums. the leaves are shaped differently, and they are a unique variety.


the guest cottage is on the right in this one, and the stone path leads to the main house.



my middle child and my first cousin, posing on a sunny sunday.



still waters run deep.


another one of the old gate. it feels very fortress-like.

yesterday's views

~click the images for larger views~


this is the view from my cousins place. for the first time in many weeks, we had a weekend of sunshine.


this is my cousins place. it has been in her husband's family since the early 1930's. before that, it was a homestead, established over 100 years ago.


there have been peacocks on the property for 70 years or so. at any given time, there are between 30 and 60 of them. this guy showed off for me when i was out walking early sunday morning.



my college kid. she was in the area with her scuba class, so we stayed at the cousin's on saturday night. here she is going through the ancient gate that leads to the house.


this is their old outdoor cooking spot. if that cauldron could talk.

baked spaghetti

that's the best i can do, since the blogger gods are frowning on me. i can't seem to post my photos. enter: plan b.

how about a late recipe instead? this one that comes from my great-grandmother, jessie. i had the pleasure of visiting another of her descendants this weekend. a cousin, who resides on the sonoma coast. she is approximately the same age as my father. we had a grand time.

plus, my college kid had two great days, learning to dive off the coast.

BAKED SPAGHETTI

1 lb. spaghetti
5 T olive oil
3 onions-chopped
3(or more) large cloves of garlic-chopped
2 lb. ground round
2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz. cans)
1 lg. can whole tomatoes
1 sm. can tomato paste
1 green pepper-chopped
1 can black olives
1/2 cup broth-of-choice
1 lb. cheddar cheese-grated
bay leaf, oregano, herbs-of-choice

cook meat in salted skillet-set aside
combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, and tomato paste, and broth
cook slowly
saute onion, garlic, and grn. pepper in olive oil until soft
add to tomatoes-cook slowly, covered for 1/2 hr. add all other ingredients except meat and cheese
continue cooking for about another hour
add meat-remove bay leaf
cook and drain spaghetti
rinse-drain again
mix with sauce and half the cheese
put in buttered baking dish-bake at 350 for 1/2 hr.
top with the rest of the cheese
heat until the top is melted and golden

it's great with a romaine lettuce salad.

cherries

one of the coffee trees in the break room at work, which produce what are known as coffee cherries, which yield green coffee beans, which are then roasted... and it all happens indoors. it's never a whole bunch of coffee, but enough for we, the employees to have a cup or two.

they are about 20 years old. the owner of the company started them after he began going to nicaragua on a regular basis. we buy a lot of our green coffee from nicaragua. (fair trade, of course.)

lunch with a view

sometimes i park out on the point during my lunch hour.

it's a therapeutic thing.

back

i thought it was worth the wait. you?

i'm a liberal. there, i said it!

~click the title to read a great piece by george clooney~

a photo sunday assortment

this is the view out our front door tonight. keep in mind, we live at sea level in california.




my snowy car. it is technically more like ice. but WOW, just the same.




taken yesterday afternoon... my darling older daughter. we'd been out and about. when we got home, it was chilly. she burrowed under a blanket on the futon and took a cat nap.


~click to enlarge any of these images~

bong hits 4 jesus

Court upholds "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" student banner
Fri Mar 10, 3:38 PM ET

An Alaska high school violated a student's free speech rights by suspending him after he unfurled a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" across the street from the school, a federal court ruled on Friday.

Joseph Frederick, a student at Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska, displayed the banner -- which refers to smoking marijuana -- in January 2002 to try to get on television as the Olympic torch relay was passing the school.

Principal Deborah Morse seized the banner and suspended the 18-year-old for 10 days, saying he had undermined the school's educational mission and anti-drug stance.

Friday's ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco overturned a decision by a federal court in Alaska that backed Frederick's suspension and said his rights were not violated.

The appeals court said the banner was protected speech because it did not disrupt school activity and was displayed off school grounds during a non-curricular activity.

"Public schools are instrumentalities of government, and government is not entitled to suppress speech that undermines whatever missions it defines for itself," Judge Andrew Kleinfeld wrote in the court's opinion.

The court also cleared the way for Frederick to seek damages, saying Morse was aware of relevant case law and should have known her actions violated his rights.

chow mein

i am home this weekend... not on a mad adventure to humboldt county. my sister-friend's mama is having lots of medical issues right now, so she couln't leave southern california at this juncture. she will, however, head up this way toward the end of the week, and we will take our little road trip, to honor our long-gone compadre. meanwhile, i am cozy and warm by the fire. that's a good thing, since it has been incredibly cold here in california. in fact, it SNOWED in san francisco yesterday, and my college girl motored through some snow on thursday night, on her way here. she visited and then took my youngest back with her for a weekend together at the dorm. college girl has her very own room and bathroom. time for some sister bonding time. i am so glad that they have each other.

anyway, here's a chow mein recipe we like quite a lot. you can use pork tenderloin, or chicken, or shrimp, or tofu. it's quite satisfying as a hearty lunch, or a quick and easy dinner. asian food of any kind is about my favorite epicurean delight. it might have something to do with growing up on the edge of chinatown, in san francisco.

2 or 3 tbs. vegetable or peanut oil
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut crosswise
1/2 head napa cabbage
1 cup sliced celery
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups chicken or veggie broth
2 tbs. soy sauce
dash of asian sesame oil
2 tbs. cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tbs. cold water
1 cooked pork tenderloin(about a pound's worth), cut into thin strips(or 1 lb. cooked chicken or 1 lb. cooked prawns)
red pepper flakes, to taste
1 lb. cooked vermicelli or udon noodles

in a large heavy skillet, heat the oil until it is hot but not smoking and in it stir fry the scallions, cabbage, and celery for 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is wilted. add sugar, broth, soy sauce. and sesame oil and simmer the mixture, covered, for 3 minutes or so. stir in the cornstarch mixture, stir it into the vegetable mixture, and bring the liquid to a boil. stir in the pork and season to taste with red pepper flakes. simmer until heated through and serve over noodles.

today

this is a webcam in town, so it refreshes itself every 10 minutes or so, all day. you may also click it for a large view.

so very cold and stormy here today. sun. then rain, hail and thunder. and then the sun again. i love weather.

march 5, 1982

long time gone.

one funny, funny man.

she LIVES here

my sweet aiko sister is in california. she resides in huahine, tahiti.
we see each other rarely-our last visit was almost four years ago.
i still haven't made it to huahine. yet.
no matter how much time passes, we always have a grand time together.

she will arrive at the shack thursday, and we will then head north, to humboldt county. she was raised there, and left for tahiti about twenty years ago. as for accomodations we will stay at another old friend's place, AND see the sons of champlin play music on saturday night. i will devote a post to this great band soon-ish.

my friend and i will also visit our aiko brother's crypt, while up in humboldt. he died almost ten years ago, on march 26th. jockamo feenah nay.

so... it will be a full weekend for this reclusive gal.

shepherd's pie

on the countless stormy nights we've been having, this recipe is simple to make, and quite comforting.

shepherd's pie

2 lbs. russet potatoes
1 cup milk (or evaporated milk, or soy milk)
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt, if desired
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground turkey, if desired. (you may also use grnd. beef, or no meat)
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic (typically, i double this amt.)
1 1/2 tsp. ea. of thyme, summer savory, or herbs-of-choice
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. grnd. cloves
1/2 lb. carrots, shredded
1/2 cup chopped parsley, if desired
1 cup low-sodium chicken or veggie broth

place potatoes in a 3-qt. pan and add water to cover. bring to a boil over high heat; then reduce heat, cover and boil gently until potatoes are tender when pierced. drain; when cool enough to handle, peel and mash with milk, pepper, and salt.

meanwhile, crumble turkey into a 12" frying pan. cook over medium heat until opaque. (about 10 minutes)
remove meat with slotted spoon, pour off all the fat and add onion and garlic to pan. cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft (again, 10 minutes or so) add seasonings, cook another minute. add carrots, parsley, broth, and meat; bring to a boil over high heat and boil until liquid has evaporated. transfer to a 2-3 qt. casserole dish.

spread mashed potatoes over meat mixture. bake in a 375-degree oven until heated through. then put under broiler until potatoes are lightly browned.


* you can add any other vegetables you like, such as corn, peas, root veggies, and so on.

serves 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
p.s.
can anyone out there advise me about how i move my sidebar stuff back to where it always was?
it all just dropped, even before i changed my template color.
weird.

a stormy sunset

sights like this restore my sense of hope these days.

this is what it looked like at the headlands this evening.

storm-after-storm here all week, and the ocean has been wild.

i am thankful for the beauty in my life.



see you on recipe saturday?

courtesy of the huffington post

(heavy sigh)