...and the community of South Lake Tahoe listened.

Since last November, Mrs. Houston and I have been planning her trip to South Lake Tahoe.  It was hard to believe the day had finally come and incredible to see how wonderfully she was received.  The Tahoe Daily Tribune wrote a great article that can be read here.

We had no idea how many people would come.  I guessed the closest, with the actual count being about 200 attendees from age 5 to 95.  It was standing room only!

Having read the book Farewell to Manzanar and having toured the grounds and museum of Manzanar, hearing Mrs. Houston tell her story, to many who had not heard it, was very emotional.

The message that touched me the most was,  "I wrote the book not to inspire guilt, but to bring understanding to others of the experience of being interned."

After speaking and fielding questions for 1 1/2 hours, Jeanne signed autographs, poised for photos and shared her story with others, in a more intimate way.

Our friend, Beej (Bonnie who we met in Italy), read an e-mail I sent out the day before, and decided she had to make the drive from Sacramento.  In her words, "When I found out that Denise was hosting Jeanne, I told her some of my own story, about living in Penryn among many Japanese who had been interned, and participating in the events at the Placer Buddhist Church, which abutted the property of my parents' ranch, and was the center of culture in Penryn. Many of my schoolmates were Japanese, but I knew nothing about internment until I was an adult--nothing had been said in my history classes, even as I sat surrounded by children of former internees. For the most part, they knew little or nothing about the experiences of their parents and grandparents at Tule Lake and Manzanar."

Many of the people who attended this presentation had a family connection to Executive Order 9066, and shared their emotional internment histories.  The Friends of the Library's desire to have Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston tell the story of how her family’s life, in an internment camp, became a cautionary tale about civil rights violations, is an important step in making certain something like this doesn't happen again.

I've written about our friends, Dick and Joan's cabin, nestled in the Strawberry Tract of the El Dorado National Forest, last May.  Whenever I get the chance to experience it again, I become pretty gleeful.  Today, on a beautiful day in May, we picnicked at one of my favorite spots... along the South Fork of the American River!

The Snow Plant is part of a group of non-green flowering plants, that is related to the heaths (blueberries, cranberries, rhododendrons), called the monotropoids.  Are they parasites?  Yes, but in an unusual way.  They are parasites on fungi but they don't kill the fungi.  The fungi infect the short, stubby roots of the monotropoids, and transfer food and water into the roots.  The fungi live in the dense litter of dead leaves in wet forests.  Why the bright color? Nobody really knows. Such a bright color might attract pollinating insects in the rather shady forest floor areas where they grow.  Joan said there is a fine for picking them.  I do love discovering the vibrant color amongst the pines.

It was wonderful to discover various hues, hidden in the forest.

This foray gifted us with the unique experience of finding Morchella, or what are lovingly called by my mushroom loving friends, Morels.  These fungi are prized by gourmet cooks, particularly for French cuisine. Commercial value aside, morels are hunted by thousands of people every year simply for their taste and the joy of the hunt.  It is THE THING to do right now in Tahoe!

There was no way I was going to miss this incredible day, “Our ultimate goal, while not just providing a place where moms can go to relax, but also provide opportunities to learn about the importance of taking care of themselves at all stages of their lives. That’s why we have invited local businesses to join with us in offering resources, dialogue and activities for overall wellness."

At 8:30 AM, armed with mimosas, we took a Tibetan Heart Yoga class.  This is a practice where one works from the inside, and the outside. We worked from the outside with our pranayama (breathing) and asana (posture); and we worked from the inside with our thoughts and intentions. The emphasis was on compassion and it was surprisingly poignant and emotional for me.  I truly embraced it all.

Breakfast was followed by a morning of pampering.  I was a day of firsts.  It began with the most rewarding, ten-minute chair massage.  I was relaxed and energized.  That was followed by a fabulous facial with the last amazing treat being a Thai massage (which includes assisted stretching).  I felt like a queen and had a total renewed vigor.

I needed that vigor because our day ended with “Jump Start your Day!” by KAIA F.i.t.

After a great lecture on nutrition and well-being, Nikki took us outside and almost killed Jenny and me.  What a great motivator.

The Genoa Cowboy Festival is a wonderful blend of beautiful setting, entertainment, heritage and Western culture. Nestled at the base of the Sierra Nevada in the beautiful Carson Valley, historic Genoa is the site of the first ranch in Nevada and still has working cattle ranches literally steps from the town. From its 19th century beginnings, cowboys and ranching have shared work, words and music here. You’d be hard pressed to find a better place to celebrate the unique forms of Cowboy Poetry, Western music and the Western lifestyle.

Jenny and I looked at the schedule of events and thought today was the perfect day to attend.  One presentation we found very interesting, was hearing Peter Ford share the story of his father, Glenn Ford's, incredible life in and out of the movies.

Sometimes, stating the obvious makes me laugh.  I'm easily amused.

There were many photo opportunities.  I was a happy tourist!

I think the most mesmerizing performance I saw was Women of the Wild West: Julia Bullette and Eilley Bowers, as portrayed by Kim Copél and Lisa Bommarito.  These were two very different, and successful, women of 1860's Virginia City.  Julia was a prostitute and Eilley was, in her time, one of the richest women in the United States.  Both ladies did a fabulous job being their characters, so much so I was crying at one point.

Lunch was in the perfect picnic spot, Mormon Station State Park, while a concert occurred next to us.

After fueling up, we strolled the streets of Genoa on a Ghost Tour with Kim Copél.  She wears many hats, in this town, and is an exceptional storyteller.

To me, no trip to Genoa is complete without saddling up to the bar at Nevada's oldest Thirst Parlor.. THE GENOA BAR AND SALOON has been able to minimize the impact of contemporary society on its gracious old structure. This faithfulness to its original purpose and design has made it a favorite location for artists, actors and directors trying to capture the spirit and to tell the story of the American west.

The second presentation, in the Friends of the Library Program Series, had everyone exclaiming, "I learned so much".  “The Humane Movement: Past, Present, and Future” presented by the Lake Tahoe Humane Society and S.P.C.A. was a visual history of the humane movement, while sharing how a local humane society reaches every member of the community.

 

Dawn shared the compelling history of the ASPCA and the American Humane Society while Liz told about Outreach and Education the Lake Tahoe Humane Society proudly provides for our community.  We were all thoroughly informed and impressed.

It has been an interesting eight days, hence the quietness here!  Steve was in Temecula on business and while there, his mom had some medical issues that would be keeping him even longer.  Since I was missing him so and wanting to help, I headed south.

When Ivan's graduation concluded at 3:30 PM, I headed down I-5, for the 460 mile drive from Sacramento.  This was the longest drive I had done, not only alone but at night!  Thank goodness for 80's music.

In the midst of everything else that was happening,  the folks are moving out of their home of 17 years.  One of the objectives was to sell the equipment that will no longer be needed at the new place.  As one who is a firm believer in the proverb, "All work and no play..." I enjoyed driving this toy.

In addition to packing (and all that is involved with that endeavor), we visited the folks' new neighborhood and had lunch at the Clubhouse.

This visit provided a great deal of opportunities to say goodbye to the house we have all loved.  For almost two decades, this was the family focal point.  And while the new place will be exceptional, a last visit was needed.  Our nephews, Joel and Ian, came for dinner which was an added bonus to being in Temecula.