I am so honored and thrilled to announce a new poetry book that I am a part of (Editing, Formatting, Publishing w/ SJF Communications) ~ It has truly been a pleasure as I gained insight into my late “cousin” Janine’s gift of writing poetry and illustrating.
It is called “THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS”.
Janine Hamel Lettera was a NJ Kindergarten teacher who sadly passed away in 1999 at the age of 40. Janine was a talented poet and created visual art. Her first book “My First Day of School” was published posthumously in 2012.
Throughout the years, Janine’s Mom Carol discovered Janine’s emotional and poignant poetry and art and recently forwarded it to her Goddaughter Susan J. Farese. Susan edited, formatted and published THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS in 2023 to celebrate and honor Janine and her body of work.
Themes include Love; Breaking Up; Nature; Loss, Death & Grief; Hope; People; and Mom. There is also a beautiful tribute poem at the end from Janine’s best friend Barbara.
A great gift idea for anyone!
It is available as an ebook on Amazon now and soon will be as a paperback. Stay tuned for more information. Please spread the word about Janine’s talent and her poignant words and visual pieces.
LINKS:
Here’s the paperback link for THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS https://amzn.to/3X0hjnT
Here is the ebook link for THE CRY OF THE SEAGULL: JANINE’S SEA OF EMOTIONS https://amzn.to/3XmL0zP
This was a wonderful sold-out event at a beautiful theatre (one of my personal favorite places to see films) with nearly 30 projects (some of my colleagues also presented) shown on the big screen that evening!
So…sit back, relax and enjoy this clip of some of my photography!
I strolled along the La Jolla coastline the other day (mostly on Coast Blvd.) I discovered really cool breathtaking views, caves, cliffs, the La Jolla Cove, the Children’s Pool, the back of the La Valencia Hotel, beach goers, sea lions and seals, cormorants, and even some beautiful flowers!
Here’s a short video which captured some of the sights!
As I have stated before, #TorreyPinesStateBeach is my ‘go to’ place to walk for fitness, stroll, socialize, observe the #artinnature and #natureasart. I like to visually capture interesting images.
Here are a few images from my most recent March, 2018 visit…I also saw a whale spouting, but it was so fast I couldn’t capture it quickly enough with a photo!
The Entrance to Torrey Pines State Beach
Things Happen in Threes!
Wouldn’t you know…I glanced up and saw a pelican, dolphin and helicopter in the distance!
Things Happen in Threes!
Some images from the afternoon!
Rocks within rocks!
Ocean movement
Lovely waves!
A Sandpiper Enjoying a Snack from the Ocean!
And a Classic Sandpiper Pose!
And a classic Sandpiper Pose!
A Seagull in Flight!
A Seagull in Flight
Shells a Plenty!
Shells a Plenty!
Pelicans in Formation on Parade!
Pelicans in Formation on Parade!
Ocean Friendship: A Pelican with a Dolphin!
Ocean Friendship: A Pelican with a Dolphin!
Dolphin Fin!
Dolphin Fin!
Dolphin Swimming!
Dolphin Swimming!
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Why? Because it is always different, each time I visit. I always seem to “see” art in nature…
The sandstone bluff rock formations and cliffs are majestic and magnificent. The amazing ocean with constantly changing tides speaks for itself. Nature abounds with animals and birds. I just marvel at the beauty. I also try bring my camera and snap away at what I see before me. Plus the extra added value of exercise as I stroll along the beach.
Last week, I spotted a few treasures which I captured photographically. I saw the blue Velella Vellela jellyfish (also called ‘by the wind sailors’ due to their resembling a sailboat), the pelicans continuously flew by back and forth in formation (although there are always a few stragglers ‘doing their own thing’), an egret graced the sand at the shoreline and then flew away (which I was fortunate to take a few photos of). Also of note, a peregrine falcon which was perched high above (several photographers had their long lenses prepped and were telling me how the falcon “Dad’ was so greedy and wouldn’t share food with his partner for her and the babies). I certainly hope this changes and those ‘babies’ thrive soon and the female gets more nourishment!
An amazing find of the day, I almost stepped upon. It was my first encounter with a juvenile eared grebe. It was sitting alone on the beach near the shoreline. Its striking orange eye captivated me. It was just sitting there…It looked healthy yet something didn’t seem “right” since it was ‘picking’ at it’s feathers every few seconds. Before I left, I called the ranger station and reported it. They arrived and said they would not be able to do anything themselves, but would call the “bird people”, I hope they did…
Pelicans on Parade
Wild Wingspan
Pelicans Flyover
Another Pelican Formation
Torrey Pines State Beach
Rocking in the Ocean
Velella Velella
Velella Velella
Jelly on a Rock
Torrey Pines State Beach
Peregrine Falcon Mama
Egret Taking Off!
Egret Beauty!
Egret Coasting!
Egret Alignment!
Eared Grebe at Torrey Pines State Beach
Eared Grebe at Torrey Pines State Beach
Do you see art in nature? Do you enjoy breathing in the ocean air? Do you reflect on how fortunate we are to be able to see so many wonderful species and celebrate gifts of the earth? I highly encourage you to if you can.
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My serendipitous connection with two-time Telly Award winning Filmmaker Sue Vicory began in 2015. It was meant to be! San Diego filmmaker/entrepreneur/educator Jodi Cilley, the President of the Film Consortium San Diego and the founder and producer of the annual San Diego Film Awards (and an equally extraordinary person) recommended that I connect with her film colleague Sue. Jodi was so intuitive in facilitating our connection (which I hope will last a lifetime)!
Sue Vicory with Jodi Cilley (courtesy photo-Jodi Cilley)
A quote about Sue from Jodi:
“Sue Vicory is one of the most inspiring and amazing people I know. She has dedicated her life to helping others and has gone out of her way to help build the film industry in San Diego in a variety of ways. She is a role model and I’m constantly amazed by her efforts to help people from all walks of life.” – Jodi Cilley
After reaching out to Sue via email, my daughter Emmy and I were cast in the short fiction film Downstage for the 2015 San Diego 48 Hour Film Project. Sue’s production company “Heartland Films” produced and Sue directed, along with the writing team of Sariann Monaco, Holly Rone and Talia Pauletti. “Team XX” was a history-making, twenty-five member, all-female team. Downstage is now on the film festival circuit. You can view Sue’s films and videos on Sue Vicory’s YouTube Channel. Read my previous post about Team XX .
Team XX at Filming of Downstage (courtesy photo-Sue Vicory)
Besides working on Downstage Emmy and I have participated in a few of Sue’s community service projects and we continually network. It was because of witnessing Sue’s purpose, passion, vigor and selfless “chill” demeanor that I decided to interview her here as an Extraordinary Person, Sharing her Story!
Sue is currently on an amazing one year trip across the U.S. in her branded van with her “extraordinary” “My Power of One” (MPO1) 12 Acts of Kindness National Tour”. Her recently retired and extremely supportive husband Jay and their amazing (will tell you why later) Golden Retriever Kacy are accompanying her.
My Mom, (who recently turned 80 years “young”), always said…”Nothing in life is free”. Well, Mom, you were “almost” completely right!
For my birthday this year I did something really out of the ordinary: I traveled solo to and from the beautiful Mediterranean picturesque Santa Catalina Island, population just over 3000 (I will be referring to it as Catalina Island ) on my “free” round trip boat ride, courtesy of Catalina Express http://catalinaexpress.com/birthday_promo.html and enjoyed a few other free or discounted goodies thrown in!
You’re probably thinking…”Huh?”…”You’re kidding..” or “What a risk” or “How idiotic”, right?
Nope! Best trip ever! I am still smiling inside!
Although I’m originally from New Jersey, I’ve lived in several cities, states and a few countries. California is especially dear to me because overall, I’ve lived here a total of 18 years. Despite so many years here, I was yet to experience a trip to Catalina.
So, this past April, on my birthday, my husband would be working, my daughter was in school and I didn’t want to “obligate” friend(s) to pay for the round trip boat ride. Plus, and this was a big bonus: I absolutely love photography, and I’d be able to snap away where, what and when I wanted! So….
I drove bright and early from San Diego to Long Beach, grabbed some breakfast, checked in with proof of my actual birthday, received and donned that cool “It’s my birthday” ribbon and boarded the boat! I sat outside and bundled up for the ride!
Aboard the boat to Catalina!
Oh…I did take some children’s strength medicine for potential motion “challenges” which turned out to be a real plus! Did I say a real plus???? Yep, some queasiness hit me a tiny bit, but I survived!
I’m happy to share some photos and tidbits from my trip.
We left the harbor and suddenly it was extremely windy !
Leaving the Long Beach Harbor
We passed by the Queen Mary on the way to Catalina, another place I’d like to visit sometime soon!
Passing by The Queen Mary Docked in Long Beach
Also saw the “China Shipping Line” En Route!
Passing by Cargo Ship
Aha! Our first view of Catalina Island in the distance!
First sight of Catalina Island!
How cool is this? A parasailer welcoming us!
Another “first glance” of Catalina Island
A view of the beautiful Catalina Island Casino!
The Famous Catalina Island Casino
The beautiful Carnival Cruise was in port! Passengers took smaller boats to get onto the island.
When I arrived Avalon was very busy with many cruise passengers for the day. Then at around 4 p.m., they all left, and Avalon felt like a ghost town!
Look! A Carnival Cruise in Port!
Another colorful view of Catalina Island!
Catalina Harbor
Once we happily “disembarked”I was eager to explore Avalon on Catalina Island. What a delightful way to spend the day! I decided not to rent a golf cart (the golf carts are all over the place, since they only allow so many cars on the island and there is a 14 year wait for a car permit)! and strolled at my own pace. Here’s a look at some of the shops and tourist spots I snapped. Feel free to click on each picture for a larger view!
Several T-Shirts and souveneirs to glance at and buy!
Loved this stone. A bit pricey though!
Here’s more info on Larimar
Couldn’t resist snapping a pic at this flower!
Mermaid in Catalina!
Variety of cards and things!
Beautiful artistic pieces
Bikes ready to explore the island!
Small pier with restaurant, shops etc.
After wandering a bit, I decided to enjoy a delicious lunch and a Margarita at Maggies Blue Rose. I was having such a great time, that I thought…why not stay overnight??? I knew it was completely out of the ordinary for me…but nonetheless decided to do a quick search of hotels but also asked my server what she recommended. Serendipitously, I decided to stay upstairs from Maggies at the Hotel Vista Del Mar. They also had some fun birthday freebies, including a bottle of wine or champagne (I chose the bottle of wine and brought it home), and a celebratory balloon ! I bought a few essentials for staying overnight and relaxed for the rest of my solo journey! Feel free to click on each picture for a larger view!
Hotel Vista Del Mar
Hotel Vista Del Mar
Hotel Vista Del Mar
Hotel Vista Del Mar
Hotel Vista Del Mar
Hotel Vista Del Mar
Hotel Vista Del Mar Sign
Fish Tank at Hotel Vista Del Mar
The Hotel Vista Del Mar has a great fish tank in the lobby filled with colorful fish and coral decor ! It was very relaxing to peek at the tank while relaxing on the lobby which overlooks the water.
Once I checked into the hotel, I decided to take the very interesting Catalina Scenic Tour. The bus driver a.k.a. narrator was terrific spokeperson for the Avalon and island of Catalina.
Here are some of the sights from that trip:
Feel free to click on each picture for a larger view!
View from Avalon Tour Bus
View of Wrigley Mansion from Avalon Tour Bus
View from Avalon Tour Bus
Zip LIning View from Avalon Tour Bus
Harbor View from Avalon Tour Bus
Another harbor View from Avalon Tour Bus
View from Avalon Tour Bus
View from Avalon Tour Bus
Campground: View from Avalon Tour Bus
Glimpse at a local street: View from Avalon Tour Bus
After the bus tour, I strolled around Avalon some more. I thoroughly enjoyed a great dinner at Steve’s Steakhouse!
Of course, I then had to sample some ice cream and candy from this place!
Feel free to click on each picture for a larger view!
Lloyd’s of Avalon Candy Store
Lloyd’s of Avalon Candy Store
Sampling some delicious ice cream at Lloyd’s of Avalon Candy Store
I noticed the beautiful tiled fountain on Crescent Street, which is made of clay from Catalina Island.
The tiled fountain at Crescent Street, Avalon
Afterwards, I decided to walk towards the famous Catalina Casino and these are the sights seen on my way! Feel free to click on each picture for a larger view!
Strolling along Avalon Towards the Casino
Gulls overlooking the harbor
Strolling along Avalon Towards the Casino
Catalina Strolling along Avalon Towards the Casino, Such Awesome Colors!
Strolling along Avalon Towards the Casino
Strolling along Avalon Towards the Casino
Strolling along Avalon Towards the Casino: Catalina Yacht Club
Strolling along Avalon Towards the Casino
Strolling along Avalon Towards the Casino: Those famous orange fish
That was it for my day in Catalina. Then it was time to get some rest at the hotel! They had some cool DVD’s that I borrowed. I didn’t drink the wine, brought the bottle home, but enjoyed looking at that balloon! Had a great night’s sleep too!
Time to get some rest at the hotel!
The next morning I decided to venture out a bit more to the casino area, the Museum and then and Descanso Beach Club. Feel free to click on each picture for a larger view!
Outside the Museum
On the way to Descanso Beach
On the way to Descanso Beach
Descanso Beach
Descanso Beach
Descanso Beach
Descanso Beach
More at Descanso Beach
More at Descanso Beach
On the way to Descanso Beach
Casino
Casino
Casino
Casino
It was soon time to say goodbye to Catalina Island! Here are some photos from my final minutes of solo joy!
Avalon Veterans Memorial Park
Catalina Veterans Memorial Park
Goodbye Catalina Island!!!
Even though I could have traveled free roundtrip, on the way back to Long Beach, I decided to take advantage of the Commodore Lounge on the Catalina Express for $15 and go back in style!
We were served a drink and a snack, and had very comfy seats!
All aboard inside the Catalina Express Commodore Lounge!
We arrived back in Long Beach and I happily drove back to San Diego! This was a quick, fun, safe getaway and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Avalon on Catalina Island!
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And now to finish with a Haiku:
Overnight in Catalina Island
1.
Traveling alone
Seeing sights, snapping photos
I embraced it all!
2.
A gorgeous island
So perfect for sightseeing
And relaxing too
3.
Yes I will be back
I will bring my family
We shall all have fun!
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You never know what you’ll find or stumble upon at Torrey Pines State Beach!
Today was no exception.
What a joy it was to spot some cool “raked” writing in the sand and discover it was a marriage proposal…in POLISH!
(What a joy it always is to have my camera in hand as well)!
It took a small village to plan and make today happen.
I asked the two guys on the beach (Gino and Dan) who had just finished “raking” the proposal for their friend/co-workers Nathan and his soon to be fiance, Catherine (who is Polish).
It said (in Polish), “Catherine, will you marry me?” in the sand.
Nathan’s Proposal for Catherine in Polish in the sand
Plus an extra added bonus, they made a giant heart in the sand as well. I couldn’t resist taking this photo of the heart!
Heart in the Sand
I was so captivated by the soon-to-be joyous (hopefully) occasion, that I offered to help keep beach strollers away from the masterpiece and photograph the “event” from below.
I told passersby why we were “diverting” them. It was really cool. The excitement was building. Everyone was smiling Where was the couple??
They were going to be atop a cliff up above from where the proposal was etched!
The Proposal Cliff!
The guys said that their friend, Nathan who was proposing to Catherine, had planned the exact spot up top and on the beach below.
Another friend, Scott, was waiting up above, concealed by the bushes. He was going to snap photos of the magic moment. Hopefully we’ll get a few later from Scott and I can add them to this post!
I took a few more pics of the cliff above.
We waited for about 15-20 minutes.
And then…We spotted Nathan and Catherine! Like little “ants”!
Another view of the Cliff with Nathan and Catherine atop the cliff!
I zoomed it from the beach! Here’s Nathan Proposing to Catherine! Soon we were all cheering and clapping!
Nathan Proposing to Catherine!
One more photo of Nathan and Catherine from the beach!
Nathan Proposing to Catherine!
And here are Dan and Gino, celebrating the success of the proposal writing mission!
Dan and Gino: Beach Mission Accomplished! Photo by SJF Communications
UPDATE! 4/28/15 7:36 p.m.
I just heard from Scott Mahoney, who took some great photos of the couple from above at the cliff!
Here they are! (Click on each photo to make it larger)!
Incidentally, you can find more of Scott’s Photos on his Instagram Account (@srmphotography)
Photo by Scott Mahoney, SRM Photography
Photo by Scott Mahoney, SRM Photography
Photo by Scott Mahoney, SRM Photography
Photo by Scott Mahoney, SRM Photography
Photo by Scott Mahoney, SRM Photography
Photo by Scott Mahoney, SRM Photography
Congrats to Nathan and Catherine for many happy years ahead together!
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What a fun surprise! While power walking today on Del Mar Beach with my friend, (yep, we powered on for 7000+ steps), we serendipitously saw something really creative and cool!
First we saw these buckets…and wondered what was going on!
Sand Castle Gear
Then we met JT and Tony from San Diego Sand Castles who were coaching their prospective clients of the afternoon how to build their own masterpieces! San Diego Sand Castles has many terrific reviews on Trip Advisor too! Here’s their Facebook Page LInk.
First we met Sand Sculptor Tony Leib who was working with local resident, Catherine. It was Catherine’s first private lesson and she was excited to spend three hours learning a bit of the craft.
San Diego Sand Castles Sand Sculptor Tony Leib with Catherine
San Diego Sand Castles Sand Sculptor Tony Leib with Catherine
San Diego Sand Castles Sand Sculptor Tony Leib with Catherine
Then we walked a few hundred feet and met the owner of San Diego Sand Castles, JT Estrela (in the hat) with a cool Father (Chris) and Son (Trey) from Seattle, who were celebrating Trey’s Spring Break. Great Father-Son bonding in the sunshine!
San Diego Sand Castles Owner JT Estrela with Chris and Trey
San Diego Sand Castles Owner JT Estrela with Chris and Trey
San Diego Sand Castles Owner JT Estrela with Chris and Trey
We left the beach and saw the cutest bunny near a unique tree, a few interesting palms and a train passing by at Seagrove Park in Del Mar. Couldn’t resist snapping away!
Seagrove Park in Del Mar
Bunny at Seagrove Park, Del Mar
Bunny at Seagrove Park, Del Mar
Palm Trees Del Mar
Train Passing Through Del Mar
Lesson for the day: You never know what you’ll discover each day, so have your camera handy!
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