Time for the Arts

The wedding and our subsequent move into the home with Bob and his children took every bit of my energy last month. I saw several "good works" stories to write about, but could not seem to concentrate in these new surroundings. Ninety percent of our belongings are still in boxes in the garage, as we moved into a house that was already bursting at the seams with fifty years of family memories and love. As I try to sift through closets and drawers to make room, I realize how fast our lives go by and my priorities continue to shift. Though my first instinct normally would be to redecorate and nest, this time I want to gain understanding about Bob's parents who lived here all these years. Of course, I do need lots of breaks between unpacking and taking care of the family who has adopted me as their step-mom. If I didn't have a passion for fitness, I suppose it would be really tough to find myself again.

In a quest to find biking and running trails in this new community, I headed for the hills. Luckily the move brought me closer to my mother’s home, and to the heart of a beautiful lush neighborhood in the Saratoga foothills. Summertime is a little cooler at higher ground so I’ve made a habit of circling the tree-lined loop at Montalvo Arts Center at least once a week on my bike or when I’m doing a long run. I always thought of Montalvo as a jazz concert venue for artist's like Diana Krall, or a wedding venue for the wealthy. I've been there many times to enjoy the stunning Italian marble architecture, even to listen to a concert or two. The only reason for my visits this summer is to get back in shape! Montalvo Road is a steep grade to increase anyone's heart rate, and there is a little path next to the road so I can really push it with hill repeats--the most I've ever done is three in a row, enough to hopefully trim a pound. What I like about Montalvo's new image is the friendly "welcome" sign and air of accessibility. There are cars pulling in with families, coming up for a hike on the trails or checking kids into summer camps. The activities offered are affordable and high quality, the most appealing fare to me this summer is the "Starry, Starry Night" family stargazing slumber party on August 13--maybe we'll sign up for that.

Every ride or run up Montalvo Road I see artists working around the Don and Sally Lucas Artists Resident facility, so the other day I spoke to a gal in her mid-twenties as she climbed down from a tree. I could not imagine why an artist was climbing a ladder leaned against a giant Redwood, so I asked if she was a volunteer? "I'm a former artist fellow of the Lucas program, just installing the project proposal from my work here." She was embedding 1-inch round mirror tiles into the regularly-spaced knots on a very old tree, the light catching to create a sense of shimmer. She invited me to the Montalvo gala event next weekend, a free-to-the-public lawn party on July 23rd. Her work, and that of other Montalvo artists, will be on display outdoors in front of the center and indoors at the Carriage House. I asked the artist to send me some photos and video of her work to share, so stay tuned. Now she's moving on to find the next project--the artists continual search for stability. (After recently completing the book, "Girl in Hyacinth Blue," surmising Vermeer's struggle to provide for a family of thirteen, my passion for the Arts is renewed.)

Montalvo has become a nonprofit art mecca of the South Bay thanks to the generosity of Don and Sally Lucas, longtime Saratoga residents, philanthropists, and patrons of the arts, and others who have donated their time and money to keep this art center thriving. When James D. Phelan, San Francisco mayor and U.S. Senator, died in 1912 he generously gave 137 acres at Montalvo to Santa Clara County to be maintained as a public park. Regardless of the recent funding crises throughout towns, cities, and counties in this state, Montalvo continues to grow due to the well-managed and dedicated nonprofit staff and a steady volunteer workforce. What a gift Mr. Phelan gave to this community; the new Executive Director, Angela McConnell is determined to share it. She has a vision for Montalvo to make the Arts more accessible to all, and with her past success in fundraising and nonprofit management, my new favorite running and riding spot is bound to provide hours of workouts to escape among the Arts.

Do you have a passion for the Arts?

Try these cool good works ideas:

• Offer to become a docent at a local art center or museum. This requires training and commitment, but perks usually include new friendships with like-minded people and possibly tickets to events.
• Become an entry-level donor! You don't have to be a gazillionaire to be a philanthropist. Arts organizations are in dire need of our support in this economy, as overall donations have dropped. Small amounts by many donors work. My mom gives at basic levels to her favorite 5 or 6 institutions, and her entire family benefits. For instance, Bob and I attended a free outdoor jazz concert last night with yummy appetizers, thanks to Mom's gift to Los Gatos Arts and Music organization.
  
• Become a dedicated patron, promote the Arts to your friends, skip the movies and attend a concert instead! For the same price of a substandard flick, you can see a chamber concert at Montalvo's Carriage House, or at Stanford Lively Arts venues. Remember Vermeer, Van Gogh, and other starving artists from history: It is the patrons who keep the artists in business.
  

Painting the Town Purple

My stepson Logan is a typical twelve-year-old boy with a good heart and sometimes with a tendency to get bored during the summer. Scout camp and hockey camp occupied his interests at the start of the break, but last week was more laid back with just one activity on his schedule. A dedicated sixth grade homeroom teacher has stayed in contact with her class via email to let them know about volunteer opportunities with the charity of their choice: the American Cancer Society. Early in the school year, each homeroom class at Redwood Middle School voted on a cause to support, with inspiration garnered from a school wide list of area charities. Logan's class narrowed their collective interests to three causes: Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, the local Humane Society chapter, and American Cancer Society. When the class took a vote, the Cancer Society won and Ms. Cornejo contacted their offices to find out what her class could do to help.

First, the students held a bake sale and made nearly $100 for the organization. Next, a cancer survivor from the community, Ms. Tomlin, visited the class with her real-life testimonial to promote understanding of the disease and to increase the students' desire to raise money and donate their good works. According to Logan, this deeply affected him and his classmates and they became determined to do more, even if it took some time during the summer. Many children, like Logan, have a relative who has had cancer, so this is a cause close to their hearts.

When Ms. Cornejo sent out her group email a couple of weeks ago to come help "Paint the Town Purple," for Relay for Life, her students were engaged. Thirteen of them showed up with some parent chaperons to help tie ribbons on the trees along Big Basin Way for the upcoming Saratoga Relay for Life fundraising event at nearby Saint Andrews Episcopal Church July 24-25. The boys even did some "cold calling," walking into businesses to request a poster or brochure display and offering chocolates to express appreciation. Logan said it was a little scary going with his friends to approach business managers and owners, but a few of them were amenable and he felt a sense of accomplishment.

After dozens of purple ribbons were neatly tied, with Relay for Life posters and brochures distributed, the student teams with parents and dogs in tow headed to Yolatea for a frozen yogurt treat and some time to catch up and share vacation stories. Judging by these boys' smiles, the two-hour activity not only gave them an excuse to get together with friends over the summer; it gave them a sense of purpose and the knowledge that they too can make a difference!

Consider helping with publicity, attending the event, or sponsoring a walker.

• Saratoga RFL is July 24-25 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Saratoga, CA.

• Palo Alto RFL is August 14-15 at Palo Alto High School, Palo Alto, CA.

• Check the website for details: http://main.acsevents.org

Leaving the Baylands

When I was a little girl, in third grade and before California's Proposition 13 tax initiative all but eradicated school field trips, Mrs. Bears (yes, her real name) sent home permission slips with reminders to bring a sack lunch and to wear our galoshes to "The Marsh." We would be bird watching and learning about plant life by the Bay, about five miles east of our little school in the foothills. The day arrived and indeed it turned out to be rainy; all I can remember is trying to stay dry, and there is a faint mind's-eye picture of birds I had not seen before. I have been fascinated with the many varieties ever since, and attempted to learn some of their names by perusing my miniature Audubon guide. I have a terrible memory for obscure facts and cannot seem to remember half of the names, but I do recall "snowy egret." That was the bird one woman was describing to her male companion the other day as I took my regular jogging path through the same marsh which is now referred to as part of The Baylands. The City of Palo Alto website verifies my childhood memory that this was in fact referred to as "The Marsh" in the early sixties.

The Harriet Mundy Marsh, dedicated on October 23, 1982, extends from Lucy Evans Nature Interpretive Center to Sand Point. Harriet Mundy "discovered" the Baylands when she was advised to walk after a fall in 1959. She became a close friend of Lucy Evans and joined her in the resolve to help preserve the Palo Alto marshland. A $30 million private proposal to develop the Palo Alto Baylands for commercial and industrial use spurred Mundy to action. In 1960 she helped to circulate a petition which resulted in the City Council stopping development until a Baylands Master Plan was prepared. The naming of the marsh recognizes her continued perseverance and devotion to the marshlands.

When my girls and I moved to Palo Alto from Salt Lake City, I was coming home to the place where my father first started his career, the area where I was born. A time and a place to heal from life's injustices and tragedies. My brother, who lives in those same hills where we went to elementary school, tried to comfort me about my trunkiness for good Wasatch running trails. "Don't worry, Chris," he said, "you'll enjoy running on miles of open trails just across the freeway at the Baylands. Just cross under the freeway and you're there. You can run for twelve miles or more, with no cars to worry about." On a sunny summer morning, I set out on the prescribed running path and got a little depressed that all I could see was shallow, mucky water and brown hills in the distance. I knew I wanted to be here on the Peninsula, but missed those towering Utah mountains after all.

Over the next four years, the Baylands became a part of me. Memories of the third grade field trip gave way to new experiences running and biking the trail. More faint childhood recollections of my dad with his open cockpit airplane at the tiny Palo Alto municipal airport had their healing effect as I jogged the dirt path with small airplanes taking off, circling, and landing overhead. I learned to watch for snowy egrets and other unexpected wildlife just below the private planes. Though the Wasatch Mountain range had been a playground for my family, I have come to realize that flat places can also provide a connection with nature, and a sense of peace. For me, anytime there is water flowing--from the Bay, a river or stream--I am renewed. Thankfully, environmentalists and community activists in the 1960s saw the value in the Baylands and dedicated their passion to preserving this place as a haven for birds and for souls like mine.

As I prepare this week to move to a new community thirteen miles away, I jog the Baylands trail with more reverence and appreciation. "This trail didn't exist until passionate volunteers in the sixties worked to make it so," I whisper to myself with a smile. Today, activists from every corner of the community help to maintain the Baylands: formally organized nonprofits such as Acterra, Save the Bay, and Environmental Volunteers, and weekend good works volunteers gathered by school and church groups. Lynn Hori, a biology teacher at Palo Alto High School, has worked for years with her classes to gain an understanding of this preserve by requiring community service as part of her class curriculum. Her passion and energy dedicated to the Baylands have touched the lives of high school students for decades.

Last weekend, a statewide outdoor volunteer effort organized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints brought families from the local congregations together to clean up the Baylands. Fathers, mothers, small children, and teenagers all worked together to make a difference for this special spot on the Bay and for all of us who find solace there. While I still miss the mountains where my family lived for eighteen years, I've been reminded often at the Baylands that the world is still whole. When I see a snowy egret walking along the jogging path or a family of geese hissing from the wildflowers to protect their newly-hatched goslings, I am thankful that we all peacefully coexist in this haven on a water's edge of Silicon Valley.

Lilttlest Helper

We were offered some free Giants tickets the other night--front row seats! The only problem for me was that we had wedding invitations to send out a.s.a.p. and I knew even seats above the dugout would not be worth the stress of ignoring a job to be done at home. Bob took his boys and my daughter Grace, while the youngest member of our soon-to-be-blended family, Taryn, stayed with me to give a hand. I often procrastinate when I'm in over my head, so found all kinds of other things to do: a more elaborate dinner, a jog, a shower. Taryn was happy to play with her American Girl doll and to help tear lettuce for the salad. As bedtime approached, she asked me why we hadn't done the invitations, and could she still help out? Having a little girl offer to help humbled and motivated me, and I decided to dive into the task for one hour.

As we stacked and sorted the invites, marking them with the return address and a wedding ring stamp, Taryn and I chatted about how to tackle tedious tasks. This girl is a worker, often offering to help at home. She proudly stated her hobby, "I just like to keep busy, it makes time go by faster." By the end of the hour, we had nearly completed the job and I sent my little helper off to bed. I was energized by her pleasant and giving attitude. Just that extra set of hands, small as they are, was enough to show me that I could pull this wedding together by asking for help from family and friends when I am overwhelmed. Bob and the kids returned a couple of hours later from the game and he carried Taryn, sleeping like a rag-doll, out to the car. I threw a hot-pink fleece blanket over her shoulders, and her eyes barely opened, with a satisfied and knowing look that she made a difference in our house tonight.

Payin' it Forward and Slowin' it Down

My week started out fast and got faster. Too much work, too many errands, trying to fit in a little exercise between being a mom and planning my wedding, moving with my daughters to a new home, and the arrival of my first grandchild--all within the next four months. That's enough stress points to count as a seriously life-altering experience. But as a co-worker reminded me, "at least it's all good stress, right?" I find myself needing to go a little slower these days, or the world feels like it's spinning out of control around me.

Bob and I took some of our kids to a 5K race yesterday morning, the Big Bunny Fun Run. I had to take running slower, too, but for some reason I didn't care. The competetive, driving, "gotta get ahead" part of me is wilting and I don't really mind. Something about turning forty-seven and facing big changes in life has caused me to take life less seriously and I find myself squinting to see those little bright spots each day that remind me it's all worth the effort, and these transition phases don't go on forever. At some point things do settle down. On my way home yesterday, cars were speeding along 280 and several of them weaved around me almost in tandem. This happened twice, with different sets of drivers acting as if they were both competing for the same lane on an open stretch of a four-lane freeway. The second time this happened in front of me, I shook my head and backed away. "Too much hurrying for the Easter Bunny," I thought.

I arrived at home and intentionally ignored the things-to-do list, simply concentrating on the most pressing issues of the day. "I like this better," I thought, "no list to order me around, I can do what I want today." The afternoon passed slowly as I picked away at my Saturday chores, then we joined Bob's family for a strategy session planning the upcoming move, and dinner in downtown San Jose. Bob and I were both depleted after a busy week and an even busier Saturday. He usually accomplishes about twice as much as I do every day, so I wasn't surprised to hear that he had made it the post office after our morning race. Even after I told him he wouldn't make it. He wrapped up presents for his two grown sons, who are serving missions for our church, and took them to mail. He made it just as the post office was closing but In his haste, he had left his wallet in the car. He told his little girl, Taryn, to wait for him with the clerk while he ran out to get the wallet. When he returned, he discovered the customer ahead of him had chatted with Taryn and perceived that he was doing something special for his boys. She paid the bill and refused reimbursement. "It's Easter, and a time for celebration," she told him, "it's my pleasure." Little did this woman know how deserving this man is, and I am very grateful that she chose him to share her good deed to benefit a hard working single dad who never seems to complain.

In this pushy world of going faster and fitting more into our day, trying to all squeeze into the same lane on the freeway until our backs ache with the burdens we carry, it's comforting to know there are still some who take the time to notice another person's need. That was the premise of the story "Pay it Forward," by Catherine Ryan Hide, in which a twelve-year-old boy was inspired to do good works for others. I know Bob and Taryn were inspired by the woman at the post office who wished them a Happy Easter. Whether she continues to do service like this in her daily errands, she affected two lives yesterday. And when they later told the rest of us the story, another five were touched. We are reminded that we don't need to go quite so fast; the list will always be there, but the opportunity to do something good and needed can only be recognized in that split second opportunity. It cannot be recognized in a hurry.

More about Pay it Forward Foundation: http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/
Share your Stories of Good Works: http://payitforwardnow.blogspot.com/

Moms Who Give Back: Project Linus

Most of my friends have their plates a little too full these days. With all of the conveniences that we have to multi-task, free time goes by the wayside in favor of fitting more into our days. A generous family in Palo Alto started a foundation years ago to provide below-market rent and a housing purchase program to families just starting out; in exchange the requirement is that the recipients of the deal will give back to the community in their spare time, however they can.

From the website: "The California Family Foundation helps low-income families work towards home ownership. The Below Market Rate Housing Program rents homes in eastern Menlo Park and East Palo Alto to families who have good credit, a growing income, are willing to perform community service every month and who are ready to be homeowners in 3 to 5 years."

Cindy and Jenny live in some of the foundation's rental houses as their husband's begin their careers. These gals are inspirational to me; I've asked them to share their story to empower other young people. Teenagers, families, and groups can all do community service for Project Linus.

"Our Mission is to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade, washable blankets lovingly created by volunteer blanket makers or 'blanketeers'.

"On Christmas Eve 1995, an article titled Joy to the World appeared in Parade Magazine. It was written by Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist, Eddie Adams. Part of the article featured a petite, downy haired child. She had been going through intensive chemotherapy and stated that her security blanket helped her get through the treatments.

"After reading the article, Karen Loucks decided to provide homemade security blankets to Denver's Rocky Mountain Children's Cancer Center, and Project Linus was born.

Project Linus has delivered over 3,000,000 security blankets to children around the world. With nearly 400 chapters in the United States, our organization continues to supply blankets to children in need. Although Project Linus originally donated blankets to pediatric cancer patients, recipients now include any child who is seriously ill or traumatized in some way -- in other words "children in need of a big hug."

Thanks to Project Linus and the California Family Foundation for inspiring this service opportunity to make a difference in children's lives. I'm not sure how many blankets Cindy and Jenny have made, but they are setting a great example for their own families and for all of us who know them. According to Jenny, Stanford pediatric fellow's wife and mother of four beautiful little girls, with another baby on the way:

"I’ve enjoyed working with Project Linus because I’m a busy mom without a lot of time. I can make blankets in the free time I have in the evenings and still feel like I’m contributing to the community. I especially love the idea of serving a child in need. The project welcomes several types of blankets so you don’t have to be an expert seamstress to participate. Its relatively fast, easy and inexpensive and my older children can watch, help and learn to develop a servant’s heart."

Find out how youth and families can do good works by making blankets and delivering them to local fabric stores for distribution, visit Project Linus: http://www.projectlinus.org/

The 10-Minute Volunteer

Working in a high school environment, I have come to appreciate the value of small fragments of time: five-minute passing periods, ten minutes for brunch, and thirty-five minutes for lunch. Usually the adults skip those latter two increments. There is one round institutional clock in every room, sometimes two, each being a few seconds or a minute apart. I have learned exactly how much time it takes to trek from one end of campus to the other: five minutes from the north portables on the Embarcadero side, to the science classrooms in the 1700 building. We move with the sound of the bell, a pattern that has caused me to jump even when I hear a telephone ring: "Time to go," my brain signals.

Today, the clocks and bells sounded louder than ever in my mind, deadlines and expectations mounted with the hours and I soon felt overwhelmed. That's when I usually go into "tidal wave" mode, and just try to keep my head above water: invite 250 students to Saturday school, meet the career day guest speakers and publicize the next event, field parent calls about their students' attendance, find the microphones for today's career day. My jobs at Paly are completely disconnected but somehow I weave threads from one student to the next: one thousand eight-hundred or so of them, and one of me. At 3:50 p.m. this afternoon my nearly-sixteen-year-old daughter Grace called to remind me that I promised to take her to sign up for Drivers Ed. "No way," I thought." I stayed last night until 6:00 p.m. and tonight doesn't look any better." Then I heard something louder than clocks, bells, or telephones in my head; it was the "Cat's Cradle" song by Harry Chapin, reminding me about the fleeting years with my kids.

A substitute whom I had already complained about came in rather abruptly, looking for her paperwork. There were six other people standing outside the door waiting to be helped and I didn't care about anything anymore; I just wanted to go home and pick up Grace to sign up for driving lessons. I'm not sure what was going through the substitute teacher's mind, but she must have seen I was outnumbered. She said, "You know, I have ten extra minutes until my ride arrives so I'm going to give you a hand. What can I do?" I was shocked. I knew she wasn't getting paid to be there, or to do anything more than cover her classes for the day. Exhausted from working alone when there should have been two of us in the office, I pointed to a pile of envelopes and asked her to file them. She fanned out the envelopes and tucked them away, then offered to do another job with her remaining four minutes. "I can see you need some help," she said, as I attempted to take phone calls. She would have stayed longer, but I knew the price of missed driving lessons would be worse than Harry Chapin's warning so I told her the office would close for the day regardless of loose ends hanging. Irene didn't have another assignment lined up for the next day, but by volunteering out of kindness to help for just ten minutes she proved her worth. I arranged to hire her for tomorrow!

Volunteering often leads to paid work, see The Ladders Article:
http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/volunteering-opportunities-pay-off