Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 150
Winter is here and here are some clues. Well, for one thing, the best persimmon crop we’ve ever had ripened. Which explains why there is a murder of crows hovering near her treetop for two. And three, her leaves have turned to a rich jewel tone as they lay at her feet like an Arabian carpet. Similar to other world class locales, this village is situated a few balmy degrees above the 30th parallel. Or in sailor speak, due west and south of Gibraltar and the Spanish border, n... Full story
Besides the joy of spending time with the grandkids, additionally, I get a special reward every time they burst through the front door. You see, from where I sit on the far sofa, I get to enjoy a perfectly framed picture of one branch of our blooming Jacaranda tree in the front yard. Speaking of wondrous views, we have another one from the kitchen window. Throughout the day from sunup to sunset, we watch Oriole families chow down the nectar in the onetime hummingbird feeder. N... Full story
Downtown at the Civic Theatre on 3rd Ave. and B streets, Broadway San Diego is bringing back one of its biggest sell outs, "The Book of Mormon." It arrives Sept. 19 and plays to the 24th. Parking can be purchased at the WFB garage just a few blocks away. For tickets, go to https://www.broadwaysd.com/. When a free weekend presents itself, check out the California Center for the Arts at 340 N. Escondido Blvd. in Escondido. Coming up is the sparking duo of Paul Tseng and Dan Yu f...
Here is what has been rolling around between my ears. It’s the 4th of July. “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” You’ll recall this famous excerpt from John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address. My fellow Americans, for me, that plea rings truer today than in 1961. As for now, let’s all settle back and enjoy these next few months of summer and the bounty it provides like sweet watermelons, lush strawberrie... Full story
Grab your phone to book the hottest shows as they hit the area. Starting June 27 for one week only, Broadway San Diego is bringing “Six, the Musical” to the Civic Theatre. For your tickets, go to https://www.broadwaysd.com/. Closer to home at the California Center for the Arts, June 24 and 25, is the perfect show for a nostalgic review: “’S Wonderful, ‘S Marvelous, The Songs of Gershwin.” It should be S’Well at 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido 92025, 760-839-4149,... Full story
The fact of the matter is I (may) have too much stuff. Indicators being? My closets are crowded and my dresser drawers are bulging. Truth be told, I have a collection of treasures that will be to my inheritors classified as “so much crap!” To that end, because these select items are too dear to donate, I’ve decided to turn my treasures into ca$h. But. Here is the rub. One can quietly hold a garage sale filled with all sorts of happy trash and avoid the tax man. (And, once... Full story
At first it seemed like a really fun idea to see a play about a family making a home video to send in to the ABC network show "Extreme Makeover." You remember, it was one of the first home-makeover shows aired. Neighbors and community volunteers were enlisted to help the celebrity host remodel a home for one lucky family. After 50 minutes of remodeling and styling the home, the reveal always came at the very end of the show when the host and volunteers chanted into the...
Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal Special to The Village News George Carlin said it best in his bit about “Stuff.” Paraphrasing him, we’d all agree that my stuff is good, while your stuff isn’t. Which is why I wondered when driving past a neighbor’s house, if they were having a party? I mean, the drive was lined with newish cars while the open- garage door revealed it to be overflowing with a lot of stuff. I cannot help but wonder why anyone can justify parking a $40,000, $50,000,... Full story
Here is the thing, you are old if you still clean your ears with a bobby pin. It’s not my fault. When I was a kid, my mother would press my head onto her lap, remove a bobby pin from her hair, and proceed to dig out the gobs of wax I’d collected since the last cleaning. It always felt good even while it tickled a bit. Naturally, I have been chastised repeatedly for my flagrant disregard for putting something so small into the ear canal. Even so, when there is an itch I gotta g... Full story
Today it’s raining. You know, the civilized way it does here in California. It would be called a drizzle in Kansas or any other place in the middle west where every drop of precipitation is accompanied by ear-racketing thunder, hair-straightening lightning, followed by torrents of liquid cascading to the earth. Now that’s rain. Here in North County, nature is a bit more polite. She just mucks up our last carwash and streaks the kitchen window, all the while, “the rain... Full story
In just four weeks and four days, I will celebrate another birthday. Yes. I am relieved to have another one knowing that not having one isn't good, which is why I was relieved when I didn’t see my name in the obituaries last week. Need I say what you’re thinking? “Obviously, if you are reading the paper then you must be alive.” Or so I would have thought too. After rewatching “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” last night, it makes me wonder, do we really know when we’re dead? Doctors... Full story
You may recall I mentioned a recent trip to Texas in a previous column. No? Well, it really doesn’t matter either way, I was just looking for a transition from that column to this one. Here is what happened while I was in Austin. I had an allergy attack and both eyes started itching. Crazy itchy. Lucky for me I was with my bridge partner who was staying with his friends and before we left for a Tex-Mex dinner, I asked our hostess if she could provide me with some eye m... Full story
NOTE: Proof of Vaccination must be presented before entering any local theatre as well as wearing a mask is required throughout all performances. This year's theatre season is starting off slowly. Even so, a few shows are opening this month. North Coast Repertory kicks off with "Desperate Measures" a musical romp based on Shakespeare's' "Measure for Measure" opened Jan. 12, runs through Feb. 27, at 987 Lomas Santa Fe, Solano Beach, 858-481-1055. Scripps Ranch Theatre in Poway...
There is an indomitable truth that two things that can be discussed ad nauseum without repercussion: wine and bridge. It has long been accepted that anyone may comment about wine albeit they are tasting it, sipping it, or merely drinking it, without recourse. Nothing said can be held against them. The same can be said about bridge. Volumes have been written since 1935 about how to play this fascinating game. Every party bridge player knows a few conventions like how to count... Full story
When the lights turned on Friday night, Sept. 3, at the beautifully appointed Old Town Temecula Community Theater there was a buzz in the air. Excitement prevailed at the dawning of a new era. Jason Green is heading up a new Board of Directors for the Temecula Valley Players, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) California corporation. It will be up to Green and this Board to drum up community support to pay these performers. It's called community theater to distinguish it from an...
Disney's "Beauty and the Beast, the Musical" opens at Moonlight Amphitheatre July 21 and runs until Aug. 7. The gates open at 6:30 p.m. for picnics, performances being at 8:00 in this outdoor venue under the stars. This much-loved Disney musical is much anticipated with tickets going fast. Bring a blanket in case the weather takes a turn and a seat cushion helps too. Tickets are $17 – $59. Reserve seats early. This could easily be a sell-out show. Up next: You won't want to mi...
While my ride is nothing more than a hunk of metal and leather, the old girl is still considered stylish. Maybe it’s her collapsible roof that makes her chic? I don’t remember the exact year my car model was introduced, but I believe it was about 10 years after the brand came to the U.S. in 1990. Still recognized for its quality, this nameplate has remained in fashion as the luxury brand for a well-known Japanese automaker. The reason I sold my former two-seater convertible wa...
The topic is current and spellbinding. Presented by San Diego Repertory and streaming through July 25, "The Catastrophist," is about the world's most prominent virologist, Dr. Nathan Wolffe. Playwright Laura Gunderson has first-hand knowledge about the most prominent microbial researcher, she is his wife and mother of their two sons. Gunderson is lauded as the most produced living playwright since 2016, and is the playwright in residence at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley...
Expectations are always high when attending a performance at Vista's renowned outdoor venue the Moonlight Amphitheatre. Under the stars on a pleasant opening night, the maskless crowd enthusiastically welcomed the first production of its 40th season, "Once on this Island, The Musical." First produced in 1990, originally a 90-minute-one-act play, "Once on this Island, The Musical" opened off-Broadway and ran for 60 performances. Over the years other performances followed...
A couple of things I notice when meeting someone is their eyes and their smile. Those two features pretty much dictate how a person is feeling. Quoted in Matthew 6:22-24: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” Centuries later, William Shakespeare wrote, “To thee I do commend my watchful soul, ere I let fall the window of mine eyes,” in Richard III. This century we just say, “the eyes are the window to the soul.” Th...
North Coast Repertory launched its production of “Becoming Dr. Ruth” June 9. This touching and humorous play is a retelling of how she became known in America. Contact northcoastrep.org for a viewing link. Opening June 12 at the Carlsbad Flower Fields is “Beehive, a 60’s Musical” featuring an all-female cast of some of our best local singers. Show dates and times vary; visit newvillagearts.org or call the box office at 760-433-3245. Dress appropriately and bring a cushion for...
After a year of Covid isolation, I am in complete agreement with Michael Douglas who admits in his recent interview in AARP magazine that he now suffers from short-term memory loss due to his past year’s pandemic isolation. Well, me, too! As I see it, the consequence of my short-term memory loss is why my long-term memory has kicked in. I know because I keep recalling things from a long time ago that I never have before now. For instance, every time I zip up my jeans, I r...
La Jolla Playhouse recently announced a free viewing on their website. "Pick Me Last" is an outreach to #StopAsianHatingCampaign. Visit https://www.pop-tour-lajollaplayhouse.com/ for details. As of press time, no end date has been set. North Coast Repertory announces the upcoming streaming of "Becoming Dr. Ruth," premiering June 9 and streaming through July 14. Tovah Feldshuh, the six-time Tony nominee, "deftly inhabits the warm, wise, and witty persona of the beloved media fi...
Looking back, some of my happiest years were living on a farm just six miles west of town. Every day during the school year, a yellow county bus stopped at the end of my gravel drive. Weather be damned, especially during Kansas winters, each round trip became a bodacious endurance test of self-preservation. Monday through Friday, the bus rumbled to a halt just inches in front of me. As the accordion doors screeched open and the tires skidded to a rolling stop, passengers had t...
San Diego Repertory is offering “pay what you can” pricing for the 28th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival from May 16 to June 23. Head to https://www.sdrep.org/jfest to enjoy 15 different venues. May 16 finds Hershey Felder in the kitchen. Enjoy his live performance from Florence while learning how to make a Russian meal at a special package price while he performs Rachmaninoff. Visit SDRep.org for more details. Coming May 14 at the Fallbrook Mission Theate...