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A Joyful Noise

serendipity

Thankful Thursday: Blueberry Scones and Serendipitous Encounters

June 29, 2017 by Melodye Shore

Flowers perfumed my neighborhood market, splashes of sunshine on a summer morning.

Tempting…

…but after a long walk on the beach, I had a single purchase in mind.

“One blueberry scone, please,” I said to the woman behind the bakery counter.

She chose the pastry with the plumpest berries, swaddled it with parchment paper before sliding it into a paper bag. Brown eyes twinkling, she presented it to me like a gift.

“Thank you,” I said. Just then, I caught my reflection in the bakery case. My eyes were bright and my cheeks were rosy, but my clothes were rumpled and wet. Hair clung to my scalp in limp curls, tousled by salty breezes and dampened by fog.

“Beach hair,” I said with a shrug.

“Ah, sí!” she said, “I get that, too.”

“Do you go down there on your breaks?”

“No time,” she said, “but my family goes down to Puerto Vallarta in July…”

“Oh! That’s really soon! You must be excited!”

She turned away, wiping invisible crumbs from the counter and blinking hard. “Not this year,” she eventually said. “No money.”

There weren’t any other customers around, and –here’s the real gift–she felt safe in telling me the whole story. Mexico is her birthplace. Her father lives there, still. Her siblings have scattered to the winds, but the family reconvenes in her hometown every year. In beautiful Puerto Vallarta, they shrug off their worries and embrace their cultural traditions. Mañana will take care of itself; for one week every year, they’re able to live together in the moment. 

“But not this year,” she said with a sigh. But then she brightened. “We have great memories though! My daughter is really little, but she remembers…”

I wanted to give her daughter the memories of a life time, but that’s not within my power. “Oh hey, I know!” I scrolled quickly through my cell phone, showed her some recent pictures of Freckles.

She admired his tender brown eyes and giggled at his goofy poses. “¿Dónde?” she asked.

“Not more than five minutes from here!” I said. And then I let her in on my secret. I told her a little bit about Freckles, showed her how to coordinate the tide tables with his haul-out times, and pinpointed his lounging spots on a map.

“Oh, my daughter will love him!”

I nodded. “You, too. We all do.”

She eventually rang up my order, and when she counted back my change, we mirrored each other’s smiles. As new friends do.

****

I slid the scone onto a pretty blue plate–a “happy” for my husband. He smiled, but his forehead was wrinkled with worry. “You’ve got dark smudges under your eyes,” he said. “Go look in the mirror.”

Mascara was sliding down my face, swirled together with saltwater tears. I laughed at my reflection, and I swear, my heart grew three sizes.

Here, another serendipitous encounter–seemingly random, but maybe not.  I don’t claim to understand it, but I am grateful for yet another gift from the sea.

 

Posted in: flowers, Freckles, Gifts from the sea, gratitude, Laguna Beach, Sunflowers, Thankful Thursday, writing Tagged: Bakery, Blueberry scones, ocean, sea water, serendipity, Sunflowers, thankful thursday

The red, red robin comes bob bob bobbin’ along

September 2, 2015 by Melodye Shore
Robin_01September2015Surprise

American Robin

At the confluence of serendipity & symbolism sits this red-breasted beauty. He appeared in my backyard for the first time yesterday, a dandelion wish finally realized.

I’d search the skies above our new home for more than a year, believed beyond reason that our backyard would one day be graced by a robin’s cheerful song. And just before sunset, without advance warning or fanfare, hope perched its chubby self on my back fence.

He foraged in my flowerbed, splashed in the birdbath, and surveyed the hillside beyond our fence before flying home to his own nest. I’m hoping he’ll return, but even if he doesn’t, I’m over-the-moon happy about this visit.

 

Blog title courtesy of Dean Martin.

 

 

Posted in: birds, Flight, Home, Hope the thing with feathers, joy, nana, Nature, Photography, robin, serendipity, symbolism Tagged: birds, gardening, joy, photography, robin, serendipity, symbolism

Sparking Creativity, Forging Community

August 16, 2015 by Melodye Shore

As the drought deepens and the mercury soars, SoCal residents are increasingly worried about wildfires. Not that I wanted to photograph a conflagration, mind you, but I was thinking along those lines when  I found my inspiration for today’s photography prompt.

Asian Bear, from the Mission Viejo, CA "Bear Project" collection

Asian Bear, from the Mission Viejo, CA “Bear Project” collection

Look! A fire-breathing dragon!  I stumbled upon discovered this bear at the Kaleidoscope Shopping Center, in nearby Mission Viejo. The bear’s mask is an eclectic mix of traditional Asian Masks, and the dragon is formed of rock, stone, and glass. So beautiful…capable as it is, there’s no way my iPhone could do it full justice.

DragonHead_AugustBreak2015

Asian Bear also celebrates 2012–aka the “The Year of the Dragon,” in which the project came to be.

 

Beautiful, isn’t it? Asian Bear was among the first completed entries in “The Bear Project,’ which pays tribute to the beautiful brown bears that once roamed this area. (Mission Viejo’s Oso “Bear” Creek Trail was among the last places they were sighted.)

Each of the nine bears in the collection pays homage to a specific culture. When viewed together, they reflect the community’s ethnic heritage and diversity.

FullSizeRender-2

European Bear’s mask includes the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

 

I never knew about this project before yesterday. But…serendipity! The gallery was open, and Co-Designer Joy Aldrich was on site, affixing mosaic tiles to the bear that signifies the contributions of early European immigrants. We chatted for quite a while, and she graciously allowed me to add three, jade green tiles to the Statue of Liberty’s robes.

I’m planning to revisit the studio in a week or so, to learn more about the project. I’ll take my SLR camera with me, so that I can photograph the entire family of bears, alongside their designer team.

Day 16 of the #AugustBreak2015 Photography Challenge. The prompt for today is fire.

 

Posted in: #AugustBreak2015, art, california, Photography Tagged: art, Asian Bear, Bear Project, brown bears, dragon, European Bear, fire, joy, Kaleidoscope Shopping Center, Mission Viejo, mosaic, photography, serendipity

Depressed Cake Shop: Lifting moods and removing stigmas, one pop-up at a time

May 23, 2015 by Melodye Shore

I’m met at the garden gate by the sweet fragrances of honeysuckle and jasmine. An exuberant beagle rushes across the lawn to meet me. “Have a seat,” Valerie Van Galder says, and as we sip coffee together in her outdoor oasis, you can almost hear her mind whirring. Her eyes twinkle, her voice is as bright as her kitchen is lively.

The conversation flows easily from one topic to another. I tell her a little bit about my memoir, CAN I GET A WITNESS? To our shared delight, I discover that her latest film project is based on our mutual friend Tonya Hurley’s hugely popular book, GHOST GIRL. We agree that it’s a good thing that YA projects are trending toward realistic plots with genuine, if sometimes troubled characters. As a matter of fact, I say, my friend Louise Gornall’s upcoming release, ROSE TAINTED SKIES, is about an agoraphobic who confronts her fears for the sake of a friendship. Val reaches for her phone, scrolls through her tweets. “ I think I just chatted with her this morning!” she says.

This is the way serendipity happens, time and time again. Our circumstances may be different, but good stories bring us together. And cake, we agree, because who doesn’t like cake?

Special thanks to Patricia Saxton/Saxton Studio, who created this artwork as a gift for Depressed Cake Shop.

It’s at this point that Val, a film producer who left a wildly successful career in Hollywood, reveals to me the backstory of her current involvement with Depressed Cake Shop. When her mother was first diagnosed with cancer, the news was devastating, as was the secret that eventually came to light. Turns out, her parents had shielded their children from the most troubling symptoms of an undisclosed bi-polar disorder. As Val’s mother got sicker, her father’s mental illness spiraled out of control. And when Val’s mother passed away, he went into a free-fall.

Frustrated by the gaping holes in America’s mental health care system, Val eventually left her job at Sony Pictures to attend her father’s needs. Out of that turmoil, there grew a deeper passion: to create a community of support for those who find themselves in similar situations.

A signpost on Val’s garden path

Chances are high that you, or someone you know, have also been affected by mental illness or depression. It’s a dark, lingering cloud that hangs heavy on the shoulders. People speak of it in hushed tones, and though the pain is oftentimes greater than any one person can handle alone, few are brave enough to go public with their experiences. Until, that is, Depressed Cake Shop first came into being. And when, soon after, Val’s circumstances led her to get involved.

The concept originated with Emma Thomas, whose London-based Cakehead Loves serves as beneficiary to many important causes. It quickly became a global enterprise, with community-based roots. Here in the United States, neighborhood bakers design ghoulishly gray goodies. Anxiety Oreos, Misfortune Cookies, Miserable Macarons…Look in the display case: see anything you’d like?

Given creative license, local artists oftentimes donate visual art pieces to the cause.

Designed and created by Rachel Skvaril of Fondant Flinger and Kara Andretta of Kara’s Couture Cakes for Depressed Cake Shop

Although the pop-ups are unique to the character of their communities, organizers must follow two basic rules: 1) Baked goods must be shrouded in grey frosting, a lighthearted way to represent the gloomy fog of depression. Hope is symbolized by bursts of flavor and pops of color, inside the sugary treats. 2) All proceeds must be donated to a mental health charity, such as National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).

And as for the lucky customers, they get to have their cake and eat it, too. Here, an opportunity to share stories and offer encouragement. The sugar high is optional, but support is a constant, and there’s a place for everyone at the table.

It’s not a huge enterprise, but Depressed Cake Shop’s growth is happening in a healthy, organic way. That’s due, in no small part to the fact that Val’s optimism is contagious. She is the proverbial pastry box, chock-full of energy and goodness. When she posed by the product shelves in her cluttered office, I saw love, made visible. Hope, made manifest. “I want to keep it sweet,” Val tells me, and with a heart as big as hers, I can’t imagine it otherwise.

Interested in learning more about Depressed Cake Shop? Visit their website, join their Facebook Page, follow them on Twitter or  send an email to: INFO@DEPRESSEDCAKESHOP.COM with the subject line “Mailing list.” Include your full name and email address so they can inform you about all the fun things they’ve planned.

And now for the GIVEAWAY! The prizes include one Depressed Cake Shop T-shirt, men’s large, and a Depressed Cake Shop necklace. To enter, just leave a comment on this blog.* If you share the link on Twitter, come back to tell me for another chance to win. Follow @depressedcake and @melodyeshore, and we’ll enter you again. Rafflecopter will choose the winning entry on Tuesday, May 26th at 12:00 a.m. Pacific. (NOTE:  I’m having trouble posting the Rafflecopter widget, so please follow the GIVEAWAY link, in order to report your contest entries. Brownie points for the extra effort!) *Sorry—this contest is open only to residents of the United States, due to postage costs and regulations. I do hope you’ll leave a comment, though, in support of Depressed Cake Shop!

UPDATE 5/26/15: Congratulations to the following prize giveaway winners, chosen this morning by Rafflecopter:

Tere Carnes — Depressed Cake Shop necklace

Lindsay Erickson — Depressed Cake Shop T-shirt

I hope you enjoy your winnings, and that you’ll find a way to get involved.

Posted in: art, depressed cake shop, serendipity, valerie Van Galder Tagged: agoraphobia, can i get a witness, Depressed Cake Shop, depression, emma Thomas, ghost girl, louise Gornall, mental illness, Patricia Saxton, Rose Tainted Skies, saxton studios, serendipity, Tonya Hurley, Valerie Van Galder

“Grace Notes,” and the way serendipity works

April 20, 2015 by Melodye Shore

Serendipity

  1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
  2. good fortune; luck

Coined by Horace Walpole (1717-92), from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, in which the heroes “were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of.” (Dictionary.com)

 ……………….

Late last week, I received word from Jennifer Pastiloff that “Grace Notes” was accepted for publication at The Manifest-Station, the hugely popular online journal that published my holiday piece, “Tidings of Comfort and Joy.” I promised Jennifer that I’d find and send her an illustration, even though I knew already that nothing in my own photo collection matched the story. Leap, and then look. Not always, but that’s usually how I roll.

Mockingbirds figure prominently in the story, so that’s where I focused my quest. A couple of Google images looked promising, so I reached out to the website owners on which they were featured: May I use your picture, in exchange for attribution and a wider reach for your beautiful work? One blogger said yes, but when I realized she’d “borrowed” the copyrighted photo without authorization, I bowed out quickly.* But wait! I found something even shinier, and more befitting!

“Mockingbird in the Sun,” copyright Pat D. Hemlepp. Used with permission

 

Pat Hemlepp calls himself a “photo hobbyist,” but his image gallery is as professional as can be. A total stranger, mind you, but what’s to lose by asking if I can use this gorgeous shot? Quite understandably, he said he needed time to Google search this crazy woman consider my request. “No pressure,” I said, “I’d want you to feel 100% sure it’s the right thing to do—that it aligns with your interests & honors your beautiful work.”

It was in that waiting period—where Hope and Awareness pool their resources, and then set out on a quest of their own – that I “just so happened” to land on my artistic friend Veronica Roth’s Facebook post. As synchronicity would have it, she’d “just so happened” to be painting one of her signature pieces (exquisite watercolor images, overlaid on ephemora). “My friend Diana suggested I paint a mockingbird next,” she wrote. “Working on it. Almost done.” And there it was: a sweet little songbird, pretty as could be…bird feathers and musical notes, harmonizing together on a church voluntary called “Improvisation.”

mockingbird

“Mockingbird,” copyright Veronica Roth. Used with permission

 

I got goosebumps–same reaction as when I landed on the Harlem Gospel Choir’s Facebook page a couple of months ago. Same as I always do, when I stumble upon the shivery magic that old Horace described as “accidental good fortune.”

It’s not like I was born under a lucky star. I most assuredly wasn’t. Why, then, do I always seem to fall into happy circumstances? It’s a mystery, even for this Nancy Drew wanna-be. Miracles can happen. Of that, I feel certain. But I’m not entirely comfortable with the concept of preordained circumstances; don’t know that I’d put all my faith in the Secret; and find challenging the belief that you can bring to fruition certain things in your life by sitting on a meditation cushion, chanting mantras as your fingers slide from bead to bead on a rosewood mala. I don’t dismiss these ideas outright, but I don’t buy them absolutely.

Could be that when you’re traveling the right road, you meet up with the right people. Researchers seem to think there’s a sure-fire formula for serendipity, beyond the simple rules of cause-effect. What I know for sure is that Serendipity is more likely to show up on our doorsteps when we open our hearts, minds and eyes to Possibility—when we’re willing to look beyond the messy inconvenience of scattered breadcrumbs and to venture down uncharted paths, to see where they might lead.

Not long after I saw Veronica’s watercolor image, Pat graciously granted me permission to use his lovely photograph for my story. That deadline had come and gone, so he allowed me to use “Mockingbird in the Sun” for this blog entry. I’m grateful. And I’m glad for the serendipitous chain of events that brought me to his website in the first place. I’ve bookmarked his page, for the sheer joy of discovering the latest additions to his galleries. Same with Veronica’s online studio, which I visit on a regular basis.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t also say how fortunate I feel, to have my story published on Manifest-Station. If you’ve got time to read “Grace Notes,” I’d love to hear your thoughts.

……………….

*In return for these artists’ generosity, I’d like to share with my fellow bloggers the rules for using someone else’s creative property. As with many of you, I’m more aware of the rules now than I was when I first started blogging, so I’m in the process of removing copyrighted graphics from old posts. As Maya Angelou once said, “When we know better, we do better.”

Posted in: birds, Blogging, Harlem Gospel Choir, joy, joyful noise, Nature, Photography, writing Tagged: grace notes, jennifer pastiloff, joyful noise, manifest-station, mockingbird, serendipity, singing, tidings of comfort and joy

Grace note, on Thanksgiving Eve

November 26, 2014 by Melodye Shore

That moment when a darling little girl in a holiday dress comes rushing toward you, eyes sparkling & arms wide, yelling "Grandma!" And though you've never met, you just smile inside and fall into her trusting embrace.*

.P1060149

These encounters seem to come out of nowhere, don't they? Oftentimes, when we need them most. I'd just gotten a cortisone shot in my foot (post-surgical healing at a standstill) and was trying to walk off the pain and disappointment. And then — as if by magic! — there she was.

*Grandma? I admit to a brief, "Hey, wait a minute…" reaction afterward. But that moment? Totally worth it!

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: serendipity, thanksgiving

Birthday celebration & A happy surprise

January 29, 2013 by Melodye Shore

He's not all that comfortable with my posting his name or picture online, but trust me, my Prince Charming is a mensch. Handsome, too! As his 5th grade teacher once said: "He's everything a boy should be." ♥

He wanted to take the roadster down PCH last weekend, and who am I to deny a birthday boy his wish? So…since I've vowed to breathe new life into my blog this year, I thought I'd post some pictures of the scenery we encountered. No photobombs of my husband, though–I told you, he's ninja. 🙂


Sky-Duster Palms stand sentry along the Balboa Peninsula


Poppies!


An egret (I think), perched on the railing of a yacht


Ferris wheel on Balboa Island (happiness = azure skies & puffy clouds)


Duuuude, I missed my ride!  


Boats or ships? I dunno, but look at that pewter sky!


Another poppy, royal purple! This one is for my new friend in Texas, whose name I won't reveal. She contacted me fairly recently, in regards to a blog entry I wrote a while back. We've shared several lovely conversations since then–about flower gardens and tent preachers, and a host of memories about the background experiences we share. She has a gentle way about her–like a guiding hand at the small of your back, or an afghan over your shoulders. Like my Nana, but with a Southern sensibility. These surprise encounters happen to (and for) me, fairly often. Serendipity, synchronicity, and/or miracles, I'm always grateful for these connections, and for the lessons they present. 

Site Meter

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: balboa, birthday, husband, miracles, serendipity, surprise encounters, synchronicity

In my travels…

February 26, 2012 by Melodye Shore

For two long weeks, I was sidelined from my voice lessons by a persistent cough and cooties. I couldn’t wait to sing again! And so it was that, ack! I showed up on my teacher’s doorstep a whole two hours early.

If ever there’s a place to be with time on your hands, Laguna Beach is it. I hiked toward the beach, a few short blocks away, reveling in the cloak of quiet afforded by the salty morning mist.

Inspired by Candice Ransom's recent blog entries, I ducked inside an Assistance League thrift store. Baubles and Handbags Sale! the sign announced, but that's not what drew my eye. There, in unfamiliar surroundings and with unexpected time on my hands, I was reunited with a dear old friend.

And boom! I was 9 years old again, sprawled on the floor of our neighborhood bookmobile, flipping through its pages.



Bookmobile Images via ark.cdlib.org

I paid $1.50 for this pleasure, tax included. 

As gentle waves lapped against the seashore, I reacquainted myself with the rhythms and rhymes between its covers. Some selections, if I’m remembering right, were instant favorites; others grew on me with time. I discovered some new friends, too, including a poem about hummingbirds, no surprise, and the last stanza of Song for A Blue Roadster…

Fly, Roadster, fly!

Leave Time behind;

Out of sight

Shall be out of mind.

Shine and Shadow

Blue sea, green bough,

Nothing is real

But Here and Now

~Rachel Field

…which is where I closed the book, leaving the rest for another Time.

Posted in: Uncategorized Tagged: bookmobile, candice ransom, favorite poems old and new, serendipity

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