booksbysheilal

To me, ‘astrology’ was my daily horoscope; but when I heard Claudia Beckwith say she once taught an astrology class, I became curious. What, exactly, is astrology?  I asked her.  “It’s an ancient belief system describing an individual’s personality and predicting that person’s future, based on the position of the planets at the moment of birth. Is it a religion?  “Oh, no! Astrology is considered paganism by religions; but the Vatican has a huge section on it, so, who knows?” Does it tell the future like Taro cards?  “ No. Astrology uses mathematics and charts to determine what the planets are saying.” Hmm. One more question: Do you believe in astrology? She paused. Then with a sly smile: “To me, astrology is a mystery—and I appreciate the mysteries of life. If everything is written in the stars, I can go with the flow instead of getting into a tizzy when things go wrong … and I like imagining what tomorrow might bring.” Interesting! I’ll bet Claudia could write super horoscopes!  

When Barbara Jean (“B.J.”) Wong and Colleen Lewis visited my home to tell me about learning and performing hula, I didn’t expect them to arrive looking so pretty—with flowers in their hair and handmade Hawaiian gifts for me. I was even more delighted when I saw the musical instruments they brought, some of which are handmade by the hula haumana (students of hula): a large double gourd (ipu heke,) split bamboo called pu’ ili, and feather gourds called uli uli.     “Hula students gather at the halau (hula school) to dance,” Colleen explained. “When the ipu heke (double gourd) sounds, the kumu hula (teacher) calls out, “Makaukau?” (“Are you ready?”) The students answer, “Ae!” (“Yes!”) and dancing begins.      “We met at hula in 2011, B.J. said. “Now, here we are, 15 years later, still friends and still in love with hula.” Then, to the recorded sound of drums, B.J. called out, “Makaukau?”  “Ai!” answered Colleen, and they began to hula, right in the middle of my dining room! 

Each holiday season, Mary Diefendorf wakes up thinking: What dessert can I surprise Margo’s group with this holiday? (“Margo’s group” is a collection of single, senior women who meet each week in a potluck gabfest.) This Easter season at Margo’s gathering, I quickly snapped pictures of Mary and her Easter dessert-art before they could be gobbled up: cookies with grass-like coconut icing, adorned with tiny sugar bunnies and valentine hearts. “Have you always been a dessert-artist?” I asked. It all started when I was little,” she said, with that faraway, “remembering” expression so familiar to women at our age. I spent a lot of time alone, in my sandbox, making mudpies and wishing I had playmates to serve them to. I sampled one of her cookies. Yum! As always, Mary’s dessert-art was creative, thoughtful, sweet—and made with love for us, the grateful playmates Mary wished for in her sandbox. 

Susan, you recently published an interesting book: “Coincidences and Other Spooky Connections.” “Yes! One day at lunch, I mentioned I’ve kept a record of coincidences in my life for over 40 years. When my friend suggested I write a book on the subject, I couldn’t wait to start researching. I learned that psychologist Carl Jung called coincidences ‘synchronicity’—the connection between all living things. Right away, elephants (known for their deep connections to each other) randomly popped up here and there in my research and my life, in the most surprising ways. They continue to appear—as if to remind me to be aware of connections, everywhere. Thus, an elephant is featured on my book’s cover.” Amazing! Your book seems to say that if we could just realize our connections, we could heal humanity. “You’ve got it! Variations of race, nationalities, religions, and even species, are parts of a marvelous whole. If we focused on connections instead of building barriers, the daily news would be full of pure joy!”

When Carol Nokes told me she was a hospital volunteer, I had to ask: Why would anyone voluntarily go to the hospital?    “Of course, I don’t want to go to the hospital as a patient;” she answered, “but my mom was a nurse and taught me to help when and where I can. I volunteer at the registration desk where I help people find their way—or maybe offer a warm blanket or even a wheelchair. Other volunteers work in places like the gift shop. We receive so much gratitude from patients and staff—it’s very rewarding.” So, how does someone become a hospital volunteer?  “You pass a security background check and make a dependable time commitment. I volunteer two days a week, at least 4 hours each day. It’s true, tough things happen in the hospital. All I know is, if I ever become a patient, I’ll appreciate being greeted by someone with a smile—and maybe even a warm blanket.”   Me, too, Carol. Someone just like you!

Monna Ruskauff and her husband, Ron, recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary, so the history of laughter and tears in their home goes way back. Sitting with her hand resting on her little white dog, Monna was shy about being featured on Bright Ideas. Still, she couldn’t resist talking about their children … and grandchildren … and great-grandchildren: “First we were blessed with our daughter, Susan. Then, in 1966, we adopted twin boys. Our 3rd adopted child, Kevin, had special needs—but he’s fine now. When we learned about the Vietnamese Boat People through our church, Sisters Ly (Lee) and Xuan (Sue-Ann) came to live with us. Eventually, we also welcomed Ly and Xuan’s two brothers.” ***Thank you for letting Bright Ideas salute you, Monna and Ron, and your daughter, Susan, your adopted sons, and the courageous Vietnamese Boat Children who found their way to a good life in your home. Thank goodness … no, Thank God … for homes like yours … where hearts expand when unselfish love is needed. 

It all started during COVID. Pat Ensman decided to make something sweet. She experimented with cake decorating, but no dice. However, chocolate caught her fancy! Never wanting to do anything half-baked, she took classes to learn how to get the perfect chocolate ‘temper.’ She designed taste-tests with her friends to choose the very best cacao beans in the world. She experimented again and again, learning to make flowers and then figurines. Before she knew it, her husband was bulding a chocolate factory in their basement and Pat was a chocolatier—with a lively mail-order business. Sorry , Pat can only sell in New York.    Holiday after holiday, Pat individually wraps valentines, bunnies, and wreaths in her basement chocolate factory. As she stirs, packages, and mails the sweet stuff, she has one image in her mind. All her chocolate profits go to House of Hope International.com; rescuing and rehabilitating children and women caught in the bondage of human trafficking.   See what I mean about Bright Ideas and big hearts? Gotta love that chocolatier! 

Mary Boyle doesn’t just write children’s books; she actually sells them! In February alone, she was at five farmers’ markets and book fairs in the Sacramento-Roseville areas. Wow, Mary! How do you do it?     “I go to lots of book fairs, festivals, and farmers’ markets. Most require a fee–and even an interview–so the real payoff is not just in money. I get ideas that tweak my creativity—like translating my books into Spanish, developing ‘board books’ for toddlers, and combining books with stuffed toys as ‘gift packs.’ Plus, we vendors become real friends. I admit, it’s only now, after three years of marketing, that I’m financially in the black. My real payoff is knowing I’m encouraging a love of books in children. There’s really no price tag on that kind of marketing.”    Writers agree—writing is the fun part; marketing is the real work. Obviously, the secret to Mary’s marketing get-up-and-go is her love for the children her books are written for.  

While Suzanne Dings hardly knows me, I have many musical memories of her. For decades I watched her perform with her violin or viola, seated in the center of the Auburn Symphony orchestra. From my balcony vantage point, she was always such a vision of musical grace. Recently, I was privileged to interview Sue for Bright Ideas. Here’s what I learned: beginning with piano at 6 and violin at 8, her musical journey includes: music therapist at DeWitt State Hospital; Director of the Volunteer Center of Placer County (17 years;) Coordinator of “Music for Humanity” (34 years;) and loyal AAUW member (50 years!) Sue won the McCann Award for community service in 1998 and was celebrated as a founding member of the Auburn Symphony (1982-2011.) Sue and Bob Dings were married 34 years before he passed away in 1991. (Bob was also an Auburn Symphony musician.) Sue is proud of their children, Karen and Bob, Jr.  —-Now I realize, Sue, you are a vision of hard work as well as musical grace!

Dr. Betsy Schwarzentraub lives a spiritual life. After earning Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry degrees, she served as a Methodist pastor. Her pastoral experience led to the position of Stewardship Director, offering encouragement and counsel to churches in California and Nevada, and then across the U.S. During her “working” years, Betsy published more than 1,000 Christian articles, contributed to many devotional books, and served as editor for various publications.”God has certainly blessed me,” she said, with her bright smile. What are the three blessings you hold most dear?  “My number one blessing is my marriage to Ken. We met in a Methodist singles group and married in 1983. We believe the light of God guided us to each other. My second blessing was helping people find meaning in life through my ministry. My third-best blessing? Retirement, with the freedom to write, and write,  and write! —-So far so good. Since she retired, Dr. Betsy has written five spiritual books!