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Dancing for Joy: The Life of Carmen Gutierrez Martel

E. Geno Frazier/ Langley Avenue

 “I loved dancing!”  

“I’d never wanted to be anything but a dancer, really. Traveling, meeting wonderful people. It was a very, very exciting life.” 

 When I first met Carmen Gutierrez Martel out walking her chihuahua Poncho on Palos Verdes Drive, I had no idea that this petite, modest, and soft-spoken 93-year-old had once been a much sought-after dancer on Broadway. Only when she casually mentioned that she was going to the sixtieth reunion of the original cast of West Side Story did I discover the rich narrative of her life.  She agreed to sit down with me on a sunny summer afternoon soon afterwards to tell me of her journey from Mexican schoolgirl to international performer of stage and screen. . .

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Take a Deep Breath: Yoga for Life with Sun

E. Geno Frazier/Langley Avenue

If you venture into one of Sunhaeng Yu’s yoga classes at the beginning of the hour, you will hear the sound of relaxing, meditative music and Sun’s calm, precise instructions as she leads her students in an opening warmup to stretch the back, shoulders, legs, and core:

“Hug your right leg into your chest, lengthen your left leg all the way down [Pause]. Very good. Now switch sides: hug your left leg in, lengthen your right leg down. Keep breathing, use your breath. Breathing in, breathing out. [Pause]. Now switch legs again. Now, deeper breath. Lift your right shoulder and your head up. And lower your shoulder and head down. Switch legs. Take a breath. Lift your left shoulder and your head up. Pull your tummy in, so that you can feel your core engage. Lower your shoulder and head down. Switch legs. . .

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New Year’s Reflection: Why Write a College Application Essay?

Galina N./Unsplash.com

I’ve taken time off from my blog for the last couple of months to focus on another project: providing feedback to high school students on their college application essays. As the New Year approaches, a time of mindful renewal,  each one of us could benefit from the reflection necessary to write an effective college app essay. . .
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Embracing and Transcending Limitations: The Sublime

Hoonah Zipline, Alaska. Ryan Joyce/Youtube

Friends and acquaintances have often asked about the topic of my dissertation.  When I answer that I’m writing on George Eliot and the sublime, they look at me blankly.  Even those who know that Eliot was a nineteenth century female novelist are left guessing. They aren’t sure what the sublime entails. For many people, the word either refers to a nineties punk rock band or suggests indulgence in fine wine and rich chocolate. . . Continue reading “Embracing and Transcending Limitations: The Sublime”

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Rich Winemaking Heritage: Foxen Winery and Vineyards  

Samuel Zeller/Unsplash.com

Foxen Winery and Vineyards, in the heart of wine country on California’s Central Coast, is one of the oldest wineries in the region. Dick Doré and Bill Wathen started making wine here in 1985.  The winery is located in Foxen Canyon on the historic Rancho Tinaquaic north of Santa Barbara. . . Continue reading “Rich Winemaking Heritage: Foxen Winery and Vineyards  “

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Musical Sunsets in the Park: Palos Verdes Estates

E. Geno Frazier/LangleyAvenue.com

Perhaps the Palos Verdes Peninsula is not the first place you’d think of when it comes to live music and dancing.  Particularly on a Wednesday night.  But that’s exactly what you’d find if you ventured over to the park next to Malaga Cove Library in Palos Verdes Estates, just behind the Plaza, on Wednesdays during July and August. . . Continue reading “Musical Sunsets in the Park: Palos Verdes Estates”

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