NAKED TRUTHS

    It is one of those coincidences or ironies of life. This replica knock off of David by Michelangelo has been recently "liberated." 
   It stands in the court yard of Cambria's renown Pewter Plough Playhouse, home to the Harmony Cafe. When Chef Giovanni began serving patrons alfresco, David's midsection was wrapped in the Ivy. We were never sure why such a travesty was permitted. Was there a morality vigilante operating as a gardener-or non-gardener?
   It seems unlikely that most men would feel threatened by a
comparison to that portion of the anatomy that was concealed.  However I will go on record and acknowledge envy of those six pack abs-but they were not covered.
   As mysteriously as the modesty ivy appeared, it has been pruned and David stands before the world as Michelangelo intended. And all of this as the #metoo revelations have begun shaking bad men from high places.

     There is of course still one prominent and powerful accused serial predator and accoster who has been untouched, so far. 

    trump has been rebuffed by voters even in his base states, reproached by powerful men and women and accused, again, by many victims but thus far there has been no serious action to investigate the claims or hold him accountable. 

     It seems there will be a breaking point for the serial liar and bragger. His approval rating is as low as any American President. Even some who had begrudgingly supported him are starting to shed the slime pit and reach for traditional American political ground.  

    The image above is for those of you who feel the need for a shower whenever you think of the president.

    The trouble is, he's leaving a legacy.

      This time of year one can't help but think about children and in turn, the life we are presenting to them.  

       I was particularly touched the other evening as a long time dear friend, a tough and realistic professional women who raised a son and step-daughter and is not an overly sentimental person, teared up as she spoke of the president and his behavior as being seen and read by millions of boys and girls of impressionable age. Ponder that for moment, if you have not already.

       He mocks, brags, derides, lies, is proud of not reading, practices no physical fitness and is a pig. Until he does us a favor and departs or is thrown out of office we must explain and account the likes of him. 

       When our granddaughter is around and when nature has it's way, I refer to that as trumping her diaper. Her mother and grandmother don't approve and don't want me to "confuse" her, but I know in a couple of years she will know exactly what "poppy" meant.

        I especially worry about boys and teen males who have enough trouble finding good mentors and role models. When the president behaves as he does, he is poisoning the future.

       The revelations and fall of men who behaved as creeps is a good thing for society.  It would be an even more effective antidote if the predator in chief were held accountable.

        Something now to bookend this post. They are not the current royalty of Beyonce and Jay Z, nor even Harry and Meghan, but when the King of England, Edward fell in love with Wallis Simpson it was not only a scandal, but created a constitutional crisis. Of course he abdicated and the dashing couple were known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

       The abdication was in 1936, before I was born, but the Duke and Duchess were big conversation in my childhood in the early 50's.  My grandmother and her sisters where English and emigrated as young women. I spent a lot of time with them-my widowed Nannie and her sisters and their husbands including 2 Scots and a Scots-Irish Uncle, plus the Welsh widower of one of the sisters. They shared a three story home, a warren of apt's and rooms and it was very much like a UK boarding house-all related. 

      When I was dressed, they made sure I was "turned out" like a gentleman-the Duke of Windsor being the role model. But they were divided about the abdication and about Wallis Simpson.

     I contrast those sometime spirited discussions-Maggie Smith style-about propriety with what kids today are seeing and hearing. I can't help but think we are spiraling down.

      Maybe this Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa the jolly elf  will bring us civility, decency and class. We've already got a chunk of coal in the White House, well maybe it's not coal yet but the White House has been trumped. 

    See you down the trail

A SCOTS BLUFF-HAWKE MAKES BLUE-AND TO THE BRIDE!

Like a Scot's Wind

  English, Scots, Irish and a blend of Brit genealogies have  settled in Cambria and on the central coast. 

  Windswept bluffs and plenty of room to ramble are appealing and familiar.

   Legroom with views.

 

   Expansive heath where land joins sea.

   Wind and surf in chorus.

     This area "speaks" to some of our DNA.

Born To Be Blue
will make you blue

    Chet Baker is one of those great talents who let demons direct his life and Born To Be Blue, currently in release, is an artful film that tells the story very well.  

     Ethan Hawke, who studied the trumpet and who sang, turns in a superb performance capturing the genius and torture of Chet Baker. Baker was a better singer than Hawke but the entire score and musical ambiance of the film is masterful. Cool and blue jazz and the essence of mellow.The film ventures into a little bop, thanks to the Dizzy Gillespie shading in the plot. Then there is Miles Davis and the script's hint that Baker was pained to get Mile's respect, even to the point of destructive behavior.

     Hawke is good throughout, but the scene where he stares into the mirror in the dressing room at Birdland while fighting with himself about whether to take methadone or to fire up a fix of smack is riveting and is the distilled crux of the story. Born To Be Blue is directed by Canadian Robert Budreau who has made award winning shorts. Brit Carmen Ejogo is excellent in her double role as Elaine and Jane.

     It is an art film, playing in limited distribution about a tortured artist who lived to play the trumpet and shoot heroin, so you won't leave with a smile. It's not for everyone, but if you like Baker's music, Jazz, good story telling and excellent acting it's a good 90 some minutes. Hard to beat the music.

                           

Happy Anniversary

   After all these years you are still my beautiful bride

and I'm more in love every day. 

A Sweet Finale

    Giovanni the maestro at Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough does many things well including his own take on Zucatto. This was a recent "experiment."  We lab animals were swooning very quickly after this photo. "Heavenly" was a consensus.

     See you down the trail.

NEAR AND FAR

STARTS

SHARING HARMONY IN CAMBRIA

     Regular readers may recall Chef Giovanni of Harmony Cafe and his ability to delight all. Giovanni has moved from Harmony California, population 18, to Main Street, Cambria. He brought along the culinary magic.

        These, from his current monthly lunch menu, are examples.

    At the top the polenta and wild boar ragout with lentils. Just above is the sausage burger and cannellini beans.

  As you may discern after study of this recent lunch menu, making decisions here are a challenge. He tells me he stays up late thinking of new offerings. 

 Chef Giovanni has moved into Cambria's famed Pewter Plough Playhouse, decorated with caricatures by the New Yorker's late Al Hirschfeld. 

   True to Cambria's bohemian and art colony nature, the unique wooden tables are the creations of craftsman David Plumb who is a singer and minstrel extraordinaire'.  

  We share this with trepidation. Locals enjoy the masterful and inventive culinary skills and time to chat with Giovanni, a delightful character. When foodies discovered his location in rustic Harmony we found ourselves sharing it with those who came from LA, San Francisco and further afield. But great is great, so if you get to California's central coast, Cafe Harmony at the Pewter Plough is guaranteed to be an authentic joy.

    In a future post we'll tease you a bit with some of his homemade dessert and coffee creations and his garden patio.

HARD STORIES FROM A DISTANCE

   After seeing Beasts of No Nation I told friends that all of us, everyone, regardless of politics or belief, should be held accountable for something that has been reported but largely ignored, the weaponizing of children. 
     It happens in many places, but director Cary Fukanaga tells the story of an African orphan turned into a solider by a charismatic commander played masterfully by Idris Elba. Elba's performance is cited as being ignored by the Academy Awards nomination process. It's a shame there's no category for first time roles. Abraham Attah, the young Ghana native  who plays the orphan is extraordinary. His final monologue, as he relates to a therapist what he had endured changing from a gentle boy who prayed regularly and loved his family to a hardened killer is both a chilling and haunting performance. Tragic reality undergirds this difficult but important film.

     Straight Outta Compton, posted previously, achieves something important as well that I failed to note. It provides a sense of the life that explains better than any politician, professor or activist why young blacks can grow up with an attitude about police and the larger society. Though some will bristle, as they did at the time, NWA was justified to have the anger and frustration they spoke so boldly.

     Revenant is an epic. Its scale as story, production and ultimately as a film is huge and overwhelming. I understand why DiCaprio has been nominated. His work is phenomenal. However, in my estimation at least, Eddie Redmayne's performance in The Danish Girl is even better. Redmayne shows more diversity, range and complex emotion than did Di Caprio, as good as he was as a frontier scout fighting for survival. 
      In the last analysis the Oscars come down to something more than mere performance. Politics, culture and money are involved and DiCaprio's film is larger in all ways. That could make a difference. So too the fact Redmayne won last year for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking.  

     

      After all, the Oscars are not about curing disease, winning wars, ending oppression, bringing justice or anything earth shattering.  They are professional awards given by an industry where the bottom line is just that-commerce.

     See you down the trail.

EXPERIENCES-HARMONY BY EVENING AND BOYHOOD BY FILM

FILM AS EXPERIENCE
follows below
EVENING, HARMONY

   Harmony Cafe, a "California Provence' " lunch favorite, dressed up for an evening Pipestone Winemakers dinner

 the chocolate fettuccine

 Winemakers Jeff and Florence Pipes and Chef Giovanni

BOYHOOD

   Richard Linklater's BOYHOOD, the extraordinary 12 year project is an experience, with more impact than a mere film.  

    It's being called an emotional epic, spellbinding, film of the decade, and more.  It earns those accolades in a way that weaves you into a family, characters, and life, unlike anything I've seen. There is something indelible in seeing the impact of all that life offers, especially on Mason played by Ellar Coltrane who we see grow from an adorable little kid to a college student. For the first time we see and feel the reality of boyhood complete with the icebergs and shoals of parental and adult intrusions teamed with the searching, longings, doubts and expressions of growing up.

     Seeing the cast age before your eyes draws you into the story. Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater, the director's daughter who plays sister Samantha and Ethan Hawke are all superb.  I heard in an interview that much of the script was improvised and from that emotional forge comes an authenticity that would accrue over a 12 year relationship.

      Boyhood is a 2 hour and 44 minute experience that is unique and totally absorbing. It is a brilliant accomplishment and is in an echelon of filmmaking reserved for real art. 

 Seasonal Blooms

drought tolerant

   See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER-CAPTURING THE MOOD

UNDER THE STARS

    As the sun dropped from the painted sky it pulled in thousands of stars on jet blackness over Harmony California.

    Jim Conroy and the Mystery Brothers sweetened the air, a further desert at the Harmony Cafe, alfresco.

     It was a CD release party and the California Irishman logged in stories behind the songs he wrote-Gypsies by the Sea, Celtic Cactus, Walking Down the High Road, Universal Prayer, Mystery of Life and more including the haunting Volcano Lullaby. 

     Conroy's music is accomplished, deep, rich in texture, mood and life.  And like his stories, his creations evoke images.  He finished telling of driving hours in the Baja desert, crossing a ridge with a volcano to the right when suddenly the peaceful blue bay comes into view, as though singing to the smoking volcano.  

     A September night on the California coast, minstrels casting a spell as the quiet Santa Lucia Mountains slumber in the moon light and the Pacific roars its own lullaby.

Harmony indeed.

     See you down the trail.

THE WEEKENDER-EURO STYLE

FRENCH, OR ITALIAN, OR CALIFORNIAN

    Admiring what I call the old "buck board bench" at Giovanni's Harmony Cafe, warmed by the coastal sun, reading a note from our pal Bruce about recipes from Provence' as we await the latest offering from our local master chef, the aromas of the kitchen mixing with the roses, my cocoon of well being is bumped by a realization. 

    Lana and I have been chatting about the joie d'vivre of the Susan Loomis book ON RUE TATIN as she recounts her move to France to write a cookbook as her husband rebuilds a centuries old home in a northern town.  It strikes us that our life here in what some have called the "American Provence'" is authentic provincial joy itself. The cafe for example, guests reflect that with the alfresco setting, the climate and cuisine they could be in Tuscany or Provence.  Indeed! The culture here is younger than Loomis's Louviers in Normandy, but it is unique, as in 

ART ON A LADDER

    Art Van Rhyn that is.  Artist, gallery owner, musician, founder of the whimsical 927 art show, cartoonist of the weekly From the Beach cartoon in The Cambrian and personality unique is one of the pantheon of  "Cambria Characters" this village is known for. Emphasis on "character!"

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT THIS IS?

     30 minutes down the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway is the beautiful small city of San Luis Obispo.  Truly Mediterranean in look and temperament, S-L-O, as many call it, is a university town, full of playfulness, as in the scene above. Bubblegum Alley.

   Yep, that's all gum.  It's a changing work of art, as generations have created their own morphing images, words, messages and etc. Bet they don't have one of these in Normandy.

    So later I'll slip into my easy chair, crack open ON RUE

TATIN, peak out the window at the Santa Lucia mountains and start thinking about what we're going to do for dinner.

The whir of the mixer as I write this is the reminder Lana is making pasta.  We'll probably pick a few tomatoes from one of the raised beds and likely find the other items to round it out at the Farmer's Market underway in the village. Many of the characters will be there. In fact the longer one stays here, the more we all transform, or aspire to our niche in the ways of eccentricity.  

    Oh yea, we'll be using olive oil, but then, which type?  While this region produces great wine, we have a burgeoning olive oil market as well.  So, perhaps, there is a place for our version of this fellow---enjoy.  

Have a fun, delicious and sexy weekend!

   See you down the trail.

SPECIAL AND SCENES OF A WALK

SPECIAL

     Giovanni's northern Italian heritage finesses his work.

A grilled chicken ciabatta with brie, carrot pea soup, sans dairy, egg plant burger and pappardelle with pesto made of savoy cabbage, tomatoes and artichoke, served with a Le Cuvier Rose.  

   The charm is of Mediterranean climate and temperament in an authentic California take.  A village, population 18, hosts the epicure pleasing Harmony Cafe.

     Kristin and Lana enjoy the garden sun and color.

     We're reminded of a place on the way to Sorrento in southern Italy where we dined with accompaniment from a bleating goat, grazing on the property as we ate and drank under the stars. Here a chicken may wander past as song birds build the score. 

     The dishes and sandwiches have always been delicious. Giovanni innovates and the creations are tasty, excellent and fondly appreciated. Everyone should eat his Tiramisu! 

     

SCENES OF A WALK
Harmony Road

   See you down the trail.