SPENT

November Surf-Cambria

Loving

    We were emotionally spent as we walked from the theatre when we encountered a friend and her husband who there with other couples. They are mixed race couples who gather annually to celebrate Mildred and Richard Loving, the Virginia couple who's love changed the US Constitution.

     Married in 1958 they were arrested in Virginia where state law forbade black and white to marry, live together, bear children or to love each other. Forced to move to Washington DC, where they had been married, they began a family and longed to return to their beautiful rural home.

    Director/Writer Jeff Nichols has crafted a quiet and understated powerhouse film that tells history but also speaks to the current American dilemma. 
     Joel Edgerton delivers an Oscar worthy performance as a white stone mason Richard Loving who simply wants to be left alone to love and live with his wife. Edgerton's quiet strength and reserve emotes with a power that smolders from the screen. Ethiopian Ruth Negga is vulnerable, gentle and long suffering as Mildred. 

     Nichols, born in Little Rock and educated at the University of North Carolina has an instinctive feel and sense of the southern culture and history that created the Loving case. Nichols became interested in the story of the Supreme Court case and the role of the ACLU in bringing justice to the Lovings when he viewed a documentary by Nancy Buirski, who is one of the producers.

    There is an authenticity played marvelously by the cast. Loving won the 2016 Palm d'Or at Cannes.  This 2 hour study of American history and love has a message that should be heard. Be prepared to ride a roller coaster of emotion.

Photo by Oswaldo Salas-print from Tom's collection

 Frequent readers may recall previous posts from the Cuba File. I'm gathering reaction and preparing a new post for later this week. 

the vote truth and consequence

   It looks like you have to go back to 1876 to find a presidential outcome that rivals our recent travail. 

    Back then Democrat Samuel Tilden shellacked Ohio Republican Rutherford B. Hayes in the popular vote, but he lost in the electoral college, only after some still controversial maneuvers.

     Of course we know at least 2 million more American voters wanted Hillary Clinton to lead us than wanted Donald Trump. Once again the archaic and out balance representation of the Electoral College deprives the majority of Americans their choice and once again hands a gift to the Republican candidate who received an underwhelming minority of votes. 

     Does it matter? Indeed and here's how it is likely to. President Trump leads from a position of weakness. He does not have a mandate as most voting Americans didn't want him. While the Republicans control the Senate and House, they will be dependent upon Democrats to get a majority of votes to pass legislation. Democrats have vowed to protect programs enacted under President Obama. I'm hopeful the Democrats will take a realistic and collegial position, willing to engage in give and take. That would be a drastic reversal from the Republican leadership which vowed on day 1 of the Obama administration to guarantee the first African American President fail and not be reelected. 

     Donald Trump's election is also a repudiation of that Republican scorched earth policy. People who were fed up with government or who felt neglected also blame the congressional grid lock engineered by the Republicans. While a minority party it is our hope the Democrats behave as Americans first and partisans second. That's a far cry from the past 8 years. 

      We live in historic times eh?

do you see a face in the surf?

   look a little left of center of the frame. see anything that resembles a face or head of lion or ???

     See you down the trail.

things move on

END OF AN ERA

    A crowd gathered at 5:30 the other evening at our favorite coffee shop. As you can see most of Lily's Coffeehouse is a deck. The patio deck and small coffee bar inside were jammed, answering the question what would happen if all of Virgina's customers showed up at once?

    For 16 years Virginia, pictured above when she became Central California's premiere barista, has been dispensing coffee along with her daily sunshine and absolute cool mellow at Lily's. She began building her clientele a few years earlier a few blocks away in Cambria. 

    She is moving on with life, and her loyal customers, most all of whom are also friends, gathered in a pot luck feast to wish her well.

     Under Virginia's guidance Lily's has become the center of the village. There is an early morning group, the tennis players, the mid-morning group, the mid-day group, the afternoon group, plus all of the tourists who wonder in.

     I was sitting with tennis pals one morning watching two couples stroll by and look down at the deck when one of the men said-"Looks like a bunch of local yokels."

     Virginia would have made even that buffoon feel at home. Lily's, under Virginia is like home. 

     I can't tell you how many times the conservative crowd has settled all of the worlds' problems. Or how frequently the liberal group has mapped the way to a better future, or how often the world traveled, well read, writers, painters, actors, musicians, tech experts, craftsmen, community activists or foodies have filled the deck with delightful and edifying conversation and entertainment. There have been days when I've just listened and have been amazed and entertained.

     A few of the grand patrons of this daily salon have passed though they seem to still inhabit the deck. All over the world people find their favorite coffee shops of course, but we've been lucky to be attended to by such a special woman in this very special brew of coastal California culture. 

     Cheers, Virginia!

 LONGER DAYS

     This was the time of year when it was tough for a kid to get to the dinner table on time. With old Sol hanging higher in the sky, you could get in a few more baskets, or a few more innings, except for the paternal mandate to be at the table, and washed up, by a time certain.

       We eventually learned to make the deadline, eat, help clear the table-giving us ample time to "make sure you digest your meal"-before dashing to our bikes and back to the diamond or court before darkness brought down the curtain.

     Evening on the coast reminds me of kid hood, a lot!

    And California lupine just makes you smile.

    See you down the trail.