Page 445 – Good Times

Arte del Corazón Brings Open-Air Exhibits to Watsonville

A&E
Art

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February 11, 2021

Arte del Corazón Brings Open-Air Exhibits to Watsonville

How can art be exhibited in the time of Covid-19? Ask Watsonville artist Monica Galvan. Take it outdoors is her simple reply.

That’s part of the mission of Arte del Corazón, a Watsonville-based organization that has been staging open-air art shows around the city to showcase artists, from paintings and drawings, to jewelry, installations, photography, sculpture, knitting and more.

“I love art, and I continue to study art,” said Galvan, who earned a bachelor’s in art from UC Berkeley. “All this came together through talking with friends and finding a way to show people’s art.”

Teaming up with Vanessa Ledesma and others, Galvan said Arte del Corazón (art from the heart, translated to English) has already been staged four times between Romo Park on Main Street across from the City Plaza and at a vacant lot at 1997 Freedom Blvd.

Adding more steam to their movement, Galvan said she applied for and received a grant from the Arts Council Santa Cruz County. Now, Arte del Corazón typically welcomes around 20 artists from around the county—and beyond—at each show.

“I particularly wanted to bring Latino artists because I’ve found there just aren’t a lot of venues out there for us,” Galvan said. “Our numbers keep growing. Here at the Romo Park a lot of folks stop by on their way to or from the farmer’s market: It’s a good mix.”

Galvan, who is currently working on getting a master’s in fine art from San Jose State, said the exhibits take place every first Friday of the month at Romo Park and every third Saturday at 1997 Freedom Blvd. from 10am-4pm.

Ladesma, who creates ear rings and paintings, said she has enjoyed the exhibitions.

“I had the idea of sharing our shows with the First Friday that mostly happens in Santa Cruz,” Ladesma said. “Since I’ve been teaching at various schools through the Arts Council SPRECTRA and Mariposa programs these shows seemed like a natural fit. I’ve always liked this kind of partnership. This exhibit is another way of getting our art out there.”

Santa Cruz artist Evan Siegesmund, who excels in gallery art and murals, said he has taken part in Arte del Corazón’s shows since November.

“It’s a great way to connect outdoors where it’s safe,” he said. “It feels really good to do shows because, before Covid hit, I had so many shows lined up that were cancelled. Since I teach at H.A. Hyde School, being out here is just another way of connecting with this community, and I like that.”

The current exhibition series artists are reflecting is “For the Love of Plants.” That exhibition runs through March 20. Galvan said coming soon will be virtual art classes put on by participating artists. The family-oriented classes will include kits with supplies that will help people delve into art.

“I’ve been studying art for over 10 years, starting at Cabrillo College,” Galvan said. “We’re looking into more grants to keep this going. Participating artists pay a small fee to be in the show and that seems to work well.”

Watsonville City Councilman Lowell Hurst took time to wander through the 20 tables at a recent show that was running in tandem with the farmers’ market downtown. The tables and tents were widely spaced for Covid-19 safety reasons.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Hurst said. “Anything we can do to promote local art and help bring color and style to our community is a great thing.”

For more information, visit artedelcorazon.com or email Monica Galvan at ar***************@gm***.com.

Watsonville City Council Votes to Move George Washington Statue

Tony Nuñez

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February 10, 2021

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Watsonville City Council Votes to Move George Washington Statue

The Watsonville City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting voted to move the George Washington statue from the City Plaza to the Watsonville Public Library.

The motion, put forth by councilwoman Rebecca Garcia, passed 5-2 with council members Ari Parker and Lowell Hurst dissenting. Parker and Hurst said they wanted the issue to be placed on the ballot for voters to decide the bust’s future.

A hot-button topic since the killing of George Floyd in May 2020 sparked national social unrest, the fight over the donated sculpture of the nation’s first president has elicited an outpouring of opinions about its preferred location, as well as historic preservation, racial oppression and social justice, among other things.

Dueling petitions and protests got it on the city’s radar, and subsequent heated Parks and Recreation Commission meetings further drove a wedge between people on opposite sides of the issue.

The Parks Commission recommended the City Council remove the statue. That was despite the results of a survey in which 60% of roughly 1,200 respondents said they wanted to keep the statue in its current location at the historic park in the heart of the city.

City parks staff recommended that the City Council leave the statue where it is and add a “bilingual plaque on the podium of the bust that describes a broad historical perspective about George Washington.”

Garcia’s motion included the addition of the plaque. She said she made the motion because of Washington’s role in the genocide of Indigenous people and enslavement of Black people. Those actions, she said, did not make him a “man who practiced the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

“His bust is a reminder of the dehumanization experienced by slaves and natives,” she said.

The relocation will cost the city between $7,000-9,000, Parks and Community Services Director Nick Calubaquib said. The fabrication of the plaque will cost about $2,000, Calubaquib added. That does not include the cost associated with creating the written historical perspective of the nation’s first president.

It is unclear when the city will move it and where in the library it will be placed.

Part of a $100,000 gift from the Alaga Family Estate as a dying wish of Lloyd F. Alaga, the bust has called the City Plaza home since 2001. The council unanimously approved the gift from Alaga in 1999, using $70,000 to create the bust and the rest to help restore the fountain in the park. Alaga, a Watsonville native and immigrant from Croatia, also donated $200,000 to the Watsonville Public Library.

For two decades it has sat mostly unnoticed at the park nestled into the center of the city, but debate around the bust began as several monuments to historic figures across the country were removed as a result of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Online petitions—both in favor of and against the bust—were circulated, prompting city officials to bring the item to the Parks Commission for a “study session” in August 2020. The majority of the commission voiced its support for removing the bust, and called for the issue to be agendized by the City Council. The city instead circulated the aforementioned online survey to gather more input and held a town hall in September 2020 to release the results.

The majority of respondents who wanted the bust removed said it had turned into a symbol of white supremacy and racism. Many of them have cited a reported cry of “white power” that rang out during a rally organized by supporters of the statue in July 2020. In addition, a photo of a person flashing an “OK” hand gesture, which the Anti-Defamation League has said can be associated with white supremacy, surfaced from that rally.

Respondents also said that the statue does not reflect the “values of the community.”

Those who wanted to leave the statue in its place said in the survey that it honors Washington’s actions that created and improved the country, that it is a reminder of the country’s history that should not be removed, and that his actions should not be judged under the lens of today’s societal norms.

About 25 people talked during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s virtual meeting. At least five of them were in favor of keeping the statue in the Plaza. That included Rory Odegaard, who said he was a fourth-generation Californian and a longtime resident of South County.

“Why are we discussing this when we have a slam dunk 2-to-1 survey that said keep the bust?” Odegaard asked.

But the majority of the callers were in favor of removing the statue, and most of those in favor were return callers from previous meetings over the last seven months. As they have before, they said the survey was incomplete because it did not tally race and age—something councilwoman Garcia also said was essential to understanding if the vote was reflective of Watsonville’s largely young Latinx population—and that many people did not receive the survey.

They also said that a vote to keep the bust would be a “tone-deaf” decision after just two hours earlier unanimously voting to fly the Black Lives Matter flag during Black History Month in February.

Victoria Bañales, a Cabrillo College English professor, said that the survey results might be indicative of today’s social climate in Watsonville, but added that many social justice and civil rights causes are largely unpopular in the moment.

“It might not be popular, but it is the right thing to do,” Bañales said. “When you look back, historically, you’re going to say that was the right thing to do.”

Mayor Jimmy Dutra said the real issue is not the bust itself but the racial divide that the city has seen since the two sides began circulating petitions last year.

“We need to get back to a point of healing—this community needs to heal,” he said.

Soquel Vineyards’ Pinot Noir Rosé 2020 Is A Knockout

Josie Cowden

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February 10, 2021

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Soquel Vineyards’ Pinot Noir Rosé 2020 Is A Knockout

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Soquel Vineyards has released a beautiful Pinot Noir Rosé. This delightful pink-hued wine is all estate grown—and it’s a knockout.

Lovers of Rosé will be thrilled with the wine’s flavors of pomegranate and strawberries, and its floral aromatics. This terrific Rosé is only $16 and comes with an easy-to-open screw cap.

Soquel Vineyards is very well-known for its superb Pinot Noirs, but this is the first time they have made a Rosé of Pinot Noir. I think they should have done it much sooner!

Wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains are known for their generosity—and Soquel Vineyards is no exception.

“A portion of sales (of the Rosé) will be donated to two nonprofit organizations—Meals on Wheels and Grey Bears. We are honored to be giving back to our community,” say winery owners Peter Bargetto, Paul Bargetto and Jon Morgan.

A perfect afternoon on Valentine’s Day would be a wine tasting at Soquel Vineyards—leaving, of course, with a bottle of Pinot Noir Rosé. Good thing there’s time to get some for Valentine’s weekend!

Soquel Vineyards, 8063 Glen Haven Road, Soquel. 831-462-9045, soquelvineyards.com.

Valentine’s Dinner

Many local restaurants are preparing special dinners for Valentine’s Day. Chocolate on Pacific Avenue is doing a delicious dinner for two for $100, with black truffle rosettes, chicken breast with mole sauce, a “dessert orgy,” and a bottle of Brut Rosé. Learn more at chocolatesantacruz.com. Cafe Rio in Aptos is also doing a Valentine’s menu from 4-8pm on Sunday, Feb.14, for $65 per person. Visit caferioaptos.com for details. And Persephone in Aptos has a fabulous Valentine’s menu—plus, you can dine outside on the patio. Go to persephonerestaurant.com.

Wine Tasting on Valentine’s Day

The countdown is on to do something fun on Valentine’s Day. Integrity Wines will hold a wine-tasting event from 1-3pm on Sunday, Feb.14, led by winemaker Mark Hoover. Wines can be delivered to your doorstep, or you can pick them up at the tasting room. The cost is $40—with add-on chocolate and cheese pairing available. Visit integritywine.com for more info.

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Feb. 10-16

GT Staff

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February 10, 2021

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A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

GRATEFUL DEAD TUNES WITH MATT HARTLE AND FRIENDS New weekly link: Grateful Sundays live online can be found every Sunday at facebook.com/gratefulsundays. We need everyone to help us all stay safe. We are asking that everyone hang at their tables. Masks are required at all times unless you are seated at your table. Socially distanced dancing will be allowed at your tables only, not in the spaces between the tables. Artist sites and sounds. facebook.com/gratefulsundays. Purchase your tickets now: Call 831-479-9777, ext. 2. $15. Sunday, Feb. 14, 5:30pm. Michael’s on Main, 2591 S Main St., Soquel.

TED WELTY HUMP DAY HAPPY HOUR WITH BOB O’NEILL Native Santa Cruz musician Ted Welty, a guitarist and singer/songwriter, is best known as co-founder of 1990s alternative rock band Iguana Jive. The group was signed in 1994 by indie label Maddog Records, and went on to record their first album at A&M Studios. A second album was recorded and released in 1997. Ted is currently a member of the popular bands Locomotive Breath and Spun. No cover; bring your face mask. 831-479-9777, ext. 2. Wednesday, Feb. 10, 5pm.

DINNER AND A SHOW: A SINATRA VALENTINES FEATURING JOHN MICHAEL Join John and his ensemble for a romantic evening of Sinatra’s greatest love songs. Dinner starts at 6:30 and showtime is at 8pm. When John Michael sings Sinatra you would think Frank is in the room. John, from Dún Laoghaire Ireland, is an eclectic and proficient vocalist. He began vocalizing at the age of four and has been performing ever since. He is extremely versatile in many genres including jazz, swing, rock, Celtic, heavy metal, blues, funk, soul and opera. More than just a vocalist, John is adept at creating an atmosphere with his audience. He has opened up for national touring acts like Chris Isaak, Third Eye Blind, The Fix, Berlin, Huey Lewis, Greg Khin, The Pointer Sisters and more. $45 for dinner and show. 831-479-9777, ext. 2. Saturday, Feb. 13, 6:30pm.

ART SHOW Emerging from sheltering in place, Ben, a lifelong artist, photographer, actor and writer, was always looking for the next opportunity to translate everyday experiences into artistic expressions. At the start of shelter-in-place in mid-March, Ben began painting as a hobby but his painting has since evolved into one of his favorite artistic forms of expression. Meet and greets will be held Saturdays and Sundays 8:30am-10:30am with face masks and proper distancing. Ben’s paintings and fine art prints can also be viewed and purchased in the comfort of your home through artevolutionstudio.com. Wednesday, Feb. 10-Tuesday, Feb. 16, 7am-11:30pm.

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL VIRTUAL FESTIVAL New lineup of films announced! This year, bring the adventure home! Fluff up your couch cushions, grab a snack of choice, and make sure you have a good internet connection, because the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour is virtual! Travel to the most remote corners of the world, dive into daring expeditions, and celebrate some of the most remarkable outdoor achievements, all from the comfort of your living room. Visit riotheatre.com for more information about the online programs and how you can support your local screening. You may also go directly to the Banff affiliate link for the Rio at filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=WT-163945. $28.

CALL FOR COLLABORATION: MLK DAY JUSTICE JOURNAL Share your dreams and submit a page into a community journal in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. You can write and draw your responses by hand or digitally. Written responses can be of any language. Submitted pages must fit within 10 inches by 10 inches. Per submission, please include a note with your name, address, email or phone number, and selected prompt available on the event page. At the end of February, all the submissions will be compiled and pieced together. The completed journal will be displayed the week of March 1 as a close to Black History Month and continuation of a Black future. Submissions accepted through Feb. 19. Guidelines can be accessed on the event page: santacruzmah.org/events/justice-journal.

SALSA SUELTA FREE ZOOM SESSION SALSA SUELTA FREE ZOOM SESSION Keep in shape! Weekly online session in Cuban-style Salsa Suelta for experienced beginners and up. May include Mambo, ChaChaCha, Afro-Cuban Rumba, Orisha, Son Montuno. No partner required, ages 14+. Contact to get the link. salsagente.com. Thursday, Feb. 11, 7pm.

TWDCC’S WINTERDANCE FEST 2021 Throughout the month of February, Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center (TWDCC) will return with their fifth annual Winter Dance Fest (WDF), featuring four premieres from a lineup of world-renowned and emerging choreographers, airing for free every Saturday via the TWDCC website. Winter Dance Fest 2021 will feature returning artists Gregory Dawson (dawsondancesf), Taliha Abdiel (Abdiel Dance Project), and debut Winter Dance Fest features Norwood Pennewell (Garth Fagan Dance), and Angela Chambers (TWDCC). Winter Dance Fest 2021 honors Black History Month by centering and highlighting a full lineup of Black choreographers. Gregory Dawson’s fifth consecutive appearance at WDF offers an excerpt from his new work, “The Human Project,” exploring themes of change, sacrifice, community, and death. Taliha Abdiel, in her third WDF feature, will premiere “This is Why I Can’t Go Home,” a self-choreographed solo exploring the complex freedoms of longing, escapism and finding a destination. Norwood Pennewell, renowned principal dancer with Garth Fagan Dance, choreographed a solo for TWDCC’s own Artistic Director and Fagan principal alum, Micha Scott, titled “…And Still She Moves,” to find the balance between opposing elements. And TWDCC’s well-beloved teacher and administrator, Angela Chambers, will make her WDF debut with Ode, a dancerly dedication to her students, who have shared their moments of uncertainty, heaviness, and resilience. Angela has incorporated youth dancers into Ode, uniting her dedication with some of the dancers who inspired it, for the first time TWDCC youth have performed for WDF. These four artists are an inspired cast for Winter Dance Fest 2021. To read more about the WDF features, please visit tanneryworlddance.com/winterdance-fest. Artist videos will premiere on each Saturday of February, along with interviews of each artist on the podcast Speak For Change, hosted by Thomas Sage Pederson. Saturday, Feb. 13, 4pm.

VIRTUAL FAMILY DAY: FOLDABLE BUTTERFLY VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS Grab your art supplies and creative kiddos to get ready for Valentine’s Day with the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH). Hop on Zoom as MAH History Learning and Engagement Manager, Jamie Keil, takes you through a hands-on art activity. For this love-edition of Virtual Family Day, we will be making Valentine butterflies. Design and create your own beautiful butterfly and perfectly folded cocoon envelope to give to someone special in your life. Plus, we’ll be joined by special guests, “In These Uncertain Times” exhibiting artists Dana Peters and Sarah Bianco, as they share more about their art practice. This event is good for all ages but may hold the attention of 5-12-year-olds best. We recommend bringing at least two pieces of paper, coloring utensils, and scissors. $5 per household/free for MAH members. After registration, a Zoom link will be sent to access the event. More info at santacruzmah.org. Thursday, Feb. 11, 3-4pm.

WEST CLIFF OUTDOOR VALENTINE’S MARKET Enjoy a socially distanced outdoor market with unique artisans and food trucks while taking in the spectacular view of the ocean. This one-of-a-kind market will be held in two parking lots along West Cliff Drive. This is always a popular spot for locals and tourists, as it overlooks the famous Steamer Lane surf spot. The market will feature one-of-a-kind gifts and a chance to see many unique artisans while enjoying an amazing view overlooking the ocean. The market will follow all social distancing guidelines and all vendors and attendees will be wearing face masks. Please come and join us and enjoy this outdoor shopping experience! Saturday, Feb. 13, 10am-5pm.

COMMUNITY

CHINESE NEW YEAR DISCUSSION: YEAR OF THE OX DISCUSSION WITH DOCTOR LETA Join Chinese Doctor LeTa for a Year of the Ox Discussion and discover what’s in store for you! This in-depth presentation will take a look at the new energies that affect us. Let’s take a look at what the Year of the Ox means for us on a global and local scale, the astrology for the year plus the Feng shui energies affecting your home, workspace and more. You will learn about four different animals that affect you: your year (most of you know this one), your month, your day and your hour animals. So when you listen, you will be listening to four animals for yourself and this new year, not just one. Handouts will be given to all attendees by email. We are starting a new decade. Be prepared by knowing where to put your Qi (attention) and how to side-step the energies that may not be worthy of your time. All ages welcome. Please have paper, writing implements, tea on hand! Teach yourself how to surf life’s synchronicities and become a master of your own destiny. Visit eventbrite.com/e/year-of-the-ox-chinese-new-year-talk-online-tickets-129584188797 for more information. Saturday, Feb. 13, Noon-1:30pm.

COCKTAILS & CUPCAKES Join Save Our Shores as we mix up karma for our life-giving sanctuary with a fun virtually-connected evening of cocktail and mocktail making led by a local mixologist, cupcakes from your favorite local bakery, music curated by DJ Mai Girl, a collaborative ocean love songwriting experience led by The Brothers Koren, Ocean Love Trivia, inspirational videos exemplifying our organization’s vital work, and more! Your ticket contributions will support our ongoing education, action, and advocacy work to help us save all that we can in our ocean ecosystems while protecting our shared future during these challenging times. Since you will be providing your own refreshments for the evening, your entire ticket contribution is tax-deductible! Buy tickets here: saveourshores.salsalabs.org/cocktailscupcakes/index.html. Thursday, Feb. 11, 6pm.

FOR THE LOVE OF CHILDREN VIRTUAL EVENT A free virtual one-hour event to learn more about CASA of Santa Cruz County and the Children’s Fund. Hear from our advocates, former foster youth, and a family member about how CASA and the Children’s Fund helped make a difference in the community. The CASA Children’s Fund is used by our volunteer advocates to purchase special items to enrich or just add normalcy to a CASA child’s life. This year, we have supplied dozens of tablets and laptops for online schooling. We have purchased bikes, bike helmets, camping supplies, rollerblades, and scooters so kids can get out and exercise safely. We also helped with essential items that many of us take for granted such as eyeglasses, braces, bedding, strollers, car seats, and tutoring. Register here: zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ufu-orT4oGdXj0lO21_TGzZlimVH6Xl6a. Wednesday, Feb. 10, 4pm.

TENANTS’ RIGHTS HELP Tenant Sanctuary is open to renters living in the city of Santa Cruz with questions about their tenants’ rights. Volunteer counselors staff the telephones on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 10am-2pm. Tenant Sanctuary works to empower tenants by educating them on their rights and providing the tools to pursue those rights. Tenant Sanctuary and their program attorney host free legal clinics for tenants in the city of Santa Cruz. Due to Covid-19 concerns, all services are currently by telephone, email or Zoom. For more information visit tenantsanctuary.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/tenantsanctuary. 831-200-0740.Thursday, Feb. 11, 10am-2pm. Sunday, Feb. 14, 10am-2pm. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 10am-2pm.

GROUPS

ENTRE NOSOTRAS GRUPO DE APOYO Entre Nosotras support group for Spanish-speaking women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets twice monthly. Registration required, call 831-761-3973. Friday, Feb. 12, 6pm.

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS All our OA meetings have switched to being online. Please call 831-429-7906 for meeting information. Do you have a problem with food? Drop into a free, friendly Overeaters Anonymous 12-step meeting. All are welcome!Sunday, Feb. 14, 9:05-10:15am.

WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM Cancer support group for women with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday at 12:30pm via Zoom. All services are free. Registration required. Contact WomenCARE at 831-457-2273 or online at womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, Feb. 15, 12:30pm.

WOMENCARE TUESDAY SUPPORT GROUP WomenCARE Tuesday Cancer support group for women newly diagnosed and through their treatment. Meets every Tuesday currently on Zoom. Registration required. Contact WomenCARE at 831-457-2273 or online at womencaresantacruz.org. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 12:30-2pm.

WOMENCARE: LAUGHTER YOGA Laughter yoga for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every Wednesday at 3:30 via Zoom. Registration required by contacting 831-457-2273. Wednesday, Feb. 3, 3:30-4:30pm.Wednesday, Feb. 10, 3:30-4:30pm.

OUTDOOR

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP PRESENTS DEFENDING DARKNESS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF LIGHT POLLUTION Gain a new appreciation for darkness on a planet dominated by a species enamored with light in this Zoom presentation by Andy Kreyche, local astronomy educator and member of the Santa Cruz Chapter of the International Dark Sky Association. The dark sky movement, originally started by astronomers, has become a worldwide effort to protect all species from the ill effects of excessive artificial light at night, also known as light pollution. After Andy’s presentation (and weather permitting), amateur astronomer Mike Jerry will be your guide for a real-time telescopic tour of astronomical sights from his home in Death Valley National Park, which has been designated as the largest Dark Sky National Park in the country by the International Dark Sky Association. Register at uufscc.org. Thursday, Feb. 11, 7pm.

CHANGING CLIMATE: THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Please join us on Feb. 10 as we discuss meaningful climate policy and environmental justice reform. In this conversation, Rhiana Gunn-Wright,director of climate policy at the Roosevelt Institute and an architect of the Green New Deal, will speak to why climate policy must include environmental justice, why climate must be part of our post-Covid economic recovery and opportunities for the Biden administration to tackle climate change and environmental justice. Moderated by Sikina Jinnah, associate professor of environmental studies at UCSC. Welcome and opening remarks by Valentin Lopez, chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. Register for this free event at transform.ucsc.edu/events. Wednesday, Feb. 10, 5:30pm.

COMMUNITY PERMACULTURE CALLS WINTER 2021 Practice permaculture each week at our village campfire of ongoing interactive group calls. Hosted by experienced permaculture mentors including Santa Cruz Permaculture founder David Shaw, Lydia Neilsen of Rehydrate the Earth, and John Valenzuela of Cornucopia Food Forests. The goal of this program is to create thriving and resilient individuals and communities. We do this through supporting people to connect with nature, community, and themselves more deeply, and use permaculture as the vehicle for doing so. Each call includes a keynote talk on a relevant and seasonal topic. This is followed by a small group conversation for reflection, and a whole group conversation and Q&A. We close the calls with invitations for how you can apply what you’ve learned in your home and community. The next call begins with a check-in about how it went applying what you learned. Our curriculum is ever-evolving, changing with the seasons, and influenced by the topics people want to cover. It is dialogical and co-creative. We include and also transcend the topics covered in our permaculture design course, listed here just to get the flavor of typical topics. For example, during a 10-week cohort, we may spend two weeks on composting (home or commercial), two weeks on no-till agroecology and food forests, a week on habitat and pollinators, a week on designing disaster resilience (personal and neighborhood), a week on economics and right livelihood, and a week on policies to support ecological living. Overall, our goal is to help you and your community thrive using a community-based approach to permaculture as the means. Winter cohort topics include winter pruning, grafting, observing water, greenhouses and composting. Learn more about and register for the 10-week call series at santacruzpermaculture.com/communitypermaculture. $25 per call, $250 for the series. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 7-8:30pm.

SCIENTISTS SAVING THE OCEANS VIRTUAL EXPEDITION Expedition 1: Protecting Dolphins and Whales from Oceanic Noise. Join the Seymour Marine Discovery Center for a unique virtual expedition as we go behind the scenes with UCSC’s Marine Mammal Physiology Project at Long Marine Lab to explore how Dr. Terrie Williams is racing to protect dolphins and whales from oceanic noise. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with Long Marine Lab’s expert animal trainers and researchers to learn how they care for and train dolphins and seals to voluntarily participate in conservation science, observe team research in action and learn how new technologies are developed to investigate animals in the wild and understand how lab science underpins field research aimed at protecting narwhals and other marine mammal populations around the world. Facilitated live through Zoom, this expedition consists of six engaging 90-minute classes. Each class session includes livestreaming time with the staff and resident animals cared for by the Marine Mammal Physiology Project at UCSC. Fees: Seymour Center members $250, non-members: $320, note that members receive priority registration. For more details and to register, visit: seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/learn/ongoing-education/scientists-saving-the-oceans. Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2:30-4pm. Monday, Feb. 15, 2:30-4pm.

VIRTUAL YOUNGER LAGOON RESERVE TOURS Younger Lagoon Reserve is now offering a virtual tour in both English and Spanish. This virtual tour follows the same stops as the Seymour Marine Discovery Center’s docent-led, in-person hiking tour, and is led by a UCSC student! Virtual Younger Lagoon Reserve tours are free and open to the public. Part of the University of California Natural Reserve System, Younger Lagoon Reserve contains diverse coastal habitats and is home to birds of prey, migrating sea birds, bobcats, and other wildlife. See what scientists are doing to track local mammals, restore native habitat, and learn about the workings of one of California’s rare coastal lagoons. Access the tours at seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/visit/behind-the-scenes-tours/#youngerlagoon. Sunday, Feb. 14, 10:30am.

Maya Mexican Restaurant Crafts Dishes with Original Family Recipes

Andrew Steingrube

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February 10, 2021

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Maya Mexican Restaurant Crafts Dishes with Original Family Recipes

Maya Mexican Restaurant has many loyal local regulars and has been a favorite for Mexican food in Scotts Valley since owner Ricardo Magana purchased it back in 2003.

Family owned and operated, they are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner from 11am-9pm, and are currently offering outdoor dining and takeout. GT recently caught up with Magana, who talked about the food that makes Maya stand out and his thoughts on the pandemic.

What sets your food apart, and where do the recipes come from?

RICARDO MAGANA: We serve quality and consistent food. All of our ingredients are fresh. We try to use the freshest produce and meats we can find, and most of our food is freshly made to order. Our recipes come from Mexico, from the state of Aguascalientes. They are original family recipes that are very authentic and have been passed down throughout multiple family generations.

What are a couple of your house specialty dishes?

Our fajitas: They come with chicken, beef, shrimp, or a combination, and have onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes that are sautéed and served on sizzling plates. They are unique because everything is completely fresh and made to order, and we add secret family recipe ingredients that make them very flavorful. They come with rice, beans, and choice of tortilla. And our Chile Colorado is just the best. It has tender chunks of pork, with a house-made Colorado red sauce that’s simmered for hours to integrate all the spices and flavors. It also comes with rice, beans, and choice of tortilla. We have traditional refried beans as well as ranchero beans, which are whole beans cooked with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and olive oil.

How has the restaurant been doing amid the pandemic?

We’ve been getting by during this past difficult year thanks to the support of the local Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley communities. We are very appreciative of all their support—we wouldn’t have been able to make it without them. We really look forward to continuing serving these local communities, and with on-site dining returning, also look forward to serving more of our best-in-town margaritas. We have over 100 different kinds of tequila and always use fresh ingredients. Our sweet and sour mix is locally and freshly made, and we always make a strong drink.

3115 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley. 831-438-7004, mayasv.com.

Letter to the Editor: Nobody Prefers Bus

Letters to the Editor

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February 10, 2021

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Letter to the Editor: Nobody Prefers Bus

Re: “RTC Votes to Advance Rail Trail,” (goodtimes.sc, 2/4): I can’t believe this is controversial.

Our county’s population density is shaped like a line. There’s a rail line that we own that runs in the center of that density line, through all the towns. Traffic is terrible. Thousands of essential workers wait in traffic every day getting from Watsonville to Santa Cruz. Every study has shown that the best use of our rail corridor for transportation is to use it for rail transportation. Sadly, I fear those who are opposed are philosophically opposed to public transportation and other equity-related public services. They may say they “prefer bus,” but it’s well established that nobody prefers bus given the choice, and these Mid-County opponents never use public transit in any case. Let’s plan for rail, so when funding is available we can be first in line.

David Van Brink | Santa Cruz

This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.

To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to le*****@go*******.sc.

Letter to the Editor: Act For the People

Letters to the Editor

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February 10, 2021

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Letter to the Editor: Act For the People

I urge you to use your position and your privilege to stand up for those who need representation. At this point in history, we need to do every single thing we can to fight for racial equality. Sitting on the sidelines makes you a part of the problem. Be on the right side of history.

The first 100 days of Biden’s presidency are under way, and I’m hoping that he and Congress will make reforming our democracy a top priority. The best way to do that is by passing the For the People Act.

The For the People Act is a bold piece of legislation that would strengthen our democracy for generations to come. The law would dismantle numerous barriers to voting and representation, like gerrymandering, racist voter ID laws, unnecessary hurdles to registration, and felony disenfranchisement, adding millions of new voters to the rolls. It would also reduce the influence of big money in our politics by enacting limits on donations from lobbyists and increasing the power of campaign contributions from Americans by enacting a small-donor matching program.

Without this much-needed reform, our political system will never be truly democratic or fully representative, meaning our government will continue to work only for the privileged few.

With a new president in the White House, I want to build a better system for all Americans— which is why I’m urging Congress to pass the For the People Act.

Danielle Ferretti | Felton

This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.

To submit a letter to the editor of Good Times: Letters should be originals—not copies of letters sent to other publications. Please include your name and email address to help us verify your submission (email address will not be published). Please be brief. Letters may be edited for length, clarity and to correct factual inaccuracies known to us. Send letters to le*****@go*******.sc.

Opinion: An Exciting Crossword Puzzle Addition for Readers

Steve Palopoli

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February 10, 2021

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Opinion: An Exciting Crossword Puzzle Addition for Readers

EDITOR’S NOTE

A few weeks ago, I fell into an internet rabbit hole tracing the history of Games World of Puzzles magazine. If you’re not at all or just a little bit into crossword puzzles, you may not know it, but if you’re a hardcore cruciverbalist (aka crossword fanatic), you most definitely do. It’s been around since 1977 and some of their puzzles are pretty mindblowing (I particularly like that for April Fool’s Day in 2000, they ran a “Call Our Bluff” puzzle—in which the reader has to tell which historical anecdotes are true, and which are false—with only true stories. That’s messed up!)

I mention this because Will Shortz, it turns out, got his start at the magazine (back when it was just called Games) in 1978, and edited it from 1989 to 1993. From there, he went on to be the editor of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle, which he still oversees today. And I’m excited to announce that beginning with this issue, you’ll be able to do that puzzle every week right here in GT. Go to page 35 to start the first one!

We’ve had a lot of great cover stories in our Valentine’s Day issues over the years, but no one writes them quite like our former staffer Maria Grusauskas. I’m delighted that she’s back this week to bring her thoughtful, elegant style to the story of Santa Cruz author Lisa Nicks-Balthasar, a love and intimacy coach whose new book Believe is all about finding our soul mates. Also in this issue, Christina Waters writes about Valentine’s offerings from local restaurants, and Josie Cowden has a suggestion for a new wine to fit the holiday. Happy V-Day!

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

ONLINE COMMENTS

Re: James Durbin

Wonderful article on James! He’s a class act and I’m so happy for him and for the release of The Beast Awakens! James is made for this type of music, but I’d support him no matter what genre he chooses to sing!

— Sheri K.

Re: Cannabis Enforcement

My next-door neighbors were growing illegally, stealing power and water, stinking up the neighborhood, caused a fire and blew up the transformer and power lines on our block. The grow op is right next to our living room on the property line, and has a very high potential to start a fire, especially since they’ve put in heat pumps and other electrical without any inspection. Constant workmen in and out, even a child! Plain old greed, stealing thousands worth of power (6-8 times normal use, and why we had brownouts in our house, and the power lines and transformers blew) It was and may still be an extremely dangerous situation. I am grateful to have someone to turn to with these scofflaws growing in a residential neighborhood, creating a hazard.

— V. Synder

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Submit to ph****@go*******.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.

GOOD IDEA

NEW SOUP FOR YOU

Thanks to some innovative thinking, the Boardwalk’s 40th annual Clam Chowder Cook-Off is a go. The iconic local event has been reimagined as a drive-thru event in the Boardwalk’s River Parking Lot on Saturday, Feb. 20. Safety protocols will be observed. Tasting “flights” are $12 each; go to beachboardwalk.com/Clam-Chowder-Cook-Off chowder for more information and tickets.

GOOD WORK

DELIVER FOR THE RIVER

The Coastal Watershed Council (CWC) received an $8,000 grant from the National Geographic Society in January for its Watershed Rangers program. CWC educators Mollie Behn and Sam Adelson have led the effort to convert the group’s San Lorenzo River-based curriculum to a distance-learning format, and in the fall 2020 semester, CWC brought the program to 484 elementary school students at 11 Santa Cruz County schools via virtual classrooms. Families can also visit CWC’s YouTube channel to find activities and learn more about the watershed from home.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“When you’re in love, you’re capable of learning everything and knowing things you had never dared even to think.”
-Paulo Coelho

Rob Brezsny’s Astrology: Feb. 10-16

Rob Brezsny

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February 9, 2021

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Free will astrology for the week of Feb. 10

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Anton Chekhov made a radical proposal: “Perhaps the feelings we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows people who they should be.” In accordance with astrological potentials, my beloved Aries darling, I invite you to act as if Chekhov’s proposal were absolutely true for at least the next two weeks. Be animated by a generous lust for life. Assume that your intelligence will reach a peak as you express excited kindness and affectionate compassion. Be a fount of fond feelings and cheerful empathy and nourishing ardor.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau told the following story about Taurus composer Erik Satie (1866–1925). When Satie died, his old friends, many of whom were highly accomplished people, came to visit his apartment. There they discovered that all the letters they had sent him over the years were unopened. Satie had never read them! How sad that he missed out on all that lively exchange. I beg you not to do anything that even remotely resembles such a lack of receptivity during the coming weeks, Taurus. In fact, please do just the opposite: Make yourself as open as possible to engagement and influence. I understand that the pandemic somewhat limits your social interactions. Just do the best you can.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): On behalf of the cosmic omens, I demand that the important people in your life be reliable and generous toward you in the coming weeks. You can tell them I said so. Tell them that you are doing pretty well, but that in order to transform pretty well into very well, you need them to boost their support and encouragement. Read them the following words from author Alan Cohen: “Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): For a while, poet Alfred de Musset (1810–1857) was the sexual partner of Cancerian novelist George Sand (1804–1876), also known as Aurore Dupin. He said that after intense love-making sessions, he would fall asleep and wake up to find her sitting at her desk, engrossed in working on her next book. Maybe the erotic exchange inspired her creativity? In accordance with current astrological potentials, I recommend Sand’s approach to you. Vigorous pleasure will coordinate well with hard work. As will deep release with strong focus. As will tender intimacy with clear thinking. (P.S.: I know your options for pleasure and intimacy may be somewhat limited because of the pandemic. Call on your ingenuity and resourcefulness to work the best magic possible.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo poet Warsan Shire suggests, “Document the moments you feel most in love with yourself—what you’re wearing, who you’re around, what you’re doing. Recreate and repeat.” This would be an excellent exercise for you to carry out during this Valentine season. You’re in a phase when you’re likely to enhance your lovability and attract extra support simply by intensifying and refining the affectionate compassion you feel and express toward yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I wish the pandemic would give us a short break so we could celebrate the Valentine season with maximum sensual revelry and extravagant displays of joyful tenderness. I wish we could rip off our masks and forget about social-distancing and hug and kiss everyone who wants to be hugged and kissed. But that’s not going to happen. If we hope to be free to indulge in a lush love and lust festival by Valentine season in 2022, we’ve got to be cautious and controlled now. And we are all counting on you Virgos to show us how to be as wildly, lyrically romantic as possible while still observing the necessary limitations. That’s your special task.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Raymond Carver wrote, “It ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we’re talking about when we talk about love.” That seems like a harsh oversimplification to me. Personally, I think it’s fun and interesting to pretend we know what we’re talking about when we talk about love. And I think that will be especially true for you in the coming weeks. In my astrological opinion, you should be discussing love extensively and boldly and imaginatively. You should redefine what love means to you. You should reevaluate how you express it and reconfigure the way it works in your life.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I’m turning over this horoscope to psychologist John Welwood. His words are the medicine you need at this juncture in the evolution of intimacy. Study the following quote and interpret it in ways that help illuminate your relationship with togetherness: “A soul connection is a resonance between two people who respond to the essential beauty of each other’s individual natures, behind their facades, and who connect on this deeper level. This kind of mutual recognition provides the catalyst for a potent alchemy. It is a sacred alliance whose purpose is to help both partners discover and realize their deepest potentials.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Transform yourself with the sweetest challenge you can dream up. Give yourself a blessing that will compel you to get smarter and wilder. Dazzle yourself as you dare to graduate from your history. Rile yourself up with a push to become your better self, your best self, your amazingly fulfilled and masterful self. Ask yourself to leap over the threshold of ordinary magic and into the realm of spooky good magic. And if all that works out well, Sagittarius, direct similar energy toward someone you care about. In other words, transform them with the sweetest challenge you can dream up. Dare them to graduate from their history. And so on.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I invite you to compose a message to a person you’d like to be closer to and whom you’re sure would like to be closer to you. Be inspired by what poet Clementine von Radics wrote to the man she was dating, telling him why she thought they could start living together. Here’s her note: “Because you texted me a haiku about the moon when you were drunk. Because you cried at the end of the movie Die Hard on Christmas Eve. Because when I’m sick you bring me fruit, kiss me on the mouth, and hold me even though I’m gross. Because you bring me flowers for no reason but on Valentine’s Day you gave me a bouquet of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Because every time I show you a poem I love you’ve read it already.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’ve adopted some lines from poet Walt Whitman for you to use in composing a love note. Send it to a person you know and love, or to a person you want to know and love, or a person you will know and love in the future. Here it is: “We are oaks growing in the openings side by side. We are two fishes swimming together. We are two predatory hawks, soaring above and looking down. We are two clouds driving overhead. We are seas mingling, two cheerful waves rolling over each other. We are snow, rain, cold, darkness. We circle and circle till arriving home again, voiding all but freedom and our own joy.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “To heal is to touch with love that which was previously touched by fear,” wrote author Stephen Levine. I propose you make this theme a keynote for your best relationships in the coming days. What can you do to alleviate the anxiety and agitation of the people you care for? How might they do the same for you? If you play along with the cosmic rhythms, you will have extraordinary power to chase away fear with love.

Homework: How has the pandemic changed your approach to getting and giving love? How have the restrictions on our ability to mingle with each other altered the ways you seek intimacy? freewillastrology.com.

Love Coach and Author Lisa Nicks-Balthasar on Finding Your Soul Mate

Maria Grusauskas

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February 9, 2021

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Love Coach and Author Lisa Nicks-Balthasar on Finding Your Soul Mate

If podcasts and social media accounts are any sort of barometer, then a renaissance of love and healing has been building over the last decade, as the work of love and intimacy coaches, healthy relationship experts, and sex-obsessed PhDs becomes increasingly visible.

Many believe the pandemic has pushed this to the next stage, including Lisa Nicks-Balthasar, a Santa Cruz-based soul-purpose love and intimacy coach, inspirational speaker and author.

“I feel that Earth and humanity, especially through Covid, are going through a rebirth in understanding true human connection, because it’s been taken away from us. We’re slowing down enough to realize that we miss it, and maybe we’ll be more open to putting ourselves out there for love,” says Nicks-Balthasar.

Her book, Believe!: A Woman’s Odyssey from Tragic to Magic, which was published in January, couldn’t be better timed. The memoir follows her trajectory from the grief of her husband’s death at 42 to brain cancer, through the trials and tribulations of a four-year toxic relationship, and finally, to Burning Man, where she goes to honor her late husband—as well as her new identity as a stronger, wiser, more independent woman with the Playa name “Shooting Star.” It is here that she meets her current husband of almost a decade, Chris Balthasar, a former attorney and current Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and love coach in his own right, who came to Burning Man for much different reasons: he was dragged there by a friend. “So here I am, I really just wanted to stay home and organize my filing cabinet,” he tells her, with a beard full of blue glitter, in their very first conversation.

As a reformed love and healthy-relationship nerd myself, I devoured the book, which spares no honesty in its depiction of the raw and all-consuming experience of grief, the familiar-sounding ugliness of crazy-making toxic relationships, and titillating accounts of sexual healing, including a full-body orgasm and female ejaculation scene that left me staring off into the distance, stunned by a newfound wonder at the potential spiritual frontiers of sex.

I spoke to Nicks-Balthasar about Believe!, opening up to soul mates, and the ongoing search for self-love.

The term “soul mate” can be traced back to a story by Aristophanes, a contemporary of Plato, in which two-headed hermaphroditic giants were cleaved apart by an angry and jealous Zeus (was that guy ever not angry and jealous?), and thereafter fated to seek their other halves for eternity. Do you really think we have just one soul mate out there?

LISA NICKS-BALTHASAR: Wow. I love this. Fated to find their other halves forever! But no, I firmly believe and I have experienced firsthand that you can have many soul mates. What I’ve experienced, through my coaching and through my own personal journey, is that we all come into this world with our own soul journey—with its own lessons and our own heart expansion to, really, love ourselves first and foremost, to just embrace who we are completely, and be the most of who we can be. As for the seeking of a soul mate, often you have to go through, I feel, challenging, difficult relationships, where you think it’s your soul mate, but they’re not really your soul mate. To me these are people that come into your life that if you can go inward and learn from them instead of putting all of the blame on the other person—because you can always learn something about yourself—then you can do the work and emerge with more wisdom, more love for yourself, a deeper appreciation and gratitude for love and more openness to love, and a clear vision of what you’re looking for.

You also use the term “heart-aligned” relationship when you talk about soul mates. What is this?

Sometimes I also use the term “mirror soul mates.” One of the things I tell people when I coach them is that at the core of it, the relationship is easy. That doesn’t mean that there are no challenges, because there are always challenges with any relationship. We all have what I refer to as a “pilot light” inside of us—even though we’ve done the work, and we’re not as easily triggered by our pain, it’s always, like grief, a part of you. If that pilot light is revved up in a relationship that is heart-aligned, you’re able to communicate to that partner your deepest vulnerability—you’re able to open yourself up raw and say “this is what I’m feeling,” “this is what I fear.” And then you can heal, and you can grow, and you can feel safe. In unhealthy relationships that are not heart-aligned, the other person may come back and use it against you. And that’s toxic. You coil in, and you’re afraid to be vulnerable, afraid to be open, and you think something is wrong with you, and the relationship goes through a roller coaster of easy-hard-easy-hard, and it’s fucking insane. Too many people are stuck in that. I’m in a marriage now where Chris loves the way I love. We’re committed to a relationship, to growth, to holding each other safe in this safe container. We don’t necessarily like exactly the same things, but we grow because of it. It really comes down to safety. I believe in a heart-aligned relationship, you can step into becoming your highest self.

From your description I can say that I am in a heart-aligned relationship now for the first time in my life, and feeling “safe” to be totally open with my heart is such a good way to put it. Do you think people in toxic relationships need to hit their own bottom before they can see the light and break from the addiction of it, or can they be helped out of these situations from outside?

Yes, they have to go through the pain, and yes, they have to see it themselves first, but yes, I have helped people in toxic relationships with my coaching. One of the most surprising things to me in regards to being in a toxic relationship and being isolated is you start to question yourself; you start to feel shame, you start to feel like, ‘Why am I allowing myself to do something that is so bad for me? What is wrong with me?’ Ultimately you start to question your own worth. That maybe you are all of those mean things, and maybe you are not worthy of a great relationship. Most commonly, the other person is so deeply wounded that they sabotage the relationship by putting those wounds on you, so that they don’t have to face it themselves.

Self-love seems like one of the biggest clichés of the day, but do you think a person can find healthy love if they don’t love themselves?

No, I do not believe so. You may pull in a healthy love, but if the relationship starts to feel the weight of you needing a person to complete you, I believe it will push a healthy partner away. However, I do believe you can fall deeper in love with yourself and uncover your ultimate potential through a healthy relationship.

One of the things I loved about your book was the element of magic, of stranger-than-fiction things happening; like the white doves flying over the highway while you were on your way to the hospital with your first husband—just after you told him about your sister’s vision of him with angel wings and white doves flying all around him; or the times when you felt the warm, comforting presence of your departed husband’s spirit; right up to meeting your current husband at Burning Man and finding out that he was the one who made the “Discovery of a Soul mate” candle that you bought in Big Sur and that had brought you comfort and hope through your darkest hours. It reminded me of magical realism—a genre of literature and cinema that depicts the real world as having an undercurrent of magic. Have you always been a person who believes in signs, miracles and spiritual guidance?

My sister Susi is a professional psychic, and she started tapping into that feeling of spirituality before I did. As a child I would not say that my mother or father were what some would call the “woo woo” type. But my grandmother would tell us about my great-grandmother, “Goggin,” who had this little ice cream and candy shop in Carmel, back when the streets were still dirt. The word was “counsel”—she had a back room curtained off where she would do her “counseling.” My grandmother was strictly forbidden to bother her mother when she was in there with people of the village. When Keith got sick, I tapped into this part of me that sought to find any signs whatsoever of hope. And the more I opened to seeing the signs, the more they came. Some people would say “Oh, it’s just coincidence,” but I didn’t let that stop me. So Keith’s progression into his ultimate death birthed in me something I believe is in my heritage with my great-grandmother and my sister, and to this day I still look for signs, and they happen to me all the time. I truly believe that there are miracles and signs all over the place, and society and humanity, including myself, are so locked in to connecting on our little screens in our hands, that half the time we get from point A to point B without even seeing where we’re going. So, I feel like fewer and fewer people are actually seeing the potential for miracles, because they’re not opening up and looking for it. It’s the same thing with love—if you’re really open, and you go through that hard part where it is scary to connect, and give an opportunity to a relationship, it’s going to get deeper if it’s the right one.

When you first met Chris, everyone in his group was giving each other kisses in greeting, and you describe how this profound calm washed over you when you kissed him. But you also say that he was not your type. Is having a “type” a common block for finding a soul mate?

Yes. Absolutely. I have had people admit to me, and I have done this myself, too, that they’d enter a room while single and do a quick scan and instantly decide there was nobody there for them. Chris was not the husky football type that I’d always been attracted to. But the energy of it—I’ll never forget the peace that washed over me. It’s not always what you picture. A relationship is a lifelong thing—put some energy into really feeling if there’s that energy there, because you might be surprised that your true soul mate is someone completely different than who you thought you’d be with. Chris too, thought he wanted a younger, more exotic woman. I didn’t fit what he was looking for—and he didn’t even want a relationship at the time. But then he couldn’t stay away from me.

At the same time, one of the tools you offer in coaching is for people—whether in a relationship or seeking one—to write a list of 100 things they want in a soul mate. What is the value in this, and can you share any other tools?

If you have people write just 10 things they’re looking for in a partner, the things you’ll get are pretty across-the-board—trust, safety, attraction, etc. But once you search yourself for 100, you can start going into experiences, intimacy, situations. Things like, “I want to feel like he gets along with all kinds of people just like I do.” A lot of people end up in a relationship not realizing that they’re settling. The 100-thing list is a way of expanding a deeper understanding of what you’re looking for, and, I believe, energetically putting out there the door that is going to open up to it. Other tips: if you’re in a relationship, sleep naked together! And this is really important—have intimacy date nights. Take 24 hours, and I don’t care where it is, you don’t have to spend a bunch of money, even if it’s a tent in your backyard. Get away if you can, and get back to where that connection was. I’ve coached way too many couples that are questioning the relationship, but they love each other, and they say, “We haven’t done that in three or four years!” And they go away, they hold hands, make love, they remember why they are together. And it’s so powerful. In some cases, the relationships don’t make it after that, but at least they gave it that shot.

You’re working on a TEDx Talk that brings in studies from the Heartmath Institute. Can you tell me about that?

They’ve found that the heart is about 100,000 times stronger electrically and up to 5,000 times stronger magnetically than the brain. So, when you are tapped into your subconscious blocks—from living life, from your pain—and not into the heart, you miss opportunity for connection in deep love, and you miss opportunity to see miracles and magic. I teach people to really tap into “listening” to their hearts.

One of my favorite definitions of love I found in a book by bell hooks called ‘All About Love’: “Love is the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth. Love is an act of will—We do not have to love. We choose to love.” – M. Scott Peck. And more recently, Dr. Nan Wise said on the Shameless Sex podcast: “If you support your partner’s growth, rather than the status quo of a relationship, anything is possible.” How do you define love?

It’s a cliché of course, but I always go back to: Love is the greatest gift of all. I totally believe in that. To me, love is experiencing the highest vibrational energy that you can experience as a human, and love is where the most spiritual growth and healing lives and takes place.

‘Believe!: A Woman’s Odyssey from Tragic to Magic’ is available at Bookshop Santa Cruz, as well as booksellers everywhere, and at sacredsoulmates.com.

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