Finding Faith

Countless authors have written advice on standing up for yourself...

I just received the best advice ever: don't be a victim; and never need to stand up for yourself!

This idea does not suppose you will never face an adversary, the advice is this: don't give your opponent power; don't feed their anger, don't return it or respond to it, don't further it by spreading the story of it; let it die. Stop talking about it to others! (This is hard to do!) And my adviser continued: don't retaliate, don't return the aggression, don't attempt to tell your side of it, stop the flow of anger in its track. In other words, don't be a conductor of anger... shut it down, turn it off, let it end at you. Flip the switch.

It seems to me I have heard the Dalai Lama speak of this. Or Mahatma Gandhi. Of course this sage advice would come from a practitioner at the nearby Ananda Ashrama in La Crescenta. You can find this spiritual retreat at the top of Pennsylvania Avenue at Markridge Road. It is exquisite. Sunday service is at 11:00am and Thursday meditation is at 7:00pm.


Hold aloft this Light and stand fast to thy post, Till all wandering souls have reached their goal in safety.
Service brings strength and renewed life; Love cures all weariness. And Faith, the shining jewel of life,
performs all miracles.                             ~Paramananda~                          (photo by Terre Ashmore)



Another retreat I am especially fond of is the Monastery in Valyermo, up near Littlerock. They have massive cherry orchards and it should be cherry picking time right now... it is a wonderful fulfilling experience to pick your fill of cherries from the monks beautiful orchards...



What makes faith so important that such an elusive concept would be so sought after? It is that human need for questions to have answers and those answers to be true. I believe that is only possible in the realm of God.

However, if God inhabits the praise of His people I would prefer an altar atop a hillside or in an orchard to worship.  But I have been in some awe inspiring temples and churches. Even the kiva has moved me profoundly and frankly I have come to believe Joseph Campbells view of a God with many faces. Since I studied so many faiths and practiced a few for the spiritual gardens I once designed, I have questions only holy ones can answer now and I seek truth in places no one else would understand: in the face and eyes of all I meet... I look for God in you.

I hope you look for God in me...

Food Trucks and Farmers Markets

Maybe it's the invading hordes from NoHo we have to watch out for...

You just never know who or what you're going to see at Wednesday's Food Truck Night. I stumbled right into private negotiations between Century 21's owner Ray and NoHo's farmers market manager Eddie for Eddie to set up a farmer's market for Ray on Food Truck Night. According to Eddie, Ray wants a farmers market in his shopping mall on Food Truck Night but "no merchandise vendors; Ray wants only produce vendors because they will make him money". (Farmers Market vendors pay 10% of their profits to the market owner while merchandise vendors only pay a set fee of $25. A farmers market on Food Truck Night will "rake it in" and pay 10% of a lot of $$$.)

Eddie could barely contain himself as he trumpeted that he has "a big 'in' with the Chamber President, what's her name? Oh yeah, Sonia... it's a sure thing." He assured me: "No, no one ran this by anybody, we don't need to, Sonia said its ok." Well he would know the value of keeping a simple "deal" quiet, our Eddie would.

Last year Eddie told me he and his partner loaned their market manager thousands of dollars. There's no explanation for this windfall since the managers were on unemployment when they were not working for the entertainment industry (or the market) at the time. Oddly the monies they were given for the market somehow fell short of the projected goal for their community supported market at that same time and they were unable to buy the advertising banner, pay the markets phone bill, send out advertising postcards, and meet other promised financial goals.

But everyone deserves another chance... at another community's expense. After all Sonia and Tomi Lyn persuaded the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council to support farmers market manager "Manny" last year by upgrading the appearance of Century 21's entire business complex with new paint, awnings, etc. "for the community farmers market". Then they were taken by surprise when a poster on the Foothills Forum informed them "their" farmers market manager had moved the market from the (upgraded) site to his church. Well they are probably rationalizing now that another farmers market makes use of the upgrades and fits in profitably with their Food Truck Night. Right? Everybody's making a buck; well not the brick and mortar stores. If only the assurances were true...

...Tell me again how it's all about community.

Rock The Vote!

WANTED: new blood, new ideas, new enthusiasm, new stakeholders… new candidates to run for the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council!

This is a flat out appeal to you the local reader to be that brave and daring soul who steps out of the crowd and starts a new era. There is just too much old business, old relationships, old favors, old debts, old news, old controversies, and old alliances… in the Sunland Tujunga governing process. Let those who are feathering their political nest move on to a higher power and let other Sunland Tujungans, dedicated, hardworking, determined stakeholders do the job now.

Be that person who starts a whole new way of thinking, a new process of responding, implements a new community government and represents the majority not the minority of Sunland Tujunga (there are 65,000 residents here, not 500 friends on Facebook!) Don’t discuss it over the dinner table… discuss it over the podium. Stand up, stand out, be a leader for our people!

Do you care what happens to our twin towns? Do something about it! Do you have a better idea(s) and want more for our community? Do something about it! Do you have a desire to improve situations, correct wrongs, respond to the stakeholders’ needs and desires? Do something about it! Don’t think you “can’t, wouldn’t know where to begin, might loose, might win” because there is a whole process to help you every step of the way. Pick up your application and START HERE: http://empowerla.org/stnc/sunland-tujunga-nc-elections/

Then call for others: quiet (or not) men and women, residents, neighbors, trades people, business owners, teachers, working people, unemployed people, parents, grandparents, and stakeholders to help you, they are out there. They are your new supporters and there are more than you imagine. All it takes is that first step…

Please accept this invitation. Your future is ours.

Food Fight

Okay so I wasn’t going to write about the latest Sunland Tujunga controversy but how can I resist? When I research this story I get to eat crepes and other cool food while observing the Sunland Tujunga masses.

I kept thinking ‘there is a great story here’ while I researched the various gourmet fast food trucks and watched all the cool people. There were several hundred locals, out-of-towners and food truck followers milling in and out of the tangled and congested walkway alongside the food trucks. Pedestrians tripped over broken concrete, nearly got hit by confused and increasingly heavy Foothill Boulevard traffic and rerouted food trucks swerved in and out of spaces (their parking slots were blocked by protesters' vehicles).

The lineup of food trucks was marred by protest vehicles parked where food trucks were supposed to be. Tomi Lyn Bowling reportedly was warned that protestors in the form of ‘brick and mortar store’ owners would disrupt the night this way so she showed up to prevent it at 2:00 pm but several still evaded her and parked in the food truck slots.

Chamber of Commerce President Sonia Tatulian called LAPD Sergeant Eggers who was unable to persuade former CofC President Kathy Anthony’s son to move his truck and flatbed. It seemed to be a showdown between present and former CofC ruling parties. Sonia looked like the “angry birds” game as she expressed her displeasure. Then the Advertising Director of Voice of the Village (the “Good News” newspaper) angrily added her parked car to the mix and jammed her truck’s front bumper up against the flatbed so neither could be moved; everyone used them to lean against while eating their food. Ah, ingenuity. What fun!

I met The Fish Lady, Barbara Johnson for crepes. We were going to have lobster but that truck was a no show. Bummer. I shared fries with Abby Diamond, avoided eye contact with Kim Oglegee, discussed history with Cecile Vargo, discussed Sunland Tujunga’s castles with Tara Greer, shared vendor info with Dazey Carnes, befriended Mary Louise Burdi, saw Tomi, Sonia, Jan, Doc, Ron of Marcus Lane, and many others. I heard Doc DeMulle was blocking a parking space but when I went to check it out at the end of the row he was interviewing Tomi and his vehicle was no where near them.

For the uninitiated, Food Truck Night was orchestrated by Chamber Champions: Tomi Lyn Bowling, Sonia Tatulian, and Jan Wunderlich. It’s a huge success… at what cost remains to be seen, but there is no denying it brings paying customers in droves and we mostly have Tomi Lyn to thank for it all.

Food Truck Night invites 2-3 dozen out-of-town gourmet food trucks to the twin targets of Sunland and Tujunga every Wednesday night for great food, camaraderie, mischief, great food, mayhem, gossip, great food, mingling, favoritism and um, well yes… great food…

Oh yeah and it doesn’t hurt that these are mostly voters and the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council elections are in two months and Tomi Lyn Bowling wants to be president. Opps, well hell I said the thing no one dares to say… Tomi Lyn will yelp like someone bit her and holler “I do so much for the community!” which no one denies. It will also get her elected. Heck, she has the vote: whether throwing a party, or campaigning for one: Tomi Lyn Bowling is very good at what she does.

"Garage Sale Guidelines" for YOUR successful sale!

I just came from the classic American past-time: Garage Sales and Yard Sales. I’m exhausted, hot and tired and did not buy as much as I would have if people had followed a few guidelines for these things! It’s a wonder anyone sells anything at all at garage sales! I would have spent more and bought more if it had been done right. So here is my input from a pro: GARAGE SALE GUIDELINES.

To begin with I’m not psychic. Where ARE you? I can’t buy a thing if I can’t find you. So put out 30-40 signs! Start a block in both directions before the first turn off the main thoroughfare such as Foothill Boulevard. Every sign should have an arrow. Every turn should have an arrow… people will faithfully follow these arrows right to your address. All your signs should be similar and have the address. Not all drivers have GPS units you know. Put the address in bold print on the sign. Angle the sign toward the street in the drivers’ line of vision (about as high as your chest). Keep it simple and use a neon color and make them all the same color (other sales will use different colors) if buyers want ‘tools, toys and treasures’ for example, they will stick to YOUR arrows like glue:

“Big Sale June 2-3!
Tools, Toys, Treasures
12345 McVine
Follow the arrows >”

See? I would have been shopping at YOUR sale if you’d had these signs on neon green paper with black arrows… remember to have a sign at your doorstep; if activity slows no one will see your sale. This is especially true if your goods are in heaps on the ground. Yuck. That is so unappealing.

Put your best biggest goods at the street entrance. Use them to keep people from parking in front of your sale and blocking the view of other drivers and to get attention. Put things on shelves and tables at the back of your sale so it looks like you have more and it’s visible from the street. Upright items get attention. Put wood on cement blocks with a tablecloth if you don’t have tables. Price as many things as you can, that starts the conversation and for heavens sake: negotiate! Do not use masking tape for prices, it ruins the goods. Buy price tags at Office Depot; stick them on with scotch tape. Fill in the empty spaces when things sell. If it looks like its been picked through, buyers will leave your sale for a better one with fuller tables.

Invite friends and neighbors to sell goods that day too. It gets them on your side during the disruption of a sale and offers buyers more choices. More is better. Buyers stay longer, look harder, go through your sale a second and third time, when there is more to see.

Be able to make change. Have $50 in $5s and $1s in a fanny pack. Use a calculator shamelessly; it will protect the buyer AND the seller from math errors. Provide bags and boxes, newspaper and help to the car. Offer to deliver large items at the end of the day for gas money. (Deliver to their curb only for insurance purposes). Tell buyers “there will be more stuff” tomorrow if it’s your first day and tell them the prices will be lower the next day. They will return! Make sure your words are true. Do not 'hold' goods without a non-refundable deposit of $5-$10.

DO NOT be a ‘mark’. Watch out for big open bags, a flurry of activity that blocks your view of your small stealables, people who are interested in expensive items they can’t afford, and especially watch the nice old folks or that cool young couple with kids you would never suspect of theft. Times are hard as you well know or you would not be having a yard sale…

Ask people what they are looking for if they don’t seem to see what they want. You may have it in the house and want to sell it! Tell them you’ll bring it out and ask them to wait. Always have a helper when you have a sale. More eyes prevent theft and customers you can’t get to while you are helping others, will wait if you acknowledge them and say you’ll be right with them. Don’t loose a big sale in favor of a small time consuming sale. Leave the $2 shopper to browse while you make the $20 sale.

Don’t sit and look bored. If you look like you don't care if shoppers stop or not, they won’t. But don’t pester. There’s a lot to see, let shoppers look. If you’re getting a lot of drive-bys, you don’t have enough goods to stop for.

Stay open while you pack-up. Last minute shoppers are the best: they are still shopping because they did not get enough stuff or they are garage sale addicts. They will buy right out of your packing box. They want a quantity discount.

Don’t advertise an Estate Sale if its not! An Estate Sale is the entire household of goods left by someone’s passing, or seniors going to rest homes, or downsizing big time. Big time buyers will be especially angry with this mistake. If you are selling from your yard and people cannot go in your home: you are having a 'yard sale' or 'garage sale'.
Be open early, even if you have to get up and get everything ready in the dark… dealers and professional collectors will spend the most. Cater to them. They will arrive at 7-8 am.

Follow the rules and legalities in this previous post: http://brockbajer.blogspot.com/2011/08/oh-boy-wheres-yard-sale.html

HAVE FUN! This is your chance to relive memories of the things you sell and share them with a perfect stranger who I promise you will buy your story with the item and appreciate both equally.

See you next weekend!

Sunland Tujunga's Beloved Albatross

Recently a great deal of whining occurred in a thread on a local Sunland Tujunga Facebook page about The Sade Family Trust which owns the property disingenuously called The Old Kmart Property at the corner of Woodward and Foothill in Sunland. It makes me smile ruefully to read complaints against The Sade Family and claims they don’t care about the community; this is a Trust the town leaders never cared for or about except they have something the town wants: rights to the property.

Political candidates rear their heads to champion a cause that is beaten down so much it is flatter than road-kill. Ignorance is bliss as the plain fact of the matter is that the property and community sentiment surrounding it is such a hotbed (well, warm bed) of controversy, anger and broken promises that no builder in their right mind would take it on. Prospective candidates quickly exit the conversation when it is brought up. They would have to be crazy to consider it. And have unlimited resources to waste on the maelstrom that always erupts whenever a developer is manipulated into discussion with local politicos about it. Who wants to base a new business on a controversial plot of land in a fighting community?

This albatross is Sunland Tujunga’s mascot. We feed it, take it out of its cage and parade it at community events. We abuse anyone who wavers from the popular argument or has a differing view about the property’s use. Face it. The landmark old Sunland Drive-in property (which it was before it was betrayed by community and sold out to other self serving developers) has nothing to excite or interest any new developer, and the Sade Family Trust has no reason to interest itself in a community that expresses itself by attacking the gift horse it should be entertaining. Perhaps our next fete champetre should have a Sade Family Trust booth?

On The Threshold

It seems like another lifetime (perhaps it was). As an educator I taught courses I was passionate about and believed in, based on my experience and understanding… one of these courses I called “thresholds”.

I taught sacred geometry and the art of using shape in the design of outdoor religious sites (and indoor sacred gardens). Courses covered the significance of geometric shapes in sacred settings: circles, triangles, pyramids, compass points, and others; (even the heavens are circles and ellipses…) and their use in sacred gardens dedicated to different faiths.

I had classes on the symbolism: labyrinths, meditation trails http://www.labyrinthos.net/photo_library12.html and the shape of altars, standing stones, arched entries and exits. Sacred geometry is found in Biblical gardens, Gaia gardens; Catholic rose windows, Native American medicine wheels; Celtic knot gardens, and monasteries; Zen Gardens; Islamic gardens; churches, temples, cemeteries, and tombs.

Shape is an elemental language. Certain shapes always mean certain things; shapes as symbols predate writing, they are visual shorthand. Shape affects us more than we know (as does balance as in feng shui). Since early people had no access to books, symbols were inscribed on trees, stones and the very soil. Early spiritual identity arranged objects in precise patterns. These were recognized markers for sacred, even secret sites: a signpost to ‘worship here’. A mismatched tower of balanced stones directed a seeker to a site. A circle of standing stones where nothing could be found but grassy moors identified Stonehenge, a form of geometry whose meaning encompassed eternity.

The altar would be a mere scattering of stones if it were not formed into a sacred shape. In sacred design the square or rectangle is a strong grounding shape: earthly, heavy, and stable in influence. The circle is symbolic of immortality and eternity; the spiral indicates an inward or outward journey. The triangle is associated with life, wisdom, water, procreation and the feminine.

My favorite classroom talk however, was about ‘thresholds’… the use of steps, stairs, and ladders to symbolically enter churches, temples and even kivas creates an ascending or descending spiritual journey http://www.stephenoachs.com/gallery-indian-kiva.php .

Look at your own place of worship the next time you enter. It is no accident it is not exactly on ground level. Even one step is a threshold. Your journey up (or down) the stairs to enter is your conscious decision to come into the presence of your god: the stairs reflect your increasing levels of determination, spiritual reflection, preparation and attitude. Walkways that cut back and forth to the entrance are the meditation trail upon which you mentally prepare to enter a sacred site.

All spiritual places have a ‘wall’: a form of boundary to divide ‘inside’ from ‘outside’, ('inside' the house of God; 'outside' the house of God)... to enter must be our own decision. We cross a threshold to do so. The actual act of walking through the door and stepping over the threshold to enter is when we commit to our faith. Once we do, we are in the presence of God.