LA LIFE: River Readers, Drop-In Meditation, Hollyhock House, You & the Zoo
During this time of fear, anxiety, isolation and loss, Los Angeles received the blessing of much needed rain and made a serious dent in the drought. And yes, there’s an eerie feeling with a serious lack of cars on our streets and freeways but if Tomatoes look upwards and outwards you will see that that the sky, mountains and all the amazing views of Los Angeles are clear as a bell and absolutely stunning…teeny tiny gifts we can appreciate during this crisis. Here are my picks this week of wonderful virtual opportunities of things you can still do “Safe at Home,” amazing! And this week’s podcast has timely advice on boosting your immune system.
April 23. River Readers Book Club
There’s a new online book club in town, Tomatoes, and it is full of noteworthy books on our Los Angeles River and the environment. River Readers Book Club is being launched by FOLAR, Friends of the Los Angeles River. First up in the series? “The Ballad of Huck & Miguel”with many more book discussion events on the horizon.
The Ballad of Huck & Miguel will feature author Tim DeRoche and printmaker Daniel Gonzalez with readings from the author, illustrations from the artist, and questions and ideas that will help enhance your reading experience. Tune in April 23rd on Zoom!
Boost Your Immune System
Wondering what supplements to take to boost your immune system? Today’s podcast features Kim Selby, our SF Editor speaking with groundbreaking nutritionist Lyn-Genet Recitas who shares valuable tips on how important it is to rid our bodies of inflammation especially in the time of Covid-19. Lyn-Genet is a bestselling author of the book “The Plan” which is an effective way to lose weight, improve health and get this, reverse aging! Listen in here or wherever you listen to podcasts
The Zoo & You
“Bringing the Zoo to You” brings you the behind the scenes views of the zoo residents and their unique stories to brighten your day. Like the antics and charm of “Anya and the Stinky Box” above. And to brighten the day of a member of the dedicated animal care staff think about donating to GLAZA, Tomatoes.
GLAZA does need help, Tomatoes. While the animals are adjusting to a much quieter Zoo, their staff is working tirelessly to provide the engaging, active environment that is vital for the animals’ health and welfare. There is still much to do and donations truly matters in helping the areas of the Zoo that need the greatest help. And for more wonderful views of animals at the Zoo check out the “Bringing the Zoo to You” You Tube Channel. You don’t want to miss “Popeye the Macaw Who Doesn’t Fly” and so many other great stories that are sure to delight you.
Mondays & Thursdays Drop-In Meditation
The Hammer and UCLA EDU’s hope is that mindfulness can be a refuge for you in challenging times. That’s why the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center is livestreaming twice weekly Drop-In Mindful Awareness Meditation sessions via Zoom. A wonderful opportunity to de-stress Tomatoes.
And it’s free and no need to register. The weekly 30 minute “drop-in” sessions are led by UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center’s Diana Winston, Marvin G. Belzer Ph. D, and other MARC-affiliated teachers. The sessions are open to anyone interested in learning how to ‘live more presently’ in life. Sounds good to me Tomatoes. I might just drop-in too!
Hollyhock House
The Hollyhock House, built in 1921, is an unequivocal Frank Lloyd Wright gem of a residence, a national Historic Landmark and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Wow! You don’t have to leave your home to enjoy its unique beauty. You can access the home virtually and easily Tomatoes.
This virtual tour will provide you with a creative, immersive and inclusive experience of Wrights abstract design of the Hollyhock flower which he then used to create the decorative frieze elements of the floorplan, the residence, the furniture and textiles. Tomatoes can also experience the Hollyhock Digital Archive with 81 digitized documents related to the history of the house also containing original drawings and blueprints. Have at it, Tomatoes.
The Three Tomatoes LA Life editor, Debbie Zipp is your friendly guide to the best of everything in LA with a tomato style perspective. Debbie is an actor, producer, and writer. She is best known for her recurring role as Donna on the CBS series "Murder She Wrote" starring Angela Lansbury. She has had many other TV and stage roles and has starred in over 300 national TV commercials. As head of In The Trenches Productions, Debbie produced, directed, acted in many short films for her company. Her book, The Aspiring Actor's Handbook: What Seasoned Actors Wish They Had Known was recently published.
Buy her book: The Aspiring Actor's Handbook: What Seasoned Actors Wish They Had Known
