Partytown!

It was a hot time in the old town this weekend for sure, my friends!  We're recovering from unprecedented merriment, of indulging in the most wonderful meals and soothing our throats that are sore from laughing and talking.  You'd think that the holidays had arrived early in normally quiet Altadena and its surrounding neighborhoods, but you'd be wrong.  This was a weekend to celebrate two wonderful, local benchmarks - the first public dinner at John Muir High's Muir Ranch and Altadena's 125th birthday party.  Scott and I attended both, and we're thankful that we were able to be a part of these celebratory events for many, many reasons!

While John Muir High School is located in NW Pasadena, many of Altadena's youth attend school there.  About a year and a half ago, the garden was developed by volunteer teachers and students out of approximately 2 acres of fallow land adjacent to the school.  In the intervening time, the garden has flourished, under the watchful eyes of Doss Jones, Mud Baron, and Shirley Barrett - they even offer a CSA (community supported agriculture) program!  You can read here what Slow Food L.A. says about them, and watch Channel 9's coverage of Muir Ranch.  We love what they're doing there, and are honored to be able to be involved in a small way.  Collaborating with Tom Coston and The Light Bringer Project, Scott and I will be mentoring the group of kids that will be marketing Muir Ranch! This program is part of the L.A. Futures Academy and we are quite excited to be working with them!  We hope very much that you will click on the links, learn more about these worthy groups and help spread the word.  We are also in the planning stages of an art exhibit with another Light Bringer project at John Muir, called Room 13.  Room 13 is an international network of student-driven creative studios with a model based on upon four pillars of learning: philosophical inquiry, creative expression, reciprocal learning, and business enterprise.  We look forward to unveiling what comes from this artistic collaboration - be sure to click this link to view part of what is inspiring us!

Muir Ranch held a dinner Friday evening that was just out of this world!  Although we arrived late (started at 5:00 pm, and the store doesn't close until 6:30 pm), they still had a portion of Bison Bolognese, prepared by Chef E, and freshly tossed salad finished off with olive oil & balsamic vinegar.  We sampled fresh fruit and veggies from a vendor at Altadena's Farmers Market and received a pleasant mouth-burn from their sauteed peppers served alongside the bolognese.

The garden itself was cordoned off from trampling feet, and a walkway fenced off, alight with sparkling white lights, led to the muslin-topped dining table.  We very much enjoyed the delicious food, the ambiance and camaraderie of Muir Ranch students, parents, and supporters.  I hear they're planning a Thanksgiving celebration - won't that be a blast!

Saturday evening was, of course, Altaden's 125th birthday party, and wow, what a party it was!  You can find all the coverage at Altadenablog, with pictures and all, but we wanted to show you a partial shot, taken by Tim Rutt of Altadenablog, of the photographic display Scott painstakingly constructed of Webster's history in Altadena (and forgot to get a picture of....thanks, Tim!).

All in all, it was a very busy, fun, and fulfilling weekend, and we won't see its peer anytime soon!  Well, maybe not until this Friday, Nov. 9, when we host local author Patricia Bunin, who'll be here signing her new book PASSWORD: SENIORMOMENT!  In conjunction with Altadena's Fancy Food Truck Friday, Patricia will be here from 6:00 pm until 8:00 - do plan on being here for this great event that kicks off the start of our Season of Sparkle!

Have a fabulous week ahead, my friends, and we'll talk again next week!

Lori and Scott

The Season Of Sparkle

Don't look now, my friends, but September has crept up on us almost like a ghost, and even though you wouldn't know it from the weather, I overheard someone say yesterday they could smell fall in the air.  Back to school fever has passed and every kid's favorite event, Halloween, is looming on our horizon.  The store is receiving it's autumn decor redo, with oodles of fun accessories and things that take you from "boo" to "oooooo" in less time than it takes an owl to say "whoooo"!  You'll have to come in and see, and also take advantage of our "Goodbuy Summer Sale", where you can find deep discounts on fabulous summer products like marble serveware, seashell motif platters, 1000 and 500 piece puzzles, scarves, and more. We're saying "goodbuy" to summer, but not to making sure that your gift and stationery needs are met throughout the coming season of sparkle!

In fact, you can drop by on Friday, September 14th, for Altadena's Fancy Food Truck Friday!  The roster of gourmet food trucks this month is:

The Wake 'N Bake Wagon, breakfast - it's what's for dinner!
The Greasy Wiener, where heaven is a hot dog!
The Cairo Cowboy, formerly Kabob 'N Roll, where Mediterranean food never tasted so good!
Greenz On Wheelz, where you can actually use the words "healthy" and "delicious' in the same sentence, and
Sweet Arlene's, where they take sweet comfort food to a whole new level!

In addition to the lure of tasty bites, be sure to check in at WFS for our monthly Eccentric Poets Spoken Word event featuring Aldonia Bailey and friends:

You'll also want to drop by for a taste of.....wait for it.....the newest addition to our growing section of gourmet food products!  Contrary to recent rumors, WFS loves tea, so we'll be having our own tea party!  Crazy Bitch Tea, an herbal infusion, tastes great and has a calming effect on not just women, but men, too.  As one young Altadena mother told me, "I couldn't get through the day without it - it's phenomenal!"  Nothing artificial, nothing pharmaceutical involved in its making, Crazy Bitch Tea is made from all natural, herbal ingredients that will pick your mood up and relax you. Come by for a complimentary cup - come stressed, leave relaxed!

Have a wonderful week, everyone, we'll talk again next week!

Lori and Scott Webster

Rain, Wine and Trouble In Altadena

April showers may bring May flowers, but they also brought disappointment last Friday night, as the torrential downpour forecast for that day resulted in the cancellation of Altadena's first Food Truck Friday of the season.  Not to worry, though, as the trucks will be back next month, and we've got our monthly wine pairing event scheduled for this Saturday.  Not just a wine pairing - although Mike Holland and Anne Bannon of OddBallGrape.com sure make them enjoyable - but a reception for local artist Fei Liu, too!  Be sure to mark your calendar so you won't miss this fun evening of great wine, food and art!

Starting at 4:00 pm, we'll be tasting some fine Italian white wines with goodies prepared by local restaurant Amy's Patio Cafe.  Anne and Mike will run down the basics and the not-so-basics on the varietals we'll be trying, while we all indulge in Caprese skewers and stuffed mushrooms caps.  Stay for the reception for Fei and admire her whimsically beautiful creations - we'll even pour some Italian bubbly for the occasion.  The store will be staying open until 7:30 pm Saturday night so this will be an easy starter to your weekend festivities....don't miss it!

In other news, there's been some scary stuff happening in Altadena during the past few days.  Gun shots, robberies and now a burning body found on the sidewalk of Windsor Drive - what are we all to think?  Happening at a time when Altadena is coming together to discuss major quality of life issues, I'm hoping that these incidents bring us closer together as a community.  Know that our hearts go out to all of our friends who live in the neighborhood, whose serenity was so harshly impacted.  Our prayers go out to the unnamed man whose life was so horribly cut short, and to his family, whomever they are.  Things like that shouldn't happen anywhere, let alone in Altadena - it's not what we're about and it's not what we want to be known for.  Let's all work toward making our town safe and prosperous for all by attending the Altadena Visioning Meetings, the next of which is on Wednesday, April 25th at Loma Alta Park's gymnasium.

Enjoy your week, friends, and we'll talk again in two weeks (we're taking an end of tax week no blogging holiday)!

Lori and Scott

April in Altadena

"In April, we cannot see sunflowers in France, so we might say the sunflowers do not exist. But the local farmers have already planted thousands of seeds, and when they look at the bare hills, they may be able to see the sunflowers already. The sunflowers are there. They lack only the conditions of sun, heat, rain and July. Just because we cannot see them does not mean that they do not exist."
-  Thich Nhat Hanh

Poppies05 By Fei Liu

2012's spring season is in full swing now - you can smell it in the air and feel it in the sunlight on your face.  Ah, warmth, even if only for a fleeting moment or two, the feeling is there and it is welcome!  When we speak of spring, thoughts of renewal come to mind - renewal of the earth and of ourselves.  With Easter and Passover just days away, I also want to remind you local readers to think also of the renewal of our town.

On April 4th, the Altadena Visioning meetings commence at Loma Alta Park.  If you haven't heard about these meetings, or seen the flyers, or received the postcard mailed to everyone, click here to learn about it.  Please make it a point to come because this is our chance to help improve the standard of living in Altadena - join us and be heard!

Mr. Bunny Brings WFS Cheer!

Spring also means the return of Fancy Food Truck Friday, which is scheduled for April 13th.  We'll be celebrating at WFS on that day by having our annual Spring Open House!  We'll be announcing the winners of our Spring Coloring Raffle - be sure to come by the store to pick up a coloring page for your kids to complete. Turn the pages in before Friday the 13th of April and your child's artwork will help decorate the store, and they'll be eligible to win one of three exciting prizes!  WFS is also hosting a reception that evening for local artist Fei Liu and her wonderful creations.  Fei's whimsically beautiful watercolors evoke pleasure and smiles, you must come and see her work for yourself, and what better time than at our gourmet food truck event?  Rumor has it that those fantabulous folks at Jabberwocky Jerk Sauce might be present, too, handing out samples of their most divine marinade & sauce (we'll update you next week)!

The Shops At Webster's Hugely Popular Fancy Food Truck Fridays

As always, have a great week, my friends!

Lori and Scott

Another Rainy Night

It's been a chilly, rainy day here in Southern California and our internet service at home was interrupted due to the storm.  At this late hour, we've just got the internet back up and running, so this will be a short post tonight.

There are many events coming up at WFS in the next few weeks.  Our annual Spring Holiday Coloring Contest starts tomorrow, so bring your kids in to pick out their favorite scene to color and return for a chance at winning one of three special prizes.  The artwork will be displayed in store for all to admire!  Prizes will be awarded at our traditional Spring Open House in April, so be sure to look for our event notification.  Fancy Food Truck Friday makes its return on April 13th, with the following gourmet food truck line up:

Komodo
GreenzonWheelz
Nom Nom Truck
AuntiesFryBreadTacos
Bool BBQ
Sweet E's "the mini bake shop"

More later on events yet to be scheduled next week - until then, have a great week and wish for sun tomorrow!

Lori and Scott

Not A Ghost Of A Chance....

Photo Credit: Dan Abendschein

Many people refer to the land around the old Cobb Estate in Altadena as "The Haunted Forest".  Located  on the east side of the street at the top of Lake Avenue, the iron gates to the estate still stand.  Further in lies the remains of the old foundation of the property and the steps eerily leading to nowhere.  You can see it in this video, made by erstwhile "ghost hunters", here , and there are several more at that link.

I lived up there, smack dab in the middle of the Las Flores Canyon, for many years and never realized I was living in ghost country.  I never "felt" anything weird up there, nor did anyone else who came up there, but here you have some documented evidence of paranormal activity going on.  I've hiked the trail up to Echo Mountain a lot, but I'll tell you, I didn't do it at night.  It's probably a good thing I didn't - I don't want to personally verify these ghost hunter videos.

Photo Credit: smarteranimals.blogspot.com

Altadena is a pretty interesting place, whether you're looking for ghosts, hiking, great gelato or wonderful shops.  It's not a place that's easy to forget.....kind of like us.  Drop by sometime soon, we've got new artists added to our mix and we'd love to show you their creations!  Remember, Fancy Food Truck Friday begins its monthly appearance on April 13th - maybe we'll arrange a ghost sighting for you.

Have a great week, friends, and we'll talk next week!

Lori and Scott

Signs Of Spring!

Leprechauns Shop Here!

March 3, 2012

Dear Friends of WFS, The sun is staying out later and later these days - are you anticipatingthe spring season as much as we are? Goodbye to achingly cold weather and hello to beautiful skies and fluffy white clouds, flowers in the  yard and, of course, the return of outdoor fun and activities! Daylight Savings starts on March 11th this year and  that gives us plenty of reasons to  celebrate. Read on to find out what's on our calendar these next few weeks so  you won't miss these fun-filled events!
Up and Coming Real Irish at WFS! Put A Fork In Hunger
Real Irish At WFS! On Friday, March 9th, WFS is pulling all the stops out for an early celebration of St. Patrick's Day!  Join us for our monthly  wine pairing event, hosted by  OddBallGrape.com's Michael Holland.    Starting at 4:30 pm, taste some lovely  Chardonnays with Irish-inspired finger foods.                  At 5:30 pm, local authors Anne Bannon,  wife of Michael Holland, and Petrea Burchard, of Pasadena Daily Photo Blog ,will read selec- tions of Irish and Celtic literature.  You won't want to miss this humorous and  lightly ribald collection of prose and poetry, read by two of our area's most fascinating ladies!   Anne is  pictured above left with her husband, Michael, and that's Petrea next to them on the right. Following the reading, we'll stay and welcome local artist Scot Schneir and his art, newly exhibited on our walls.  WFS will stay open until 8:00 pm, so feel free to come by and say hello, have a glass of wine, delight in the Irish readings, sample some tasty appetizers, and view some amazing art!
Follow-up Links Quick Link 1 Quick Link 2 Quick Link 3	Visit Us On Facebook!
Put The Fork In Hunger Food Drive For Union Station   Great Music and Food For A Cause  Food drive 8:00am to 10:00pm, Wednesday, March 7, 2012  Fundraiser starts at 6:00pm The infamous Fork In The Road Gang are up to  great things again. In conjunction with THE Magazine and THE Weekly Insider, thisgrassroots volunteer group is hosting a day-long fundraiser and canned food drive on Wednesday, March 7th with the theme,"Put The Fork In Hunger."   The community is being asked to donate canned food that day in front of Eden Garden Restaurant on Holly Street in Old  Pasadenabetween 8 AM and 6 PM.  Following the food drive a fundraiser will take place inside Eden Garden. Tickets for this special event including Mediterranean dishes, desserts and special live entertainment from just released bands, are $25.  *Space is limited. We encourage you to purchase  tickets in advance. (see link) WFS will be collecting food for this event - please drop your canned or  packaged food donations into the box at the rear entrance of the store and receive a 10% discount off all purchases made at the store.  If you have any questions, please ask a WFS crew member! Read More Fancy Food Truck Friday Returns! Be sure to mark your calendars for the return of our hugely popular Fancy Food Truck Fridays at 5:00 pm on April 13th! Webster's Community Pharmacy, Webster's Liquor and WFS collaborate to bring you this community centered monthly event where the emphasis is on fun, food and friends!  Visit one of several gourmet food trucks that prepare the freshest, most critically acclaimed dishes in town - but save room for dessert! We've had the Grilled Cheese Truck, The Nom Nom Truck, Sweet-Es, The Border Grill Truck, The No Reservations Truck and Greenz On Wheelz - let us know your favorite and we'll see if we can get them here! Look for the trucks on every 2nd Friday of the month through December, 2012 and watch our Facebook page to find out which trucks are coming! This  is the latest WFS newsletter - we hope you enjoy it!  We have many  more events and items of interest on the horizon - stay tuned for news of  our April wine pairing, a multi-artist reception and our next seminar  tentatively called "Business Websites, Social Media and You"!   That's all for now - have a great week, friends! Lori and Scott

Winter Follies

The holidays have all been celebrated, the New Year greeted and the Rose Parade has marched off into history.  Welcome to January!  Although it's winter, the weather has been anything but, and we're enjoying summer-like temperatures.  It's been great for us, we can leave the doors open so people can peek in to see our new Valentines Day displays.  If this is what's in store for us weather-wise this season, we'll take it!

Yes, Valentines Day is coming and WFS is gearing up for the love fest by stocking some of the best Valentine cards and gifts we can find.  You've got to see our cards, by Crane & Co., Tree-Free Greetings, Laughing Elephant, African-American Expressions and Designs For Better Giving, to name a few - they're made in the U.S. or are California-based companies, and we think you'll love them!  We've got the most delicious chocolates by John Kelly, another of our local vendors, who make their signature dark chocolate enrobed truffle fudge treats right here in Los Angeles.  The beautiful scarves, leather & recycled material bags and gorgeous jewelry by Open Hand Design, a fair trade company, are 35% off, and we have some beautiful vintage Shaeffer pens on special as well!

WFS is planning a very special Valentine wine tasting and reading from one of our Altadena authors - stay tuned for more information on that.  You might have noticed that we are taking a tasting hiatus this month.  Our intrepid wine bloggers, Anne Bannon and Michael Holland, are extremely busy this month.  Anne wears many hats, one of which is writing another blog called Your Family Viewer.com and she's tied up with award shows.  Not to worry, all that will be wrapped up by February and they'll be back, funnier and more informative than ever! 

Our collaborative event with the other Webster's stores, Fancy Food Truck Friday, will also be on hiatus until April.  The temporary use permit we renewed late last year will take us through the end of this year if we take this winter break.  Unaware that the weather would be so beautiful, we all thought it would be a good idea if we waited until Spring for more gourmet food truck fun....oh how tricky Mother Nature can be! We'll try to fill this gaping hole in our community with our wine and food pairings, so make sure you save the date for those as soon as you hear about them!

Our friend, Karin Bugge, has written an excellent article in one of our local newsblogs, Altadena Patch.com, that's called "Altadena Is No Sierra Madre".  Great stuff and the comments are interesting - if you have a moment, I highly recommend you check it out and leave your comment, too.  All of us small business owners in Altadena are very interested in your opinion so let us know how you feel!

On a more personal note, Scott and I lost our beloved pet, Pepe the Wonder Dog, last Thursday.  He was very special to us.  Intended as a birthday present for our daughter's 18th birthday, we found him at a pet store in Blue Jay village, near Lake Arrowhead, in the San Bernardino Mountains, while we were on our honeymoon.  We got married on December 27th, 1997, and brought him home with us on January 4th, so he'd been with us for a little over 14 years.  Soon after that, Parisa moved out to an apartment that didn't allow dogs, and he became our empty-nest pup.  He was quirky, persnickety at times, didn't like other dogs much but he was a one-family dog that was loyal and true to the end.  We miss him dearly and we keep hearing his nails clicking on the hardwood floor....wishful thinking, I'm sure, but comforting nevertheless. 

Have a great week to come, friends!

Lori and Scott

Affinity for Fall

Living in Southern California, some think, deprives you of the change of seasons so obvious in other, colder, states.  Not so, I think.  There's always signs of the passing of the months, subtle as they may be.  Autumn has always been crowned with colorful leaves falling from our liquid amber tree in the front yard and signals the start of the holiday season for me.

When I was a child, I used to check on the leaves of this tree as I would check a hour glass, waiting for that first yellow leaf to appear on the lawn.  Maybe it would happen in late August or early September.  Most always, though, it would seem to take forever for the leaves to change.  All the other trees up and down the block had pretty red and gold leaves hanging or floating down to their respective lawns - why didn't ours have any yet?

My mom would always say that because it was the biggest tree, and maybe one of the oldest, it took longer to turn.  I didn't understand, some of those other trees looked pretty darn close in size to ours, and I was impatient.  The sooner the leaves turned, the sooner Halloween would arrive - and I loved Halloween.

Halloween kicks off the beginning of the party season for most, but we started a little early here at WFS.  Somehow, our Fancy Food Truck Fridays, which is held every 2nd Friday of the month, just happened to fall the very day before the 3rd Saturday of the month and that's when we have our wine pairing events.  Even better, this month we planned to include a poetry reading with the wine tastings.  It turned out to be one fantastically busy, fantabulously fun weekend and we enjoyed every minute of it!

The food truck event Friday evening went off with nary a hitch, after having received the needed permit from L.A, County on Monday.  They cut it pretty close, but we still had a good sized crowd enjoying the offerings of the different trucks.  I ordered from Baby's Badass Burgers this time around and I must say that their food is mighty delicious!  It was wonderful to have our new event sponsor, Danny's Farm, back in Altadena, if only for one night a month.  The animals were a hit with the younger crowd, but of course the goats have a big following in our town!  Next month's Fancy Food Truck Friday will be on November 11th.

On Saturday, Linda Dove and Judith Terzi, local poets both, joined OddBallGrape.com's Anne Bannon and Michael Holland for an evening devoted to wine and poetry.....oh, and food!  Wonderfully tasty treats were provided to us by Lauren of Amy's Patio Cafe and I'm kicking myself in the pants for not getting pictures of them!  Lovely prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears, the asparagus perfectly al dente and prosciutto lean and flavorful.  Mushroom caps filled with cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes made savory bites and the fresh mozzarella, grape tomato and basil kebabs were unbelievably good, but it was the decadent brownies and the filo cups filled with a sweet blueberry compote that completely stole the show!

This evening Scott and I are taking it easy.  Well, better make that he's taking it easy, I'm writing a blog post.  Dinner's waiting, so enjoy your week ahead and we'll talk again next week....

Lori & Scott

Scaring Up Some October Fun!

Just the other day, when it turned cold and rainy, we were worried we wouldn't have our expected  Indian Summer here in Altadena.  Loosen those scarves and remove your blazers, friends, because it's supposed to be in the upper 90s this week!

While we enjoy summer in fall, The Shops At Webster's will be (hopefully) hosting our 9th Fancy Food Truck Friday.  I say hopefully, because as of this date, we haven't yet received our new permit from L.A. County.....talk about it coming down to the wire!  We're all proceeding as if we'll have it in hand prior to the event and are all very excited to bring you this fun evening of community fellowship and good eating!  Join us to welcome our new event sponsor, Danny's Farm and don't forget to bring the kids - Danny's Farm is bringing their fabulous new truck and mobile petting zoo!  Do check our Facebook page here for up-to-date information first, though, or give us a call at 626-797-1135.

The very next day, WFS is hosting our monthly wine tasting with Anne Bannon and Mike Holland of OddBallGrape.com, this time with a wonderful, new twist.  We're combining this tasting with a poetry reading by two of our area's beloved poets, Linda Dove and Judith Terzi!  We'd be honored if you'd join us for all this fabulousness - please do make reservations on our event page on Facebook Event Page so we'll know how much wine and food to bring in.  Don't have a Facebook account?  No worries, simply give us a call or email info@webstersfinestationers.com and let us know you're coming!

These two events are scheduled back-to-back to commemorate two very occasions very special to us here at WFS.  Scott's birthday is on October 13th (c'mon, join with me....happy birthday, Scott!) and October is also our store's anniversary!  We've been open for four years now - amazing how time flies, isn't it?  We decided awhile back to schedule these two community-building events together so we can celebrate with you all, and we certainly hope to see you at one (or both) of them! Fancy Food Truck Friday starts at 5:00 pm - we'll be in a Halloween mood, so come prepared to enjoy some spooky fun and some of Scott's delicious birthday cake.  Wines For A Passionate Evening Of Poetry starts at 4:00 pm, and we'll be serving finger foods from Amy's Patio Cafe!

Coinciding with our 4th anniversary, WFS was profiled in Independent We Stand's Merchant Success Stories.  The article is here and we'd love you to take a moment and give it a read.  

Have a great week ahead, my friends, and we look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Lori & Scott

Hello, 4th Quarter!

The year certainly has flown by, hasn't it?  I can't believe it's already October, but that said, we're looking forward to the hustle and bustle of the next three months! (In the retail world, the 12 months are divided up into 4 quarters, the last three of which are the 4th quarter.)

This month holds the promise of much excitement, with our Fancy Food Truck Friday slated for Oct. 14th and our wine tasting/poetry reading on the 15th!  In collaboration with local artist Patrick Gothard, we've hung his Day Of The Dead series of oil paintings in the store.  An exuberant explosion of graphic color, these skeleton-inspired paintings are something to see - and we hope you'll come by and do just that!  We have plans to be working with several more area artists over the coming months, adding to the number of local artists we already represent.

Remember to "like" our Facebook page, where you can keep up with what's happening with us, join in some interesting conversations and learn about events and specials!  As always, have a great week ahead and we hope to see you soon!

Lori & Scott

On Our Horizon, Weak Knees And All

This past week saw another of our monthly wine pairing events, and it even generated a story in the Pasadena Weekly!  The Weekly interviewed our intrepid wine bloggers, Anne Bannon and Michael Holland, and outlined our wine pairings at the store.  Here's the link, if you'd like to check it out: http://pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/?id=10437.  Hat tip to the Weekly for the article! If you're in the area on September 17th, we'll be hosting a special wine event tied into the back to school season - Wine 101, a Wine Primer For Novices.  We'll be tasting and discussing the four major groups of wine - Bubblies (brute Champagne), Whites (Chardonnay) Blushes (Rose) and Reds (Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvingon).  Come to learn the basics of these four groups of wine, come to enjoy the local foods to be paired with them, most of all come to enjoy a great time with good friends!

Webster's Community Pharmacy, Webster's Stationery and Webster's Liquor are planning our next Fancy Food Truck Friday on September 9th.  Not all the details are put together yet, but we've gotten notice from Cathy Gott of  Danny's Farm that they'd like to join the festivities. Wouldn't that be fun, with their new trailer and animals!  We're not sure as of yet whether the County will allow this or not, so stay tuned to our Facebook page for more information throughout the days leading up to the next food truck event!

Friday afternoon I attended a celebration of our women in the Altadena Town Council at Monica Hubbord's and let me tell you, this was such a wonderful event to have been invited to!  Thank you, Monica, for all that you do to support our community, you're truly one in a million!

On a more somber note, we know these days are very challenging, especially for the more vulnerable members of our society.  Organizations like Friends In Deed , Union Rescue Mission and Union Station Pasadena are working valiantly to help feed and house these people, while sometimes the adversity seems to overwhelm them.  I came across Union Rescue Mission's Rev. Andy Bales' recent blogpost and have to link it here.  This has provided me with such inspiration that I really hope it gives you some "strength in your knees" as well.  Watch for upcoming fund raisers for these groups in the future!

We'd like to leave you with a bit of scripture found in Rev. Bales' post: 

"Hebrews 12:12-13 (ESV)
¹² Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed."

Have a wonderful week ahead, friends!

Lori & Scott