Paradise - Revision history

Kirk at 17:59, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T17:59:40Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:59, 17 December 2022
Line 87:		Line 87:

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">After John's service I received an email from Peter which I think adds to the story. Jack is my Dad's name.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">After John's service I received an email from Peter which I think adds to the story. Jack is my Dad's name.
	<div class="" dir="auto">"It was great to see you and impressive that Jack made the trip.  My parents had a romantic notion about adobe.  It’s definitely nice to look at.  Of course once you set a course, buy the property and start digging you’ve got to keep going even when the project loses its novelty and it’s just work - kind of like backpacking with 50 lbs for a couple of weeks.  What we see now took years to arrive at.  I remember building the rear deck and roof when I was 16 - Jaro was off in Africa with the UN, I think. I remember Jack coming over one day to visit and we talked about the deck layout, among other things.  I was just setting the concrete piers for the deck posts.  (Jack gave me some advice that day that stuck with me:  "do with your life what you enjoy doing. Great advice".</p>		<div class="" dir="auto">''"It was great to see you and impressive that Jack made the trip.  My parents had a romantic notion about adobe.  It’s definitely nice to look at.  Of course once you set a course, buy the property and start digging you’ve got to keep going even when the project loses its novelty and it’s just work - kind of like backpacking with 50 lbs for a couple of weeks.  What we see now took years to arrive at.  I remember building the rear deck and roof when I was 16 - Jaro was off in Africa with the UN, I think. I remember Jack coming over one day to visit and we talked about the deck layout, among other things.  I was just setting the concrete piers for the deck posts.  (Jack gave me some advice that day that stuck with me:  "do with your life what you enjoy doing. Great advice".''</p>

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">John did the interior cedar v-groove paneling on the exterior adobe walls to cover them up when he was in his middle teens as well.  We all pitched in for the concrete drive at the front of the house - except for Jaro who was off to Princeton for some coursework in higher math.  I think he wanted to walk the halls that Einstein (his hero) walked years before.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">''John did the interior cedar v-groove paneling on the exterior adobe walls to cover them up when he was in his middle teens as well.  We all pitched in for the concrete drive at the front of the house - except for Jaro who was off to Princeton for some coursework in higher math.  I think he wanted to walk the halls that Einstein (his hero) walked years before.''
	<div class="" dir="auto"> It’s kept us busy, the properties and belongings (three generations worth).  There’s a deep sense of loss, first John, then the family house.  But those with experience tell us time is a great healer and I would agree."</p>		<div class="" dir="auto">'' It’s kept us busy, the properties and belongings (three generations worth).  There’s a deep sense of loss, first John, then the family house.  But those with experience tell us time is a great healer and I would agree."''</p>

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">I began writing down these personal memories of Paradise many years ago. Soon after I added this postscript, the Campfire burned down most of the buildings in Paradise, including the Adobe and our old house on Sunset Way, now called Quail Way. It is hard say much about my feelings surrounding this. How do I feel about losing something, that was lost to me many years ago anyway? I find it best to keep in mind those whose loss is now and those whose lives are upended. Though I can't help but feel a personal sadness when looking at these picture.</p>[[File:Paradise-Adobe-350x209.jpg\|left\|thumb\|Paradise Adobe after the Campfire]][[File:6848-Sunset-Way-350x197.jpg\|left\|thumb\|The House on Sunset Way after the Campfire]]		<p style="font-family:Verdana">I began writing down these personal memories of Paradise many years ago. Soon after I added this postscript, the Campfire burned down most of the buildings in Paradise, including the Adobe and our old house on Sunset Way, now called Quail Way. It is hard say much about my feelings surrounding this. How do I feel about losing something, that was lost to me many years ago anyway? I find it best to keep in mind those whose loss is now and those whose lives are upended. Though I can't help but feel a personal sadness when looking at these picture.</p>[[File:Paradise-Adobe-350x209.jpg\|left\|thumb\|Paradise Adobe after the Campfire]][[File:6848-Sunset-Way-350x197.jpg\|left\|thumb\|The House on Sunset Way after the Campfire]]

	</div>		</div>

Kirk at 17:57, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T17:57:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:57, 17 December 2022
Line 92:		Line 92:
	<div class="" dir="auto"> It’s kept us busy, the properties and belongings (three generations worth).  There’s a deep sense of loss, first John, then the family house.  But those with experience tell us time is a great healer and I would agree."</p>		<div class="" dir="auto"> It’s kept us busy, the properties and belongings (three generations worth).  There’s a deep sense of loss, first John, then the family house.  But those with experience tell us time is a great healer and I would agree."</p>

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">I began writing down these personal memories of Paradise many years ago. Soon after I added this postscript, the Campfire burned down most of the buildings in Paradise, including the Adobe and our old house on Sunset Way, now called Quail Way. It is hard say much about my feelings surrounding this. How do I feel about losing something, that was lost to me many years ago anyway? I find it best to keep in mind those whose loss is now and those whose lives are upended. Though I can't help but feel a personal sadness when looking at these picture.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">I began writing down these personal memories of Paradise many years ago. Soon after I added this postscript, the Campfire burned down most of the buildings in Paradise, including the Adobe and our old house on Sunset Way, now called Quail Way. It is hard say much about my feelings surrounding this. How do I feel about losing something, that was lost to me many years ago anyway? I find it best to keep in mind those whose loss is now and those whose lives are upended. Though I can't help but feel a personal sadness when looking at these picture.</p>[[File:Paradise-Adobe-350x209.jpg\|left\|thumb\|Paradise Adobe after the Campfire]][[File:6848-Sunset-Way-350x197.jpg\|left\|thumb\|The House on Sunset Way after the Campfire]]

	[~~caption id="attachment_1632" align="alignnone" width="603"]<nowiki><img class=" wp-image-1632" src="https~~:~~//adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/~~Paradise-Adobe-350x209.jpg~~" alt="" width="603" height="360"></nowiki>~~ Paradise Adobe after the Campfire[~~/caption]~~

	[~~caption id="attachment_1633" align="alignnone" width="601"]<nowiki><img class=" wp-image-1633" src="https~~:~~//adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/~~6848-Sunset-Way-350x197.jpg~~" alt="" width="601" height="338"></nowiki>~~ The House on Sunset Way after the Campfire~~[/caption~~]

	~~[sdonations~~]~~1[/sdonations]~~
	~~<p align="LEFT"><a href="https://adistantview.com/artists-i-have-known/Famous Potatoes/">Famous Potatoes</a></p>~~

	</div>		</div>

Kirk at 17:54, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T17:54:32Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:54, 17 December 2022
Line 87:		Line 87:

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">After John's service I received an email from Peter which I think adds to the story. Jack is my Dad's name.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">After John's service I received an email from Peter which I think adds to the story. Jack is my Dad's name.
	<div class="" dir="auto">"It was great to see you and impressive that Jack made the trip.  My parents had a romantic notion about adobe.  It’s definitely nice to look at.  Of course once you set a course, buy the property and start digging you’ve got to keep going even when the project loses its novelty and it’s just work - kind of like backpacking with 50 lbs for a couple of weeks.  What we see now took years to arrive at.  I remember building the rear deck and roof when I was 16 - Jaro was off in Africa with the UN, I think. I remember Jack coming over one day to visit and we talked about the deck layout, among other things.  I was just setting the concrete piers for the deck posts.  (Jack gave me some advice that day that stuck with me:  do with your life what you enjoy doing. Great advice)</p>		<div class="" dir="auto">"It was great to see you and impressive that Jack made the trip.  My parents had a romantic notion about adobe.  It’s definitely nice to look at.  Of course once you set a course, buy the property and start digging you’ve got to keep going even when the project loses its novelty and it’s just work - kind of like backpacking with 50 lbs for a couple of weeks.  What we see now took years to arrive at.  I remember building the rear deck and roof when I was 16 - Jaro was off in Africa with the UN, I think. I remember Jack coming over one day to visit and we talked about the deck layout, among other things.  I was just setting the concrete piers for the deck posts.  (Jack gave me some advice that day that stuck with me:  "do with your life what you enjoy doing. Great advice".</p>

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">John did the interior cedar v-groove paneling on the exterior adobe walls to cover them up when he was in his middle teens as well.  We all pitched in for the concrete drive at the front of the house - except for Jaro who was off to Princeton for some coursework in higher math.  I think he wanted to walk the halls that Einstein (his hero) walked years before.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">John did the interior cedar v-groove paneling on the exterior adobe walls to cover them up when he was in his middle teens as well.  We all pitched in for the concrete drive at the front of the house - except for Jaro who was off to Princeton for some coursework in higher math.  I think he wanted to walk the halls that Einstein (his hero) walked years before.

Kirk at 17:52, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T17:52:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:52, 17 December 2022
Line 11:		Line 11:
	<p style="font-family:Verdana">Usually we would stop by the house on Sunset Way before going to the Polivka's. That house was under a thick canopy of tall oaks, dogwoods and assorted trees. When we turned off the main road and drove downhill on a dirt road filled with potholes. It was the upper end of a deep dark ravine, thick with trees. There were a number of roughly built houses down this road, spaced a good distance apart. Mrs. Jones, my first babysitter lived down this road. My mom told us that her grandson was killed by a white shark when he was swimming off of Stinson's Beach. Andrew and I even found an article about it in a book we owned. Her son was at the beach with his girlfriend when he decided to take a swim out beyond the breakers. His girlfriend was on the beach while he was in the water swimming, when she saw that he was hit by the shark. Ignoring the danger she swum out and pulled him back to shore. He was bleeding profusely and did not survive for long. The girlfriend received an honorary medal of bravery from President Kennedy.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">Usually we would stop by the house on Sunset Way before going to the Polivka's. That house was under a thick canopy of tall oaks, dogwoods and assorted trees. When we turned off the main road and drove downhill on a dirt road filled with potholes. It was the upper end of a deep dark ravine, thick with trees. There were a number of roughly built houses down this road, spaced a good distance apart. Mrs. Jones, my first babysitter lived down this road. My mom told us that her grandson was killed by a white shark when he was swimming off of Stinson's Beach. Andrew and I even found an article about it in a book we owned. Her son was at the beach with his girlfriend when he decided to take a swim out beyond the breakers. His girlfriend was on the beach while he was in the water swimming, when she saw that he was hit by the shark. Ignoring the danger she swum out and pulled him back to shore. He was bleeding profusely and did not survive for long. The girlfriend received an honorary medal of bravery from President Kennedy.</p>

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">This was how I remembered the story, but after speaking with Peter recently, he remembered it slightly differently. He remembered that it was the beach near the Golden Gate Bridge and he didn't remember the girlfriend swimming out to attempt a rescue. Also it would have been before Kennedy was president so he wouldn't have given her a medal. So I tried to find a record of it on the internet and sure enough Peter was right, it was Baker Beach near the Golden Gate not Stinson's Beach which is much further north. Here is a link to a news article from the time ~~<span style="color: #0000ff;"><a title="Paradise" href="http~~://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&~~amp;~~dat=19590508&~~amp;~~id=JwNYAAAAIBAJ&~~amp;~~sjid=KfcDAAAAIBAJ&~~amp;~~pg=2439,1865406~~" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style~~=~~"color: #0000ff;">~~May 7th 1959~~</span></a></span>.~~ The girlfriend did receive some kind of medal from President Kennedy a few years later, but they were swimming together when the attack happened.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">This was how I remembered the story, but after speaking with Peter recently, he remembered it slightly differently. He remembered that it was the beach near the Golden Gate Bridge and he didn't remember the girlfriend swimming out to attempt a rescue. Also it would have been before Kennedy was president so he wouldn't have given her a medal. So I tried to find a record of it on the internet and sure enough Peter was right, it was Baker Beach near the Golden Gate not Stinson's Beach which is much further north. Here is a link to a news article from the time [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19590508&id=JwNYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2439,1865406&hl=en May 7th 1959] The girlfriend did receive some kind of medal from President Kennedy a few years later, but they were swimming together when the attack happened.</p>

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">My mom always warned Andrew and me never to mention this incident in front of Mrs. Jones...we never did.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">My mom always warned Andrew and me never to mention this incident in front of Mrs. Jones...we never did.</p>

Kirk at 17:49, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T17:49:22Z

Show changes

Kirk at 17:41, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T17:41:45Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:41, 17 December 2022
Line 18:		Line 18:
	[[File:House on Sunset Way.jpg\|left\|thumb\|House on Sunset Way "Before". Circa 1954.]]		[[File:House on Sunset Way.jpg\|left\|thumb\|House on Sunset Way "Before". Circa 1954.]]
	[[File:House on Sunset Way after.jpg\|left\|thumb\|House on Sunset Way "After" (My Dad's Harley in the Foreground) circa 1954.]]		[[File:House on Sunset Way after.jpg\|left\|thumb\|House on Sunset Way "After" (My Dad's Harley in the Foreground) circa 1954.]]
	[caption id="attachment_222" align="alignnone" width="540"]<nowiki><a href="https://adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SunsetWaywith-Harleyadj-e1391927330758.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-222" src="https://adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/SunsetWaywith-Harleyadj-1024x719.jpg" alt="House on Sunset Way &quot;After&quot; (My Dad's Harley in the Foreground) circa 1954." width="540" height="379"></nowiki><nowiki></a></nowiki> House on Sunset Way "After" (My Dad's Harley in the Foreground) circa 1954.[/caption]		I didn't know it at the time but our house on Sunset Way was actually the first house Jaro and Betty lived in while in Paradise. The two couples had met a few years before. My Dad and Jaro both worked at the Board of Reclamation in Chico but they both lived in Paradise, a short commute. My Dad would have been about 26 and Jaro several years older. Betty and Jaro would have already had three children by that time. The two men got along together quite well, as did Betty and my mother. My mom and Betty used to go "Whiskey Flats" together, a small swimming hole on a branch of the Feather River. They would drive their kids down a rather treacherous road to the river. It is where I learned to swim, as well as my two older siblings.

	~~<p style="font-family:Verdana">~~I didn't know it at the time but our house on Sunset Way was actually the first house Jaro and Betty lived in while in Paradise. The two couples had met a few years before. My Dad and Jaro both worked at the Board of Reclamation in Chico but they both lived in Paradise, a short commute. My Dad would have been about 26 and Jaro several years older. Betty and Jaro would have already had three children by that time. The two men got along together quite well, as did Betty and my mother. My mom and Betty used to go "Whiskey Flats" together, a small swimming hole on a branch of the Feather River. They would drive their kids down a rather treacherous road to the river. It is where I learned to swim, as well as my two older siblings.~~</p>~~

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">It turned out Jaro had built an addition to the house on Sunset Way. Construction was not his profession (he was a mathematician) so it had it's deficiencies, I only learned that from my Dad much later. Building codes on rural roads in Paradise in those days were most likely very lightly enforced. I always thought it was kind of a cozy house. It had a huge yard but it was mostly on a slope and covered in poison oak. I was very allergic to poison oak so I stuck to the well carved paths. At the top edge of the property there was a shed my dad called the “goat house” and a cherry tree that actually got enough sun at that end of the property to produce some cherries. Of course the driveway was dirt and it continued on for a distance past the house. It had become overgrown towards its end but there was a fascinating rusted body of some old car back in there. It was one of the old boat-type cars from the 1950's or maybe even 40's. It was the abandoned project of some past renter. The house itself was of very pragmatic unadorned design. Just a kind of get it done sort of job, but I do remember the fireplace being very nice, I think it was finished off with round river rocks. This house was probably not something Jaro would have bragged about, but I think it suited its propose of keeping the roof over the head of a very young family just fine.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">It turned out Jaro had built an addition to the house on Sunset Way. Construction was not his profession (he was a mathematician) so it had it's deficiencies, I only learned that from my Dad much later. Building codes on rural roads in Paradise in those days were most likely very lightly enforced. I always thought it was kind of a cozy house. It had a huge yard but it was mostly on a slope and covered in poison oak. I was very allergic to poison oak so I stuck to the well carved paths. At the top edge of the property there was a shed my dad called the “goat house” and a cherry tree that actually got enough sun at that end of the property to produce some cherries. Of course the driveway was dirt and it continued on for a distance past the house. It had become overgrown towards its end but there was a fascinating rusted body of some old car back in there. It was one of the old boat-type cars from the 1950's or maybe even 40's. It was the abandoned project of some past renter. The house itself was of very pragmatic unadorned design. Just a kind of get it done sort of job, but I do remember the fireplace being very nice, I think it was finished off with round river rocks. This house was probably not something Jaro would have bragged about, but I think it suited its propose of keeping the roof over the head of a very young family just fine.</p>

Kirk at 17:35, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T17:35:28Z

Show changes

Kirk at 14:20, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T14:20:27Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:20, 17 December 2022
Line 47:		Line 47:

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">Betty I also admired, but I saw her as more of a kindred spirit. When she spoke to me I imagined that she thought of me as a younger version of herself. She also had red hair and freckled skin. I never thought much of it as a kid, but as I've aged I've gotten the sense that redheads are wired a little differently. There is a bit more uneasiness, a little more vulnerability and difficulty in fitting in. Maybe that is where the bully/comic/geek stereotypes come from, that is the redheads' way of trying to fit in. She fit none of those stereotypes. Betty was apparently of similar genetic makeup as my mom and myself, though my mom had darker hair she also had very fair skin. There were clearly some strong Celtic genes in her not so distant past, maybe Scotch, Irish or Welsh. My mom's parents were both Scottish. She also seemed to share with my mom a kind of uncowed quality, a stoic kind of determination. She had enough confidence, to take up any number of life paths that went against the grain of modern society. She wasn't chatty or confrontational, but she wasn't going to let imagined judgments of others interfere with her doing what she loved to do. My mom must have seen her as a mentor or a fellow traveler; sometimes at little of both probably. They were both women who took on the traditional female roles just before those traditions began to change, they each had four children and served the central role in raising those children. But their roles in their respective families were anything but subservient. It always seemed that my mom was behind most of the major decisions in our family. I always assumed it was the same for the Polivkas, but now I'm not so sure. Jaro might not have been as willing to let go of the reins as my father was. The idea of building your own home on a piece of undeveloped property, kind of a homestead, seems more appealing to a man's imagination, than a woman's. But then Betty had some very unique approaches to how she went about living her life.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">Betty I also admired, but I saw her as more of a kindred spirit. When she spoke to me I imagined that she thought of me as a younger version of herself. She also had red hair and freckled skin. I never thought much of it as a kid, but as I've aged I've gotten the sense that redheads are wired a little differently. There is a bit more uneasiness, a little more vulnerability and difficulty in fitting in. Maybe that is where the bully/comic/geek stereotypes come from, that is the redheads' way of trying to fit in. She fit none of those stereotypes. Betty was apparently of similar genetic makeup as my mom and myself, though my mom had darker hair she also had very fair skin. There were clearly some strong Celtic genes in her not so distant past, maybe Scotch, Irish or Welsh. My mom's parents were both Scottish. She also seemed to share with my mom a kind of uncowed quality, a stoic kind of determination. She had enough confidence, to take up any number of life paths that went against the grain of modern society. She wasn't chatty or confrontational, but she wasn't going to let imagined judgments of others interfere with her doing what she loved to do. My mom must have seen her as a mentor or a fellow traveler; sometimes at little of both probably. They were both women who took on the traditional female roles just before those traditions began to change, they each had four children and served the central role in raising those children. But their roles in their respective families were anything but subservient. It always seemed that my mom was behind most of the major decisions in our family. I always assumed it was the same for the Polivkas, but now I'm not so sure. Jaro might not have been as willing to let go of the reins as my father was. The idea of building your own home on a piece of undeveloped property, kind of a homestead, seems more appealing to a man's imagination, than a woman's. But then Betty had some very unique approaches to how she went about living her life.</p>
			[[File:Betty circa 1973.jpg\|left\|thumb\|Betty at Ann's Wedding Circa 1973]]
	[~~caption id="attachment_215" align="alignnone" width="600"]<a href="https~~:~~//adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/~~Betty.jpg~~"><img class="size-full wp-image-215" src="https://adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Betty-e1391926318141.jpg" alt="~~Betty ~~Polivka circa~~ 1973~~" width="600" height="723"></a> Betty Polivka circa 1973[/caption~~]

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">My dad, Betty and I were having a conversation, at one point when the topic of exercise came up. She said she played golf for exercise. She went up to the local public golf course and played about nine holes of golf. The walking around was her exercise. My Dad seemed surprised and amused because he hadn't take her for the golfer type. My dad who knew only a little about golf asked her what kind of clubs she used. She explained that she only used one club. This seemed odd even to me. Then he asked her what kind of a club she used, and she did not even know the name of the type of club she was using. After a bit of good natured confusion about what type of club she was using, she went to a nearby room and brought “the club” to show us.... It was a putter. I saw my Dad smile broadly imagining how she managed to play nine holes of golf on a real golf course using only a putter. Rolling the ball across the grass ten yards for each stroke. She must have gotten a fair share of resentful stares from the other golfers. I think she mentioned she always went when it was the least crowded and had to let the other golfers play through frequently.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">My dad, Betty and I were having a conversation, at one point when the topic of exercise came up. She said she played golf for exercise. She went up to the local public golf course and played about nine holes of golf. The walking around was her exercise. My Dad seemed surprised and amused because he hadn't take her for the golfer type. My dad who knew only a little about golf asked her what kind of clubs she used. She explained that she only used one club. This seemed odd even to me. Then he asked her what kind of a club she used, and she did not even know the name of the type of club she was using. After a bit of good natured confusion about what type of club she was using, she went to a nearby room and brought “the club” to show us.... It was a putter. I saw my Dad smile broadly imagining how she managed to play nine holes of golf on a real golf course using only a putter. Rolling the ball across the grass ten yards for each stroke. She must have gotten a fair share of resentful stares from the other golfers. I think she mentioned she always went when it was the least crowded and had to let the other golfers play through frequently.</p>
Line 59:		Line 58:

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">In her art studio she had a potter's wheel where she made a variety of clay objects which she had fired in a kiln somewhere else. The design which drew my attention was a series of mugs. They were large, well constructed with a hefty handle. The interior was finished with a thick, light colored glaze and the exterior she left was a unfinished light colored clay. Each mug had a different face on the side opposite the handle. Each face was an exaggerated observation of some unique personality. She showed us about a dozen completed mugs in her art studio one day and she gave a couple to my mom (my mom might have paid for them, she was an art patron when she could afford it). I wanted to make mugs just like she had done. My mom bought me a potter's wheel and I made some concerted attempts. But I discovered that it took a lot of practice, more than I had patience for as a kid, I soon lost interest. But mostly I remember her art as being watercolor landscapes. They were neither realistic nor impressionistic, they straddled the border between. A very classic watercolor style, but very personal at the same time. It brought you the feeling of the place through her eyes. There was a lightness to them, bright without being too happy.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">In her art studio she had a potter's wheel where she made a variety of clay objects which she had fired in a kiln somewhere else. The design which drew my attention was a series of mugs. They were large, well constructed with a hefty handle. The interior was finished with a thick, light colored glaze and the exterior she left was a unfinished light colored clay. Each mug had a different face on the side opposite the handle. Each face was an exaggerated observation of some unique personality. She showed us about a dozen completed mugs in her art studio one day and she gave a couple to my mom (my mom might have paid for them, she was an art patron when she could afford it). I wanted to make mugs just like she had done. My mom bought me a potter's wheel and I made some concerted attempts. But I discovered that it took a lot of practice, more than I had patience for as a kid, I soon lost interest. But mostly I remember her art as being watercolor landscapes. They were neither realistic nor impressionistic, they straddled the border between. A very classic watercolor style, but very personal at the same time. It brought you the feeling of the place through her eyes. There was a lightness to them, bright without being too happy.</p>
			[[File:My Dad and Myself at the Polivka's Adobe.jpg\|left\|thumb\|My Dad and Myself at the Polivka's Adobe]]
	[~~caption id="attachment_214" align="alignnone" width="540"]<a href="https://adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Me-and-Dad-e1391926548999.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-214" src="https~~:~~//adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Me-and-Dad-1024x691.jpg" alt="~~My Dad and Myself ~~and~~ the Polivka's Adobe~~" width="540" height="364"></a>~~ My Dad and Myself ~~and~~ the Polivka's Adobe~~[/caption~~]

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">My mother used to have one of her paintings hanging in our house. Along with those of some of her other friends who were also artists. I always thought of Betty's painting as the kind of measuring tape of what other artists should be trying for. After spending untold hours viewing art and talking with artists, I realize that was a pretty naïve outlook. Every artist has their own story they are telling with their art, there is no one “right” way of doing art. Just as the is no one “right” way of living one's life. Though in the back of my mind I still think of Betty as the quintessential artist.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">My mother used to have one of her paintings hanging in our house. Along with those of some of her other friends who were also artists. I always thought of Betty's painting as the kind of measuring tape of what other artists should be trying for. After spending untold hours viewing art and talking with artists, I realize that was a pretty naïve outlook. Every artist has their own story they are telling with their art, there is no one “right” way of doing art. Just as the is no one “right” way of living one's life. Though in the back of my mind I still think of Betty as the quintessential artist.</p>

Kirk at 14:12, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T14:12:23Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:12, 17 December 2022
Line 36:		Line 36:

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">It was usually Jaro who came to the door, so you had to be patient. Jaro was a tall, large man with an expressionless face and white hair. He was always wearing his unfashionable glasses. He had a foreign air about him, even beyond his accent and a far off stare in his eyes. His skin was shade darker than my dad's, who always got a good tan. He didn't bother with polite cheerfulness when greeting us. But somehow through his far-off stare you could tell he was glad to see my parents nonetheless. Though he was probably less enthused about us kids. Betty was usually busy working, she and my mom had that in common, being always busy. Though Betty was a bit calmer than my mom. My mom was always one to answer the phone after the first ring and quick to answer the front door bell. When you walked into their house, you first walked through a short hallway. On the right side of the wall hung a series of color photographs. They were photos of items which were not necessarily thought of as beautiful or even significant. Nor were they family portraits, they were photos of overlooked items one might see on a walk through an old abandoned farm, a rusty door hinge or a weathered, lichen covered piece of wood. The photos were framed in a shiny silver metal frame, this presentation and the subject would have been very cutting edge in the sixties or even early seventies. I think it was Jaro who was behind those photos.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">It was usually Jaro who came to the door, so you had to be patient. Jaro was a tall, large man with an expressionless face and white hair. He was always wearing his unfashionable glasses. He had a foreign air about him, even beyond his accent and a far off stare in his eyes. His skin was shade darker than my dad's, who always got a good tan. He didn't bother with polite cheerfulness when greeting us. But somehow through his far-off stare you could tell he was glad to see my parents nonetheless. Though he was probably less enthused about us kids. Betty was usually busy working, she and my mom had that in common, being always busy. Though Betty was a bit calmer than my mom. My mom was always one to answer the phone after the first ring and quick to answer the front door bell. When you walked into their house, you first walked through a short hallway. On the right side of the wall hung a series of color photographs. They were photos of items which were not necessarily thought of as beautiful or even significant. Nor were they family portraits, they were photos of overlooked items one might see on a walk through an old abandoned farm, a rusty door hinge or a weathered, lichen covered piece of wood. The photos were framed in a shiny silver metal frame, this presentation and the subject would have been very cutting edge in the sixties or even early seventies. I think it was Jaro who was behind those photos.</p>
			[[File:Jaro-circa 1970.jpg\|left\|thumb\|Jaro at Ann's Wedding circa 1973]]
	[~~caption id="attachment_216" align="alignnone" width="600"]<a href="https~~:~~//adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/~~Jaro~~.jpg"><img class="size~~-~~full wp-image-216" src="https://adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Jaro-e1391926288380~~.jpg~~" alt="~~Jaro ~~Polivka~~ circa 1973~~" width="600" height="688"></a> Jaro Polivka circa 1973[/caption~~]

	<p style="font-family:Verdana">As you walked into the main living room there was a scent that welcomed you. It was a slightly musty smell with a hint of acrid, like a fine wine. If I were to breathe a bit of that air today I would be overwhelmed with a sense of calm, easy-going earthiness. My best guess is that it was a mixture of raw fabrics, wood, and the Paradise dirt. There was hardly a piece of plastic or factory-made scented goods in that house. In the main living room it was clear that the fireplace was an important fixture, it occupied the most prominent place. It had a high raised hearth and I seem to remember a cast iron pot hanging down from a chain which might have been used for cooking at times. However our visits to the Polivikas were usually during the summer months so I don't recall seeing the fireplace in action. The fireplace was on the East facing wall between the kitchen table where there were plenty of windows and the living room which was dark but inviting. There were no big easy chairs or over stuffed couches in this house. Each chair or bench had its own unique personality, its wood grain showing its color and texture and the fabric adding color, comfort and design. The padding may have been a bit deficient but the ingenuity was in surplus. All the furnishing were colored in earth tones shades of brown, yellow or red. Apparently this was all handmade furniture which they had purchased in Mexico, and them kept in storage until their building was complete. On a shelf opposite the fireplace was a collection of pottery Betty had made. One item stands out in my memory; it was in the shape of a over-sized salt shaker. On it's side was written in the clay in small type, “for a California Barbecue” then in larger type “O-Reagan-O”.</p>		<p style="font-family:Verdana">As you walked into the main living room there was a scent that welcomed you. It was a slightly musty smell with a hint of acrid, like a fine wine. If I were to breathe a bit of that air today I would be overwhelmed with a sense of calm, easy-going earthiness. My best guess is that it was a mixture of raw fabrics, wood, and the Paradise dirt. There was hardly a piece of plastic or factory-made scented goods in that house. In the main living room it was clear that the fireplace was an important fixture, it occupied the most prominent place. It had a high raised hearth and I seem to remember a cast iron pot hanging down from a chain which might have been used for cooking at times. However our visits to the Polivikas were usually during the summer months so I don't recall seeing the fireplace in action. The fireplace was on the East facing wall between the kitchen table where there were plenty of windows and the living room which was dark but inviting. There were no big easy chairs or over stuffed couches in this house. Each chair or bench had its own unique personality, its wood grain showing its color and texture and the fabric adding color, comfort and design. The padding may have been a bit deficient but the ingenuity was in surplus. All the furnishing were colored in earth tones shades of brown, yellow or red. Apparently this was all handmade furniture which they had purchased in Mexico, and them kept in storage until their building was complete. On a shelf opposite the fireplace was a collection of pottery Betty had made. One item stands out in my memory; it was in the shape of a over-sized salt shaker. On it's side was written in the clay in small type, “for a California Barbecue” then in larger type “O-Reagan-O”.</p>

Kirk at 14:03, 17 December 2022

2022-12-17T14:03:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:03, 17 December 2022
Line 97:		Line 97:
	Post Script:		Post Script:

	In January or February of 2017 Peter and John Polivka paid us a visit in Santa Cruz. We had lunch on the wharf, my dad, my brother, myself and the Polivka brothers. I've always thought they had a fondness for both my dad and my mother and it felt like the timing of the visit was important, to John especially. During lunch he told us that he was battling pancreatic cancer but that the prognosis looked good. He had undergone the prescribed treatments and there were no signs of cancer.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">In January or February of 2017 Peter and John Polivka paid us a visit in Santa Cruz. We had lunch on the wharf, my dad, my brother, myself and the Polivka brothers. I've always thought they had a fondness for both my dad and my mother and it felt like the timing of the visit was important, to John especially. During lunch he told us that he was battling pancreatic cancer but that the prognosis looked good. He had undergone the prescribed treatments and there were no signs of cancer.</p>

	I hadn't known or maybe I forgot that John was an early alum at UC Santa Cruz. He spoke with us a bit about his memories of Santa Cruz back in the early seventies. How many things had changed and how much had stayed the same. I later guessed that one of the main attractions of Santa Cruz for him was being close to the water and its access to sailing.  Boating was one of the main undercurrents of his life. For most of his later life he lived on a houseboat in Sausalito.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">I hadn't known or maybe I forgot that John was an early alum at UC Santa Cruz. He spoke with us a bit about his memories of Santa Cruz back in the early seventies. How many things had changed and how much had stayed the same. I later guessed that one of the main attractions of Santa Cruz for him was being close to the water and its access to sailing.  Boating was one of the main undercurrents of his life. For most of his later life he lived on a houseboat in Sausalito.</p>

	Several months after their visit to Santa Cruz I heard that John's cancer had returned and it was now terminal with little chance of his recover. He died soon afterward. I was glad he was able to see Santa Cruz and my dad one last time.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">Several months after their visit to Santa Cruz I heard that John's cancer had returned and it was now terminal with little chance of his recover. He died soon afterward. I was glad he was able to see Santa Cruz and my dad one last time.</p>

	The Polivka children held a service for John at the old adobe house in Paradise that the family built together. I attended that service with my Dad and learned some things about John and the Polivkas I hadn't know before. John had a great love for ships and sailing. He had also never married and I could tell from his youthful photos that he was especially good-looking. I remember my parents talking about how he went from girl-friend to girl-friend without ever sticking with one. They were all very nice people, in John’s view and according to his friends and family. My parents I believe, thought that not settling down with one person was a source of unhappiness for him, but I'm guessing it was not.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">The Polivka children held a service for John at the old adobe house in Paradise that the family built together. I attended that service with my Dad and learned some things about John and the Polivkas I hadn't know before. John had a great love for ships and sailing. He had also never married and I could tell from his youthful photos that he was especially good-looking. I remember my parents talking about how he went from girl-friend to girl-friend without ever sticking with one. They were all very nice people, in John’s view and according to his friends and family. My parents I believe, thought that not settling down with one person was a source of unhappiness for him, but I'm guessing it was not.</p>

	After John's service I received an email from Peter which I think adds to the story. Jack is my Dad's name.		<p style="font-family:Verdana">After John's service I received an email from Peter which I think adds to the story. Jack is my Dad's name.
	<div class="" dir="auto">"It was great to see you and impressive that Jack made the trip.  My parents had a romantic notion about adobe.  It’s definitely nice to look at.  Of course once you set a course, buy the property and start digging you’ve got to keep going even when the project loses its novelty and it’s just work - kind of like backpacking with 50 lbs for a couple of weeks.  What we see now took years to arrive at.  I remember building the rear deck and roof when I was 16 - Jaro was off in Africa with the UN, I think. I remember Jack coming over one day to visit and we talked about the deck layout, among other things.  I was just setting the concrete piers for the deck posts.  (Jack gave me some advice that day that stuck with me:  do with your life what you enjoy doing. Great advice).</~~div~~>		<div class="" dir="auto">"It was great to see you and impressive that Jack made the trip.  My parents had a romantic notion about adobe.  It’s definitely nice to look at.  Of course once you set a course, buy the property and start digging you’ve got to keep going even when the project loses its novelty and it’s just work - kind of like backpacking with 50 lbs for a couple of weeks.  What we see now took years to arrive at.  I remember building the rear deck and roof when I was 16 - Jaro was off in Africa with the UN, I think. I remember Jack coming over one day to visit and we talked about the deck layout, among other things.  I was just setting the concrete piers for the deck posts.  (Jack gave me some advice that day that stuck with me:  do with your life what you enjoy doing. Great advice)</p>
	~~<div class="" dir="auto"></div>~~
	<~~div class~~="~~" dir="auto~~">John did the interior cedar v-groove paneling on the exterior adobe walls to cover them up when he was in his middle teens as well.  We all pitched in for the concrete drive at the front of the house - except for Jaro who was off to Princeton for some coursework in higher math.  I think he wanted to walk the halls that Einstein (his hero) walked years before.~~</div>~~		<p style="font-family:Verdana">John did the interior cedar v-groove paneling on the exterior adobe walls to cover them up when he was in his middle teens as well.  We all pitched in for the concrete drive at the front of the house - except for Jaro who was off to Princeton for some coursework in higher math.  I think he wanted to walk the halls that Einstein (his hero) walked years before.
	~~<div dir="auto"></div>~~		<div class="" dir="auto"> It’s kept us busy, the properties and belongings (three generations worth).  There’s a deep sense of loss, first John, then the family house.  But those with experience tell us time is a great healer and I would agree."</p>
	<div class="" dir="auto"> It’s kept us busy, the properties and belongings (three generations worth).  There’s a deep sense of loss, first John, then the family house.  But those with experience tell us time is a great healer and I would agree."</~~div~~>
	~~<div dir="auto"></div>~~		<p style="font-family:Verdana">I began writing down these personal memories of Paradise many years ago. Soon after I added this postscript, the Campfire burned down most of the buildings in Paradise, including the Adobe and our old house on Sunset Way, now called Quail Way. It is hard say much about my feelings surrounding this. How do I feel about losing something, that was lost to me many years ago anyway? I find it best to keep in mind those whose loss is now and those whose lives are upended. Though I can't help but feel a personal sadness when looking at these picture.</p>
	<~~div dir~~="~~auto"></div>~~
	~~<div dir="auto">More~~:~~</div>~~
	~~<div dir="auto"></div>~~
	~~<div dir="auto~~">I began writing down these personal memories of Paradise many years ago. Soon after I added this postscript, the Campfire burned down most of the buildings in Paradise, including the Adobe and our old house on Sunset Way, now called Quail Way. It is hard say much about my feelings surrounding this. How do I feel about losing something, that was lost to me many years ago anyway? I find it best to keep in mind those whose loss is now and those whose lives are upended. Though I can't help but feel a personal sadness when looking at these picture.</~~div>~~
	~~<div dir="auto"></div>~~
	~~<div dir="auto"~~>

	[caption id="attachment_1632" align="alignnone" width="603"]<img class=" wp-image-1632" src="https://adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Paradise-Adobe-350x209.jpg" alt="" width="603" height="360"> Paradise Adobe after the Campfire[/caption]		[caption id="attachment_1632" align="alignnone" width="603"]<img class=" wp-image-1632" src="https://adistantview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Paradise-Adobe-350x209.jpg" alt="" width="603" height="360"> Paradise Adobe after the Campfire[/caption]