Praying for a Miracle: Mission San Juan Capistrano in March

On All Saint's Day in 1776, Spanish priests of the Franciscan Order founded the mission at San Juan Capistrano, one of the most beautiful and impressive missions along the California coast. In 1812, an earthquake struck the region, toppling the bell tower during morning mass and killing 40 people. The mission fell into disrepair for a century until Hollywood "discovered" it. D.W. Griffith shot parts of his western film The Two Brothers there, and soon after, Mary Pickford renewed her vows to Owen Moore in the ruins of the Great Stone Church.

1925 painting by Charles Percy Austin

Here's how the mission looks today.

Old vs. New California:
A beach cruiser is parked outside the mission's front gate.

A statue of Father Junipero Serra, founder of the
California missions, keeps vigil over the the ruins.

Inside the Great Stone Church.

Footprint of the fallen bell tower.

Serra Chapel, the oldest continuously used
church building in California.

Restoration of the mission grounds began in the 1910s.
In the 1800s, locals gathered on the tile rooftops
to watch rodeos in the courtyard below.

The Moorish Fountain.

The most popular time to visit the mission is St. Joseph's Day on March 19th, when tourists hope to witness the Miracle of the Swallows. Every spring, American Cliff Swallows return to California after spending the winter in Argentina.

Mud nests created by swallows several years ago.

In recent years, the birds have avoided the hustle and bustle of the mission. They appear to have gone upscale, preferring the wide open spaces of golf course at the Vellano Country Club in Chino Hills. Earlier this month, ornithologists set up speakers to play bird calls, hoping to lure the swallows back to their old home. So far, the birds are having none of it, but Southern Californians continue to hope for another miracle.

Ocean Trails by the Trump National Golf Course

On Sunday, the Merry Dog asked if we could go for a walk, so we drove to the scenic Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes. A golf course might seem a strange place to hike, but Mr. Trump was kind enough to build a large visitor lot and public park on prime real estate on the course. Several trails lead from the course, going to the Terranea resort to the west and the city of San Pedro to the east. The fog rolled in and out during the afternoon. Sometimes we had beautiful vistas. Sometimes we could barely see the ocean at all.

View from Palos Verdes Drive East

Santa Catalina Island hidden in fog

Trump National in the distance

Abandoned camp

Park at Trump National Golf Course

Putting Green

The Spa at Windemere

Wouldn't you like to get away?

At Windemere, we know that it just isn't possible to run off to a spa resort every weekend. So, our staff has designed the perfect at-home rejuvenation regimen. Now you can turn any weekend into a spa-ah weekend.

Sample Schedule

Friday Evening

8:00 PM - Check-in. After coming home late from work for the last 2 weeks, you'll be relieved to find that, for your convenience, the staff at Windemere has piled two loads of clean towels in a hamper in the hallway. Open your fridge to find it thoughtfully stocked with essential provisions such as expired buttermilk, week-old samosas, and cocktail olives.

8:15 PM - Healthy Burger Night. Veggie Grill to the rescue! Order a vegan cheeseburger with a side of kale.

9:30 PM - Lights Out.

Saturday

5:30 AM - Morning Wake-up Call. Gently transition from sleep as the Merry Dog sticks her cold, wet nose into your armpit.

7:00 AM - Nutrition Class. Actually attend Weight Watchers meeting instead of fleeing immediately after weigh-in. Learn about portion sizes. Comfort your classmate when, upon realizing what 2 oz. of pasta looks like, she declares, "There is no God."

9:00 AM - Spa Treatment. Combine all the left-over balances on those widow & orphan spa gift certificates you have laying around the house for a down-payment on a facial.

Best Spa in the South Bay, Burke Williams, Torrance

10:30 AM - Breakfast.

Mahalo Mango smoothie

11:00 AM - Excursion - Healthy Shopping. Learn to buy produce at Whole Foods Market while not also "accidentally" purchasing two bags of gluten-free cookies, five pounds of artisan cheeses, and a six-pack of microbrew.

12:00 PM - Hands-On Cooking Class. Wipe dust off of Canyon Ranch Cooking. Make low-fat bouillabaisse.

2:00 PM - Arts & Crafts - Introduction to Sticker Theory. Join 4-year-old sticker expert the Merry Niece as she expounds on the life-enhancing properties of Hello Kitty stickers. Leave with a work of art you can display on your fridge.

3:00 PM - Exercise Class - Advanced Tug-of-War. The Merry Dog will lead the class through an intense 5 minute tug-of-war routine with one of your socks. Not for the faint-of-heart! She suggests that beginners try her Introduction to Doggie Treats.

3:05 PM - Exericse Class - Cool-Down. - Join the Merry Dog for a one-hour cool-down and quiet meditation session on the couch. Learn her techniques for napping in the now. The staff at Windemere regrets that this popular class is given at the same time as our other favorite, Organization 101 - Folding Those Towels in the Hamper in the Hallway.

4:00 PM - Spiritual Reading. Discuss People Magazine's inspirational account of St. Paula Deen's fight against butter with resident guru, the Merry Husband.

6:00 PM - Night Run.  45 minutes. Look up and admire the 3 stars that are visible through the L.A. smog. Breathtaking, isn't it? No, really - do you need an asthma inhaler?

8:30 PM - Asian Cuisine Night. Pick one of the hundreds of sushi joints within a 1 mile radius of the Windemere. Contemplate the mystery ingredient in the Ridgeline Roll. Remember to rehydrate with a bottle of Okinawan beer.

Honda Sushi, Torrance

Lydia, Oh Lydia, Oh Have You Seen Lydia?

Lydia the nude tattooed ankle sock lady?

Rodarte RTW Fall 2013

Photo By Lexie Morelan

WWD

At least they don't have to be lasered off.

Chinese New Year 2010

Shortly after I published my last post, the Merry Husband and I found out that our flight to JFK on Friday morning had been cancelled. We were, of course, disappointed not to be able to celebrate Chinese New Year with his family in Brooklyn. But that's how the fortune cookie crumbles.

We spent a lazy weekend at home. So lazy, in fact, that I didn't even bother to get out of bed until an unprecedented 11:00 AM! I thought I'd cheat a bit, and show you some photos from our visit in 2010. That year, we arrived after the big blizzard and found the city completely blanketed in snow.

View from the Egyptian Gallery,
Metropolitan Museum of Art

French Embassy

Central Park

On New Year's Day, we ate dim sum at the East Harbor Seafood Palace in Brooklyn. Guests "fed" red envelopes of money to the hungry Dragon dancers snaking through the push-carts and tables.

After breakfast, we visited several Buddhist temples in Manhattan's Chinatown.

CNY happened to fall on Valentine's Day, so in the evening, we broke away from the family for a bit and took in the sights in Times Square.

Happy New Year!

What to Pack for a Nor'Easter

Sunday ushers in the Year of the Snake, so Happy New Year (again)! The Merry Husband and I plan to fly to New York tomorrow to celebrate with his family. I say "plan" because this is apparently what will hit the city just as we are scheduled to land.

John Moore/Getty Images

Fighting Nemo!

Biggest Storm Since 2010!!

Historic Blizzard Threatens Outages!!!

A friend called to warn us that we should pack food for the trip, lest we be stuck in airport limbo. On the way home from work tonight, I stopped by our local Japanese supermarket to pick up essential provisions.

Rice Crackers with Seaweed

Strawberry Pocky Sticks

 

Sakura Mochi

We shall be prepared like Boy Scouts. But wish us luck anyway.

With your good bag and your cheap shoes...

Hannibal Lecter, Fashion Maven

Lately, I've been feeling a bit like Clarice Starling, a well-scrubbed rube with a little taste. Sure, my pocketbook looks fabulous. But exactly what statement am I making with my worn-out shoes?

Over the last six months, I have worn through three, count 'em, three pairs of my all-time favorite ballet flat, the Jack Rogers Slim.

Oh Slim, how I loved you.

When I wore a dime-sized hole in the soft leather soles of Pair #1 within two months of purchase, I rushed the shoes off to the cobbler, as if carrying a sick puppy to the vet. Sadly, the new sole he applied began to peel off just a few weeks later. When the Slim went on sale, I ordered two more pairs in black and gold thinking that perhaps Pair #1 was just a lemon. Neither fared any better than my original pair.

I arrived at the unhappy conclusion that I was the owner of cheap shoes. Adding insult to injury, my cheap shoes had cost me a good chunk of money. It was time to upgrade.

If you are a man, you can turn to any number of fine establishments for exceptionally made shoes that will last decades (or at least get you through Career v. 1.0). Mayor Bloomberg claims he's been wearing the same two pairs of loafers to work for ten years. If you would like to weep green tears of bitter envy over perfect tassel loafers, I invite you to read Reggie Darling's ode to Alden slip-ons here.

But for us double X chromosomes? Labels and price no longer seem to guarantee quality. As I read through blogs and forums though, it appeared that Ferragamo still has a cult following of women who swear that their flats have lasted them for years. Last week, fortified by a dry martini and reassured by Lisa at Amid Privilege, I bit the bullet and ordered a pair of Ferragamo Varinas in tortoiseshell printed patent (thankfully on sale).

Will they last? Only time will tell.