Malibu Times Magazine • Winter 2022

CONEJO

Becoming Invincible

Pat and Neil Giraldo balance touring and the debut of a new play, but always with family at the forefront

48

Conejo Hardwoods 56

Quality since 1981. Their company passion has only grown with time and experience, and they see no end in sight

November Conejo Hardwoods December Pat & Neil Giraldo

A Year of Gratitude

The winter chill is in the air as we head into the final months of 2022 and we are ready for it. Looking back over the last year, we have so much to be grateful for. A lot of hard work, dedication, and grit went into the last three years. So much of it was learning how to be flexible, creative, and resourceful and for that we will be forever grateful.

This month we journey into the holidays from local holiday shopping, entertaining with style a trip to the Adamson House, and understanding the beauty of Winter Solstice.

Neil and Pat Giraldo share with us their thoughts on life, touring, their new play, and the importance of family.

As we take the time to gather with loved ones during the holiday season, we can remember what it truly means to be thankful for all we have, the place we call home, and the people we hold dear.

We wish you all a very warm and plentiful holiday season.

Mirac, Nic, Hayley & Maximus Mattson

Photo by Emily Scher

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

— John F. Kennedy

PUBLISHER, EDITOR IN CHIEF

Hayley Mattson

BUSINESS & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Nicholas Mattson

EDITORIAL

Bridget Graham

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Nic & Hayley Mattson

LAYOUT

& GRAPHIC DESIGN

Evan Rodda

Jen Rodman Neil Schumaker

Benson Moore

SALES

Mary Abbott Anthony McDemas Dorie Leo

CONTRIBUTING

WRITERS

Jimy Tallal Pablo Capra Emmaneul Luissi

Laurie Hartt

Maya Williams Kamala Kirk Malibu Farm

Malibu Glass and Mirror Melonie Magruder

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Emily Scher

Julie Ellerton

Devon Meyers

ADMINISTRATION

Cami Martin

DISTRIBUTION

Robert Thomas

CONTACT

THE MALIBU TIMES

24955 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite A102, Malibu, CA 90265

Editorial: 310.456.5507 | editor@malibutimesmag.com Advertising: 310.456.8016 | sales@malibutimes.com Accounting: 310.456.5507 | office@malibutimes.com

Malibu Times Magazine is published five times annually. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of contents in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. ©2022 The Malibu Times malibutimesmag.com | On Facebook • Instagram • Twitter @malibutimesmag

PUBLISHED AND POWERED BY 13 STARS MEDIA • VOLUME 20, NUMBER 1

Bridget Graham

With Polish roots, my family shares the tradition of Oplatke at a Christmas dinner to start the new year with love, forgiveness and blessings.

Emily Scher

My favorite holiday tradition is gathering friends and family to eat a wonderful home cooked meal, connecting with laughter, music and good conversation.

Kamala Kirk

Every year, my husband and I love to get hot cocoa and go for a drive around the neighborhood to see all the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations. It really gets us into the holiday spirit!

what is your favorite holiday tradition?

SCENE IN MALIBU

40 TH ANNUAL MALIBU CHILI COOK-OFF

The smell of funnel cakes, fried foods, and, of course, chili, filled the air at the 40th Annual Malibu Chili Cook-Off. Despite temperatures reaching nearly triple digits, over 26,000 attendees continued to enjoy the carnival games, rides, meet local vendors, and eat some nostalgic festival favorites over the Labor Day weekend. The Chili Cook-Off Competition featured talented contestants vying for best in show in categories featuring meat, vegetarian, or vegan recipes. For the vegan category, Beyond Meat took home first place. Spanky's Catering took home second, and Stoner's House Farm took home third. For the meat category, Duke's Malibu took home first, The Chili Preppers placed second place, and Green Truck took third. Duke's Malibu took home people's choice of chili for 2022.All proceeds raised from the Chili Cook-Off will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu.

Photos by Julie Ellerton and Devon Meyers

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AT TRANCAS

As summer came to an end, the Trancas Country Market Summer on the Green concert series ended with a warm autumn evening on September 30, full of laughter, love, great food, and a whole lot of dancing. The Vintage Grocers Summer Concert Series brings the community together to jam out each week with concerts on the lawn in front of Kristy's.This well-loved community event is a summer staple for many locals. Attendees bring blankets, lowback chairs, picnic baskets, and coolers. The surrounding businesses stay open and offer dinner specials and spirits. Kids enjoyed meeting new friends, playing, dancing, and singing. And, at the end of the evening, there is not a spot left on the "dance floor" now in front of Malibu Brewing Company which just celebrated the grand opening of its taproom and eatery on September 6.

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DAYME COSMETICS

JoAnna Elliott + Maxine

“The holidays are a wonderful opportunity to create lasting memories for my children with trips and time with family. I love to surprise them with a selection of their most favored dishes, and, of course, our fur baby gets her own special plate. We also enjoy starting the day with a beautiful beach walk. Sending joy from my family to yours!”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY SCHER

Sabrina + Mike Keating

“We are family of five, two girls and one boy, now all adults with their own children. One of our favorite family traditions is when we wake up on Christmas Day and open all our presents. Then we all go down to our Malibu West beach club and check the surf. We get on our wetsuits and paddle out to surf. We love being in the water. It is one reason we moved here back in 2003. Then we prepare a Christmas dinner which consists of prime rib, mashed potatoes, cream spinach, Yorkshire pudding, and, for dessert, granny’s homemade lemon and cheese pie. This is our favorite holiday to celebrate with our family!”

Fred Wilkins

“As a child growing up in Solana Beach, I always looked forward to getting up early to open Christmas gifts on Christmas morning in front of the Christmas tree. In the late afternoon or early evening, my older brothers, their wives, my parents, and I would drive twenty miles to my uncle and aunt’s house on Pringle Street in San Diego. There were a number of cousins to play with at their house. I now like to start my day with a refreshing dip in the ocean. Most wait for a New Year’s Day polar bear plunge, but I enjoy my time in the water regardless of the season.”

Sabrina Downing

“I love it when every holiday season I gather with the dance community my friend Patty, and I created to exchange beautiful ornaments and work on our adult annual recital. Each holiday, we celebrate all the wonderful people whose mind and body are empowered and ignited through our love of dance!”

JeneferTaylor

“While I bring nature inside throughout every season of the year, my favorite holiday tradition is to go all out for Christmas. I call it “living in beauty.” With my chef apron gently tied on top of a long, whimsical dress, I’ll begin singing a favorite Pentatonix song. Let the magic begin! First, I fill my home with Douglas fir branches and seeded bay leaves. These greens smell divine and are perfect for a holiday filled with entertaining. Next, I light Frasier fir candles and delicately drape little white lights. These create a coziness, a sense of warmth, and comfort. Because my kitchen is the heart of my home, I like to design a tablescape that brings everyone together to taste and share stories. On the table, there is always a plethora of delicious eats. I like to bake organic olive oil cakes with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and all the winter spices and then place them on display with beautiful organic flowers from my garden. They make for great memories. I always light the fireplace to hear the sounds of crackling logs, and I love the smell it exudes. When all of this comes together and when my guests, family (including my scrumptious pups and pig), and friends are cheerful and satisfied, that is what the beauty of Christmas is to me. “

HONORING COASTAL ACTIVIST SARA WAN

BY JIMY TALLAL AND EMMANUEL LUISSI

Local activist Sara Wan passed away on September 3 at the age of 83. She spent decades striking fear into the hearts of those who attempted large development projects on the beaches all over California, as well as those who tried to deny beach access to the public.

“This is sad news for Malibu and the environment,” Kristin Thames, Sara’s nurse, wrote to The Malibu Times. “It should be front page in Malibu, as she was a very dear woman and did amazing things for Malibu and the world.”

Wan, a Malibu resident since 1986, served longer on the California Coastal Commission than anyone — from 1996 to 2011 — and was chair of the commission twice.

Susan Jordan of the California Coastal Protection Network credited Wan with being the driving force behind coastal activism in California as we know it today.

Back in 2011, the Pacific Legal Foundation, a property rights law firm, wrote that the California Coastal Commission might be among “the very worst” violators of property rights, “and among the agency’s twelve voting members, Commissioner Sara Wan, whose disdain for property owners and their rights is legendary, may be the worst of the lot.”

Originally from New York, conservation was not always Sara’s focus. She had a B.A. in zoology from Vassar College, an M.S. in biology from Yale, and an M.S. in electrical engineering from UC Irvine. She married Dr. Lawrence Wan and had two sons, Mark and Eric.

Wan founded and chaired Maric, Inc., an engineering firm that manufactured electronic time devices for sports. It was only after she sold the company in 1992 that she became a full-time environmentalist.

It all began with her paying close attention to coastal access, and development issues in Malibu, her son Eric told the LA Times.

Wan was a proponent for the incorporation of Malibu as a city, which enabled various environmental protection measures to be implemented. She was a member of the Malibu Township Council, and her husband Larry was elected as a member of the inaugural Malibu City Council in 1990.

Fellow Malibu resident Madelyn Glickfield served on the Coastal Commission from 1986 to 1996.

“There was very little advocacy along the coast at that time except for the Surfrider Foundation and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC),” Glickfield shared in a phone interview. “I met Sara at a local get-together just after she moved here. I told her the California Coastal Commission was important, and not many environmentalists were involved in it, so I coached her

and Susan Jordan … I gave her the first push, but boy, did she fly!”

“Sara was appointed to my seat on the Coastal Commission,” Glickfield continued. “Sara was a ‘take no prisoners’ person — very ardent about winning for the environment and a very controversial figure in Malibu. She made a lot of people crazy. She went the full length to protect the environment … I think Malibu would be quite different today without her.”

She was considered an expert in habitat and wetland issues, marine mammals issues (particularly the impacts of sound on marine mammals), water quality, and coastal land use and planning.

Wan served on the board of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC), was a member of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, and co-founded the Western Alliance for Nature, a land conservancy.

Sara Wan (left of the sign) at the revealing ceremony at Corral Canyon dedicated in her name in 2009. Photo contributed

She established “Vote the Coast” to promote political candidates that defend coastal protection, as well as the Organization of Regional Coastal Activists (ORCA) to help coastal advocates network and represent the environmental community at Coastal Commission hearings.

The Sara Wan trailhead at Corral Canyon (next to Malibu Seafood) was dedicated to her by the SMMC in 2009.

Former colleagues and friends gathered at the Calamigos Beach Club on October 8 to honor her life and legacy by sharing memories of her tenacious spirit and sharing their thoughts on what her life’s work has meant for the city of Malibu and the entire California coast.

Those who knew her admired and praised her for her unrelenting attitude for environmental preservation and passion for coastal and ocean protection.

Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission Jack Ainsworth explained that he met Wan early in his career, over two decades ago, when she was an activist for environmental protection. He went on to be part of her staff when she became a Coastal Commissioner and said Wan brought her activist spirit to the commission.

He said he will remember her as a fierce warrior for coastal and ocean protection.

“She set a standard for all commissioners going forward,” Ainsworth shared. “She’s an inspiration. She taught me what it meant to be brave and fierce, and at the same time, she would just be so sweet and wonderful.”

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston said Wan’s intensity and dedication to environmental protection battles were unmatched. He said she was an inspiration to others to fight hard for what they believe in.

“If you don’t deviate, if you’re uncompromising, if you know what your goal is and you go straight toward it, things will coalesce around you,” Edminston said. “She had that direction and that firmness, and it was an enlightening thing for me. You never had to wonder where Sara Wan’s compass was, and that was a great thing.”

In addition, he noted that Wan would say that she was not just a representative of Malibu but a representative of the coast. She would say that not all people lived in the coastal zone, and most of her true constituents lived outside it. She considered herself as a representative for them all.

“She had a significant impact on projects all up and down on the coastline,” Edmiston explained. “In that leadership, she was not just a person from Malibu; she was really for the

Calamigos Ranch owner and The Recreation Alliance board member Glen Gerson greets the guests at Sara Wan's memorial reception. Photo by Emmanuel Luissi.

entire coast of California and the people of California.”

Fran Pavley, former senator and state assembly representative, served with Wan as a member of the Coastal Commission. She shared she admired Wan’s attention to detail and her bravery to stand up for what she believed in. She said Wan may have angered some powerful people in her career, but she was unwavering.

“She wanted to pass on an appreciation for the coast,” Pavley said. “She wanted to preserve the ocean’s water quality, the views of the ocean, the marine mammals, all of it. There was no vested interest other than just personal commitment.”

Jill Jones, chair of The Recreation Alliance and land use and environmental attorney for Wan’s conservancy, worked with Wan on beach access projects and the acquisition of land in Marin County for habitat preservation. She said it was an honor to work with her.

“We should be grateful for still having beach access and having preservation of our beaches,” Jones shared. “California’s coastline is what it is because of Sara Wan.”

In a tweet on October 7, former California Governor Gray Davis also honored Wan.

“Wan was a giant in the environmental movement. She served during the entirety of my governorship. Her leadership helped ensure that our unrivaled coast would belong to all Californians,” Davis wrote in the tweet.

Ainsworth said that although Wan’s career could be measured by her many accomplishments, a lot of her legacy lies in the projects that helped keep Malibu undisturbed.

“The habitat that hasn’t been destroyed, the beach that hasn’t been obstructed, the beautiful views that we still have, the public access that she’s helped secure, those are the things that she’s left her mark on in this incredible place,” Ainsworth shared.

From left: Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston, Former California Senator Fran Pavley and California Coastal Commission Executive Director Jack Ainsworth at Sara Wan's memorial reception at Calamigos Beach Club on October 8. Photo by Emmanuel Luissi.

One of many photo collages of Sara Wan's life featured at Wan's memorial reception at Calamigos Beach Club on October 8. Photo by Emmanuel Luissi.

Local Authors

Shari Lewis & Lamp Chop

The Team That Changed Children's Television by

Nat Segaloff and Mallory Lewis

The beloved ventriloquist and pioneering female TV personality Shari Lewis starred in various children’s programming from 1957 to 1999. Lewis and Lamb Chop sang, danced, entertained and educated their way into the hearts of children and their parents for more than four decades. Now this television icon is being celebrated in a new book, which is co-written by Shari's daughter, Mallory Lewis, and Nat Segaloff. “Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop” was released on October 18 and is availiable wherever books are sold.

Caregivers are Mad as

Hell

Rants From the Wife of a Very Sick Man in Room 5029 by Ann Brenoff

We’re all going to die. And most of us will get very sick before we do; requiring someone to take care of us. Usually that someone is a family member likely not qualified to act as nurse. This is what hap pened to Ann Brenoff and what’s currently happening to 53 million Americans thrown into the difficult role of caregiver. Brenoff chroni cles her onerous experience and frustrations with a touch of humor in her book. “Caregivers Are Mad As Hell! Rants from the Very Sick Man in Room 5029” is available on Amazon.

Matador and the Mustang

Part 1: How To Find Purpose Within a Dysfunctional Family by J.C. Burkesmith

Growing up in Malibu in the 1970s and ’80s, Burkesmith had what looked like a charmed life. Burke smith’s heartfelt true story of how he found meaning in his pain and suffering. He details the experi ence of turning the magnifying glass back on himself and taking charge of his life. He has sought to repair his broken family, all the while inspiring and uplifting others. It’s a story of love, of faith, for giveness, and, ultimately, personal transformation. "The Matador and the Mustang (Part 1)" is availiable wherever books are sold.

My Name was Mushroom

My Life as a Teenage Runaway in the Source Family Commune by Wendy Baker

At the age of 12, Wendy had a relationship with Bart Baker, who is her husband now. The young couple often hung out with Bart’s dad and his girlfriend. Jim Baker eventually changed his name to Father, then Father Yod, and eventually Yahowah. By the time Wendy was 14, after a “difficult childhood” she ran away from home and joined Yahowah’s com mune. “My Name was Mushroom: My Life as a Teenage Runaway,” is available on Amazon, Audible, Kindle, and in West Hollywood at Book Soup.

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."

— Benjamin Franklin

Local Talent

Exposure

Documentary of an international all-female team’s successful trek to the North Pole exposure-film.com

“Exposure” is a documentary film currently making the film festival rounds, already winning 12 awards. And, in an unusual twist for Hollywood, it’s an almost all-female endeavor. Director Holly Morris, the crew, and the team that made the trek to the North Pole in 2018 are all women. “It all started at Blue Bottle coffee in Malibu and went to the North Pole,” executive producer and Malibu resident Nancy P. Sanders said. 13 women from around the world underwent 18 months of physical training. The meeting place for the actual expedi tion was in Norway's Svalbard, the northernmost community in the world. The team flew from Norway to Barneo, and then a helicopter dropped them and their hundreds of pounds of gear off at 2 a.m. into -39°F temperatures about 62 miles from the North Pole. It was daylight 24/7 when they began their 10-day ski. The documentary is now a finalist for the prestigious Jackson Wild Media "Breakthrough Film" Award, which recognizes excellence and innovation in nature, science and conservation storytelling; and also a nominee for the 2022 Green Film Network Awards.

Violet Saturn

Up-and-coming band from Malibu is about to hit the road to go on tour to promote new single VioletSaturn.com

The group Violet Saturn is fronted by Spencer Carr Reed and his sister Lauren. The siblings are only 20 and 17 years old, respective ly. Lauren is still a senior at Malibu High School, yet their youth has not stopped these two Malibu teens from following their rock and roll dreams. The Carr Reeds have been writing music and playing in bands since they were children. After settling on the name Violet Saturn, the band picked up steam playing before an appreciative hometown crowd at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off in 2017 and 2018. Even the Woolsey Fire that destroyed their home and all of their possessions didn’t stop the pair from pursuing their rock and roll fantasies that are now becoming a reality; neither did the pandemic. The duo was invited as guests on the powerhouse station’s morning show in July to release their song, “Who Is She?” After performing a showcase for record executives in Los Angeles right before COVID struck, the pair was invited to Nashville, where they caught the ears of more record industry big wigs. Violet Saturn eventually signed with Big Machine Records.

“There is no such thing as a great talent without great will power.”

— Honore De Balzac

‘Junior Malibu’

Part of a series on overlooked Malibu history

BY PABLO CAPRA

The “Yellow House” (later, the “Yellow Submarine”) is best remembered from Anthony Friedkin’s photo on the cover of Topanga Beach Experience by Paul Lovas (2011). Located near the current lifeguard tower, it was burned down in 1979 by surfers who wanted to spare this symbol of their neighborhood from being bulldozed when the beach became public.

The earliest known owners of the Yellow House, in the late 1930s, were Frank and Ruth Lacy, with their children Mary Alice, Katherine, and Billy Scott—of whom little else could be learned.

In 1940, the Lacys sold the Yellow House to Eduardo “Edward” Carrere (1906-1984), his wife Helen (1905-1979), and son Leon Robert “Bobby” Carrere (b.1935). Edward and Helen met at the Bullocks Wilshire department store, where she worked with his sister in the hat department. He’d emigrated from Mexico City with his family to escape the Mexican Revolution in 1919. She was born to Norwegian immigrants in Brooklyn and relocated to Los Angeles after visiting her older brother there in 1926.

Initially, the Carreres moved to the beach as summer renters in 1939 but decided to stay. Bobby shared pleasant memories from childhood, like his mother sending him up the creek to pick watercress for their salads. They also gathered the grunion that spawned on the beach at night. When his bucket was full, he’d jump in the ocean. “It felt like I was in a can of sardines,” he says.

On Wednesdays, Helen drove Edward, a draftsman, to work at Warner Bros. studio in Burbank so she could use the car to run city errands. When Bobby was on summer break from Roosevelt Elementary School, it was the one day of the week that he had to wear shoes.

Bobby’s best friend was neighbor John “Jack” Sykes (19352017). Instead of opening a lemonade stand, they found a novel way to earn a nickel by digging a channel into the lagoon and rowing their neighbors across. They made the water flow parallel to the beach houses, cutting off as many

as they could from the ocean, but the neighbors didn’t mind because the channel brought firewood to everyone’s doorstep.

A great place to explore was Parker Mesa to the east. The boys reached it by a dirt road a quarter mile up Topanga Canyon. Claude I. Parker (1871-1952), a tax attorney with a large Hollywood clientele, had purchased the property in 1921 from Perfecto Marquez (1887-1942), a descendant of the area’s first ranching family. Claude and his brother Ivon belonged to the Elks club that threw a giant rodeo at Topanga Beach in 1923. They also owned cabins there that burned in 1926.

Near today’s Getty Villa, Claude and his second wife Blanche (1885-1936) built a mansion that they called La Casa Contenta en La Cañada Sentimienta (“The happy house in the sentimental glen”), rhyming on the canyon’s Spanish name. It had a movie theater, an adobe barbecue that could feed 500, a pool with a waterwheel, beds of prize-winning roses, and stables for breeding horses. On the Mesa, they cut riding trails, and planted avocado and citrus trees. Blanche, in poor health, died early of pneumonia. Claude sold the mansion to J. Paul Getty (1892-1976) in 1945, while Parker Mesa was sold separately to the Sunset Mesa housing development, which opened in 1962.

Further east, the boys discovered an abandoned palace, the Villa Leon, whose name sounds like it was built for Bobby. In fact, Jewish-Austrian businessman Leon Kauffman (18731935) built it for his wife Clemence (1886-1932) to fulfill her dream of having a castle by the sea. Kauffman made his fortune processing wool, and filled their home with every luxury, including statues, topiary gardens, frescoed ceilings, waterways with tiny boats, rare birds in cages, the first-ever central vacuum cleaner, a pipe organ, tables with golden angels for legs, an elevator, and a funicular railway to the beach. The castle was completed in 1928 but only briefly enjoyed, since Clemence and Leon both died a few years later. Caretakers oversaw Villa Leon until it was finally sold at auction in 1952. It remains a coastal landmark.

The Yellow House

The Carrere family on the balcony of the Yellow House, circa 1941.

When Bobby and Jack explored it, they chanced upon an open window and decided to climb in.

“I went first,” Bobby says. “I saw furniture all covered with sheets… real Halloween time! Then I turned around and realized that I was not going to be joined, so I quickly headed back out the window.”

In the summer of 1941, the Carrere family rented out the front of the Yellow House, and moved into two apartments above the garage. Their tenants were married actors Vincent Price (1911-1993) and Edith Barrett (1907-1977). Price had just made The Invisible Man Returns (1940), embarking on a career in horror that would include a monologue in Michael Jackson’s 1983 song “Thriller.” Barrett, a Broadway actress, would make her film debut that September in the noir Ladies in Retirement (1941), which also starred the couple who lived one house west, Ida Lupino (1918-1995) and Louis Hayward (1909-1985). Film columnist Hedda Hopper noted that Topanga Beach was becoming a junior Malibu Colony.

“At the mouth of Topanga Canyon, there’s a colony of actors, and they call the place ‘Junior Malibu.’ The Vincent Prices and Louis Haywards have cottages with balconies facing the sea. And during their after-dinner coffee, they chat back and forth to each other. They got in the habit of calling out whenever a woman walked by on the beach, ‘There goes Garbo!’ Last week one night just at dusk, when a woman strolled past, they repeated this—then looked suddenly at the woman, and b’golly, it WAS Garbo! They ran indoors as guilty as a couple of young kids who had tied tin cans to puppies’ tails.” — “Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood,” Los Angeles Times 1941-08-19

“At the mouth of Topanga Canyon, there's a colony of actors, and they call the place 'Junior Malibu'. The Vincent Prices and Louis Haywards have cottages with balconies facing the sea.”

Bobby and Richard Haydn’s dog Tucker, circa 1942.

Ida Lupino Vincent Price

Ida Lupino was Bobby’s favorite neighbor and would invite him and Jack in for cookies. She came from an English family that had acting roots going back to Renaissance Italy. By seven, she was writing and performing plays in her backyard. By 10, she’d memorized the lines of every female Shakespeare lead. At 14, she starred in the film Her First Affaire (1932).

An unfortunate consequence of coming to Hollywood was that she contracted polio in a swimming pool during a 1934 epidemic. Although she recovered, she decided that she needed a broader skill set. “I realized that my life and my courage and my hopes did not lie in my body,” she told Hollywood magazine in 1942. So, when not in front of the camera at Warner Bros., she studied how films were produced and eventually became the only woman to write and direct in 1950s Hollywood.

It may have been her idea to create the “Malibu Summer Theater,” which put on a backyard play (her hallmark!) with the children of Topanga Beach in 1941. Their performance of The Return of Noreen, about fairies and elves, was hosted by Don “Chick” and Sarah Dawson, who lived one house east (where bikers Terry and The Pirates lived in the 1970s). Helen created the costumes by dyeing the children’s underwear green. Admission was a dime and went towards ice cream and cake for the actors: Bobby, Jack, his sister Beverly, sisters Eve and Joneen Tettemer, Prudy Jackson, and Marion Heath. The cast also included two grown-ups: comic actress Ina Claires (1893-1985) and Broadway actor Alfred Lunt (1892-1977).

In the audience were Ida Lupino, Louis Hayward, Vincent Price, Edith Barrett, Ziegfeld Follies girls Ann Pennington (1893-1971) and Fanny Brice (1891-1951), Broadway star Sophie Tucker (1887-1966), and actors John Conte (1915-

2006), Frances Robinson (1916-1971), and Richard Haydn (1905-1985). The women wore pants, and the men wore swim trunks to the casual event, yet their celebrity status ensured another write-up, in which a reviewer highlighted the fun of it all.

“Frequently, the leads acknowledged the presence of friends’ out front’ by grins and hand waving. One actress became so happy at seeing her mother in the back row that she stepped across the footlights and sat with her.”

—“A Play Premiere,” The Daily News, 1941-08-05

The play would be remembered as freezing a special moment in time, shortly before the US entered World War II, and everyone’s lives changed.

After the war, the Carrere family moved to Westwood, where Edward fulfilled his dream of building a house. In 1947, Warner Bros. promoted him to art director. He went on to win an Oscar for the musical Camelot (1967) and to design sets for over 50 other films, including The Fountainhead (1949), The Old Man and the Sea (1958), and The Wild Bunch (1969). His younger brother, Fernando “Ferdie,” also became an art director, receiving an Oscar nomination for The Children’s Hour (1961) and working on other major films like On the Beach (1959) and The Pink Panther (1963).

Leon, who dropped his childhood name Bobby, grew up to work at Warner Bros. like his dad as a film and TV editor, with credits on the hit, shows Charlie’s Angels (1976-1981) and The X-Files (1993-2002). Today he’s retired and lives in Carpinteria.

Pablo Capra is the Archivist for the Topanga Historical Society and author of Topanga Beach: A History (2020). More at topangahistoricalsociety.org.

EATING WITH THE SEASON

Winter Holidays

BY BRIDGET GRAHAM IN COLLABORATION WITH MALIBU FARM

It’s the winter season — and that still very much means comfort foods. Chef Norberto Gomez of Malibu Farm in Malibu shared some of the top go-to foods for this time of year.

“Locally, in California, we have beets, parsnip, purple Brussels sprouts, black kale, green kale, lettuces and lots of root vegetables in season,” Gomez said. “As for fruit, we do have limited options, but some good citrus is available.”

And with these in-season foods, we can make delicious comfort dishes.

“When I think about winter, cold, comfy, holidays come to my mind,” the chef said. “So, because of that, I’m able to enjoy some ‘comfort forward’ food with family and friends. I think that makes winter food enjoyable a bit or a lot more.

And not only are they comfort foods — these are nour ishing foods. There is so much nutritional value that lettuce and root vegetables offer to us. In our own gardens, we can be planting lettuce, kale, broccoli and cauliflower to be harvested in just a couple of weeks. Gomez is quick to point out that not only are these foods to be enjoyed — but with all these beautiful colors and nutrition, it is important to share vegetables and fruits with kids and other people who are not aware.

“I remember one recent story about a little girl who came to visit from Canada, and they stopped by Malibu Farm and she tried the kale scrambled eggs,” Gomez recalled. “She was so in love with this dish that she went home and cooked herself some kale scrambled eggs. I remember my boss, owner Chef Helene Henderson, was so happy that she impacted this little girl’s life in this way. Think about it: a little girl eating and loving kale. Sometimes we grown-ups won’t eat our vegetables even though we know that we need to eat greens in order to have a happy healthy lifestyle.”

Malibu Farm and Malibu Cafe, founded by Henderson, are located on Malibu Pier with other locations in South ern California. Their goal is to source locally and organic when available, with the philosophy of teaching others that eating veggies can be fun and still be healthy.

“By sourcing locally, you help local farmers along with the impact that greenhouses and conventional farming has on everyone,” Gomez said.

They also take pride in offering vegan dishes made with ingredients like squash, broccoli, quinoa and palm pasta. Every burger comes standard with a side salad and broccoli mashed potatoes. Most dishes come with a plantbased option, e.g., pork tacos or tofu tacos, or a taco trio of chicken, steak or squash.”

“Trying something new when eating out helps people explore even more vegetable options at home,” Gomez said.

So, eating this season really can be delicious, nutritious — and comforting.

Malibu Farm founder, Chef Helene Henderson, shares a few of her favorite recipes

RAW BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH ALMONDS AND GRAINY MUSTARD

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

1 lemon, juiced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, grated

8 large Brussels sprouts, sliced super thin on a mandoline

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup toasted, sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

Serves 6

Raw Brussels sprouts are super delicious and so simple to make. Toss them with the dressing just a few minutes before eating, but the thinly shaved Brussels sprouts will last for several days, so slick up a large amount and have this dish for a week. Even if you don’t normally like them, give this dish a chance. The larger the sprout, the easier it is to slice it. You are going to need a mandoline for this.

Dressing: combine mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic in a bowl. Season sliced Brussels sprouts with salt and toss with the dressing. The sprouts should not be dry; if they are, add some more olive oil or another squeeze of lemon juice. Toss in the chopped parsley and toasted, sliced almonds.

DRESS UP A SALAD WITH YELLOW BEET DRESSING

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup peeled and shredded raw yellow beets

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1 garlic clove, grated

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together the shredded yellow beets, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, agave, garlic, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt. This dressing will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Entertaining With Style

BY KAMALA KIRK

Entertaining is truly an art — and maybe a little science. However it happens, Suzelle Smith has found a successful, warm, vibrant formula.

“My style of entertaining is to bring together a diverse group of people who are talented, creative, smart, fun, and inspirational, and give them good food and wonderful wine in a beautiful setting to entertain one another through the almost lost art of conversation,” Smith said.

Originally from the South and now in Malibu for 30 years, she hasn’t lost the roots of her Southern hospitality. Though she hosts events of all types, including parties and dinners, she said that her approach for planning each event is similar.

“Putting people together who would not ordinarily socialize and watching them cross pollenate is extremely satisfying,” Smith said. “I want my friends — old and new — to feel appreciated and special.”

SUZELLE SMITH

Smith is a trial lawyer, partner and co-founder of the Los Ange les law firm Howarth & Smith with her husband. When she’s not representing friends and neighbors who lost their Malibu homes in the Woolsey fire, she just might be found planning her next party.

Suzelle shared some of her special secrets as we all start to plan our holiday seasons.

MTM: You said that having a diverse mix of people is important. What else makes a party memorable?

SS: Ambience. The atmosphere should be scripted to fit the event. For example, a sandy beach has a fabulous atmosphere, but it would be the wrong match for a black-tie dance. I pick the theme first, then try to create an atmosphere most conducive to what I am trying to achieve with the gathering.

MTM: Should you always have a theme?

SS: I define theme very loosely, but I always have one. “Dinner,” for example, can be considered a theme, as can “lunch” or “brunch.” But if you think of it more narrowly, such as “Hallow een,” “Christmas,” or BFF cocktails, you don’t always need one. But if you do have a theme, guests always need to know.

MTM: Do you have a favorite time of day for parties?

SS: My favorite parties are at night. A well-known portrait artist, Jamie Wyeth, once told me that “everyone, absolutely everyone, looks better by candlelight!” But more important than time of day is just paying attention to the details of the setting.

MTM: What are some other important details?

SS: Most guests notice when you take the time to dress up the space. I love flowers; if you have beautiful fresh flowers, any kind of arrangement will look wonderful. And it can be as simple as getting gorgeous cut flowers at the local grocery stores, like Ralph’s and Whole Foods.

MTM: Is there anything you recommend as a ‘don’t’ as part of the ambience?

SS: Scents are dangerous because so many people are allergic. I avoid them because they can also affect the aroma of the food.

MTM: For sit-down parties, how do you ensure people mix it up in seating arrangements?

SS: I usually have assigned seating, and I follow a very old rule of etiquette: you cannot sit next to your significant other or date—you have to mix. I also take time trying to place people who I think will be interesting next to each other. A good idea is to seat older people next to younger ones — it sparks a lively conversation on both sides. For example, my neighbor, Dick

Van Dyke, can fascinate a 20-something who only vaguely remem bers “Mary Poppins.” And Dick loves to hear what someone seven decades younger than him thinks about current world issues.

MTM: How else do you make sure the conversation continues to flow?

SS: Invite someone who can talk to anyone — and enlist their help. I never have a party without one or two “go-to” guests. These are the people who can draw anyone out — or at least deliver a mono logue to the really shy ones.

MTM: How important is food and drink?

SS: Well, first, when it comes to food and drink, have a schedule and follow it as best you can. For example, drinks should never last more than an hour. People get really hungry and can drink too much before the meal, so be organized. Parties circulate around the food and drink, so that has to be a prime objective.

MTM: What do you consider when planning the menu?

SS: The first thing I do is call Trudi Reynolds and Valerie Parker of Godmother of Malibu. My dark secret is that I don’t cook well enough to do a party myself alone. Val and Trudi are amazing, reasonable and can do anything you want on any budget. A great party truly does not have to be expensive — good quality bread and cheese with raw fresh vegetables, and a great slow cooked soup can make for a great and chic party. Do remember to ask your guests in advance who has food preferences and allergies, and be ready to accommodate.

Also, a good quality wine adds to the overall ambiance. I always serve Champagne (or sparkling cider for those who don’t drink), no matter what time of day — and always in a Champagne flute. Parties really are based on offering food and drink as the founda tion, so the details are important.

MTM: Other top tips for entertaining?

SS: It is important to set a firm end time for the event so that guests understand how the party will flow and hosts will be able to pace the time throughout the night. But most important — truly trust your instincts and remember to relax and enjoy the evening with your guests.

MTM: And final thoughts for planning a wonderful party?

SS: COVID kept us all in our isolation bubbles for so long, that now is the time to open our homes and reconnect again. People are so thrilled to be back together that whatever you do is going to be appreciated and enjoyed.

BECOMING INVINCIBLE

BY BRIDGET GRAHAM AND MELONIE MAGRUDER

Photo Courtesy of Pat and Neil Giraldo

heirs is a partnership that has lasted both professionally and personally to defy the odds of a “showbiz” rela tionship. With more than 43 years together, close to 30 tours, two chil dren, three grandchildren, two multi-platinum, five plati num, and three gold records, and 19 Top 40 singles, Pat and Neil Giraldo have built a legacy.

They raised their family, two now grown daughters, Hana and Haley, in Malibu. Both attended Our Lady of Malibu and Malibu High School. And the couple shared they have many favorite spots in Malibu where they have always felt part of the community.

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo first became a musical pair when Pat, with a three-and-a-half octave range, met the established, respected musician — Neil, aka “Spyder” — when he came on board not only as the new guitarist but also as arranger for her band. Their first album together, "In the Heat of the Night," in 1979, included some of their biggest hits including "Heartbreaker" and "We Live for Love." Neil has gone on to produce their subsequent multi-platinum albums. The couple, as musicians, are so intertwined, they view "Pat Benatar" as a misnomer.

“It’s kind of like Jethro Tull,” Pat said of the ’70s progres sive rock band named not for an actual band member, but for an 18th-century agriculturist. “It’s not really ‘Pat Bena tar.’ It was me and Neil.”

Married in 1982, they have worked on every album together since they met — 11 studio, nine live, 39 singles, and 34 music videos. They achieved an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November. Plus, they’re now adding into the mix, a new musical live theater experience, “Invincible — The Musical.”

“Invincible” is a reimagined telling of the Shakespearian “Romeo and Juliet” set in a modern, war-torn metropolis of Verona — battle of survival between love and equality — in times of great transformation. “Invincible — The Musical” imagines peace in a divided world.

MTM: It’s exciting that Invincible is being introduced to audi ences — how does it feel to open up to live audiences?

P&N: We’re thrilled to be bringing the fully realized produc tion of ‘Invincible’ to the Los Angeles audience. We’ve had four

staged readings, so this is an exciting, giant leap forward for us. Invincible performances are November 22 to December 18 at the Wallis Annenberg Theater.

MTM: What was the process and experience like to put your work — already beloved songs plus new ones — together to tell a story?

P&N: Joyful. We’re five years in now, and we’re having a blast! We joined forces with Bradley Bredeweg, our book writer, in 2017, and the magic began. He was directing and producing a smaller version of the idea, incorporating our music. We were working on a bio-musical with our lead producer Jamie Cesa. We heard about Bradley’s production and sent someone to see it.

They came back and told us that it was quite good and an interesting idea. He had laid out our catalogue of songs to tell the story of Romeo and Juliet.

We loved the idea and contacted him to see if he was inter ested in collaborating, and he was. We’ve been a partnership ever since. Cody Lassen has joined Jamie Cesa as lead produc ers, Jesse Vargas and Neil are handling music, Galen Hooks is our choreographer, and we’re thrilled to have Tiffany Nicole Greene as our director.

MTM: How long did 'Invincible' take to finally all come together?

P&N: Five years and counting; nine if you add in the scrapped bio-musical idea.

MTM: What do you hope the audiences walk away with from the story?

P&N: We want them to travel with us on this journey of hope. The music and book are woven together to create a story that is timely and timeless.

MTM: You both are still actively touring — what’s it like to be on the road still performing to audiences who love your songs?

P&N: We’re grateful to be out there, doing what we love, play ing to old and new friends. The audiences are so devoted and generous. We’re happy to say it’s still gratifying and fun.

TPat and Neil Giraldo balance touring and the debut of a new play, but always with family at the forefront.

MTM: What happens during your down time? How do you spend it? What are your favorite down time activities?

P&N: What’s downtime? We always make time to be with our friends and family, especially our two darling granddaugh ters. They are our hearts. We’re over the moon to welcome a new baby grandson in November. We’re blessed with our two amazing daughters, our dear son-in-law, and our youngest’s sweet significant other.

MTM: We saw that you recently adopted a beautiful little dog, so you now have another new addition to the family, too?

P&N: We are huge supporters of animal rescues. We’re good friends with Foxy and the Hounds and Barks and Bitches. These people are earth angels who are doing amazing work. We’re dog obsessed and are happy to have two adorable fur babies at home right now.

MTM: Do have any plans for the holidays, holiday traditions?

P&N: The holidays will be a little crazy this year. 'Invincible' runs from November 22 to December 18; the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is November 5, and our new grandbaby is due the first week of November. We’re planning for a fabulously chaotic Thanksgiving and Christmas. Bless ings abound.

MTM: You've been together for 40 years, any secrets to share?

P: Ha. This is a whole other interview. The short answer, love each other. Commit and mean it. Enjoy each other. Don’t expect perfect…expect honesty, trust, and respect. This is where love blooms and flourishes.

N: If I tell you the secret, it won’t be a secret anymore.

MTM: Congratulations on your induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. What was it like to learn of the inclusion?

P&N: Finding out that we were going to be inducted was a mix of emotions. We’re not people who spend much time thinking about accolades or past achievements. There’s too much fun in the present and excitement for the future. That being said, we’re thrilled and humbled to be joining the illustrious group in the Rock Hall.

MTM: Anything else you want to share with our readers?

P: Just thanks to everyone for allowing us into your lives and for sharing this incredible journey with us. We’re forever grateful for all the love and support you’ve given us these past 43 years. Come join us on this next adventure, 'Invincible.'

N: Yes, in 2016, I started a spirits company called Three Chord Bourbon. This gratifying experience continues to exceed my expectations. Visit threechordbourbon.com and learn about our award-winning products and the many give-back programs we are proud to be part of.

Pat and Neil (center) with the cast of Invincible—The Musical. Photo by Hannah Burnett | courtesy of Wallis Annenberg Theater

“Touring for us is like breathing,” Pat said. “It’s an amazing life. But when we’re home, we’re home. Famiglia—that’s the focal point.”

Back row, from left: Neil Giraldo, Lola Williams, Matt Williams, Stevie Williams; front row: Hana Giraldo, Pat Giraldo, Haley Williams.

Photo courtesy of Pat and Neil Giraldo

MALIBU

Art & Beauty Center

BY JIMY TALLAL

Art and Beauty is part of the Malibu character — in the people and natural land scape. Businesses and services recognize the value of being accessible, relatable, and proactive in delivering products and services to the Malibu resident and visi tors alike. Malibu Art and Beauty Center has some of the best services Malibu has to offer.

MALIBU CIGAR

An online review of Malibu Cigar describes it as “Hands down, the best cigar lounge in Southern California.” And for good reason — there’s nothing else quite like it.

To start, owner Rick Loehr provides a welcoming atmosphere. “To me, you’re a VIP as soon as you walk in the front door,” he said.

Customers walk in to a wall of glass and counters with over 60 brands of imported quality cigars beautifully displayed in their wooden boxes. They come from countries like the Domin ican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica; with brand names that cigar aficionados instantly recognize –Partagas, Arturo Fuente, Oliva and Davidoff; to name just a few.

Customers are invited to partake of their purchases right there on the prem ises - they can sit in the indoor cigar lounge with its comfy chairs, big ashtrays and big screen sports televisions; or they can walk upstairs, sit at a table on the rooftop outdoor patio, and enjoy the close-up whitewater ocean view.

Rick has found the perfect business: “I love people, I love cigars, I love the ocean and I love being in Malibu every day.”

"People come here from all over the world – all states and all countries…I get bums and billionaires and everything in between,” he joked. Just that day, he had sold cigars to tourists from Taiwan and a businessman from Boston.

“It’s all about enjoying the cigar with good friends, and meeting strangers who will become your friends,” Rick said.

He smoked his first cigar in the year 2000 at a friend’s house. “I was handed a cigar, and I tried it and fell in love with the taste,” he recalls. He’s enjoyed cigars ever since; and became a self-taught expert, learning about cigars through

reading and visiting factories where they’re made – observing how manu facturers roll the tobacco and cigars; and how the tobacco is aged and fermented.

MALIBU BARBER SHOP

Malibu Barber Shop has been in the same location since the 1960s, making it a true “Old Malibu” original. It kept the same name through three different owners even though it’s more than just a barber shop – probably half the business is women’s hair.

It’s a small two-chair barber shop, with Dali Holman mainly providing the barber services and Carol O’Rourke largely serving the female clients. The owner Rosemary Hemm is now semi-retired.

“It’s like family when we’re both working. It’s very comfortable,” Carol explained. “It’s a very special shop. It seems like every man in Malibu comes here. I joke to my customers, ‘If you want to meet a man, come to Malibu Barber Shop.’”

“Dali is amazing – she cuts one man’s hair after another every day; and she’s so kind, and she remembers all of their names,” Carol continued. “She also waxes ears and noses, and they adore her. We get everything from Pepperdine students to doctors and filmmakers.”

Women avail themselves of services that include color correction, perms, hair straightening and hair extensions – especially when they need to be film ready. Carol is expert at hiding missing hair and scars.

She reports that the latest trend for women is long hair with silvery-gray highlights and extensions.

The latest hair style for men is very short and shaved with floppy curls on the top; or else clipped and asymmetric.

MALIBU GALLERY ART & CUSTOM FRAMES

Owner Louis Torres has a true passion for finding just the right frame for each project; and loves what he does. Malibu Gallery Art & Custom Frames has been around for over 40 years in various Malibu locations. Torres became an employee there in 1993 after working at Fast Frame stores, and took ownership in 2007. Over the years, he’s built rela tionships with many satisfied resi dents.

The shop has thousands of well-orga nized sample picture frames on the wall – layer after layer – every kind imag inable; and Louis loves helping clients choose just the right one.

“I encourage people — especially couples — to play around with the frame samples. I’m not a salesperson,” he joked. “The eye doesn’t lie. It has to look good.”

While a large part of the business is the custom framing of artwork and photos; Louis also enjoys some of the more challenging and unusual projects that involve preserving memorabilia like jerseys, hats, and little cars.

He describes the Malibu market as being more “high-end” when it comes to customer tastes; with more demand for an elegant look, archival preserva tion and matting, museum glass, and more ornate frames using 22K gold paint or oak wood.

“My clients have good taste and expect quality, and that’s what I strive to provide,” Louis explained. “I try to frame things for life.”

Other services include local pick-up and delivery, art installation, frame restoration and preservation, and the ability to print photos or art to fit an old frame.

MALIBU SUPER LASH SPA

Malibu Super Lash Spa is the first and only full-time, full-service lash bar in Malibu. They’re in the business of providing expert lash extensions for customers who want longer and/ or thicker eyelashes – or just a whole new eyelash look. Malibu Super Lash offers styles of lashes that include classic, hybrid, wispy, volume and mega volume.

To the uninitiated, getting eyelash extensions involves an eyelash tech nician hand-gluing individual “fake” lashes (made of mink hair or synthetic hair) on top of the natural lashes. None of the glue ever touches the eyelid and the entire process takes 60 to 90 minutes. Lash Spa does everything custom for each individual, and never uses pre-made lash fans.

The extensions look real, but are only semi-permanent – they begin to fall off just like natural lashes after a time. But, while they last, they require less main tenance than wearing mascara or false eyelashes every day.

Malibu Super Lash is very proud to have “Jen” as their eyelash technician and co-founder. She grew up on a farm in Mongolia, learned her craft in China, and is said to be a descendent of Genghis Khan. Co-founder Rich Olson calls her “the best in the world” at what she does.

Besides lash extensions, the Lash Spa also does lash lifts and lash perms for natural lashes their Lashes Gallery is on Instagram @super_lash139.

VIOLET MALIBU HAIR SALON

The “Violet” salon is across the street from “Billionaire’s Beach” in part of “Old Malibu” near the pier.

Located in an updated cottage with loads of gorgeous bougainvillea and a side entrance, it sits back from Pacific Coast Highway just far enough to be very private.

Celebrity stylist Lindsey Carsey is the mainstay here, along with her assis tant Sara. Carsey began working in the hair business at the young age of 15 as a “towel girl”/ cleaner at a salon in Montana, and it sparked an enthu siasm in her. She attended the premier hair school in the U.S. – Vidal Sassoon in Santa Monica, and was immediately hired by Sassoon Beverly Hills as an intern.

She eventually bought her own salon off Rodeo Drive - the youngest female in the history of Beverly Hills to do so.

She kept expanding until she owned five salons and a haircare product line. After more than a decade, she sold off those businesses and later moved to this Malibu location.

For about the past 18 months, Lind sey has been focusing on representing various product lines on Home Shop ping Network, developing a new highend line of haircare products which will be introduced in a couple months, called “Violet,” and catering to her celebrity clientele. She is considered to be one of the top five hair extension experts in the world, specializing in Great Lengths Hair Couture.

Her Malibu shop usually has just one customer at a time by design, and the blinds can be closed for total privacy. Customers fly in from all over the world, and sometimes, she flies out to see them – especially those in the rock world.

Besides her hair extension work, she offers cuts, color and weaves.

“I purposely kept it low-key. This is a destination location,” Lindsey explained. “I rarely post on social media and keep my celebrity clientele private.”

When asked if she could divulge just a few of her celebrity clients past and present, she relented and gave out a few names that wouldn’t mind, including: Tori Spelling, Andrew Dice Clay, Jerry Springer, Paris Hilton and the guys in Metallica.

PHOTO BY MALIBU GLASS & MIRROR

CONEJO HARDWOODS

QUALITY SINCE 1981

For centuries wood has been an architectural staple, from structure to style. No other material has proven its versatility and beauty so definitively. Wood defies time and taste, it is as the international design house BOTTEGA LEGNA declares, “Purity In Form.”

“The more carefully we select our

BY HAYLEY MATTSON

materials and curate our design in proximity to the wood’s origin, the more purity we feel in our souls. We want it to touch the spirit and mobilize our reverie,” Francisco Mondet, the Director of Sales for Conejo Hardwoods, said. “May all wood be used in such a way that we take a deep breathe to reflect on how precious our existence truly is.”

CONEJO HARDWOODS has branched out into many areas of the custom home building and remodeling industry to become one of California's leading material suppliers. The company passion and obsession with quality has only grown with time and experience, and they see no end in sight. Malibu Times Magazine had the pleasure of sitting down with Francisco Mondet , the Director of Sales for Conejo Hardwoods, to tap into the roots of who Conejo Hardwoods is and discover the source of their respect within the industry and their clientele.

MTM: First of all, who are you, and why are you in business?

FM: We are a lumber company obsessed with deliv ering premium natural wood products to local communities and professionals who seek to elevate their spaces with superior quality, beauty, and value. We have thrived for over 40 years because our passion and dedication towards excellence in all we do is who we are. We pursue every client, inquiry and challenge as an opportunity towards simply becom ing better.

MTM: Who is your client?

FM: That is a lovely question. Our client is our purpose and reason. Our client is smart and demanding of the absolute best quality and value,

period. They range from astute homeowners, critically-acclaimed designers, architects and builders. Ultimately, anyone who knows what is great and expects greatness with impeccable service.

MTM: What has surprised you most in current design trends, relative to wood and custom home building?

FM: The influence of an international style has taken more vigorously than ever. American culture has finally understood and embraced the relevance of worldly aesthetics and materials. Similarly, those European brands who have best delivered these novel materials and styles include BOTTEGA LEGNA, MÖLINO, FESTOOL, RIVA SPAIN, and many others. Their refined presentation and quality of craft is something the human spirit cannot deny. It’s simply an altogether superior experience.

MTM: How are you cultivating your evolution now?

FM: Without question, the most notable value which is driving all of our decisions is that of Curated Partnerships. From trade partners in Europe, North, Central, and South America, we continue to anchor ourselves not only to World Class materials but — equally if not more importantly — excellence in relationships. The remarkable humans who share our unrelent ing passion for beauty and quality also happen to bestow tremendous integrity, and this always tran scends into a rich experience. Ultimately, a business is only as good as its partnerships.

MTM: What are your core offerings, and how has this changed over your 41 years in serving Malibu and neighboring cities?

FM: Our principal interest has always been wood. From architectural grade soft and hardwoods, hard wood flooring, live edge slabs, hardwood decking, plywood, moldings, reclaimed wood, and every accessory imaginable. The changes have come by way of evolving fashions and trends. For instance, decking used to be nearly all redwood, yet once trop ical hardwoods and thermally modified domestic hardwoods arrived, everything changed.

On this front, our partnership with MÖLINO: Decking + Cladding has been an absolute game changer. MÖLINO is a buying collective in the decking and cladding space which gathers the strength of all group members and delivers a superior offering where previously was never available. This is exactly what we seek to provide our loyal client base.

MTM: What does the next chapter hold for Conejo Hardwoods?

FM: Our next chapter includes a complete rein carnation of space and process, where we have crit ically analyzed our four decades of business and improved upon every aspect. We evolved our phys ical spaces and how they function, as well as our human resources and how they connect with our clients. This work is already underway and showing marvelous fruit.

Visit Conejo Hardwoods in Westlake Village at 31275 La Baya Drive | conejohardwoods.com.

Top 3 Tips

BY MALIBU GLASS & MIRROR

Ask yourself, what is the most important?

Design and Functionality

If you are wanting new or replacement windows, consider what material you want your windows to be made of. Some of the most popular materials for windows you find today are fiberglass, wood, and vinyl. All have different benefits. The most cost-effective is vinyl and aluminum; however, the most durable and environmen tally-friendly material is fiberglass.

Choosing a Window Style

Many people change the style of their windows in order to create a new look or design for their home. Often times homes combine various window styles.

Energy Efficiency

When shopping for energy-efficient windows and patio doors, consider the glass type – this is the part that can drastically make a change in how your home maintains its temperature.

BY MAYA WILLIAMS

What a consumer should know when replacing windows in their current home

PHOTOS BY MALIBU GLASS & MIRROR

Photo by Ciro Coelho @ MariSol Malibu

LIGHTING

The Importance of in Interior Design

BY MAYA WILLIAMS

Lighting is an absolutely transformative component in interior design and one of my favorite elements when designing my client’s homes. You can have the most beautiful and expensive fixtures in the world, but if the actual lighting it produces doesn’t work for the space, then the whole room is ruined. It’s like that famous "Seinfeld" episode when Jerry is dating a beautiful woman when the lighting is right, but when the lighting isn’t right, she is terri fying. That same “two-face” effect can happen with interiors, so a good lighting plan with the right fixtures and expert placement adds a whole other gorgeous dimension to a space and really make a project shine. It will set a mood and draw attention to areas you want to highlight and focus. We use light and shade to make a room feel comfortable but also make it atmospheric and dramatic. The proper lighting will achieve a positive emotional mood in a space. A higher level of lighting will create a cheerful effect, while lower levels can create intimacy, texture, and relaxation.

First, consider the size of the room that’s being lit. What time of the day is the room lived in mostly, and are there specific tasks that are routinely performed in the room that need appropriate lighting — office work, grooming, home theater, preparing food, hosting, etc. Effective task lighting is glare-free and diffused to prevent eye strain.

BALANCE

Lighting needs to be layered, and having more than one light source in a room is ideal. There are three basic types of lighting — ambient, task, and accent . Layered throughout a room, they work together to achieve a rich and flexible lighting design. Ambient lighting provides overall illumination and is meant to create a general and uniform lighting level. Typical ambient lighting is recessed lighting, which we now specify in 3" or even 2" square or round sizes. For the most refined look on our luxury new builds, the lighting systems I’m specifying are lighting that is integrated into the ceiling, walls, baseboards, and in or around cabinets.

Important lighting tips to get the most from your fixtures.

Have the lighting directed from more than one direction. Ceiling lights are down lights. Wall lights are front lights. Table and floor lamps are up lights. Using a combo of directional lights will create layers and interest in a room.

MULTI DIRECTION SPACING

Space out the lighting sources. For instance, a wall light should not be near a floor or table lamp. Recessed lights should not be near pendants or fixtures to avoid casting odd shadows. If you want to highlight an amaz ing painting or piece of wall art, it’s not just adding a downlight but also making sure other lights are not too close, competing with the downlight and drawing attention away from what you want the focus to be on. Spread the light sources in a room evenly.

Directors of photography in movies and television know all too well how critical lighting creates the mood of a scene, but in film and television, the lighting is often hidden and out of frame. In home design, not only does the lighting need to workw to create the “scene” you want, but the lighting fixture itself is just as import ant. Fixtures are often a work of art themselves and can make or break a room.

Decorative lights are secondary to the main light ing source and support the overall lighting plan. I like to start with smaller LED recessed lighting placed evenly throughout a room without going overboard on the quantity. Find interesting and unique fixtures as conversation pieces to highlight the room’s focal points. Certain rooms may have various focal points. For exam ple, in just one room, you may have a recessed lights, a ceiling fixture, sconces, and a table lamps. While other rooms may just have a main hanging fixture and sconces on dimmers.

After you’ve come up with your plan, the fun begins in selecting the fixtures themselves. Lighting is one of my favorite elements when designing homes. Great fixtures are so important to the overall aesthetic to a space.

Whether traditional or contemporary, I love to select unique lighting that is eye catching. The centerpiece lighting for large rooms, entries, and dining rooms that I specify are often from small ateliers and artists. Light ing is also one area where you can splurge without hesi tation, as fixtures have no wear and tear. It’s the jewelry of the room.

In

“PAINT A PATH”

Fall in Southern California often has great surf and warm water temperatures. This was taken at Surfrider Beach in Malibu on a late September afternoon. A surfer is riding a right hand point break wave all the way in to the beach.

Available in 4 sizes, in limited editions. $12,500

Available at DIRK BRAUN gallery, 23708 Malibu Rd Malibu | dirkbraungallery.com

In the Know

ULTIMATE COOKING EXPERIENCE

WDC Kitchen & Bath has the largest in-stock selection of SubZero, Wolf and Cove products in California. For example, the Wolf 60” Dual Fuel Range with 6 burners and infrared dual griddle is in stock and ready for next-day local delivery.

Available at WDC Kitchen & Bath Center family owned and operated since 1981 (805)222.1380 | wdcappliances.com

“WESTERN COASTER AND TRAY SET”

Locally handcrafted, color and sensibility to capture our special area. Each piece hand shaped and glazed, so no two are exactly alike.

Western Ceramic Tray: $135. Western Coaster Set of 4 Coasters: $95/set

Available at Surfing Cowboys, 3844 Cross Creek Rd, Malibu | surfingcowboys.com

THE SEASON

QUIET SPARKLE

Holidays at the Adamson House

BY LAURIE HARTT

Malibu has long been known as a city of quiet sparkle. So perhaps it comes as no surprise this season that we see extra twinkles in the windows of the Adamson House — home to the city’s founding family and a living testament to Malibu’s hardworking spirit.

Built in 1929 by Rhoda and Merritt Adamson as a summer beach house, the home resides elegantly between Surfrider Beach and Malibu Lagoon, just down PCH from the iconic Malibu Pier. Built on what was originally Chumash Indian land and later the Malibu Spanish Land Grant, the home is now a museum open to the public, preserved in time to honor the city’s beginnings.

“It’s an important piece of Malibu’s history,” Jules Hershfeld, Treasurer of the Malibu Adamson House Foundation, said.

In 1892, Rhoda’s parents, the esteemed Rindge family, bought 14,000 acres — essentially all of Malibu — for $140,000. Rhoda’s mother later gifted her and her new husband, Meritt, 13 acres of land for their marriage in a highly desirable portion of the overall acreage. The couple hired the acclaimed architect and family friend Stiles Clements to create a home in the Spanish Colonial style, a popular design at the time and in keeping with their childhood upbringings.

They divided their time between the beach house and their home in Hancock Park in Los Angeles until they moved to Malibu full-time with their children in 1936. The family established and managed the world-renowned dairy and farm Adohr Stock Farms nearby. Merritt and Rhoda remained in the home until their deaths in 1949 and 1962, respectively.

Today’s visitors to the home can experience first-hand the incredible design of the 4,500 square-foot house, 5-bedroom home, which is furnished with about 95% of the original furnishings. Most notable in decor is the extensive use of tile

throughout the home, all sourced from the shortlived but world-famous Malibu Potteries company founded by May Rindge in 1926 after discovering rich clay deposits on her Malibu property.

Vibrant examples of the Mayan, Moorish, Moroccan, Saracen and Persian-style designs are evident throughout the home.

“Because of the quality, most of the tile is still as pristine as when it came out of the kiln,” Hershfeld said.

From ornate doorways to spectacular tile Persian carpet to the famed peacock fountain and a tiled bath for washing the family pets, the house is truly a work of art in and of itself.

“My favorite room in the house is Merritt Jr.’s bedroom,” Hershfeld said. The house was built during the early part of the Depression when jobs were in high demand. “The Adamson and Rindge families were really good to their employees, and the employees reciprocated. The ceramicists from the Malibu Potteries factory manufactured large 12” x12” tiles depicting sailing ships using the photos from the boy’s favorite book. These were never sold to the general public and can be seen on the tour.”

For visitors who make their way to the home in December, it’s even more spectacular in its holiday dressings. Members of the Malibu Adamson House Foundation, who now oversee the museum, decorate the home in periodauthentic finery, from glass-blown ornaments to crystal drinking cups, elegant wreaths, bows, and other finery.

“It’s special because every room of the house will be decorated similar to the way the Adamson family had it done in the late 1930s through the 1950s,” Hershfeld said. “We have Christmas cards that were sent back then, and we have some of the original decorations donated back by the family. There’s a lot of authenticity.”

Holiday tours bring extra festivities to the home with lighted Christmas trees in nearly every room, hot apple cider and yuletide music bringing holidays of old to life. “The Twelve Days of Christmas at the Adamson House” runs Fridays and Saturdays from November 25 to December 31.

Today, the Adamson House celebrates a key piece of Malibu history under its protection as a California Historical Landmark, a designation it received in 1985 with help from the Malibu Historical Society. The Malibu Adamson House Foundation, formed in 1981, oversees the day-to-day operation of the home as a museum, the maintenance of the grounds, and public education about the house and overall history of Malibu.

Along with State Parks, the Malibu Adamson House Foundation is also actively involved in mitigating the effects of encroachment by the rising sea. “If nothing is done,” Hershfeld said, “we will lose this historical building and cultural history.”

Glaze-a-Tile days include champagne, lunch, tours of the estate, and, most importantly, a class about glazing your own tiles in the style of the historic Malibu Potteries. Adamson House is one of Malibu’s most brilliant gems, a cultural experience impossible to replicate anywhere else. Whether you’re visiting for the first or 51st time, ‘tis the season to take a step back in time and take in a piece of living history. Brush up on your best carols and make your way to Adamson House for an extra-special holiday experience this year.

LOCAL GALLERIES

CAPTURING SPIRIT

Dirk Braun’s aviation-inspired art gallery

BY EMMANUEL LUISSI

Filmmaker, photographer, and pilot Dirk Braun features a combination of aviation, travel photography, original neon art, and a collection of unique antiques from around the world and is now available for all to see right here in Malibu.

Dirk said he wanted his gallery to be an extension of himself and, his art, and stated that Malibu was the perfect place.

“I’m so happy to be in Malibu; it’s wonderful,” Dirk shared. “Malibu is a place that embodies my interests of surfing, flying, and filmmaking, and I love this space on Malibu Road. I’m so excited to have all kinds of people to walk in and check out this work.”

The gallery builds on Dirk’s artistic projects following the world premiere of his first film, “Flying Boat,” in 2021. The 77-minute documentary made its premiere at the EAA AirVenture Fly-In and

Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the largest aviation festival in the world.

The documentary focuses on an aircraft called the Grumman Albatross, an amphibious seaplane first manufactured in the late 1940s, and the pilots and mechanics who have restored, fly and maintain the remaining “flying boats.”

Dirk explained that the aircraft has been an inspiration for him ever since a friend introduced him to it back in his college years.

“It’s the most diversely capable aircraft ever made,” Dirk stated. “It speaks to fantasy and adventure like no other aircraft. It’s a beautiful relic from a long-lost era that’s inspired me greatly.”

Dirk shared that his deep interest led him to start research on the plane as well as beginning to meet people in the tight-knit community that restored and maintained these few remaining aircraft.

He began shooting his film in 2016, a project that would take five years to complete. During this time, Dirk shot the film, shot photos, and became a pilot.

The gallery houses a collection of Dirk’s landscape and cityscape photography, shot both on land and in the air, that were shot during the production of “Flying Boat.” The collection of antiques and art that complement Dirk’s work were collected and curated by him to reflect his world travels and interests.

Dirk was joined by collaborators who helped bring his work to Malibu to share with the public.

Adam Devkota, a consultant for BowHaus Inc., the art production company that helped present Dirk’s work at the gallery, said Dirk’s work is incredible.

“It’s really compelling. I think it’s unusual,” Adam said. “It’s unlike anything shown around here like Santa Monica, Palisades. I don’t know anyone who has work quite like this, especially in the scale or quality.”

He shared that Dirk’s work represents an ocean and travel aesthetic, and water is important to it. Adam believes Dirk is building a niche for himself that is a perfect fit for Malibu.

Melissa Wisenbaker, the gallery manager and publicist for Dirk Braun Gallery, said his work is inspiring. She explained that the gallery has a casual, inviting atmosphere and knows Dirk will be excited to meet members of the community and share his art and experiences with them.

“I think the gallery is amazing; I think it’s exactly what Malibu needs,” Melissa shared. “I think it’s going to bring some

young, fun energy. Everything kind of relates to aviation, adventure, and travel. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to that, and it’ll get them excited.”

Dirk shared that the gallery will serve as the sales office for the G111T, the newest iteration of the Albatross. The gallery will partner with Australian company Amphibian Aerospace Industries, which is bringing the Albatross back to life with turbine engines and modern technology.

According to the company’s website, the base model of the G111T will boast new Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F engines providing substantially improved performance, fuel economy, and reliability. The website also says the G111T will have different variants of the aircraft to serve different purposes. The variants include a Combi Passenger/Combo, Aeromedevac, Aeromedical, and Search and Rescue.

The modern aircraft will be manufactured in Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia.

AAI Chairman Khoa Hoang said the aircraft is of great practical use to humanity.

“We can’t wait to deliver the first G111T-Albatross — made in the Northern Territory,” Khoa explained.

Dirk also shared his excitement to be a part of the future of the Albatross.

“It’s big news in the aviation world, and this is the sales office for that aircraft,” Dirk said.

To view Dirk Braun’s work, visit him online at dirkbraungallery.com or visit the gallery in person at 23708 Malibu Road in Malibu by appointment.

Winter Events in Malibu

NOVEMBER 5

NUBIAN JEWELRY: FAMILY WORKSHOP AT THE GETTY VILLA

Make your own crown and royal regalia inspired by ancient Nubian designs with artist Marcus Kuiland-Nazario at the Getty Villa on Saturday, November 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Travel back in time to the Central Nile Valley, discover the precious materials used to make the magnificent jewelry worn by Nubian royalty, and embellish your creation with amulets meant to protect the living and the dead. This free, drop-in program complements the exhibition Nubian Jewelry: Splendors of Ancient Sudan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

NOVEMBER 5 AND 6

MALIBU HALF MARATHON (3)

The 14th Annual Malibu Half Marathon scenic course offers runners a rare opportunity to run the storied Pacific

Coast Highway and experience Malibu. The Malibu 5K Run/Walk takes place on Saturday, November 5, and the Malibu Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, November 6; visit runmalibu.com for more information.

NOVEMBER 6

MALIBU ART IN THE PARK

Malibu Art in the Park on Sunday, November 6, at Legacy Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Ten percent of the profits will be donated to charity. For more information, visit allevents.in.

NOVEMBER 12 AND DECEMBER 3

SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS REAL NIGHTLIFE EXPOSED

Wildlife photography taken with a camera trap—a camera triggered by a motion sensor—reveals animals we might never see with our own eyes. Johanna Turner returns to the Santa Monica

Mountains Visitor Center with an all-new collection of images. Meet the artist on Saturday, November 12, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The museum is $7, and the lunch is $15 approximately.

This is a free event with free parking. For reservations or more information, call (805) 370-2302. For directions to the Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center, visit nps.gov. A portion of the funds from art sales will be used to support art and cultural programs.

NOVEMBER 14

MALIBU FILM SOCIETY FILM SCREENINGS BEGIN

The Malibu Film Society has announced 14 films for the season. In-person screenings will continue to take place at the Regency Agoura Hills Stadium 8. Their first contender in the race for Best Documentary Feature, “Oleg,” is the

incredible life story of one of the Soviet Union’s most beloved actors. Doors will open 30 minutes before showtime, so there will be plenty of time to grab your seats.

For the latest version of their downloadable screening calendar, visit malibu film society.org. The first seven shows are now listed on their website. To start booking your seats, submit your link requests for online screenings on mfsreservations.org.

NOVEMBER 17

PEPPERDINE THEATRE: INTO THE WOODS

The Luciana and Daniel Forge Fall Musical. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. Hollace Starr, Director presented with the Pepperdine University Orchestra. Long-Tao Tang, Conductor. A childless baker and his wife endeavor to lift their family curse by journeying into the woods, where they encounter Rapunzel (and her witchy “mother”), Cinderella, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood, and other classic fairy tale characters, and they all must learn the responsibility that comes with getting what you want. Mature themes recommended for ages 14+. Visit arts.pepperdine.edu

NOVEMBER 19

UNDER THE STARS: ASTRONOMY NIGHT

View the night sky with professional astronomers from the Los Angeles Astronomical Society on Sat, November 19, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Malibu Bluffs Park. This is a complimentary family-friendly event and includes the shared use of a telescope. Preregistration is required by Monday, November 14. Register online at MalibuCity.org/Register.

NOVEMBER 21

ROSENTHAL THE MALIBU ESTATE WINE BAR AND PATIO

Enjoy an evening of fun and art with local artist Simeon James on November 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Rosenthal Tasting Room. Tickets are $45 per person. Includes all painting supplies and 1 glass of wine. To make a reservation, visit rosenthalestatewines.com.

NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMEMBER 31 ADAMSON HOUSE CHRISTMAS TOURS (PHOTO

1)

Docent-led tours of the house will run Fridays and Saturdays from November 25 through December 31. Tours will begin at 10 a.m. and start every half hour, with the final tour of the day at 2:30 p.m. Walkins accepted for parties of less than six people. Visit adamsomehouse.org

MONTH OF DECEMBER

MALIBU COUNTRY MART, LUMBER YARD, COLONY PLAZA AND MALIBU VILLAGE (2)

Local shopping areas in Malibu offer winter festivities, such as caroling and craft making workshops, Santa Visits and Hanukah celebrations.

DECEMBER 1

JOY PEPPERDINE CHOIR ORCHESTRA CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Celebrate the holiday season with the Pepperdine Fine Arts Christmas Concert! It features the Pepperdine Concert Choir and Orchestra playing classic holiday music.

DECEMBER 4

JOY TO THE WORLD: A CHRISTMAS MUSICAL JOURNEY FEATURING DAMIEN SNEED

(4)

Celebrate the season with Damien Sneed, the multitalented composer, conductor, musician, and vocalist, in his Joy to the World: A Christmas Musical Journey.

Sneed will perform on keyboards and vocals with a group of phenomenal singers and musicians as they render Sneed’s unique arrangements of familiar Christmas carols, original holiday tunes, classical favorites, folk songs, spirituals, and more. Visit arts.pepperdine.edu

DECEMBER 10, 11

PACIFIC BALLET DANCE THEATRE. JOYS OF THE SEASON (5) At the Smothers Theatre

On Saturday, December 10, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 11, at 2:30 p.m., The Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre, a fully professional company, will present “Joys of the Season” at Pepperdine University’s Smother’s Theatre.

This holiday performance will feature excerpts from The Nutcracker, The Little Match Girl, and Les Patineurs (The Skaters Waltz). Artistic Director Natasha Middleton, winner of 10 International Film Festivals for her dance film, Dissension Within, has been critically acclaimed for her ballet choreography.

For information about Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre, visit us at Pbdtla.org.

DECEMBER 16

TOMMY EMMANUEL AT PEPPERDINE

Two-time Grammy-nominee Tommy Emmanuel, one of Australia’s most respected guitarists, has a repertoire that spans pop, jazz, blues, gospel, classical, flamenco, and aboriginal styles. Known as one of this planet’s greatest guitarists, Tommy Emmanuel’s music is joyful and simply miraculous, winning him hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide.

Special guest Mike Dawes. Tickets are $30-$65. A limited number of VIP Packages are available visit arts.pepperdine.edu

SEASONS GREETINGS

SPREADING JOY

Celebrating the Holidays with Winter Solstice and Yuletide

BY HAYLEY MATTSON

During this time of year, there are so many holiday traditions that bring family and friends together. Holiday shopping, festive events filled with snow, Santa Claus and reindeer, lights, candles, and cheer; however, one symbolic and richly traditional day will come and go, and most people will miss it.

Winter Solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year. Cultures around the world have long held feasts and celebrated holidays around the winter solstice. Fire and light are traditional symbols of celebrations held on the darkest day of the year.

Since ancient times, people all over the world have recognized this important astronomical occurrence and celebrated the subsequent “return” of the sun in a variety of different ways. In addition, old solstice traditions have influenced the winter holidays we celebrate now.

There is no better time of the year to feel and show your love than the holiday season. Though many people relate the month of December with Christmas, there’s so much more to be said about the month. From Hanukkah and Kwanzaa to showing selfless acts of love, this season is all about spreading joy and cheer during the coldest time of the year.

This year, Winter Solstice falls on Wednesday, December 21, and in the northern hemisphere, the date marks the 24 hours with the fewest daylight hours of the year.

Winter Solstice is considered a turning point in the year in many cultures. The day is held sacred and celebrates the new solar year’s birth, also known as Yuletide.

Yuletide refers to the time around the Christmas season, traditionally recognized from December 21 until January 1, and dates back centuries. Though Yuletide’s rituals have changed dramatically over the years, some Yuletide traditions remain and have contributed to modern-day celebrations of the festive season.

Decorating an evergreen tree was a common Yuletide custom in ancient times, as was giving gifts to friends and loved ones. The Yule Log is another centuries-old tradition meant to symbolize the passing of an old year into a new one, with the promise of hope and happiness. The oak log is usually decorated with evergreen branches, sprigs of holly, bare birch branches, and trailing ivy vines. A more delicious alternative is the classic French Bûche de Noël, a decadent chocolate cake baked in the shape of a Yule Log and shared with family and friends at a Yuletide gathering.

Children and adults alike around the world find so much joy in the magic this season brings. No matter what you celebrate, may we find peace and love in celebrating together and showing kindness to one another. May we remember that this season also brings with it the cold and isolation and prompt us to reach out and share our many blessings with others. It is important that we recognize that and remember the dark winter days bring the warmth of spring that heals and rejuvenates our souls and that the holiday season is so much more than gifts found under the tree.

“May you find peace in the promise of the solstice night, that each day forward is blessed with more light. That the cycle of nature, unbroken, and true brings faith to your soul and well-being to you. Rejoice in the darkness, in the silence, find rest, and may the days that follow be abundantly blessed.”

— Native American Solstice Blessing

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77 Documentary film about the expedition in 46 across 80 Chumash, for example

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Manet contemporary

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Romano or Charles

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Pink Panther composer whose trust’s Malibu home is now up for sale, Henry

Google co-founder who purchased Pink’s former home in Malibu

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Shelved for now, 2 words

San Diego team member

Floor coverings

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ranking technology, abbr.

Hollywood’s location

West of Hollywood

SUSI

Eyes on Malibu

Each Issue, we highlight readers, photographers, Instagrammers and #malibutimesmag posts as they depict the beauty of Malibu through their own lens.

PHOTO

BY GRANT ROBISON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANELLE WILKERSON

WESTWARD BEACH ON SEPTEMBER 8

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peering into 2023

PHOTO BY STEVE HAMMOND Sequit Point Sea Cave at Leo Carrillo State Park