Coachella Valley Weekly - January 19 to January 25, 2023 Vol. 11 No. 45

Anna Kendrick - Alice, Darling

Noe Gutierrez,

Simmons,

Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Craig Michaels, Janet McAfee, Haddon Libby, Sam DiGiovanna, Dale Gribow, Rob Brezny, Denise Ortuno Neil, Dee Jae Cox, Lynne Tucker, Aimee Mosco, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman, Ed Heethuis, Daniel Paris, Michelle Borthwick, Nadia Popova, Dennis Shelly

Photographers

Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Esther Sanchez Videographer

Kurt Schawacker

Website Editor

Bobby Taffolla

Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

The Southwest Arts Festival® Indio 2023 will be held on January 26, 27, 28 and 29, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Now in its 36th year, the Southwest Arts Festival® will once again be held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Empire Polo Club is an international destination renowned for its natural beauty, featuring natural landscape and sweeping mountain ranges. Tickets for the festival are $25 for general admission including parking or $35 (good for all four days) including parking. Children ages five and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at: www.eventbrite.com/e/southwest-artsfestival-2023-tickets-494320705537

Every year, the Arts Festival continues to evolve and attract a high caliber of talented artists and unique artwork. This year’s festival will feature interactive art displays and live music, with pottery, glass and fine art painting scheduled to be on display. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of food and beverage options while casually walking the grounds.

Last year’s the festival drew record attendance, featuring 220 artists from around the world. Recognized as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by Travel Magazine, the festival includes traditional, contemporary, and abstract fine works of art and quality crafts. The festival’s reputation for first-class quality and professional integrity makes it one of the country’s finest juried art festivals. As one of largest annual fundraisers supporting several Coachella Valley based nonprofits, the festival is

exceptionally fortunate to have over 200 community leaders and volunteers who contribute numerous hours to make certain that the Festival is successful.

Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce, City of Indio and BMW Performance Centers are Title Sponsors of the event.

For more information call, 760-347-0676 or visit www.eventbrite.com/e/southwestarts-festival-2023-tickets-494320705537

ABOUT SOUTHWEST ARTS FESTIVAL ® INDIO:

Southwest Arts Festival, Indio is a nationally recognized cultural event one and of the area’s largest and longest-running

juried art festivals. It has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Events in North America by Travel Magazine and named one of the Top 100 Events in North America by the American Bus Association. Its reputation for first-class quality and professional integrity has given the Festival international acclaim. It is one of largest annual fundraisers that support several Coachella Valley based nonprofits. More than 200 community leaders and volunteers work together to contribute numerous hours to ensure its success. The Festival is located at the spectacular Empire Polo Club, a premier event destination and home of the world-renowned Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals.

Tracy Dietlin

On Saturday, January 14, a Talking

Pictures screening of Alice, Darling took place at the Annenberg Theater, where lead actress Anna Kendrick was in attendance to take part in a Q&A session after the film.

Alice, Darling follows Alice (Anna Kendrick) while she embarks on a girls trip weekend at a lakeside cabin when her childhood friends begin to suspect her picture-perfect romance is a carefully curated facade. Anchored by Kendrick’s visceral, career-best performance, this potent psychological drama incisively depicts the physical and emotional toll of intimate partner violence.

“The idea of pursuing something that is not usually what is asked of me or what people want from me, and trying to trust that it might still be interesting was scary and and really exciting. I also felt like I had built a lot of tools over the course of my career—tools that I’m really proud of and could help me become the kind of actor I wanted to be in this project,” shared Kendrick.

This role is a thematic departure for Kendrick, who has been known for her comedic work in the Pitch Perfect film series

and other light-hearted supporting roles. Alice, Darling puts Kendrick front and center as she depicts the silent struggle of enduring through an abusive relationship, within a story that shows more than it tells.

“For me personally, this role was a very valuable exercise in rebuilding my own selftrust. And that was to kind of tolerate the discomfort of the first 15 minutes of this movie. There were scenes that we did where Alice is kind of a bummer and not that great to be around. And I wanted to trust that the audience would still invest in her and feel for her and believe her,” said Kendrick.

The script for Alice, Darling focuses on feelings and the gradual payoff of actually seeing them come alive onscreen—with Alice’s inner turmoil being represented by a subtle yet powerful performance from Kendrick. There are bits and pieces of that psychological emotional abuse sprinkled throughout screenwriter Alanna Francis’ script in a way that does not resort to stereotypes.

“A lot of the script was just so beautiful. It was like this piece of poetry, but I also saw what she was creating. And I think my

favorite thing about it was that it really didn’t focus on the acts that this guy did. It was just like, look at this woman and like, try to tell me she’s not in an abusive relationship. And I felt like that was such a bold endeavor, because when you’re in that experience, that’s really all you have. You can catalog evidence all you want. You can write down everything you said and everything he said and every date and every time. And like, none of it really adds up to anything until you just look at what you were going through. And that’s the only thing that you can trust, you know? So I liked that it came at it from that way because, yeah, it just felt like the experience of this woman is enough for us to believe her,” explained Kendrick.

The film enables Kendrick to act in a role of vulnerability yet silent strength in experiencing a tumultuous relationship that, although not physically harmful, is just as toxic. Any time the audience sees Alice tug and pull out her hair strands, it is evident that everything is hurting on the inside for the character. Even small comments alluding to dietary restrictions made by her boyfriend Simon (Charlie Carrick) exemplifies

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

somebody who has so very much internalized any perceived action or comment from their partner.

“I think that that’s why it’s so stomach turning and the performance that Charlie gives is so thoughtful. He was such an incredible creative ally to me because he never wanted to let Simon fall into caricature, because I think that does a disservice not just to Simon as a character. It does a disservice to the movie and to Alice. Like if he’s just this mustache twirling control freak, then it’s like, what is wrong with this woman that she’s with this villain? And the fact that he was always coming from a place of hurt and desperation and terror and masking that. But I can feel it when I watch the movie, and I felt it from him in the scenes. And that’s the piece that I think keeps you hooked in is you can feel like, oh, there’s a curve underneath this, so I want to help, or I am hurting you? I am doing something wrong? So he never let it plateau, if that makes sense. He never takes the easy way out. He was always working really hard to be coming from a place of a guy who felt genuinely victimized, which I know was very uncomfortable for him,” shared Kendrick.

Alice, Darling is exclusively playing in AMC Theaters this month and available for streaming.

EVENTS

The Palm Springs International Piano Competition, formerly the Waring, is proud to announce the return of the popular THREE PIANOS, SIX HANDSTM performance at The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California on Monday, March 20, 2023. The show starts at 5:30 pm, and concert only tickets range from $45 to $150 through the McCallum Theatre box office: www.McCallumTheatre.com or call 760-3402787. VIP seats that include the concert and a gourmet dinner afterwards at Morningside

Country Club are $500 and $750. The latter priced tickets are limited in number and include being seated with one of the performers. These tickets are only available through PSIPC: email agreer@PSIPC.org or call 760-773-2575. Dinner only tickets are available for those who have already purchased a concert ticket.

This 7th rendition of THREE PIANOS, SIX HANDSTM features PSIPC artistic director laureate / concert pianist / platinum selling recording artist John Bayless, 2013 Waring Solo Winner / concert pianist Scott Cuellar,

concert pianist Norman Krieger and concert pianist Lisa Nakamichi. This will be a cross over musical event with solos, duos, and trios performing on three pianos. Composers include Bach, Debussy’s Claire de Lune, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue arranged for 3 pianos, Rachmaninoff, Ravel’s popular Mother Goose Suite and Schumann. Event chair is JoAnn Wellner. The first THREE PIANOS, SIX HANDSTM was presented in 2014, and was the brainchild of PSIPC’s late board chair, Peggy Cravens.

This concert marks the first production in Palm Desert by the new team of Artistic Director Robert Koenig and Board President Joe Giarrusso. Sponsorship opportunities range from $2,500 to $10,000. Current sponsors are the City of Palm Desert, the California Arts Council, the Palm Springs Friends of the Philharmonic, the McCallum Theatre, and JoAnn Wellner. Call 760773-2575 or visit www.psipc.org for more information. Funds raised by this concert fundraiser support PSIPC’s engagement outreach to local schools and the 2024 Junior and Intermediate Competitions for pianists 17 years and younger. The Competition was founded in 1983. The Palm Springs International Piano Competition (PSIPC) discovers, promotes, and inspires promising young classical pianists through biennial public competitions, offering monetary prizes and significant performance and career opportunities, while providing local community educational outreach and engagement. In addition, PSIPC showcases and highlights wide and diverse cultural musical offerings that serve the Palm Springs/ Coachella Valley communities and beyond.

John Bayless

Scott Cuellar

Norman Krieger

Lisa Nakamichi

REALESTATE

Now that we are back in season there is no shortage of events and mixers to socialize and connect with local business professionals. Make sure and put the first Wine & Design Mixer for 2023 on your calendar for Wednesday January 25, starting at 5:30PM. This free event takes place at the Palm Desert Design Center located at 73-185 A, Hwy 111, Palm Desert (near Panera Bread & Carl’s Jr.) Come for the great networking while you enjoy complimentary wine, champagne, appetizers, and art

As a Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Desert Lifestyle Properties I wanted to create an atmosphere where people and business owners could come together to socialize and support each other while taking away good information on increasing the value of their home. During this two-hour mixer you will get the opportunity to collaborate with interior and exterior designers. Get tips on increasing your curb appeal or adding value to your property with a pool and outdoor BBQ area. If you’re looking for ideas on updating your kitchens and baths this is the perfect evening for you. Arus Melkonyan, owner of the Palm Desert Design Center will be offering a 20%

discount on all design products during the mixer. They carry exclusive Versace products such as slabs and medallions in addition to cabinets, tile, flooring and more.

For January we are excited to welcome interior designer Andrew Graham. Imagine working with a skilled interior designer fully

educated and versed in the principles of fine interior design and decoration with the added knowledge of your color choice and pattern. According to Andrew “Color is emotional, often stemming from childhood experiences or anchored in societal or religious beliefs.” He will share his education and experience in Color Consulting & Color Psychology.

If you want to envision your design project, Jose Garza with Garza Concepts will share information on concept design and 3D modeling for interior and exterior. Pablo Castro the owner of First Seed Landscape and Concrete will be on hand to inspire your landscape ideas and share tips on lawn care and concrete designs for your yard. Whether you simply want a fresh look or a complete redesign these professionals are here to answer your questions and inspire your design ideas.

BY CRAIG MICHAELS

It’s a date! The family-favorite Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival is back for ten days beginning Friday, February 17, and will feature a wide array of fun for everyone!

Sponsored by Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, the festival, which takes place at the Riverside County Fairgrounds at 82-503 CA Highway 111, Indio, 92201, will return

February 17-26 and feature attractions unique to Riverside County, including the Greater Palm Springs area. Guests will enjoy exhilarating carnival rides, live music, date cooking demonstrations, Blue Ribbon competitions, cute farm animals, and their favorite fair foods.

“The Fair and Date Fest hasn’t happened since before the pandemic, and the

community keeps telling us just how excited they are to have their premier annual event back in the Coachella Valley,” said event manager Chris Pickering, Founding Partner of Pickering Events. “With 75 years of history, the Fair and Date Fest is the largest event in the county centered on celebrating community achievement. Whether you excel in the arts, animal care, culinary field, or a variety of other endeavors, there’s a chance for you to win a coveted Blue Ribbon.”

Pickering also noted that guests can now purchase advance tickets online for significant savings and to avoid long entry lines once at the Fairgrounds.

“The best deal for locals is a $30 Season Pass that allows a guest entry into the event all ten days,” Pickering added. “And with the grandstand lineup we’re about to announce, you’ll want to visit more than once.”

All ten days of the event will feature grandstand entertainment, and guests can receive early access to purchase reserved seating tickets by subscribing to the Fair and Date Fest’s email list.

“Fantasy Springs Resort Casino is proud to sponsor the Date Festival this year. After a three-year hiatus, we are thrilled to bring this wonderful family event back to the Coachella

At this mixer you can also explore art displayed by local artists and art dealers for your home or office. January’s event features amazing art from Desert Wolff Gallery at 73-151 El Paseo, Suite D, Palm Desert. Meet owner Lucien Wolff who will share his unique and eclectic collection of contemporary art, sculptures and decorative accessories imported from around the world.

Find everything you need for your interior and exterior all in one space. Some of the raffle prizes include 2 Full Experience Oasis Passes from Azur Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis in Desert Hot Springs and a $250 gift certificate from Palm Desert Design Center. If you have questions about the mixer or any real estate related questions you can reach Craig Michaels at (760) 880-3848

Written By: Craig Michaels – Realtor BHGRE Desert Lifestyle Properties

craig@realestatepalmsprings.com

EVENTS

Valley,” said Paul Ryan, General Manager & COO of Fantasy Springs. “Like the Fair itself, our resort and casino have something for everyone: gamblers, golfers, fine diners, and fans of big name entertainment, from country, R&B, and rock to soul, Latino stars, and comedy greats.”

Originating as a festival to celebrate the end of the annual date harvest, the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival customarily welcomes over 250,000 guests each February. In addition, the Fairgrounds hosts various community-focused events all year long, ranging from multi-day festivals to private events.

Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival Dates & Hours of Operation

Friday, February 17: 3pm - 10pm

Saturday, February 18: 10am - 10pm

Sunday, February 19: 10am - 10pm

Monday, February 20: 10am - 10pm

Tuesday, February 21: 3pm - 10pm

Wednesday, February 22: 3pm - 10pm

Thursday, February 23: 3pm - 10pm

Friday, February 24: 3pm - 10pm

Saturday, February 25: 10am - 10pm

Sunday, February 26: 10am - 10pm

For more info about the festival, please visit www.datefest.org/p/about/faqs

Back in the ‘80s, a trio of Young Gun guitar-slingers emerged and rocked the Blues world on it’s heels. Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Colin James managed to revitalize the homegrown sound, achieving both critical and commercial success. The genre had always maintained a presence, especially during the ‘60s and ‘70s when British Invasion stalwarts like The Rolling Stones and The Animals sang the praises of Elmore James and John Lee Hooker, effectively reintroducing their seminal sounds to young Americans. But by the ‘80s, it was relegated to the margins. These three offered a new twist on a seminal American sound that was embraced by Gen X’ers, weaned on Dinosaur Rock. Robert and Stevie Ray did the heavy lifting early on, taking parallel paths to create an irresistible synthesis of Blues, Soul and Rock & Roll. Colin (ne’ Colin James Munn) a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, famously got his big break in 1984, when he was tapped to open for Stevie Ray after his original opening act cancelled. The Lonestar guitarist was so impressed, he asked Colin to stay on as opener for the remainder of the ‘tour. Record labels took notice, and he inked a deal with Virgin Records.

His self-titled debut arrived in 1988 and it quickly climbed to the top of the Canadian charts. He won a Juno (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy Award), for Most Promising Artist. Soon enough, he was back out on the road, opening for Keith Richards, on the Stones’ guitarist’s first solo tour. That raised his profile in the States. Pretty soon, heavy-hitters like Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, Waddy Wachtel and Lenny Kravitz were lining up to guest on Colin’s subsequent records.

By the early ‘90s (well before Brian Setzer and Big Bad Voodoo, Cherry Poppin’ Zoot Cats, whatever) he pioneered the Neo Swing sound with his Little Big Band. Later albums explored Delta Blues, Gypsy Jazz and acoustic music. In the nearly 35 years since he released his debut, Colin has consistently topped the charts in Canada and maintained a loyal fanbase throughout the lower 48. The prolific Blues Rocker has recorded 15 studio albums, a Christmas collection, a live set, and a couple of hits compilations. Nominated for 17 Juno awards, he’s won seven.

Colin’s latest, his 17th long-player, is an astute mix of originals, deeeep Blues tracks, and a few sly surprises. The album kicks into gear with a supersonic take on Tony Joe White’s As The Crow Flies.” Drafting off the original’s swampy template, rusty slide guitar, gutbucket electric riffs, tensile bass and stabby organ notes are wed to a hopscotch beat. Colin’s sandblasted rasp underscores the urgency to get home; “In a dream last night, well, I heard you call my name, in a dream last night, well, I heard you call my name, I took it like an omen, and a I jumped on the very next train.” A smokin’ guitar solo blazes a trail on the break, followed by lean and sinewy guitars, that drives the song home.

This album is dotted with Blues deep cuts, but Colin has found ways to recalibrate and retrofit these songs, making them his own. First up is the syncopated swing of Albert King’s “Can’t You See What You’re Doing To Me,” which is powered prickly lead guitar licks, pugnacious rhythm guitar, prowling bass lines, a swaying brass section, churchy keys and a roiling shuffle beat. Colin’s guitar acts as a squally Greek chorus, punctuating a laundry list of grievances; “Well, I work two jobs, bring home all of my pay, if you tell me that you love me, then try to do some things my way, Baby,

can’t you see what you’re doing to me, well, you say that you wanna leave me, you’re going back to your old time, used to be.” On the break, saxophones, both tenor and baritone, and idling organ fills lock into a call-and-response with guitars that sting and scorch. The result is incendiary.

Colin takes Magic Sam’s back porch ramble, “That’s Why I’m Crying” and transforms into a soulful lament that echoes Al Green during his Hi Records tenure. Low and slow, flick-ofthe-wrist guitar licks connect with fluid bass lines, fluttery organ and a beat that lands with a satisfying thunk. Skittery guitars color the margins of the melody as Colin slowly reveals his tale of woe; “I went to some of the places where we used to go, your friends all told me you ‘don’t come here no more,’ look over yonder, what do I see? You and him laughing, now my heart’s in misery.” Twitchy guitars dart through the instrumental break, peckish and petulant one minute, solicitous and supplicant the next.

Colin’s take on Otis Rush’s “It Takes Time,” becomes raucous barn burner. Low-slung guitars lock into a hypnotic refrain cresting over honking saxophone, scratchy Blues harp, slithery bass and a chunky, West Coast Swing rhythm. Reproachful lyrics take an unfaithful love to task; “You live for today, leave tomorrow on it’s own, we got a little child and we try to make a home, but oh yeah, I know what it means to be alone, today you’re laughing pretty baby, tomorrow you could be crying.” Colin executes a spiky guitar solo that partners with roughhewn harmonica runs and stentorian saxophones.

Finally, he gets down and dirty, low and slow, slinking through John Lee Hooker’s “Bad Boy.” serrated electric guitar riffs butt up against scabrous slide guitar, ramshackle bass and a bellicose beat. Colin’s croon is equal parts repentant and defiant as he confesses; “I used to be a bad boy, now I don’t have to be bad no more, I learned my lesson a long time ago.”

Four of Colin’s originals dart through the sonic soundscape. “There’s A Fire” finds molten magma guitars singeing a slow-cooked arrangement, bookended by shivery organ, sturdy bass and a rock-steady beat. Bare-bones lyrics offer a bit of a cri de Coeur, that yearn for “a new way to be free.” Mostly, the music does the talking, by the break, a swashbuckling solo squalls and skronks before powering down to showcase some fleet and filigreed fretwork.

Conversely, “Raging River” is more expansive and contemplative. Burnished guitars wash over shimmery keys, spatial bass lines and brushed percussion. The pensive melody and moodily elegant lyrics echo the Bob Seger classic, “Turn The Page.” There’s an ache in Colin’s voice as he yearns for elusive love; “I stood on the edge of a raging river, saw your reflection staring back at me. I reached out and tried to touch you, raging river rolled out to sea.”

Meanwhile, the title track is menacing and muscular. Bottleneck riffs collide with barbed bass lines, thorny keys and a brawny backbeat. Lyrics offer a mordant meditation on the passage of time; “Time rolls like a wheel, over things I knew, but forgot to feel, and as I walk, the light reveals some scars are never gonna heal.” Wah-wah guitar bleeds into bottleneck riffs and slippery organ colors on the break.

Finally, there’s the frenetic Blues Rock of “Leave This House.” Locomotive guitars are matched by Boogie-Woogie piano, jittery bass and a caffeinated beat. Biblically adjacent lyrics mine the lessons learned from Cain and Abel,

Adam and Eve; “….When I leave this house, I ain’t coming back, when I leave this house I ain’t coming back, tied my sins to a railroad track, leave my initials in chicken scratch, the garden of Eden has broke my back, when I leave this house I ain’t coming back.” Rapidfire guitar riffs ricochet through the break, sidling alongside pounding piano and an angsty rhythm.

Colin has his way with a couple of Bob Dylan favorites, adding some bluster and strut to “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry.” He manages to split the difference between expansive Americana and flickering New Wave for “Down On The Bottom.” He really puts some stank on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Change It.” Guttural guitars scratch and scuffle atop wily bass lines and a Western Swing rhythm. A rangy carpe diem, the opening couplet gets down to business; “You can’t change it, you

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

can’t rearrange it, time is all we’ve got, so baby let’s take it.” The guitar solo on the break deftly stacks Texas twang and Saskatchewan swagger, quietly paying homage to a friendship tragically cut short by Stevie Ray’s untimely death in 1990.

The album closes on a soulful note with a faithful reading of Otis Redding’s “I Love You More Than Words Can Say.” Plangent guitars wrap around beatific organ, righteous piano, elastic bass lines and snapback beat. Colin doesn’t so much sing, as testify. His keening vocals speak to an ache that won’t subside; “Honey, living without you is so painful, I was tempted to call, call it a day, you got me in your hand, so why can’t you understand, well, I love you more than words can say.” A sanctified organ solo lattices willowy guitars and plaintive piano on the break. It’s a soaring tour de force.

Open Road manages to put a new spin on beloved Blues classics and cannily salts the mix with sharp originals. Not surprisingly, it recently received a nomination for Best Blues Rock Album from The Blues Foundation. Robert and Stevie Ray ignited the fire, and Colin James continues to carry the torch. (Colin James Band plays Saturday January 28, 2023 at 8pm at BIG ROCK PUB 79940 Westward Ho Drive, Indio All proceeds from this show go to the Desert Cancer Foundation Tickets $25$40. eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-colinjames-tickets-426538487097

Americana stalwarts Rose’s Pawn Shop will perform at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace on Saturday, January 21. The L.A. natives have been plying their trade since 2006 honing a sound that weds honeyed harmonies, country fiddle and scorching electric guitars to a raw and raucous beat.

Frontman Paul Givant’s crackling songcraft is on full display on the quintet’s latest longplayer, Punch-Drunk Life, which arrives on February 23rd. Feted in the pages of Rolling Stone and GQ, they have released several well-received albums including The Arsonist, Dancing On The Gallows and Gravity Well.

Following their much-anticipated Pappy’s set, Rose’s Pawn Shop will be hitting the road, with a promise to hit more SoCal venues as well as far-flung spots like Alaskan fishing villages and the mountain towns of the American Southwest.

Rose’s Pawn Shop w/ The Rosy Nolan Band. Saturday, January 21st at Pappy & Harriet’s Indoor Stage, Pioneertown, CA. Doors: 8:30pm/Show 9:30pm Tickets available at www.seetickets.us/ event/Roses-PawnShop/510172 @rosespawnshop

Thursday, January 19

Awe Bar – Melissa Carper w/ Kassi Valazza – 7pm

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar

– 3:30-6:30pm, Frank DiSalvo – 6:30pm

Bart Lounge – The Seven/Six Presents: Cain Bishop, Euphoric, JatDotTheGemini, KahnArtist and more – 8pm

Casuelas Café – Avenida – 5:30pm

Chef George’s – Marc Antonelli – 6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewery – Open Mic –6pm, Comedy Night w/ Francisco Ramos – 8pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Christine Love – 6pm

Jazzville @ Agua Caliente – Angie Wells Quartet – 7pm

Jolene’s – Rebecca Clark – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Mark Guerrero, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – Whiskey Sunday – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the Plaza – 6-9pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails –Yoves w/ Davis Saba and Buz Blvd – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – Latina Night w/ DJ LF – 9pm

Purple Room – Sharon Sills – 6:30pm

Runway – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King Trio – 6pm

The Village – DJ Cranberry – 9pm

Friday, January 20

Awe Bar – Mapache – 8pm

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, Off Da Cuff – 7pm

Bart Lounge – DJ Zork and Friends – 8pm

Casuelas Café – The Myx – 6:45pm

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Marc Antonelli – 6pm

Jolene’s – Patrice Morris – 7pm

Larkspur Grill – TBA – 7pm

Lavender Bistro – Jeff Bonds, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – The Reel Band – 9pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana – 122:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm O’Caine’s – Craic Haus – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the Plaza – 6-9pm

Pappy & Harriet’s – Steven Page –8:30pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails –

Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – Groove

Tekka Club House w/ DJs Femme A, Chicosounds and Jeffree – 9pm

Purple Room – Linda Purl w/ Tedd Firth – 6pm

Sullivan’s – Hotwyre – 5:30pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 5pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King – 7:30pm

The Village – Rob & JB – 5:30pm, DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm, DJ Cranberry – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Saturday, January 21

Awe Bar – Leroy from the North – 7pm

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, Tony Grandberry – 7pm

Bart Lounge – Picopalooza w/ DJ Pico and Friends – 8pm

Casuelas Café – Vinny Berry – noon, Avenida – 6:30pm

Chef George’s – TBA – 6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – Brewing the Vibes w/ The Ill Eagles and Crucial Culture – 7:30pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Marc Antonelli – 6pm

Jolene’s – Fun with Dick and Jane – 7pm

Lavender Bistro – Jeff Bonds, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – The Reel Band – 9pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana –12pm-2:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

O’Caine’s – Paddy’s Pig – 6pm

Old Town La Quinta – Live Music in the Plaza – 6-9pm

Pappy and Harriet’s – Rose’s Pawn Shop – 8:30pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails –

Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

Pretty Faces Nightclub – DJ Cielohigh and LF – 9pm

Purple Room – Alex Korey and Teri Ralston – 6pm

Sullivan’s – Paul Villalobos – 5:30pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 5pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Rose Mallett –5-7pm, John Stanley King – 7:30pm

The Village – Rob & JB – 1pm, Dio DJ the Ace – 9pm, DJ Cranberry – 9pm, DJ Erika Starr – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Sunday, January 22

Awe Bar – Teddy Quinn’s Open Mic Night – 6pm

Babaloo Lounge – Tristen/Flamingo Guitar – 1pm, Bob Corwin Piano Bar –3:30pm, Tim Burleson – 6pm

Bart Lounge – Latina Night w/ DJ LF –8pm

Blu Ember – Gina Sedman – 5pm

Casuelas Café – El Mariachi Coachella –1pm, Voices Carrie – 5:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – Acoustic Afternoon w/ Jetta King and Chaz Marriott – 3:30pm

Fisherman’s Market, PS – Live Music –6pm

Jolene’s – Fun with Dick and Jane – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Scott Carter, Mark Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 3:30-7:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Tommy Bahamas – Alex Santana – 12pm

The Village – Gio the Ace - 9pm

Monday, January 23

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30, Tim Burleson – 6pm

Casuelas Café – Live Music – 5:30pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Larry Copeleto – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Abbie Perkins, Mark Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Richard “88 Fingers” Turner – 6pm

The Village – DJ Gio the Ace – 9pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

Tuesday, January 24

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30-6:30pm, The Carmens – 6:30pm

Casuelas Café – The Desert Suite Band – 5:30pm

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30pm Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Patrice Morris – 6pm

Lavender Bistro – Abbie Perkins, Mark Guerrero on the Patio – 6pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Purple Room – Rose Mallett – 6:30pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Slim Man Band –6pm

The Village – DJ Erika Starr – 9pm

Wednesday, January 25

Babaloo Lounge – Bob Corwin Piano Bar – 3:30-6:30pm

Casuelas Café – Lisa Lynn and the Broken Hallelujahs – 5:30pm

Chef George’s – Tim Burleson – 6:30pm

Coachella Valley Brewing Co. – Trivia Night – 7pm

Cunard’s Sandbar – Bill Baker – 6pm

The Fix – Alex Santana – 5:30pm

Indian Wells Resort Hotel – Rebecca Clark – 6pm

Jolene’s – Open Mic – 6:30pm

Lavender Bistro – Mark Guerrero, Scott Carter on the Patio – 6pm

Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Shotgun Jefferson – 7pm

Mitch’s on El Paseo – Alex Santana – 122:30pm

The Nest – Live Music – 6:30pm

Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails –Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

Purple Room – Charles Herrera, Darci Daniels and Michael Holmes – 6:30pm Tack Room Tavern – T-Bone Karaoke –7pm

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King – 6pm

The Village – DJ Cranberry – 9pm, Banda Revolucion – 10pm

Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6pm

NEW EXHIBIT AT THE PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM TRAVELTIPS4U

PALM SPRINGS, CA

This survey of Phillip K. Smith III’s spectacular experiments with light and change spans almost two decades from 2004 to 2022.

Presented throughout four galleries, this selection of free-standing objects, wallmounted works, and immersive installations demonstrates the breadth of the artist’s mastery of his medium. Phillip draws from elements of painting, sculpture, and architecture, and deploys a pared-down vocabulary of pure forms, reflective surfaces, and continually changing colors to create absorbing perceptual and atmospheric effects.

Inspired by the daily light phenomena of the desert, many works slowly shift from hue

to hue as determined by Phillip’s precisely paced color choreography.

All of his works have an elusive, ephemeral quality to them. As the light and the perspective of the viewer shift, so the form and perception of the works fluctuate-creating an ever-changing experience.

HOURS

Mon-Wed: Closed Thursday: Noon-8:00pm

Fri-Sun: 10:00am-5:00pm

Admission Adults $16

Seniors (62+) $14

Students/Teachers $8

Always free for children under 18, activeduty military and their family, and NARM and ROAM participants.

Free admission on Thursdays from 5:00-

8:00 pm (funded by the City of Palm Springs). For more information visit psmuseum. org/visit/psam

Think Creative Art and Enjoy the Colors as they Change!

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER

PRESENTING A PASSION 4 PINOT!! THE VINO VOICE

BY RICK RIOZZA

Roll Up!! The 3rd Annual Palm Springs Pinot Noir Festival—aka “A Passion

4 Pinot” is returning to our desert surrounds coming Friday & Saturday, January 27 & 28, 2023 to Rancho Mirage. Wine Lovers!! Tickets are limited!! Get yours now!!

So here’s the good news: The Pinot Party of the Year is happening next week! The other news is that this fabulous wine festival will be sold out within the week! Hey—I’m not the salesman here, but Pinot envy is running rampant, and all I want to do is encourage you Pinot Noir lovers to experience the passion!

To begin with, this year’s Pinot Noir fest scheduled 4 different events: a wine luncheon, two wine dinners, and one great big Grand Tasting. As of this writing, the two dinner events—The Russian River Valley 40th Anniversary Dinner & the Anderson Valley 40th Anniversary Dinner are already sold out! (Note to self: be proactive—write this info on next year’s calendar stat!)

Fortunately for our fun-loving valley, we still have the two remaining wine events to attend: Friday January 27th-11:30-1:30pm-Sun, Wind & Wine. The Santa Lucia Highlands Luncheon, and Saturday January 28th-2:00-5:30 or 3:005:30pm – GRAND TASTING EVENT. I’ll see you at both of them!

I know many of you readers attended last year’s Grand Tasting and found the event to be the best Pinot Noir tasting of the year—and the year had just begun. Playing out again, is this the best way to start 2023, or what!? Indeed, this annual Palm Springs Pinot Fest is the largest Pinot Noir wine tasting in all of Southern California! Congratulations!

This “Passion 4 Pinot” is the premier event on the international wine calendar. Hosted in one of the world’s most dramatic and aweinspiring Hotels, this is a unique opportunity to engage with 80 of the top winery owners and winemakers and other leading wine personalities and enthusiasts from all over California.

As their website states: “During this Celebration of Pinot Noir, you will discover just what it is that makes Pinot Noir so unique. Join with other Pinot lovers and aficionados as you share tastings that will profile the uncompromising characteristics and unforgettable characters & highlight the different winemaking practices and philosophies that produce wines of such distinction. And this all takes place where you can relax and unwind at the world class Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa.”

As this column has written previously, we’ve come to know wine promoter & producer Dave Frashcetti who has been at the helm of this annual Pinot Fest, and, the Rancho Mirage Wine & Food Fest. And we’ve come to know that he only partners-up with top tier wine producers and wineries. As to the Pinot Fest, Dave comments, “Unlike other events, we are not trying to be everything to everyone; our focus is on great Pinot Noir,”

I’ve spoken with Dave, and his wine cup continues to runneth over with fresh exuberance. “I learned many years ago that when it comes to wine festivals, bigger is not better. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Those who have attended my events before know that our event is a first class fun event that is designed for all types of wine lovers, from novices to expert Somms. It’s not snobbish; it’s

a fun-filled afternoon that allows one to learn, taste and fall in love with amazing Pinot Noir from the best that California has to offer.”

The Santa Lucia Highlands Luncheon- Friday January 27th-11:30-1:30pm. Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands is known for its luscious, supple mouthfeel, bright juicy fruit and longevity on the palate and in the cellar.

The afternoon fête will feature eleven wineries with special library Pinot Noirs direct from the winemaker’s’ cellars, plus sparkling wines and refreshing Rosé – all paired with gourmet fare from Mission Hills Executive Chef Joel. Some of the amazing wineries to be pouring at this special luncheon include: Bernadus, Beau Marchais, McIntyre, Miner, Morgan, Siduri, Tolosa, Walt, and Wrath.

GRAND TASTING EVENT - Saturday, January 28th, 2:00-5:30 or 3:00-5:30pm (The Early Entry VIP ticket allows you to get in one hour earlier than the General Admission ticket). As mentioned, this is one, big, tasting that showcases 80 of the best Pinot produces in California. What more can we write on? I know—“so many wines...let’s fine the time.” All we can really say is: attend and acclimate to the allure of Pinot Noir! We’ll probably do a “Pinot After-Party” article later, where we’ll write on some of our favorite quaffs of the event, but with a quick sample, do keep in mind some of these wineries that are near and dear to our hearts and palates:

DuMol: “We have the great privilege of farming small select parcels across more than two dozen very special vineyard sites. It takes time, working with a vineyard, to discover its defining characteristics. A lightness of touch in our winemaking allows us to achieve a more complex, multi-dimensional, “effortless” quality in our wines. Andy Smith Viticulturist, Winemaker & Partner

Three Sticks: “Our philosophy is to produce wines of world class quality from exceptional vineyards in Sonoma County, including our estate properties Durell and Gap’s Crown Vineyards. We are passionate about what we do and we hope you like the wines as much as we enjoy making them!” Bill Price, Proprietor.

Papaprieto Perry: Located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley, they specialize in small lots of handcrafted, single-vineyard designate Pinot Noir, and Rosé of Pinot Noir produced from the finest grapes Sonoma County has to offer. Owners Ben and Yolanda actually came to visit & share their wines with me last time out! Can’t wait to see them again. See you at the events! Cheers!

Tickets & Info: palmspringspinotfest.com

BY DEANN LUBELL

One doesn’t always need canvas and a paintbrush to be an outstanding artist. Sometimes plant material, steel, and randomly found objects can form masterpieces. Thus is the case of talented hi-desert artist, Ben Allanoff. His large scale temporary and permanent installations relating primarily to the natural world engages the public as participants.

“As a self-taught artist,” said Ben, “I am a strong believer in breaking down barriers between artist and non-artist, as well as outsider, and officially sanctioned artist. Even between what is considered art and not-art.”

Allanoff grew up near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and graduated from Duke University before moving to Los Angeles. Prior to his career as a visual artist, he worked in film and television, and ran a communitybased non-profit devoted to minimizing the negative impacts of human activity on sensitive habitats in and around Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles County.

Since 2017 Allanoff has lived in Joshua Tree, where he is artist-in-residence at the Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation. The Foundation is open to the public on Saturdays from 9-4. Admission is free to all and visitors are welcome to explore the 8 acre sculpture park where steel sculptures by Simi Dabah, and smaller pieces by Allanoff, are offered for sale.

“I am inspired by a deep appreciation for the miraculous persistence, diversity, and beauty of living things,” said Ben. “Much of my work grows out of a desire to catalyze connections - among people, between humans and the rest of the natural world, and between our rational minds and less frequently accessed corners of our consciousness.”

To find out more about Ben Allanoff, his art, and the Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation please go to www.benallanoff.com

(All photos by Ben Allanoff)

PET PL ACE OVERCOMING OBESITY IN PETS

feed” or “It keeps my dog happy to get lots of treats!”

Most people who over feed their pets love their animals. However, some are victims of neglect, such as Annie pictured here. Some time ago, this stray Terrier was brought to Loving All Animals by a Good Samaritan who found her wandering the streets, badly matted and struggling to walk from excessive weight. Shockingly, when her owner was located they made it clear they no longer wanted Annie and suggested she be “put to sleep”. Loving All Animals had a different plan, and Annie was groomed, vetted, put on dog weight loss food, and readied for adoption. Several months later, a much slimmer Annie was spotted happily marching in the Animal Samaritans’ Walk for the Animals with her wonderful new mom. Susan and Annie promote the joy of activities and exercising together.

There are life threatening consequences to overweight dogs and cats. These include increased risk of diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, tumors, and cancer. They are prone to orthopedic problems such as intervertebral disc disease, particularly true of long backed breeds such as Dachshunds. This condition can result in paralysis. Just like people, overweight animals are more prone to body inflammation, high cholesterol, pancreatitis, torn ligaments, knee problems, and many other conditions.

BY JANET McAFEE

staff at local shops Bones and Scones and Pet Oasis can help you select nutritious pet foods that can help them lose weight. Figure out a way to stop Grandma from giving your pet too many treats while you are at work. Don’t FREE FEED leaving excess food available all day. Feed your animals once in the morning and once at dinner time. Slowly reduce portions. Remember that obese pets live an average of 2 years less than those of average weight. Keeping them fit and healthy makes you both healthier and happy!

If you are currently “dogless” or seeking a special purring feline, the list of Inland Empire animal shelters and rescue groups is a great guide for your search. The largest public shelter here is the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms, www. rcdas.org. If you seek a particular breed of rescue pet, check out www.petfinder.com. Enjoy the companionship and blessings cats and dogs give us every day!

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com

Many Americans still struggle with maintaining “social distancing” from their refrigerators after isolation during the pandemic. They may be tempted to grab another comforting treat for their pet, giving in to those pleading looks. Out of the habit and back to work, folks may have reduced walks and activities. It becomes too easy to grab another pet treat while we indulge on snack food for ourselves.

Obesity in pets is a serious problem in this country. Experts estimate as many as 35% of

MEET

LAYLA

I’m a staff favorite, but now I am urgent because I’ve been at the CV Animal Campus since October! I’m a lovely Shepherd mix girl, 1-yrold and 39 lbs of doggie love. My hobby is playing with the pups in the playgroup. Meet me at 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, 10am-4pm Mon thru Sat, ask to meet me in a private visiting room. Dog ID#A1703085. 951-358-7387, www.rcdas.org

the domestic pets in the United States are overweight.

VETRINARIANS REPORT THAT OBESITY IS THE MOST COMMON HEATH THREAT TO OUR PETS. Denial leads many people to be shocked when their vet tells them their picture-perfect pet needs to lose weight. In a nation where over half the human population is overweight, it is not surprising that denial is a typical reaction to being told Fluffy or Fido needs to go on a diet. Typical responses may include, “My husband doesn’t listen to me about how much to

As the New Year 2023 begins, it is a good time to set goals for a better diet and more exercise for you, Fido, and Fluffy. We need to repay them for their love and loyalty with more time and attention. Better health for them also means fewer veterinary bills for us. Play fetch or tag with them in your backyard. Take a walk with Fido on a leash to a new location or pet friendly venue. Find some videos online about practicing yoga with your dog (called doga). There is a new walking calculator app called “Workout Your Walkies” that tells you if your pup is getting enough walking for its age and breed.

Get a wire cat toy with a feather on the end available at all pet stores and enjoy Fluffy’s antics. Cats enjoy playing with empty cardboard boxes. They can play endlessly with balls made out of tin foil.

Hold firm pet parents and don’t give in to the sad begging face under the dining room table. Research healthy weight loss diets. The

MEET HILARY

I’m a happy, healthy girl, but I’m now URGENT at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter. I’m 28 lbs of puppy love, 8-moold, Shepherd mix girl. I’m a long-term resident since Nov. 3. Meet me at 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, 10am4pm Mon thru Sat, ask to meet me in a private visiting room, dog ID#A1704601. (951) 3587387, www.rcdas.org

COACHELLA VALLEY ANIMAL CAMPUS –Open 10:00-4:00 Monday through Saturday. View animals online at all 4 county shelters www.rcdas.org, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644. (Public)

PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER – Open to the public, closed Tuesday. View animals online at psanimalsshelter.org and complete application for the one you want to meet, 4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, Call (760) 416-5718. (Public)

DESERT HOT SPRINGS ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL – Open daily 9:30-4:30. www. cityofdhs.org/animal-care-control.com, View animals at www.petango.com/dhsacc. 65810 Hacienda Ave, Desert Hot Springs, Call for appointment (760) 329-6411 ext. 450.

ANIMAL SAMARITANS – Open to the public. View their animals at www. animalsamaritans.org. Email volunteer@ animalsamaritans.org to foster or volunteer. Located at 72307 Ramon Rd, Thousand Palms, (760) 601-3918. (Private)

CALIFORNIA PAWS RESCUE - Call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 73650 Dinah Shore, Palm Desert. View their animals at californiapawsrescue.com, (760) 6563833. (Private)

HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY – Fill out an application online www. orphanpet.com and call for an appointment. This shelter has dogs of all sizes and cats, Located at 17825 N. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, (760) 329-0203. (Private)

KITTYLAND – Open to the public to adopt cats and kittens. Located at 67600 18th Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, www. kittylandrescue.org, (760) 251-2700. (Private)

PRETTY GOOD CAT – Foster based rescue for cats located in La Quinta. Contact them at prettygoodcat.com, (760) 660-3414 (Private)

LOVING ALL ANIMALS – Call for appointment to adopt dogs. Located at 83496 Avenue 51, Coachella, lovingallanimals.org, (760) 834-7000. (Private)

ANIMAL RESCUE CENTER OF CALIFORNIA

– Foster based rescue for dogs and cats in Indio. thearc-ca.org, (760) 877-7077 (Private)

FLUFFS & SCRUFFS – Foster based rescue for small dogs in Cathedral City. FLUFFSANDSCRUFFS@AOL.COM, (310) 9803383 (Private)

SOCIETY’S OUTKAST ANIMAL RESCUE

– Foster based rescue for dogs in Rancho Mirage, www.societysoutkasts.com, (760) 832-0617. (Private)

LIVING FREE ANIMAL SANCTUARY –Large outdoor shelter for dogs and cats up Hwy 74, Mountain Center, living-free.org, (951) 659-4687. (Private)

CITY OF BANNING ANIMAL SHELTER –Open daily 10am-6pm. Located at 2050 E. Charles St, Banning. Many beautiful animals of all sizes. View animals at arerescue.org/ banning. (951) 708-1280 Short staffed so don’t always answer phones. (Public)

CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL SHELTER – Open 12:00 – 3pm Tues through Sat. Google “City of San Bernardino Animal Shelter” for website to view animals and get ID number of the animal you want. Located at 333 Chandler Place, San Bernardino, (909) 384-1304 or (909) 384-7272. (Public)

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER AT DEVORE – Open 7 days a week. Call (909) 386-9280, www.sbcounty.gov/acc and get the ID number of animal you are interested in adopting, 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino (Public).

Here are some places where you can adopt a wonderful rescue dog or cat!

So what is mobility training?

Mobility is strength in the range of motion of the muscle.

There are two types of mobility: 1. Mobility of the muscle / body part (isolation)

2. Overall mobility, also known as the structural balance

If you can’t get into a good position to execute a lift, you won’t be able to engage the muscles you’re trying to work, and you’re just increasing your risk for injury.

Almost all chronic pains and injuries are fixable, and most of them can be fixed with correct mobility work.

If you head into a workout with limited range-of-motion, your assistance muscles will start to compensate. Because assistance muscles are typically smaller and weaker, forcing them to handle excessive torque is a recipe for pain and injury. Worse, if your lifts aren’t activating primary muscles because you can’t achieve full range-of-motion, you probably won’t even build the muscle you’re working toward.

Mobility Affects Functional Movement

Functional movements are the typical actions you go through every day: sitting in a chair, walking, carrying a bag of groceries. You don’t think about these movements most of the time, but they require mobility just like workouts and athletics do.

This is why mobility training is not just for athletes. Everyone can benefit from improved range of motion. It makes daily activities easier and less likely to cause injury. This is especially true for older adults because mobility naturally decreases with age.

Joints don’t have any blood supply going to them — the way they get their nourishment is actually through movement.

Movement almost flushes your joint, so what happens is you’re getting rid of inflammation and then the new fluid that’s coming to the joint [known as synovial fluid] is what’s gonna bring the nutrients to nourish it.

Practicing Mobility Training improves every day Functioning. Without regularly moving your joints through their full ranges

BREAKINGTHE4TH WALL

of motion, you may have a more difficult time carrying out simple, everyday movements, or your shoulder mobility may not be adequate enough that you can reach up and grab a cereal box off the top of your fridge, for example. Or you might struggle to bend down and tie your sneaker if you’re short on hip mobility.

The ability to have full range of motion in your muscles and joints is one of the most important aspects of training.

BY COACH NADIA POPOVA

“Act as young as you feel. You’re not getting older. You’re getting more entitled to be your fabulous self!” – Gwen Stefani

When I first met June August, almost a decade ago, I knew immediately that I was in the presence of grace, intelligence and talent. I was hosting a radio show and interviewed women locally and nationally, who were known to “lead and inspire.” June, most certainly fit that definition. She is an award-winning actress, playwright and songwriter, wrapped up in the persona of an artist with wisdom that was evident in every expression.

June C. August, has had a full and distinguished career in theatre, achieving success nationally before her move to the Coachella Valley, where she has continued her theatrical contributions to desert stages since arriving.

Her most recent playwriting endeavor, “All About Moonbeams,” is making its World Premiere staged reading at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, 72425 Via Vail in Rancho Mirage on January 20th and 21st, Produced by Script2Stage2Screen, “All About Moonbeams,” is a dramatic comedy about a group of senior women who join

a memoir-writing group in an upscale 55+ apartment complex. Their group is facilitated by a younger writer who has his own agenda. He urges them to recount their memories, but is met with some reluctance and hidden secrets. The story focuses on who these women are and what their backstories are. What life-altering events might have transformed them? How willing would they be to delve into their lives and tell the truth about themselves without tarnishing the image they want to protect?”

August, stated that; “All About Moonbeams has been a project of discovery. Above all, it’s an expression of love for the women of Harvest Moon Senior Residence. My goal was to create unique characters—not stereotypes of older women often depicted in movies and television. They are not only composites of the many women I’ve observed or admired or learned from, but also my images of women who, although flawed, are accomplished and strong and survivors of life’s exigencies.

Women love to tell you their stories— whether fabricated, authentic, or a little of both. Walk into any beauty shop and you’ll find two women who didn’t know each other ten minutes earlier sharing their joys and concerns and ailments. I do that myself. So, I started

out with a hankering to discover what special characteristics and gifts allow us to open their hearts to each other.”

She stated that the idea came to her more than 30 years ago when she moved her mother into a retirement facility and began to think about the aging process.

August, also wrote three original songs for the script;

I WANT TO BELIEVE originally a poem she wrote for her children when they were little. The accompanying music took a little longer to find.

THAT’S ENOUGH FOR ME is a song about friendship. (Originally written for a bio-musical about Ethel Waters, but eventually pulled and used for this show.)

FELIZ CUMPLEANOS – specifically written for this play’s Latina character.

All About Moonbeams, features some of the desert’s best performers.

Pamela Cole as Louise. - Alden West as Clara. - Valerie-Jean Hume as Vera. Shirley LeMaster as Janette. - Kimberly Cole as Helen. - And Stephen Blackwell as Rick.

August, is also directing her play. When commenting on the process of both writing and directing a piece, she stated; “accepting

Seated shoulder squeezes To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Want to Dive Deeper Into Your Wellness Journey?

Call us to schedule your Free Fitness Assessment/Consultation at (760)880-9904 or visit our website: cvsendmeatrainer.com We look forward to hearing from you!

BY DEE JAE COX

the distinction between subjective author and objective director—has been another journey. A playwright creates dialogue; actors bring it to life. I hope the extraordinary actors who allowed me to make that journey will forgive me for the times I struggled to let go of my darlings.”

I am always intrigued when I see works written and directed by the same artist. While common in film, the stage frequently has the expectation that the playwright should pass their script along to others to direct. Though I do believe theatre to be a collaborative art, I don’t agree with the ‘someone other than the playwright must direct,’ philosophy as a general rule. Directing (or not,) should be a personal choice for the writer, if they possess the skill to do both. It can absolutely benefit the script to step back and gain perspective while someone else directs, but it can also be beneficial to the storytelling if the playwright has the opportunity to do the staging in an effort to further develop the story. And with an artist as experienced and talented as June August, there is no doubt her directing skills will only be outshined by her writing.

All About Moonbeams, will be presented by Stage2Script2Screen at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, 72425 Via Vail in Rancho Mirage on Friday, January 20, 2023 and Saturday, January 21, 2023, at 7:30 pm. www.script2stage2screen.com

Dee Jae Cox, is a playwright, director and producer. Cofounder and Artistic Director of The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Project. losangeleswomenstheatreproject.org

And Co-Creator of the Palm Springs Theatre Go-To-Guide, palmspringstheatre.com

A PRESIDENTIAL SOAP OPERA HADDON LIBBY

What will historians write when they look back on current times – a period when three of the men who ran for President in 2020 were Yeezy, The Donald and Ol’ Joe. This same trio continue their pursuits of America’s highest elected office when most Americans wanting none of them.

Let’s start with Ye aka Yeezy, Weezi, Pablo, Malcolm, Louis Vuitton Don, Evel Kanyeavel, Martin Louis Kanye West, Black Zac Efron, Black Hitler, Kanye to the, The Don, Sway King Cole, the LeBron of Rhyme, Omari himself, K-Rock, Mr. West to some, Mr. Kanye Omari West. This guy is the one who lit his career and personal fortune on fire with his recent love affair with white supremacy while professing his liking of Adolf Hitler. Per Mr. West’s own words on a radio show known for being a pillar of truthfulness, Alex Jones, he likes Hitler. According to The Don, Hitler had redeeming qualities - a unique take for an African American who is running for President. Ye’s logo for his 2024 run includes a swastika. Seriously. Ye is committed to Ye’s unique approach in attempting to become the next President of Ye United States.

MLK West may have the nerve, if not mental stability or experience, to be President. Only last month, Ye asked Orange 45 to be his vice president. Ye then married Yeezy designer Bianca Censori at which point she cut her long locks and bleached it blonde to mimic the recent look of Ye’s ex - Kim Kardashian.

Moving on from this seemingly unstable Presidential ‘candidate’ to the one who professes his own intelligence nearly every

day, it is time for the latest installment in the daily soap opera known as former President Donald Trump.

In this week’s episode, The Donald’s company has been found guilty of tax fraud and gets hit with a $1.6 million fine, the largest possible fine in the state of New York. While this is happening, we find out that Trump’s Homeland Security Chief and eightday Chief of Staff John Kelly released a book titled, “Donald Trump v. the United States.” In this book, Kelly says that Trump mulled dropping a nuclear bomb on North Korea and then suggesting that the U.S. spin the news to deny that the United States did it. This from the self-professed “Stable Genius”.

On the lighter side, we learn that Ivanka cut her long, bottle-blonde locks for a shorter

look that is reminiscent of Kanye’s ex Kim Kardashian.

If the Kelly news cycle or fraud verdict isn’t bad enough, the lawsuit brought by former Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll moves forward. As we find out in a review of that deposition, Trump is yet again his own worst enemy do to his incurable case of verbal diarrhea.

When it seems that TrumpWorld is on the ropes with nothing but troubles ahead, President Joe Biden throws the Trumpster a lifeline.

Do you remember that raid on the Miralago complex where highly classified documents were found? Legal pundits have told us that Trump would easily be found guilty and barred from running for President again should the Department of Justice file

BY HADDON LIBBY

charges.

To nearly everyone’s surprise, good ‘ol Joe seems to have done the same thing.

This is when the third clown of this threering circus comes in - President Joe Biden. This octogenarian starts hyping a potential run for reelection in 2024. He does it with the knowledge that he is about to get his head handed to him for having classified documents all over the place. We are told to believe that what ‘sleepy’ Biden did is not with the same malice as Trump.

We are told to believe that this Biden’s offense is different than 45s, yet Hunter Biden was paid millions by a Ukrainian utility as well as the Chinese while Joe’s brother is also reported to have received payments.

While all of this would make for a good soap opera or black comedy, historians will look on this period and reason that we all went daft. Let’s hope that we find better leadership for 2024 and beyond.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For information on our services, please visit www.WinslowDrake. com

The Holidays are the best of times… and the worst of times. They bring out wonderful people trying to help their fellow man in times of need. However, they also bring out the crooks that pray upon the innocent. Unfortunately, the innocent are usually the elderly…, and that is the greater Palm Springs community. Shakespeare said to “beware of strangers” and which is more true today than ever before.

This new scam starts with a victim getting a call stating they are a delivery company and they have something to deliver. They inquire if you will be home…and then shortly after that, you get a knock on the door with a package/flowers and wine etc. However, the kicker is that they come up with an excuse that you have to pay a minimal amount for tax etc, and the driver can’t accept cash.

When asked who it is from, the driver explains a card (that will never arrive) is being sent separately, and he doesn’t have info on the party. The deliveryman further explains he needs a signature to prove he delivered the item and a credit card for a minimal verification charge. The Victim is told the courier does not carry cash to avoid being robbed.

A credit card is requested to be swiped on a small portable card machine. You are asked to enter your PIN, and a receipt is

printed and given to you. Sounds good so far. Within the next day or so, your card will be charged for thousands of dollars of goods or ATM withdrawals. The machine is capable of creating a dummy card with all your info.

I previously wrote about a similar scam at hotels where someone calls your room allegedly from the front desk and comes up with an excuse to get your credit card info. Your credit card information can also be stolen without taking a physical credit card. These sophisticated thieves have an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) which is half the size of a laptop. When they walk by you in a restaurant, airport, or department store, the card reading device, which costs less than $100, automatically steals your personal info off your credit card.

Radio Frequency Identification is a tiny chip in our credit and debit cards. If your card has the symbol of 4 waves )))) or says Pay Pass, Pay Wave or Blink, it has RFID.

The bad guys can instantaneously transfer your personal information from the RFID onto a hotel credit card-sized room key. That room key is now a “credit card,” which can be used to swipe and charge things against your card account. To avoid this, you can put your credit cards into a protective sleeve with an aluminum lining. This type of theft can occur with your passport at an airport, so you

should buy protective sleeves for both

You must also be wary of Fake Shipping scams that create malware. I receive many emails notifying me a package is on its way. However, if you get this, don’t click when you get this, as it may contain a link or attachment that will take you to a site that installs malware. If you didn’t order anything, don’t click on it.

The moral of the story is to be careful giving out your credit card info to strangers. The Credit card company and the bank will probably not waive these withdrawals/ purchases charges. After all, your card was not stolen…it was the info on the card that you provided to a thief.

Consumers will be allowed to report accounts affected by ID theft directly to creditors in addition to credit reporting agencies to prevent the spread of erroneous information. To obtain a free credit report, you can go to www.annualcreditreport.com

or 877-322-8228.

If your credit card is stolen, report the theft to the major reporting agencies below. Here is some helpful information to assist you in doing so:

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285: To place a fraud alert, 888-766-0008. To order a credit report, call 800-685-1111.

Experian: (formerly TRW 888-397-3742 to place a fraud alert. To order a credit report, call 888-397-3742.

Trans Union: 800-680-7289 to place a Fraud alert. To order a credit report, call 800888-4213.

Social Security Administration: Fraud line 800 269 0271.

As they say, “Forewarned is Forearmed!!!” and “People Don’t Plan to Fail; they Fail to Plan.” So now that you have learned these lessons, Plan Ahead and be aware of your surroundings.

Dale Gribow Attorney at Law

“TOP LAWYER” Palm Springs Life

“TOP LAWYER” Inland Empire Magazine 73-061 El Paseo, Suite 220

Palm Desert, CA 92260

Office - 760-837-7500 Fax - 760 837-7502

Dale@DaleGribowLaw.com www.DaleGribowLaw.com

TIAR’A LITERARY & ILLUSTRATION REVEALS

COACHELLA VALLEY’S REAL ESTATE HERO BY TIAR’A LITERARY & ILLUSTRATION

Occasionally, rumors circulate concerning individuals that take the time and effort to, “go the extra mile”.

What is the extra mile?

Going the extra mile, as societally defined, is when one does more than what has been asked – and without pay. The term “go the extra mile” can best be described as an example; if you were paid to sweep a floor, would you also clean the windows? The answer for most is, “no”. However, if an individual was to “go the extra mile” they might also clean the windows - even if they are not paid to do so.

In the expansive, yet consistently volatile world of real estate, realtors and brokers endure far more resistance than they do acceptance. As a result, many (and sadly), refrain from, “going the extra mile”. But let us not be too quick to draw the jagged sword of judgement upon this motivation and slash the throats of the purveyors of the deed exchange. Real estate is a double-edge sword whose cut can injure a broker or agent, on occasion so deeply that any hope of a moral and ethical resurrection is reduced to - but a dream

Real estate can be summarized as follows: A client is presented to do business on a sale or purchase. A transaction is introduced by the realtor/broker. An offer is written. An offer is rejected. Another property is identified after copious hours of property searching –but it’s not good enough for the client. The realtor/broker commences another property search. Enter another realtor or broker willing to assume a much lower commission from the client. The client severs communication with the original realtor/broker, and all said realtor/broker’s time and effort are never financially compensated. When considering the aforementioned, one might presume that any realtor or broker might become callous, jaded, and in-turn morph into being someone that no one finds agreeable to work with [we all know the type]. If that person only focused on self; self-gain and selfgratification, everyone else to this person is merely an afterthought. The thought of doing

SAFETYTIPS

any additional work without compensation or “going the extra mile” never caresses their mind.

Reality dictates that all realtors and brokers go through the above. Real estate is unequivocally a proverbial minefield laden with booby-traps waiting to erupt and steal the soul of the one wielding the “Department of Real Estate License”. For those of you who may not be familiar with the inner doings of real estate, lawsuits and real estate are virtually synonymous. “He said! She said! I want more. I want you to lower your commission. You lied!”, and so on. Can you imagine existing within a profession where these sorts of events transpire on an almost daily basis? Kudos to those who can muster the intestinal fortitude to swim within the sludge of the putrid boggy pit. What is however remarkable is when we hear accounts of a particular realtor/broker that manages to extract the moral and ethical strength to plow through the minefield with consistency, remain unscathed, and continually, “go the extra mile” no matter the obstacles that may appear upon the journey.

Michael Valerio has been one of the Coachella Valley’s highest performing realtors since the beginning of the new millennium, and always “goes the extra mile”. Michael

boasts real estate’s prestigious, “Rookie of the Year Award”, “4 Diamond Award Winner”, a staggering average production rate of 75 home sales per year. He is ranked number “7” in the country by his broker, HomeSmart Professionals, and is voted by Palm Springs Life Magazine, “Realtor of the Year” three years in a row: 2019, 2020, and 2021. Michael’s passion for real estate is unbridled, and significantly enhanced by his ethics, morals, and common decency.

As a younger man, Michael’s dedication to others was apparent. He enrolled in the U.S. military and spent several years serving our country. Being a member of the service, and having been exposed to so much inequality, birthed a harmonious rhyme within Michael early in life to want to give back to others –no matter the cost or lack-their-of financial reimbursement. It comes as no surprise that Michael is passionately involved with Shining Stars Hero: The Home Buying Program

Shining Stars Hero assists local “heroes” to purchase homes. You may be wondering, who is considered a “shining star”. The list includes veterans, active-duty military, law enforcement, educators, first responders, and healthcare workers. Although in Michael’s and our opinion, everyone is a “shining star”, no matter the vocation.

Shining Stars Hero program assists anyone identifed within the above vocations in receiving discounts on real estate, mortgage loans, home insurance, and home inspections.

If you are interested in the Shining Stars Hero program, know of anyone who might be, or are looking to purchase or sell residential real estate, Michael Valerio can be reached at: 760.712.5948. Alternatively, you may visit Michael’s website at: shopcoachellavalleyhomes.com

Tiar’a Literary & Illustration is a premier content creation and marketing company that produces engaging and informative content for individuals and business worldwide. Email: tiarapublications@gmail.com

“Creating content for individuals and businesses worldwide”

LET THE STRESS GO AND GET BACK INTO THE GROOVE!

Need an early Valentine’s Day gift? It’s time to get out of the rain and into the groove and enjoy the 2023 Westin Grooves music Jazz concert series with Eric Saxman Darius & Vocalist Rebecca Jade Saturday January 28th, 2023, at the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort and Spa.

There is not a better time to let the hectic holidays along with 2022 go and look & listen forward - bringing in 2023 with some great music at one of Coachella Valley’s most beautiful resorts.

Wherever you live, you know Rancho Mirage will have the best weather and the best place to come “play and relax” at the Westin Resort. Come a day early or stay an extra day and enjoy the new Westin backyard. Better yet, surprise your loved

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

one with an early Valentine’s Day gift!

The best of amenities such as golf, food, entertainment, Pinz and pints bowling with arcade games, ten taps of beer, a full bar, and a menu with traditional bar items like burgers and nachos are waiting for you and your family and friends.

Leave the stress behind and come out and start 2023 out right!

Tickets at https://lnkd.in/gTX4Qin6

Location: Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort and Spa. 71-333 Dinah Shore Dr. Rancho Mirage, CA 92270. 760-328-5955.

BY AIMEE MOSCO SWAGFORTHESOUL

UNPACKING YOUR ANCESTRAL BAGGAGE

Your DNA is coded with a veritable library of information that was collected and curated by your ancestors. It is a valuable resource that is right there at your fingertips. Having access to this vault that is stored within the cells of your body is a magical gift but when you are not involved in the energetic maintenance of it, this gift can double as a curse!

Unless you did not know your biological parents and grandparents, you are probably aware of the beliefs, thoughts, and teachings that were passed down to you from your family. The things that were handed down through interactions and repetitious reinforcement are just a fraction of what you were given though.

Your DNA was influenced with every firm belief, repetitive thought, and volatile emotional energy generated by your ancestors. If you are really fortunate, someone in your lineage understood that these inherited energies required management and then acted upon their awareness. Even if you happen to be related to someone who arrived at this understanding, it is unlikely that ALL of your ancestors were managing the energy they were generating and programming into their DNA. Therefore, your DNA library is in need of some maintenance.

As we move into a new paradigm and field of existence, the responsibility to sort through and clear the unfavorable beliefs, thoughts, and emotional energy gifted to you and embedded within your cells was bestowed upon you. This is the end of the line. You simply cannot take these energies with you if you intend to align yourself with productive and joyful living in the new age. You do not need any special skills to unpack this ancestral suitcase. You are equipped with everything you need to sort and release energies you have been carrying within you in this timeline. Your intent and innate intuition are undoubtedly your most powerful tools to manage the energetic library housed in your genetics. When you express the intent to do some

spring cleaning on your DNA, your inner spirit responds.

This all-knowing part of self will step forward and help you examine the energies attached to your inherited beliefs, thoughts, and emotional charges that inhibit your ascension process. Your inner spirit will call to your awareness in one way or another, whatever it is you need to know for growth and then assist you in releasing the energy that no longer serves you. Your most important role in this process is to initiate it with conscious intent and then stay open to the information delivered to you through internal channels from your inner spirit.

In my pursuit to help you connect with your highest level of awareness, I invite you to join my Facebook group SACRED Light Code Keys. Go to facebook.com/ groups/621727488898099 and enjoy the light of this supportive community.

Aimee Mosco is an Author, Intuitive Channel, Spiritual Teacher and Co-Founder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC. Aimee’s desire to help others inspired her first book “Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness”. Aimee serves as a leadership advisor to the World Game Changers Board of Directors, a charitable CIC based in the UK. Find Aimee’s Channeling page on Facebook with @ihsaimeemosco or visit Aimee at www.ihsunity.com

FREEWILLASTROLOGY

WEEK OF JANUARY 19

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Good news, Aries! During the next episode in the age-old struggle between the Impulsive You and the Farsighted You, I predict the latter will achieve a ringing victory. Hallelujah! I also foresee you overcoming the temptation to quit a project prematurely, and instead pushing on to complete it. There’s more! You will refrain from knocking your head against an obstacle in the vain hope of toppling it. Instead, you will round up helpers to help you wield a battering ram that will produce the desired toppling.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may not have a clear picture of where you’ll be going in the next five years. The detailed master plan that your higher self devised for you before you were born might even be obscure. But I’m here to tell you that in the coming weeks, a new lucidity can be yours. You can summon an acute instinct about which way is forward, if only you will recognize the subtle ways it’s speaking to you. In fact, I believe you will regularly know what move you should make *next* so as to expedite your long-term evolution. Life will be rewarding you with mysterious step-bystep guidance. Now please write a short statement affirming your intention to love, honor, and obey your intuition.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do you believe in the existence of guardian angels and spirit guides and ancestors who can intervene in your behalf from the other side of the veil? Do you wonder if maybe your invisible friends from childhood show up in your vicinity now and then to offer you support and kindness? Or how about the animals you loved earlier in your life but who have since passed away? Is it possible their souls have never left you, but are available if you need their affection? Even if your rational mind tells you that none of these possibilities are authentic, Gemini, I suspect you will nevertheless be the beneficiary of their assistance in the coming weeks and months. Their influence will be even more potent if you proceed as if they are real.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Among your potential strengths as a human being are empathy, sensitivity, and emotional intelligence. You may or may not choose to develop these natural gifts. But if you do, they can be instrumental in helping you achieve the only kind of success that’s really meaningful for you—which is success that your heart and soul love as much as your head and your ego. According to my astrological analysis, you are moving into a phase of your cycle when you will have extra power to ripen your empathy, sensitivity, and emotional intelligence—and thereby enhance your ability to achieve the kind of success that’s meaningful for you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Dear Rob the Astrologer: The computer firewall at my youth hostel is blocking your website. I am being told you practice ‘Illegal Folklore and Insurrectionary Fairy Tales.’ What the hell? Can you do anything at your end to get me access to your wonderful horoscopes? Maybe cut back a bit on your Illegal Folklore and Insurrectionary Fairy Tales? Haha. Just kidding. I love that crazy stuff. —Deprived Leo in Ireland.” Dear Deprived: Many of you Leos have lately had problems getting all the Illegal Folklore and Insurrectionary Fairy Tales you need. I hope you will push hard to compensate. In my estimation, you currently have a strong need for dreamy stories that appeal to the Wild Child in you. They’re essential to your mental and spiritual health.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life, Donald Miller acknowledges that fear can be a “guide to keep us safe.” Being afraid may indeed have its uses and benefits. But Miller adds that it’s also “a manipulative emotion that can trick us into living a boring life.” In my astrological opinion, Virgo, fear will be of service to you—a guide to keep you safe—about nine percent of the time in 2023. Around 83 percent of the time, it will be a manipulative emotion not worth acting on. For the other eight percent, it will be neither. Please plan accordingly.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Select two sticky situations in your world that you would love to reinvent. Let other annoyances and glitches just slide for now. Then cultivate a focused desire to do everything in your power to transform the two awkward or messy circumstances. Proceed as if you will have to do all the work yourself— that nothing will change for the better unless you take full responsibility. If you’re absolutely sure this involves other people altering their behavior, consider the possibility that maybe your behavior needs to shift as well.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Three out of four toxic waste dumps in the US are located in predominantly African American or Latino communities. Two million tons of radioactive uranium tailings have been dumped on Native American lands. Three hundred thousand Latino farm workers in the US suffer from pesticiderelated sicknesses every year. These travesties make me furious. More importantly, my rage motivates me to mitigate these travesties, like by educating my readers about them and donating money to groups crusading to fix the problems. In the coming weeks, Scorpio, I hope you will take advantage of your astrological potentials by using your anger constructively, too. Now is a favorable time for you to fight fiercely and tenderly for what’s right.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I predict that love will bring you many AHA! moments in 2023. You can’t fully prepare yourself for them— and that’s a good thing! The epiphanies will be brighter and deeper if they are unexpected. Your motivation to learn the available lessons will be wilder and stronger if you enjoy being surprised. So be ready for lots of entertaining rumbles and reverberations, Sagittarius. The adjustments you will be asked to make will often be strenuous and fun. The inspirations you will be invited to harvest will require you to outgrow some of your previous beliefs about the nature of intimacy and togetherness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Some insects are helpful to humans. For example, ladybugs devour aphids, which are highly destructive to crops. Damsel bugs eat the pests called leafhoppers, and lacewings feed on the pernicious nuisances known as mealybugs. I also remind you that some bugs are beautiful, like butterflies, dragonflies, and jeweled beetles. Keep these thoughts in mind, Capricorn, as you contemplate my counsel. Metaphorically speaking, you will have experiences with bugs in the next three weeks. But this won’t be a problem if you ally yourself with the good, helpful, and beautiful bugs.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What are “brain orgasms”? Can you seek them out and make them happen, or do you have to wait patiently for them to arrive in their own sweet time? When they occur, what should you do? Surrender into them with all your welcome fully unleashed? Or should you question whether they’re real, be suspicious of their blessings, or dismiss them as irrelevant flukes? I encourage you to meditate on questions like these. That will raise your receptivity to the stream of brain orgasms that life will offer you in the coming weeks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My Piscean pagan friend Valie says God is stealthy yet blatant, like a green chameleon perched on a green leaf. After analyzing the astrological omens, I conclude that this is a helpful, all-purpose metaphor for you to use in the coming weeks. I encourage you to be alert for beauty that is hidden in plain sight. See if you can spy the miracles embedded within the ordinary. Ask life to pleasantly blow your mind over and over again. Here’s your phrase of power: open secret

Homework: Ask life to bring you an insight that will help you ameliorate a long-running dilemma. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

© Copyright 2022-23 Rob Brezsny

Rob

hat is Reiki? Reiki is the healing movement of energy. This moving energy is triggered and released from the power source of a master Reiki healer; The source power is always connected to the ultimate vibration of creator; to help with pain, that is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. Bringing the body into balance, says Reiki healer Michelle from the Rainbow Stew gift shop in Yucca Valley.

The shop has a tremendous amount of healing stones, books on healing, tarot cards, and other divinity tools that can help people achieve a better understanding of how energy, mind, body, and spirit can work. I had asked Michelle, and her two partners Valerie and Stacy- what are some of your favorite healing stones? Their top four stones:

Black tourmaline: Tourmaline is a crystalline silicate mineral group in which boron is compounded with elements such as aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, lithium, and potassium. The healing properties of tourmaline or Schorl; it has the power to get rid of negative energies. Further it can ward off negative forces—within a natural and supernatural environment. I always have a piece of tourmaline with me when I am driving and when I am in public places. Further, black tourmaline is connected to the sign of Capricorn and the root chakra.

Rose quartz: Rose Quartz and quartz minerals- is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica; with atoms connected in a continuous shell of silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, all its oxygen being shared between two

tetrahedra. Which ignites the healing power of love! Attached to the heart and the throat chakra which can help heal communication between loved ones and friends; aids in all types of love and self-care, rose quartz can come from Japan, Madagascar, Brazil, and the USA. It’s historically been linked to the Greek Gods of love, Aphrodite, and Adonis. The rose quartz is connected to the zodiac sign of Taurus and to the heart chakra.

Moonstone: Moonstone is a sodium potassium aluminum silicate of the feldspar group that displays a pearly and iridescent sheen, it is also know as heliolite in most geology texts. For the empaths and lightworkers the healing benefits of moonstone can aid in telepathy. Moonstone helps facilitate not only in non-verbal communication but in all types of communication. It has the power of sight for those who are clairvoyant, and it greatly helps those in touch with higher vibrations, receiving clear messages within their own minds. I find this healing stone helpful when I am constantly distracted and cant get focused. The moon stone is connected to the zodiac sign of Cancer and the Crown chakra.

Labradorite: Labradorite is a calciumenriched feldspar mineral first identified in Labrador, Canada, which can display an iridescent effect. Labradorite is an intermediate to calcic member of the plagioclase. The healing properties for labradorite is told by the

Inuit people of Alaska. Coming from Anchorage Alaska; the Inuit tribes taught me to cherish the Labradorite Healing Crystal

because legend told them that it fell from the frozen fire of the Aurora Borealis, this healing and teaching stone rebirths from ordinary to the extraordinary, ignited from Gods healing mystical light; it divides the three-dimensional world from other spirit realities or realms. A healers Stone of Magic, the healing medicine of shamans, diviners, light workers, and all other enlightened healers. Labradorite is connected to: numbers 6 and 7; chakras of the Third Eye, crown and throat; elements of air and water; and the zodiac signs of Leo, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. Further labradorite is connected to the planet Uranus.

The healing power of Reiki and earth medicines or crystals can be an alternative to someone who is searching for a non-invasive ways of healing. The Japanese, where the technique originates from: is performed for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is performed and

BY M. WHEELZOT, M.A.S.

administered by “laying on healing Hands” and is believed that an unseen “healing force of energy” currents through a person’s life energy or soul allowing the body to be healed by the Reiki master.

Reiki has been used to help treat: cancer heart disease anxiety depression pain infertility neurodegenerative disorders autism Crohn’s disease

For more information on Reiki and medicine stones you can visit Michelle, Valerie, and Stacy at the Rainbow Stew and learn about the gifts that feed the mind and spirit.

55501 Twentynine Palms Hwy, Yucca Valley Ca, 92284. (760-418-5170)

Further on January 20th & 21st from 2pm9pm; The 420 Bank & Lounge in downtown Palm Springs (296 Palm Canyon, Palm Springs CA. 760-318-6877) are having a wellness weekend full of sound baths, music, yoga, tarot readings, drum circle, and more.

Please be advised: Always consult with your health care provider when exploring other methods of healing.