CORONADO PUBLIC LIBRARY--A VINTAGE TREASURE

"CANASTA DE FLORES"

BY ALFRED RAMOS MARTINEZ

   

CORONADO PUBLIC LIBRARY

     The Coronado Public Library (640 Orange Ave.) is one of the most beautiful libraries around. It was designed over 108 years ago in a classic revival style by architect Harrison Albright. Although it has been renovated on many occasions, the simplicity of the  large white columns and front portico have prevailed.
      The grounds are beautifully landscaped with huge old trees, including a rare Torrey pine and colorful blooming roses. The whimsical 14-foot-high sculpture of a sea dragon called “Imagine” is located near the front sidewalk and is on loan from Lemon Grove artist, Ken Kraber. It is one of many pieces of artwork that can be enjoyed here.

"IMAGINE" BY KEN KRABER

      The building, as well as the spacious block of surrounding park area, was a gift to the citizens of Coronado by sugar and shipping magnate John D. Spreckels in 1909. The library is directly across the street from Spreckels Park, also donated by Spreckels, who owned much of Coronado in the early 1900s, including the Hotel Del Coronado. The John D. Spreckels Center, which replaces the former Senior Center, is currently under construction to the west of the library.

      

"EL DIA DEL MERCADO"

BY ALFRED RAMOS MARTINEZ

When entering the library lobby, the first thing you will notice is an impressive 48-foot-long mural by Alfred Ramos Martinez called “El Dia del Mercado.” This fresco masterpiece was painted in 1938 for the walls of the popular, La Avenida Cafe, that closed in 1990. After careful transport and restoration, that involved cutting it into five separate sections and loading it into a crate before it was sent to storage. It was acquired and installed at the newly renovated and expanded Coronado Public Library in 2005. 

       A second painting by Martinez, “Canasta de Flores,” is attractively installed in the main section of the library. This colorful floral mural, which was covered by wallpaper and paint in the old cafe's cocktail lounge, was discovered by accident because it was covered with wallpaper. It was also restored, and then purchased by the Friends of the Library when the library was renovated.

     

SPRECKELS READING ROOM

The original charm of this building is still evident when you enter the Spreckels Reading Room, located in the older section of the building. It is now a comfortable and peaceful area with leather chairs, work tables, wooden bookcases, artwork, large windows, white walls, and a skylight high above.

      I have a special appreciation for the scenes from the Wizard of Oz, by artist Brenda Smith, that are printed on glass, and installed as suspended panels as you enter the children's library. I also enjoy the display case that changes with the season and is currently a Fairytale Tea Party. It reminds me of the Christmas windows we used to enjoy at Dayton's in downtown Minneapolis when I was young. I like to bring my granddaughter, Mila, here for the popular storytimes. Afterwards, she especially likes to watch the model train that circles above the bookcases in the children's section.

       Also of interest to visitors are the rotating exhibits to view in the gallery as you enter the main library. They change every six to eight weeks; currently on display is The Art of Album Covers. Recent exhibits have included: Designed by Edith Head, the Art of Folk Costume; and World War II in Words and Pictures.

      The Coronado Public Library is open every day of the week, including four weekday evenings until 9 p.m. It offers a wide range of services, databases, lectures, and special programs that are provided free of charge. Information can be found on its website.

      The annual Friends of the Library Book Sale is held annually on the third weekend of April; raising $33,000 for the library in 2016.  It is one of the largest in the country with thousands of books, CDs, and DVDs for sale. It is held in tents located directly across the street from the library in Spreckels Park on the same weekend as the popular Coronado Flower Show.

“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.” -Albert Einstein

CORONADO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Revised July 15, 2017

DOWNTOWN PARKS & SPECIAL PLACES WITH MILA

    

San Diego County Administration Center

  One of the most impressive and noteworthy downtown buildings is the San Diego County Administration Center (1600 Pacific Hwy.). It was built during the Great Depression with funding from the Works Progress Administration and was completed in 1938; often referred to as the Jewel of the Bay because it fronts San Diego harbor, it's particularly stunning after dark when the lights are on. The style is considered Spanish Revival which is identifiable because of its smooth plaster (stucco) walls and semi-circular arcade above the entry way. The Beaux Arts influence is apparent from the mosaics, sculptures, and grand entrance. A massive statue “The Guardian of Water” by Donal Hord stands at the front entrance. This pioneer woman holding a water jug is one of my favorites.

Waterfront Park

       I love this building, however, the real reason for a visit today is the magnificent 12-acre County Administration Waterfront Park located on the grounds to the north and south. Recently completed in 2014, it is the largest downtown park after Balboa Park. With fountains, open grassy areas, gardens of drought tolerant flowers, picnic areas, playground, and large mosaic sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle, it is truly a children's paradise.

With a park like this only a ferryboat ride away, and a granddaughter who is at the “love parks” stage, I was excited to take Mila on another excursion. She is now 22-months-old and still loves to go places. Mila managed to convince me that she needed to bring her two dolls, Stella and Raggedy Andy, with her to the park today (I have enough trouble keeping track of her without worrying about losing a doll.) It turned out fine, because she clutched the dolls tightly most of the time and was proud to have “two friends” with her at the park.

       We arrived at the Broadway Pier at 9 a.m.; Mila and her dolls rode in the stroller as I walked along busy Harbor Drive. She looked quite small compared to the huge cruise ship that was docked at the harbor for the day. We passed the Maritime Museum with its historic Star of India, B-39 Submarine, and Steam Ferry Berkeley. After a few blocks, we crossed Harbor Drive to visit the Waterfront Park. Unfortunately, all of the famous water fountains were closed for maintenance. We hope to return soon to see the fountains.

      

"Dragon" by Niki de Saint  Phalle

We then walked to the south side of the building where the playground equipment, picnic tables, and interactive water pool are. It was a rather quiet Wednesday morning in March, which was good because protecting Mila from all the other active children in a park can be a challenge. There is a large circular hill that kids can climb up on, and then large slides to get down on. It is made of that cushy shock absorbing surface that you find in the latest parks around the country. The slides were large and fast. Mila. Andy, Stella, and I went down the large double slide together a couple of times. I decided not to continue because I almost fell at the bottom, and was afraid that I might end up on top of Mila. We'll leave this slide for another day. There were a couple of toddler swings that she enjoyed. The nearby interactive fountains that kids are allowed to play in were also closed for maintenance. This was probably just as well because she would have been tempted to jump in, and I didn't bring a towel or dry clothes along—that will wait for another day too.

       At this point I was ready for a break, so we walked south to the Headquarters at Seaport Village, and stopped at my favorite downtown Starbuck's. This worked well, because Mila's mom had sent snacks, and she was delighted with the Starbuck's milk. I enjoyed a coffee. We sat together on a high stool and watched people.

      

Next, I decided that we should find out what the small Children's Park is all about. It was another six blocks further south and located directly in front of the Children's Museum and across from the convention center. It is a pleasant, fenced-in little park; however with all of its rope climbing, it is designed for children older than Mila. She had the most fun observing the frequent MTS Red Trolleys pass by on the nearby train track.

      From here we headed down toward the 5^th Avenue Ferry landing, which is near the Convention Center. I kind of expected Mila to fall asleep in her stroller along the way, so I could relax, read, and perhaps have some lunch, but no such luck. I guess downtown is just too exciting.

       We arrived at the ferry landing just in time to catch the 1 p.m. departure which was quite full. I decided to try to get on and let the driver help with the stroller. Unfortunately, they were using the small ferry that does not have a ramp and her stroller needed to be lifted in. This is one of the very rare times I have used her “baby SUV” stroller. It's too big and heavy to be practical in my opinion. We have a small, light-weight stroller that I usually use that can be folded and lifted easily while I am still holding Mila. Anyway, we made it on, but the captain was not very happy with me.

       We were the first ones off and then Mila, who had been clutching her two dolls during the entire day, accidently dropped Raggedy Andy. I thought it had fallen right into the water, but by some miracle, it got caught between the ferry and the dock, preventing the disaster. I bent over and picked it up for her.

       Well, we survived the trip, and I think I needed a nap at the end more than she did. Next time, we will ride a Red Trolley to Old Town. She'll love it and so will I.

Maritime Museum

Cruise Ship - San Diego Harbor

Related Posts: Special Days with Mila at Balboa Park
                                   July 24, 2015

                        Visiting Balboa Park with a Special Person

                                  November 27, 2014

A TRIP TO TUCSON IN THE DESERT

MISSION REVIVAL HOME

DOWNTOWN TUCSON

      Ron and I recently drove to Phoenix to babysit Mila while Anna and John attended a conference. We were delighted to do so, and we were also pleased to receive an unexpected email from a special cousin, Kathy. She informed us that she and her husband, Karl, were in Tucson. We gladly changed our plans and headed to Tucson after Phoenix so that we could join them for dinner. Kathy prepared one of her great meals that included salmon from Alaska. In addition to the meal, they entertained us with stories about their life in Alaska and visits to Sweden.

      We stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Oro Valley, which is about ten miles north of Tucson. I enjoyed the morning walks along paths through the desert, and the well-groomed neighborhoods with interesting cacti along the way. For me, the unattractiveness of the desert sand is somewhat compensated by the fascinating range of shapes, colors, and sizes of cacti and nearby mountains. I was brought up in the Midwest, where we only occasionally saw a cactus planted in an indoor pot, so to see all the varieties growing naturally is quite a treat for me.

     

NATURAL ROCK SCULPTURES

MT. LEMMON SCENIC BYWAY

      On the first day, Ron and I drove up the Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway. This beautiful route is considered one of the most scenic drives in southeastern Arizona. The sharp change in landscape from desert to the Coronado National Forest in just 27 miles is amazing. At the summit is Mount Lemmon Ski Valley (9,157 feet); this is the southernmost ski area in the U.S. It was open for only eight weeks this year (they don't make snow) which is considered a good year. It was open for two weeks last year (not such a good year). There is no grooming here, and the winter temperatures range from 20-50F with an average snowfall of 180 inches. These variable temperatures would make even the easiest ski run a challenge.

    

   

WALL PAINTINGS ON HOMES

A 30-minute drive to the center of Tucson was on my agenda for our last morning. That's because I read about the historical walking tour of downtown Tucson called the Turquoise Trail (formerly called the Presidio Trail) which is marked by a strip of paint that is a two and one-half mile loop through downtown. The trail begins at the Presidio San Augustin del Tucson that was founded by Spanish soldiers in 1775. It was under Spanish control until the Mexican-American War of 1846.

     

ADOBE HOME

DOWNTOWN TUCSON

      The trail is designed as a loop, but it can be done in segments. It was easy to spot the turquoise strip to follow, and I immediately discovered some old adobe buildings that were built in the late 1800s. Adding to the interest were the colorful Mexican paintings that adorned many of the walls. The buildings dated from 1860 to 1920 and included a variety of architectural styles: Sonoran Transitional with its thick adobe walls and narrow window openings; Craftsman Bungalow known for its gable roofs and simplicity of form; Spanish Eclectic that is known for its red-tile clay roofs and arched windows; and Mission Revival with its enclosed courtyards, massive adobe walls and clay roof tiles.

     

     

HOTEL CONGRESS DOWNTWON TUCSON

One of the highlights of the walk is the Hotel Congress that was built in 1919 to serve the passengers arriving at the nearby railroad station. It still has the old west charm and is famous for being the secret hiding place for John Dillinger and his gang, until a fire destroyed the third floor of the hotel in 1934 and blew their cover. They were soon apprehended by local police and extradited to Indiana.

      As you walk along, there are restaurants and shops in historic buildings that I had time to only peek at. The two hours I allotted were not nearly long enough to get the full enjoyment for Tucson's famous downtown historical area.

NATURAL ROCK SCULPTURES

MT. LEMMON SCENIC BYWAY

WALL PAINTINGS ON HOMES

A VINTAGE SHOP IN LITTLE ITALY SAN DIEGO

ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE OF SAN DIEGO

      There is a shop in Little Italy that reminds me of the antique barns that I used to frequent when driving on the country back roads of Minnesota. There is a big difference, however; Architectural Salvage, is in an old mint-green-stucco building, on the corner of Kettner Blvd. and Kalmai Street, in downtown San Diego—loaded with old artifacts from all over the world, with sophisticated customers who walk around with pads and pencils in hand. They range from interior decorators, restoration enthusiasts, artists to just plain lovers of “old stuff,” like me.

          I was originally attracted to this store when Ron and I were casually walking around the area one day. I happened to notice some old odd-sized doors leaning against the outside wall, and then when I looked inside there were hundreds more in a variety of sizes, colors, and styles. I love old doors, but that was just the beginning. The place was also full of antique sinks, keyholes, door handles, knobs, mailboxes, crates, stain-glass windows, pots, pitchers, stools, tables, benches, doll furniture, boxes, brass-plated numbers, light fixtures, tubs, old keys, and more—all displayed in a fascinating way. It's the most clean and artistically displayed store of old stuff that I've ever seen.

LOTS OF DOOR HARDWARE

     After being in business for twenty years, it is not surprising they have attracted customers from all over the world. They purchase in bulk from faraway places like Egypt and Eastern Europe as well as the U.S.

     One of the delightful things about a visit here is that you can take your time and examine all kinds of fascinating items, even taking photos. No one bothers you, just like the large resident cat who freely walks around the place.

     I also like to climb the old staircase to the second level with its additional artifacts, and to view the entire store from above.

    Due to a thriving business, the products are constantly changing—a good reason to return soon.

VIEW FROM UPPER LEVEL

     I must admit that I have absolutely no space or need for anything in this store. Nor do I wish for space for any of this stuff. I lightened my load many years ago, and I have no desire to go back. I do, however, have a great time visiting this place, so if any of my readers need a personal shopper for a one-of-a-kind treasure, just let me know.

                                                                    * * *

     After spending some time in days-of-old, and even seeing a few antique coffee grinders, I recommend crossing the street to the Bird Rock Coffee Roasters for a taste of something new. That is coffee so good and fresh that the only way to fully appreciate it is to drink it black.

     This new third wave of coffee, that is sweeping the city (on the tail end of the microbreweries), is using some “not-so-new” processes like pour-over, siphoned and cold brewing to make a new perfect cup of java that must stand alone. In addition, they roast their own small batches of beans that hail from specific regional farms throughout the world.

     The first wave of coffee was post WWII, when Folgers and Maxwell House were mass produced for the home coffee drinker. The second wave was Starbuck's and Peet's with their dark roast and espresso-based coffee drinks. Now we're on to the third wave, and I'm not sure if I will fully adjust, but I will give it a try. After all, I always drank my Folgers black when I was young; it was too weak to drink otherwise.

NIKKI GIOVANNI ON RACE, LOVE, AND LIFE

"Bicycles: because love requires trust and balance."

      Nikki Giovanni is an author, commentator, activist, educator, and one of the world's most well known African-American poets. She has written over thirty books and received dozens of awards and honors. She currently is the University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Polytechnic University in Blacksburg, Virginia.

      I had the privilege of hearing her speak at the 21^st annual Writer's Symposium at Point Loma Nazarene University on February 18. She received a warm welcome as she entered the stage with a lively gait, warm smile, and colorful-red-plaid jacket. 

       She started the evening by reading her poetry (without punctuation or pause) which was followed by a lively conversation conducted by symposium founder and PLNU journalism director, Dean Nelson. She always advises her students to say something that people don't expect them to say, and that is exactly what she did in this interview. She did it with the humor and wisdom that only a 72-year-old woman who is content with where she's at, and has lived her life in love, could do.

      Here are some of my favorite quotes:

      “It's better to take a chance and be wrong than to be safe and dull.”

      “Tell your story as you see it.”

      “Write in love.”

      “Make the stage work for you.”

      “I recommend being black.”

      “I highly recommend old age: it's fun.”

       “I keep trying to learn something new, so that I can share what I'm learning.” (My favorite.)

      When asked why she doesn't use punctuation when writing her poetry, she said, “she assumes her readers are intelligent, and it is to be read as they understand it.”

      “Send notes to let people know you care about them. (How else will they know?)”

      “If I were advising anyone: Write—the deal is you have to write.”

       “Read something everyday. I do.”

       “I am a dreamer and a storyteller.”

       “Remember that everyone is not always going to love you.”

       “I'm not trying to tell people what to do or what to think or none of that. I'm not a leader, I'm not a guru. I'm just a poet looking at the world.”

                                                   * * *

                  

      Travel was not one of the topics; however, she did share that she has the gift of falling asleep easily on long airplane journeys. (I'm jealous of that trait.) She also said that her favorite city is New York, where she used to live, and would live again if she could afford it. She loves to walk and misses her long walks in the city. One more thing: always first class to Hong Kong or Singapore. (It's a 20 hour flight.)

      I also found it interesting that she has volunteered at Warm Hearth Village Retirement Community in Virginia for twelve years. Her writing class wrote and published three books during that time. The students described Giovanni as warm and supportive, her criticism constructive and gentle.

       Thank you, Nikki Giovanni, for traveling across the country to share your life and thoughts with us. It was truly an inspirational and unforgettable evening.

                                                                              * * *

       Videos of previous Writers Symposiums are available online at UCSD TV—2016 will be viewable in approximately one month.

VINTAGE PIANOS IN PUBLIC SPACES

SYMPHONY TOWERS LOBBY

      For the past month, San Diego has been the city of colorful pianos in public places, sponsored by the San Diego Symphony to  promote the Upright & Grand Piano Festival. The symphony distributed ten pianos to local community groups and artists to paint. Next, they moved them to popular public locations throughout the city, for all to enjoy and play.

HEADQUARTERS SEAPORT VILLAGE

     Intrigued by the idea of painted pianos, I decided to head out on a downtown-walking tour to see how many I could find.

I started at the Broadway Pier and then headed over to the Headquarters in Seaport Village for a look at the piano located in the center's open-air courtyard. When I arrived, the piano was still covered for the night with a canvas, however, the guard removed it at 9:15 am. This artfully-designed piano is the work of David at A Reason to Survive (ARTS), an arts program for youth facing adversity. The black spinet piano had large blue fingers painted above the keyboard, and a sizable, white and blue eyeball, looking up from the bench. There was a “PLAY ME” sign sitting on top—the same sign I encountered on all of the public pianos.

WESTFIELD HORTON PLAZA

     Next, I headed over to the Contemporary Museum of Art to see the public piano display in the lobby, unfortunately, the museum is closed on Wednesdays. I then walked up Broadway to Westfield Horton Plaza to search out another public display that I found in the outdoor mall close to Macy's. This white piano was covered with whimsical designs in green, red, pink, and yellow, that were painted by the staff and residents at PATH Connections Housing, a community program supporting the homeless.

     My musical tour of pianos in open spaces, next brought me to the grand lobby of the Symphony Towers, also home to the San Diego Symphony, sponsor of this event. Here the upright piano has been colorfully painted in shades of orange and blue by local artists: Anna Stoa, Grace Gray-Adams, and Grace Mathews.

  

QUARTYARD EAST VILLAGE

   So far, I hadn't seen anyone playing the pianos; however, my luck changed when I headed up to the Quartyard in the East Village. Here I was pleased to see a young man sitting at the bench playing the piano using sheet music he had brought with him. He told me that his apartment was too small for a piano and he misses having one to play—I told him that I felt the same way.

     East Village is also home to the Central library so I headed over to their outside sitting area to check out another piece of art by young artists from the New Children's Museum. This piano was delightfully painted in bright pinks, yellows, blues, greens, and purple.

SAN DIEGO CENTRAL LIBRARY

     I couldn't help but wish that there was a small room available, somewhere in the huge new library complex, where they could move this piano to at the end of the event. Patrons of the library could then reserve the room with a library card, and enjoy playing a piano. The Minneapolis Central Library has such a room available, and I think San Diego should do the same. I've met a lot of people who no longer have room for a piano, myself included, but would love to have a piano to play on occasion. 

CORONADO FERRY LANDING

     From here I headed over to catch the 5^th Avenue Ferry to Coronado to look at the piano located at the Ferry Landing. It was painted by second graders at Urban Discovery Academy Charter School of San Diego with white-etched circles and student names written on a black background. I then sat down and played “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” The next day, when I was at Balboa Park, I took a look at one last piano, painted in blue with white speckles, that was sitting in the famous Old Globe courtyard.

     Although I missed a few, I managed to see seven of the pianos in public spaces. The display has closed, however, I heard that the pianos are being donated to local community centers for all to enjoy. (I will wait a response from the public library to see if they have a space for one small piano room.)

SAN DIEGO CENTRAL LIBRARY

CAFFEINE CRAWL SAN DIEGO 2016

       When I heard about the Caffeine Crawl I knew this was for me. I love coffee; a chance to taste the best java from the top brewhouses in town sounded perfect. There is a third wave of coffee going around the country; I wanted to learn more about it. Techniques called pour-over and cold brewing, and terms like organic-fair trade have become popular. The new oficionados are purists who believe their coffee should sit on its own, without cream or milk.

       James Burton, a marketing specialist, launched the first Caffeine Crawl in Kansas City in 2011. They have now expanded to 15 cities across the US, including San Diego where the third annual crawl was held on January 21-23, 2016.

      There were 21 local coffee houses participating and ten routes to choose from. I signed up for a Saturday morning #3 route that included visits to six locations. The first five were within a couple miles of each other; however, parking was a challenge at a few of them. The final, Bay Park Coffee, was about 6 miles away, but worth the drive.

      There were about twenty-five in the group, but we lost a few at the end—I expect that's what happens at pub crawls as well. It started at 9 ended at 12:30—each stop lasted 25-30 minutes with ten minutes in between. It moved fast, and didn't allow much time for lingering. However, I came away with some new favorite coffee shops to revisit. I'm not sure if my appreciation of Starbuck's will ever be the same again.

       Here are the places on my route, in the order we visited them:

Cafe Moto, (2619 National Avenue) is located in Barrio Logan, one of the oldest neighborhoods of San Diego. They have a convenient parking lot for customers. The kickoff took place in their warehouse where we were surrounded by hundreds of burlap bags full of beans from all over the world. This was also the roasting area. There was plenty of hot and cold coffee to enjoy, and delicious pastries as well. After a presentation, we were given goody bags, and the raffle winners were announced. The time passed quickly.

       Next, we all headed to our cars for the short drive to Ryan Brothers (1894 Main St) which is also located in Barrio Logan. I arrived just in time to hear Tom Ryan's informative presentation in the warehouse. First, he gave us an explanation of the roasting process while the roaster machine was doing the work. He said that if the machine broke down, they have only 24 hours before they run out of coffee. We also had the opportunity to smell some wonderful coffee bean aromas from dozens of large barrels—ranging from floral to chocolate. We finished with three coffee tastings, and a sweet heavy specialty of the house as well. We all left with free coffee mugs, and bottles of their new Raceway cold coffee line. Cold brew is brewed cold and stands at room temperature for at least 12 hours; the result is lower acidic levels and a more mellow brew.

      Dark Horse Coffee Roasters, (811 25^th Street) was our next stop. It's located in Golden Hill where I arrived a little late. I parked more than a block away, but it was a pleasant walk past some interesting old homes of Golden Hill. We were served a Dark Horse cold coffee with ice cream which was delicious.

      Next – two coffee houses in Little Italy, about a block apart.

      Bird Rock Coffee Roasters (2295 Kettner Blvd) is a lively corner shop in Little Italy we were given a presentation about the company and its single-origin coffees. We were treated to a sample La Esmeralda Panama that was named as one of the best coffees of 2016 by Good Food Awards. Bird Rock was also awarded Roast Magazines 2012 “Micro Coffee Roaster of The Year.”

      James Coffee Co (2355 India St) is the only place that I had previously visited, and had the privilege of enjoying, for the first time, a pour-over coffee. I was pleased to see that they were demonstrating the process for the Caffeine Crawlers and giving us samples. Pour-over is a slow-drip single cup of coffee, made to order, where hot water is slowly and delicately poured over freshly ground beans.

       There is a guitar sitting next to the coffee roaster (they roast all of their beans in-house) which belongs to co-owner David Kenney, rock star and former guitarist of Angels & Airwaves. He switched to the sounds of the coffee roaster and started James Coffee in 2012. He was available to answer our questions.

      Bay Park Coffee (4120 Napier St.) was the final stop of the tour. Here we could linger over the many samples of coffee and tea available to us. I even had time to seek out cream for my final cup of java for the day.

      I also learned about medicinal teas from the owner, Erica, who recommended drinking three cups of tea a day to stay healthy. I was happy to sample a good-sized cup of the Rooibos Tea because it is caffeine-free, and it just might help me shake this cold I can't get rid of.

        I drove home thinking about what a great time I had, and was reminded again the next morning as I sipped my coffee from the Ryan Bros mug with their motto on it:

                                       “Life is too short to be bitter.”