Desert Lady Diaries

In tracking down some family history on her Dad's side, Mia's first desert experience was in Sedona, AZ. Later, frequent travels with theatre companies or just her own wanderlust seeking out a place to call home, Mia began using Joshua Tree National Park as her 're-set' location. She'd stop in on her way out of Southern California and again on her way back to enjoy the peace and quiet and get some balance and focus before heading back to the city. Right out of high school Mia was hired to work for the California State Park Service and was stationed at Big Sur. There, she met some locals and five of them formed The Big Sur Players, creating dinner theatre on the deck of a restaurant. In this episode, Mia talks about how this experience led to her 30-year career in theatre as an actor, set designer and technical director. When she crossed the country to Brooklyn, there was less involvement in theatre and more focus on woodworking, creating organizational shelving for small city apartment dwellers. At one point, Mia got an RV and made some trips to various locations around the U.S., to figure out where to lay down some roots. As her 50th birthday approached, she began thinking she wanted to be near family, but also wanted a slower place where it was peaceful and she could switch gears and pursue her new passion of furniture building. Enter Joshua Tree. Mia staked her claim at the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground, but a few weeks later was told she'd need to vacate for a few weeks due to the Joshua Tree Music Festival. Turns out Mia was in the perfect place as a new resident with a background in theatre production and construction and found herself right at home helping with some construction of the festival grounds, as well as assisting with food prep for the volunteers and ultimately, found her community here in the desert. View Mia's work and contact her for your custom furniture and woodworking needs at: Mia Torres Builds on Facebook

This episode is a little different than what you've heard so far. Typically, I sit down and have a casual one on one conversation for the entire 30 minutes. In this episode, I've had similar, shorter conversations with eleven desert women, asking them, in most cases, the same five or so questions. As you listen to the episode, you'll get the gist of the questions. How did this happen? Well, I sometimes bring the podcast to community events. I set up a table, have some handouts and introduce the podcast to people who may not have heard of it. Some folks have never heard of podcasts in general, while some know many of the people I've interviewed. Recently, I got the idea of not only setting up a table with information about the podcast, but of taking my recording equipment with me and doing 'woman on the street-style' interviews. It turned out to be really fun. The first four interviews in this episode were recorded at the Covington Park Fall Festival in Morongo Valley, on the further west end of the Morongo Basin. The remaining seven were recorded at the Landers Bizarre Bazaar. Most of the ladies, if not all, were not born here - they moved to the area for various reasons: jobs, creative work, housing affordability, a climate conducive to better health or just looking for a place to quiet down to listen to their inner voice. They give some recommendations about where they take out of town guests. The most popular places being Joshua Tree National Park, Pioneertown and Pappy & Harriet's, Landers and La Copine. And when asked what their favorite thing about living in the desert is, their answers ranged from being peaceful, calming and grounding to the desert's amazing colors and wildlife, to the people and activities and... the sky. The pictures of sunset and sky above are my own and, if you ask me or anyone who lives here, they don't do it justice. Special thanks to the willing participants: Donna Gowland, Kelly Moynihan, Mia Torres (stay tuned for her full episode in the coming weeks), Susan Abbott, Terry Burkhardt, Kim Fulleman, Jet Tucker, Debbie Solaris, Claudia Bucher, Claude Fenton and Diana. If you enjoy this episode, tell me why and what you liked best.

The first time T. came to the Mojave was for a performance boot camp and now T. combines their love of performance with education, producing artistic, informative events like 'Queer Salon, Joshua Tree', which is a combination potluck, art salon and discussion event for LGBTQIAA+ folks in the Mojave. Known to some Joshua Tree locals as the 'Date Lady', T. graciously accepts the moniker, as the person who has become known for selling dates at the Saturday Joshua Tree Farmer's Market. Even though T. identifies more butch and queer than lady. If, like me, you're confused about handling gender identity in a way that respects a persons being, in this episode T. offers some thoughts and resources, like The Center Palm Springs for learning how one can be a good ally. Picking up a pair of cool boots at a thrift store, T. didn't realize they would take them to a six year career as a Fire Fighter, helping to fund further education, resulting in a Ph. D. in Critical Dance Studies from UC Riverside and an M.S. in Community Development from UC Davis. T.'s dissertation, 'Dress, Dance, Desire: Statecraft and the Dressed, Dancing Body', focused on masculinities and the roles of costume in contemporary queer/drag performance. Being of Lebanese descent, T. feels their attraction and interest in dates is no accident and has found the business of dates bringing them closer to their Arabic roots. We also talk about the difficulties and challenges of caring for a family member with schizophrenia. T. is producing a Haunted Art House, Saturday, November 3 (2018) from 5-10 p.m. - click here for location and more info. https://queerture.wordpress.com https://www.instagram.com/dapperdates246 Photo Credit: Blanca Munoz

Originally from Buffalo, NY, Denise made her first trip to the desert in 1979, driving her Chevy Nova from Camp Lejune, in North Carolina, where her husband had previously been stationed. Denise arrived to 29Palms in the middle of the night and was pretty surprised by what she saw the next morning. Denise describes these as the days when the military would say, "If we wanted you to have a wife, we would have issued you one." These days, the military is much more aware of the important role spouses and families play in the lives of our service men and have a number of programs, like the one Denise worked in called FRO - Family Residence Officer, serving as a liaison between families and their enlisted family members during active duty. Being the spouse of a serviceman requires travel to many places and Denise cultivated an attitude of optimism and openness about those changes, never expecting or anticipating what a place might be like, but just accepting it for what is was and embracing it. This is her third time in 29Palms. Denise is also a business owner, running B29, formerly known as Bistro 29 - she and her husband became full owners of the restaurant in January 2018 and have made some changes to the branding and the menu, continuing to offer reasonably priced fare in a lovely atmosphere with some southern flair. They're now offering ribs, which have been a big hit, as well as po' boys, soup/salad/sandwich combos for lunch and an all-you-can-eat salad bar for dinner. And, as Denise says, no southern breakfast is complete without grits, which they serve with breakfast on Saturday during the 29 Palms Farmer's market. Denise is involved in her community, serving on the Chamber of Commerce as Secretary and now Vice President and is currently a candidate for 29 Palms City Council. Becoming a candidate was not without it's 'hitches and glitches' as Denise describes in this episode. She hopes to address some issues around the city's infrastructure as well as simplifying the process for new business owners to get up and running to fill the empty storefronts. About the desert, Denise says, "It's a place of peace and tranquility - it helps you get in touch with who you are." If you'd like to learn more about Denise, learn about her platform or donate to her campaign click here: https://friendstoelectdenisecullum.com/

30 years after her first visit to the desert as an assistant on a photo shoot in the mid-80's, Rynda was out to dinner with a friend at Pappy & Harriet's, winding up a two week stay, when she jokingly asked if he ever needed a house-sitter. He happened to be going out of town in three days and offered his place to Rynda for the next six weeks. That's some desert magic right there. Rynda spent a great deal of time in the music business moving from LA to NY and back again working in A&R, digital marketing and a tech company in Paris. She continues to do marketing and is now a player in the wellness industry with her new supplements VRY Everyday which help to address the bio-chemical aspects of addiction. (For a limited time, use the code DesertLadyDiaries for FREE SHIPPING - thanks Rynda!) In this episode, Rynda also graciously speaks very candidly about her own recovery and provides some insight to anyone who needs help if they're facing addiction and want to get help. Be social with Rynda: @Rynda @VRYeveryday http://www.rynda.me/ https://vryeveryday.com/

Vanesa Zendejas has been making art for as long as she can remember - even tagging along with her dad to the art classes he was taking in Chicago, where Vanesa was born and raised. In this episode, she describes her process for creating her abstract works. The majority of Vanessa's work has been in paint, but with the addition of a kiln to the art compound at A-Z West, where she is the Administrative Director, she finds herself experimenting with clay, reaching back in her memory to apply knowledge she gained from Bard College where she earned her MFA in sculpture. Prior to attending Bard, Vanesa was learning from a group of artists know as the 'Hairy Who' or the Chicago Imagists at School of the Art Institute in Chicago. A favorite place to visit in the area is Desert Christ Park - Vanessa really likes their hair. Vanesa started coming to the desert for work four years ago, keeping home and her own studio space in LA, making the weekly trek out to Joshua Tree, staying on site three days, back to LA for four, but eventually, decided to keep her studio in LA and make home here in the desert. These days, the trips to LA are less frequent, about twice a month, and the soon-to-be completed addition of her own art studio here in the desert will give her more time for her own art work. We talk about the different ways of the desert: the difference in diversity, the difference in how 'trash' is managed, High Desert Test Sites and those black humps dotting the landscape on the south side of Highway 62, traveling toward 29Palms and how you can go visit them. Or visit another favorite of Vanesa's: Desert Christ Park in Yucca Valley ~ Vanesa really likes the sculptures hair. Recently married, Vanesa and her husband reside in 29 Palms and expect the desert will be more of a respite between visits to her native Chicago, and Neil's roots in Montreal. https://www.artslant.com/global/artists/show/304815-vanessa-zendejas?tab=PROFILE

Raised in Indiana, Myskin's first experience with desert was on family vacations. "A famous family story is: as a child, I would run to the top of the tallest rock I could and scream, 'I'm in heaven!' I think I really appreciated the desert from a young age". And many years later, finds herself living in the desert. Before coming to live in the desert, Myshkin was a traveler, leaving Indiana at the age of 22, with her guitar, writing and playing music. She toured throughout the states and overseas; either booking her own gigs or luckily traveling with friends who knew locals. She lived in New Orleans for awhile, then traded the humidity for cooler, greener climes in Oregon. What she wouldn't know until later, was that she and her future lover and wife, were traveling in each other's universes for a long time. When Myshkin played a tour stop in Joshua Tree, a mutual friend introduced Myshkin to Jenny Qaqundah - sparks flew and a few months later, Myshkin was leaving Oregon to live in Joshua Tree. Neither of them could have foreseen the formidable challenge they would soon face. After a simple surgery, Jenny (podcast Ep 28) contracted sepsis, was in a coma for six to seven days, in the hospital for months, resulting in the loss of her legs from the knees down. Myshkin and Jenny persevered and have taken this harrowing experience, so early in their relationship, and created great beauty from it. Jenny wrote about her own experiences and invited friends in the community to contribute their points of view, which culminated in her recently released book, 'Held Together'. Myshkin's recently released record, 'Trust and the High Wire' is their love story, one that started in a dream before they'd ever met. Myshkin, who once thought she'd be an actor, is writing, working on a musical theatre piece and is putting more theatrics along side her live music performances to immerse the audience more fully in her dense lyrics and haunting melodies. And, learning patience through parenting - something she'd never thought she'd be doing - and loving every minute of it. www.myshkinwarbler.com Photo credit: Heike Binder Altziebler

Wendy Lee Gadzuk is a visual artist and musician who grew up near Philadelphia, PA, attending art school and playing in her band The 440's, and found her way to the Sonoran desert of Tuscon, where spirits live in the saguaros. Wendy left Tuscon for Los Angeles and while she found plenty of ways to make art and music, making money proved a bit more challengin. In this episode, Wendy talks about the the LA 'hustle' and gives us a peek into the competitive, audition-like process of applying for bar tending jobs. Wendy eventually left Los Angeles and headed north to Oakland, where she founded the band Andalusia Rose. Currently, Wendy and her boyfriend, Tony Buhagiar, are the musicians behind Stone Levitation - listen to one of their tracks at the end of the episode. Wendy has been playing classical piano since the age of four and has also played violin. Have tried guitar as a teenager, Wendy picked up it's cousin, the bass, after hearing one too many complaints from a roommate about his inability to find a bass player for his band. An art school friend of Wendy's kept posting photos of Joshua Tree and Wendy reached out and learned about the art community here. After a few visits to her friend, she left Oakland and settled in her place in Morongo Valley, which, while lusher than the Sonoran desert, has it's share of critters that keep Wendy on her toes. Currently (September 2018) Wendy has four assemblage pieces in the 'Desert Icons' exhibition at the Yucca Valley Visual & Performing Arts Center and will be one of ten artists participating in a panel discussing the desert's influence on her work. The panel is September 30 at 4 p.m. tickets and more information here. www.wendyleegadzuk.com Photo of Wendy credit Guillermo Prieto

Robin and Max were on their way to falling in love when Max brought Robin to Joshua Tree National Park to show her this desert place he loved. A few years later, they found themselves looking at property in Pipes Canyon, bought 22 acres and have lived there ever since. They've co-created a private retreat center there, drawing soul-weary travelers from cities around the world. When the Sawtooth Fire of 2006 swept through Pipes Canyon and Pioneertown, Robin & Max escaped their little piece of desert paradise through a wall of fire thinking their home was destroyed and they would have to rebuild. Robin credits a trough of water strategically dumped on their house from a fire-fighting helicopter for saving their home where they've lived for 20 years. After moving to Pipes Canyon, the mountains, mesas, flora and fauna inspired Robin so much, she wrote two television series and 10 more novels. Most of her books are historical fiction with females at the center of the stories, like 'The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn'. In this episode, Robin reads a small excerpt from her newest book, 'Atlantos - The Early Earthe Chronicles - Book 1' is the first in a trilogy of science fiction, a departure for Robin's writing, though she has had an interest in the 'beyond' since having a 'close encounter', at the age of two, in New Jersey. www.RobinMaxwell.com

In 2013, tired of London's frenetic pace, Rohini (say Roe-hee-knee) and her husband, Oliver, embarked on a long holiday to the U.S. and their first stop after landing in Los Angeles, was Joshua Tree. It was summer, so they lingered in Crossroads Cafe in downtown Joshua Tree - pretty much daily. After a week, they were hooked, but had planned to visit other U.S. locations. Even though they were seeing new sights, they couldn't stop talking about Joshua Tree. Which is why, at what was to be the end of the trip, they extended it for three more weeks - and spent all of their remaining time in Joshua Tree - and found a realtor. Going back to London was difficult and the skeptical reactions of their family and friends at the news of their decision was also, difficult, at best. In this episode, Rohini says of the trip, "I was just craving a complete change up, but wasn't sure what it was" - the desert hooked them. Once here permanently in 2014, Rohini found plenty of time to indulge in the writing she never got to in London and decided to create a magazine, of sorts, around it. The original effort was called The Raven. But that faded and birthed a free (locally in print) magazine, published twice a year, which not only contains contributions from Rohini, but guest writers, photographers and artists who are friends and neighbors here in the hi-desert - it's quite a community effort. Desert-centered stories of fact and fiction, poetry, drawings and photographs fill it's pages. It's called Luna Arcana and it's available online with a paid subscription. If you've visited and need a desert fix, it's well worth it. https://lunaarcana.com/