Desert Lady Diaries

A native of Michigan, Jane and her then husband moved to Southern California in the late 60's. A trip with her young family to Indian Cove, near Joshua Tree National Park, planted the seed for Jane's love of the desert. Jane first came to live in the desert in the 80's under very different circumstances: divorced, homeless, seeking affordable housing and running away from LA's cocaine scene. Then, to escape a partner who'd entered the desert speed scene, Jane headed to the coast of Northern California and would not return to live in the desert for nearly 25 years. She came back three years ago, thinking she would purchase a small plot of land, using it to park her camper for intermittent desert escapes. With a home loan through a government program and the reasonable price of real estate, Jane became a homeowner - something she thought would not be possible at her age. A graduate of USC's Masters in Gerontology program , Jane's interest in aging started in the 1970's working with the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation, coordinating programs for all ages at a park in Inglewood. She then moved on to a position as Director of the Senior Center in Lafayette Park. Jane left Parks and Rec to take a job in the Admittance Office of USC. There, she consulted as USC developed a Masters in Gerontology program. She was so interested in the program, she applied and was accepted, graduating with her Masters. Jane loved the classes as now uses that knowledge and her own 77 years of life experience in her role as a Senior Assembly Legislator for the California Senior Legislature. Jane says she had an aging crisis when she turned 60. Never believing she would make it to her 60th birthday, she sought out the assistance of a therapist to cope and reminds us that with people living longer, particularly the large Baby Boomer generation who may not have saved enough for retirement, homelessness, drug abuse and mental illness are still a part of this large aging population - some of the issues she actively works on in her position as Senior Assembly Legislator. A peace activist and videographer, Jane has participated in and videotaped demonstrations and police actions. In this episode we also discuss her love of educational and community television. Jane's Composting Toilet Video

At the age of eight, Mary Bell Cassle's father handed her a carburetor and it's schematic and said, "Put this back together." And she did. Now Mary finds herself in her second semester of the Automotive program at Copper Mountain College, with the goal of adding to the female ranks of the automotive industry. Mary was twelve when her mother passed away and her life didn't stabilize until a few years later when she was adopted by last week's guest Annelise Kuiper. At the age of 18, Mary graduated high school and immediately joined the Army, but was discharged nine months later having sustained a knee injury during basic training. After months of therapy, the Army deemed Mary's injury a pre-existing condition, eliminating her eligibility for continued benefits. Mary was looking for work and met someone who was a truck driver - driving a truck sounded like great work. The relationship eventually became romantic and within five years, Mary found herself a mother to four children and in an emotionally and physically abusive situation. In this episode, Mary courageously shares her struggle through this period in her life sharing that after 16 years she finally got back to the desert to heal. Living in the desert with an amazing night sky, astronomy plays a big part in Mary's life. She collaborates with her adoptive mother, Annelies, on a weekly neighborhood column in the local newspaper. Mary's portion of the column directs our attention to the upcoming happenings in the night and early morning skies over our desert and says, "The way I look at it is, as big as the Universe is, there's got to be somebody out there besides us and I want be the first one to find them or see them or talk to them at least." We also talk about meditation and the benefits of quieting down to listen to our own thoughts, coming full circle to the notion of treating ourselves with the same concern, caring and compassion we have for others.

Annelies Kuiper is of Dutch descent, born in Kenya, Africa eight years before Kenya received it's independence from Britain. With no rights to Kenyan citizenship, it was difficult to find work so Annelies made the difficult decision to leave and has only been back to Kenya twice since 1974. Annelise found work with a large hotel chain, which took her to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Johannesburg, eventually landing in 'romantic' Palm Springs where she lived for 11 years, playing golf and enjoying the resort hotel amenities. After ending a second relationship, Annelies wanted to 'fall off the earth' and a friend recommended she move to the hi-desert. In this episode, Annelies tells me how she found her place in north Joshua Tree: Copper Mountain Mesa. Heartbroken and disillusioned, it was a place where she could scream as loud as she wanted and no one would call the police. A place where she could once again find and be her authentic self. On the mesa, Annelies had the sudden urge to write and in six months time wrote two books. 'Kenya Cowgirl!' and 'Stay Well Kenya Cowgirl', the first a fictionalized version of her formative years in Africa. Six years ago, Annelies decided to return to school - starting at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree and transferring to UC San Diego, from where she recently graduated with a degree in Communications and Media Studies. Annelies has partnered with artist Andrea Zittel and High Desert Test Sites to publish a book of short stories that will be arriving in Spring 2019. In the meantime, you can keep up with Annelies and the goings on in her 'little community' of Copper Mountain Mesa through her weekly column in the Hi-Desert Star 'Weekender', available for free on Saturdays. Links for Annelies: https://www.amazon.com/Kenya-Cowgirl/dp/0963039709 Annelies on Facebook Annelies on Instagram

A native of Los Angeles, Kat Johnson says her first trips to the desert in the 1970's were inspired by the desert sounds of The Eagles. She wouldn't come back again until six years ago at the suggestion of a then boyfriend. Kat wasn't really excited about a trip to the desert, but the vacation rental close to the park sealed the deal - Kat wanted to continue to commune with the wildlife, particularly the desert cottontails who made their presence known each morning of her stay. And seriously, if you've seen them, who can resist? From that moment on, Kat was on a mission to find a place in the Hi-Desert and live Los Angeles behind. The process took about three years of weekend trips and later, weekday visits to tour homes that had recently been put on the market. In this episode, Kat talks about her assemblage art pieces and her process of locating anchor pieces for them both before and after eBay, as well as her fascination with 'lucky'. Some of those objects are also tattoos and Kat was hard-pressed to point out any favorites - hard to do when you have over 25 of them. She also talks about the responsibilities of being a Gallery Director, a role she stepped into the last two years at Gallery 62 in Joshua Tree. Having run creative departments for large ad agencies, Kat loved the idea of being in charge and bringing projects to fruition again. Now that her two year run is almost up, she's amping up her own art work and putting some shows on her calendar for 2020. In the meantime, she's preparing for the May 2019 show at Gallery 62 which will feature student art, along with a silent auction fundraiser for the Gallery 62 Art Student Scholarships to be presented to select Morongo Basin student artists pursuing a career in art after high school. Rather than feeling like she's in a line at Disneyland, given the popularity and over use of some of the parks more accessible trails, Kat prefers 'off trail' hikes, allowing her to really be one and at be peace with nature. https://www.artsy.net/artist/kat-johnson

Pam Anders first experience with desert was after a drive from Oregon. Pam's first husband suffered with asthma and his mother, who was living in Twentynine Palms suggested they move down to improve his health. Arriving in the dark, they were a bit off course. With no signs or lights, they pulled to the side of the road and Pam got out of the Volkswagen to take a look around. She looked up and almost fell... the star-filled sky was like nothing she'd ever experienced. And the silence was nothing like she'd ever heard. After a few years they went back to Oregon. In this episode, Pam says the pull of the desert was so strong, she had to return, this time on her own, taking a number of jobs simultaneously to support herself. She worked at the bank (now Edchada's Mexican restaurant), a grocery store, a florist and Del's Shoes. She met and became friends with many of the Twentynine 'old timers', one couple being the J.B. Carrol's. When Pam told them she was looking for a house to rent they said, "Why rent, when you can buy?" Thinking it was not possible, the Carrol's sold Pam her first home - they even held the note. In 1976, Pam became San Bernardino County's first female Animal Control Officer, selected as one to fill eight openings with 145 applicants - most of whom were men. Pam says she believes in claiming your desires and the power of visualizing you already have what you want. At the age of 26, she was trained, provided a four-wheel drive truck, a shotgun and a come-a-long and was on-call twenty-four hours a day. Pam shares some humorous and touching stories from her time in that role. These days Pam doesn't live in Twentynine Palms, but maintains a cabin there where she spends hours and days at a time creating art and treating herself well. With her long-time interest in antiques, you may find her at Pioneer Crossing in Yucca Valley, tending to store displays and guiding out of town visitors to sites in the area they should not miss. Pam is excited to share a book she is currently reading: "The White Heart of the Mojave" by Edna Brush Perkins who, along with her friend Charlotte Hannahs Jordan, hired a guide to take them from their homes in Pasadena on an adventure through Death Valley. Pam's Links: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1198489.The_White_Heart_of_Mojave http://pioneercrossingantiques.com/

Swimming at Thanksgiving and Christmas while visiting her mom near El Centro, CA are Alyce Herrera's earliest memories of the desert. . In this episode, Alyce will tell you she moved to Joshua Tree for the vegan pie and carrot cake at what was then the Ricochet Cafe in downtown Joshua Tree. The Ricochet is no longer there, but Alyce is and she's making a big impact on her community. Alyce became a vegetarian about five years ago while running a chicken and rooster rescue on her own property. She began to feel hypocritical, not being able to slaughter her own meat for consumption. So, she attempted the slaughter and couldn't go through with it, so her partner at the time did. Once the meal has been prepared, Alyce says she took the first bite, spit it out and hasn't eaten meat since. Alyce has since become vegan, thus becoming an even more passionate animal rights advocate in the process. She is the creator of The Vegan Guide to Joshua Tree, is starting a blog, Alyce the Vegan and is co-creating a vegan photography tour to Iceland, which will include a chef that will prepare fresh vegan meals for the participants. Until recently Alyce played a role in organizing the local Food Not Bombs meals at the Beatnik Lounge in downtown Joshua Tree - she is moving on to take on another issue close to her heart: advocacy for homeless persons, with mentor Peggy Lee Kennedy. Buddhist meditation (6 pm) followed by vegetarian potluck (7 pm) will still be available at the Beatnik on Tuesdays. Inspired by community residents not being their best selves on social media and original storytelling series like The Moth, StoryCorps and Ted Talks, Alyce created 'Teddy Talks' a community lecture series that happens the 3rd Saturday of every month at The Beatnik Lounge in Joshua Tree. Named for the founder of the Joshua Tree Cultural Preservation Society - base of operations the Beatnik Lounge - and long-time Joshua Tree resident Teddy Quinn, Alyce created the series as a way for people to get to know their neighbors, the diverse people that call Joshua Tree home. Links to Alyce: https://www.alycethevegan.com/ http://joshuatree.guide/vegan https://www.facebook.com/TeddyTalksBeatnik/ https://www.facebook.com/BeatnikLounge/

Before a long trip road, Wanda Stadum brought her dog to stay with a friend in Yucca Valley. After her trip, Wanda returned to retrieve her dog only to find he had gone missing. Wanda looked around, liked what she saw and decided to move to the desert. Wanda was no stranger to the Hi-Desert. She and her sister had tagged along with their Scoutmaster Dad when he'd bring his troops to camp and hike at what then known as Joshua Tree National Monument. With a background in graphic arts and a knack for hand-lettering signs, Wanda opened a sign business with her new found love, Bob. From her tipi, pitched in the backyard of her Yucca Valley friend, Wanda had waved at Bob as he rode by on his bicycle one evening - the rest is history. The business thrived for 30 years - their love, even longer. Since her arrival to the hi-desert, Wanda has been very active in her community and her involvement and dedication has been recognized by many organizations including the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, the California Legislature Assembly, the Elks, Soroptomist International, the Basin Wide Foundation and the organization she now leads as President/CEO, the Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce. Wanda loves being physically active as well - she's voluntarily taught water aerobics at two local pools for 35 years. She credits health and fitness as one of the main reasons she has the energy, attitude and time to give to her community. Wanda is currently reading 'First Colony', a sci-fi fantasy series by Ken Lozito and her recommended desert reading, especially for a view of life as a single woman homesteader, are books by Susan Lang.

Jane Gnoza is not only a dear friend... she is an amazing person. Her deep calling from childhood has been to be of service to others in what ever way she can assist. Jane ventured to Southern California to leave behind the harsh winters of her home state of Minnesota and at first glance found desert to be a barren place - now, the Seussical Joshua Trees make her smile. After some time in San Diego and the low desert, comprised of the areas around Palm Springs, Jane found her way to the Hi-Desert. In this episode, we focus mostly on Jane's lifetime of experience as an intuitive/clairvoyant/clairaudient. Growing up with these gifts was difficult. Jane has since learned they are just part of her experience this time around, having frequent visitations regularly from a variety of light beings. We talk about why the desert seems to be associated with UFO sightings and Jane talks about Contact in the Desert (next one is May 31 - June 3, 2019) and offers some resources for those interesting in learning more about life in other dimensions and gaining understanding around the concept that thoughts are things and we have the power to change our thoughts and manifest the life of our dreams. Jane left California for a time, traveling to Peru where she trained with a Shaman for eight years facilitating Ayahuasca ceremonies. Though not a Native American in this lifetime, she feels a kinship with the Lakota and has also lead Native American Journeywork and the energetic healings of both humans and animals. Her lifetime work for the past 30 years has been as a physical therapist assistant, rehabbing people from a variety of illnesses and injuries. Jane recommends: David Wilcock: https://divinecosmos.com/ Contact in the Desert: http://contactinthedesert.com/about-the-show/ GAIA TV: https://www.gaia.com/

Karen Tracy's first experience with the desert was the destination of one of her father's Sunday drives. Her dad had a friend whose parents had retired in Joshua Tree and were doing some farming... not the type of farming you might expect. That house is still there, as is the little shed that housed the farms product. Karen recalls her feelings around the 'farming' and also remembers the owners proudly demonstrating their toggle switch operated window blinds. It would be a number of years before Karen returned to the desert. A marriage to a fellow student at dental school dissolved, but Karen moved forward and completed dental school. Some of Karen's friends had purchased property in the desert and she would find herself out here on weekends in the 70's and 80's. After graduating and then leaving a dental practice in Northern California, a friend called asking Karen to come out for six months to assist with her own dental practice in 29Palms while she took some time off for the birth of her child. Thirty-three years later, Karen is still here. During her stint helping her dentist friend, Karen discovered climbing and the Joshua Tree climbing community. Karen worked hard to become a climber who takes herself climbing, rather than one who gets taken climbing. At one point, Karen was working one day a week at the dental office and climbing the other six days of the week. It was the climbing that cemented Karen's decision to stay in the desert. In this episode, Karen talks about the fall during one climbing trip that not only broke her back, but broke her arm in several places. After an attempt to self heal, Karen heard a message calling her to try yoga. After an attempt to self-teach by book, she decided to go to Los Angeles and Hawaii for in-person classes culminating in a trip to India for yoga teacher training as a way to improve her practice. A few days after her return to the desert from India, she received a phone call from one of the few studios in town to come and teach. Karen also shares her experience with Transcendental Meditation (TM) and talks about the meditation domes in Fairfield, Iowa, as well as her involvement in the beginnings of Transition Joshua Tree, a sustainable system based on the Transition Network of Rob Hopkins. Photo: Elena Ray

In 1970, with a marine husband in Vietnam, Cheryl Erickson was tasked with coming to 29 Palms to look for a home for herself and her husband. After her initial trip, Cheryl decided not to tell her husband she was not moving to the desert - 50 years later, she is still here. Having a life-long love of books, Cheryl worked in libraries at the University of Minnesota, Fairfax County, Virginia and Cal State Long Beach and immediately, upon getting settled, took a job with the 29 Palms Library. A marine officer's wife, Cheryl learned the other Marine wives were a bit unhappy that Cheryl's work made her unavailable to assist with the planning of teas and other service spouse functions. Oddly enough, Cheryl's step-mother knew a women who lived in 29 Palms and suggested Cheryl seek her out after settling in. The woman was Mary Hayes, wife of Ted Hayes who was the first high school teacher and principal in 29 Palms. Through Mary, Cheryl had an easy introduction to the community and feels it was that sense of community that has kept her in 29 Palms all these years. At the library, Cheryl worked as assistant librarian to Harold Weight. One day, while Cheryl was reading 'The Desert was Home', by Elizabeth Campbell, an important early resident in 29 Palms history, a library patron suggested that if Cheryl were interested in 'that kind of stuff', he would bring her some items he'd kept in the process of removing the contents of Campbell House. Cheryl and Harold poured over the materials and lamented the fact that so much from the home had been discarded without a thought of it's historical value and importance. It was at that point, around 1982, with the meeting of a few other local minds, that the 29 Palms Historical Society was formed. With Harold's assistance and previous experience in collecting oral histories Cheryl conducted oral interviews of more than 70 of the oldest residents of 29 Palms. In this episode, Cheryl talks about her conversation with Johnnie Hastie, the towns bus-driving errand man. Cheryl went on to become the head librarian of the 29 Palms Library and, along with Ann Congdon, was the Pioneer Days 2107 Old Timer of the Year. Cheryl is also a member of Little Church of the Desert, where she played the organ for many years, and continues to play an important role in the community and in the 29 Palms Historical Society. https://www.29palmshistorical.com/