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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 21 Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, & time. As summer winds down, I was reminded this year of several fond memories from childhood. In particular, the games we played of hopscotch, Chinese jump-rope, (double-dutch for those more daring) and of course, who could forget the hula-hoop! We carefully drew straight chalk marks and chose our favorite, flat rock to land just right on those squares. We concentrated on the rhythm of the notes our friends sang so we didn't get tangled in the ropes. Do you remember who could twirl the longest before the hoop fell to the ground? If you were lucky enough to have a trampoline in the neighborhood, that was for sure the Kool-Aid house! Not unlike our current circumstances, all required balance, some dexterity, feelings of camaraderie among friends, and the shared anticipation of new challenges for tomorrow. Today, we are the comrade veterans for times such as this simply from experience. We know deep down that happiness is not a destination. It is the choice we make while life happens around us. Memories of simpler times are our comfort, and sharing them together dawns the hope for a better tomorrow. (Drinking from the garden hose guarantees it.) Ever wonder why that isn't a national holiday? Fall planting is just around the corner, and many of us are getting excited about trying new ideas. I mentioned last month the more time I spend with my plants, the heartier and greener they look. They too are swaying with the stronger winds of adversity, and putting out new shoots in spite of the heat. The birds are tweeting; the butterflies are fluttering, and life is good. Every day is a gift; unwrap yours with gusto! Although Late Bloomers is not physically meeting, we have acquired several new members we look forward to meeting when we are able. The ever-changing conditions for social distancing are to keep us safe, but we can still interact via email and telephone. If you have questions related to gardening, or want to share what's growing in your world, reach out. We are here for our Four Seasons family. For more information please contact Sharon Deuber at (760) 500- 0077 or Sharon@BlackDiamondInvestments.net. Stay healthy ~ be happy. "Late Bloomers" Garden Club A R T Group Royce Jerman continues to offer "Painting Pals" Tuesdays from 10 am to 1 pm and "Beading Buddies" on Wednesdays from 10 am to 1 pm in the Lodge. Her contact information is royce742@gmail.com. Lois Stipp will resume her 'in person' classes in "Drawing" and "Painting with acrylics and oils" in the fall. She is teaching art online with Zoom until then. If you have any questions, please contact Lois at calstipp@yahoo.com. If anyone will be teaching classes or workshops at the Lodge and wants to put the information in the Herald, please contact Lucia at luciakwolfer@gmail.com. Stay creative! Ready or not, retirement is upon me and the big question was "what do I do now?" Taking some courses at Mt. San Jacinto College, I discovered ceramics. That was the beginning of my journey into several mediums of creative art. Starting with a single fish and two seahorses, I soon found myself with requests for penguins, whales, mules, dragons, and pelicans. As I was creating each of them, I realized they all had their own stories. In creating the stories, I found that the stories didn't tell enough about each critter. I began a story about a seahorse family and specifically about Stoney Starr Seahorse. All of a sudden, I have a children's book and surprise, it's going to be published! The estimated available date is March of 2021. Since then, I've completed two more books and I am looking forward to publishing them as well. You can see Stoney Starr Seahorse and the Starr Seahorse family currently residing in the display case at the Lodge. Along with Stoney, there are sketches of Papa Cardinalfish, Melvin Manta Ray and Savannah Starr Seahorse warning the denizens of the lagoon of impending disaster by banging her tail on the Alarm Conch. Now I'm having more fun than a retiree has a right to, creating my critters and stories. If you would like a critter of your own, please feel free to contact me at pamelahayter@yahoo.com or (858) 539-5100 or pamela@secretseahorsetales.com. THE CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT: Pam Hayter