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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | NOVEMBER 2023 15 love Hi, I am Lisa Johnson. I was born in the San Fernando Valley to two wonderful, loving parents. My sister is eight years older and also lives in a 55+ in Newhall, California. I was a precarious child to say the least. At age 11, I brought half of my entire class from 6th grade to my home during lunch and we were deemed lost by the afternoon; at age 13, I "borrowed" my father's VW Bug. The consequence of the joyride ended my short-lived dance lessons. In high school, I found other interests to keep me busy. I was the captain of the gymnastic team competing in "all round" events. I was voted head cheerleader and I did the choreography for all the seven girls and guys. Upon graduating, the class voted me "Best Dancer." After graduation, I worked for an insurance company while teaching gymnastics at my old high school. I did not have a credential so I received a special permission from the Board of Education. I also attended night school. After raising my son, it was my turn for fun. One of the things I wanted to do was scuba dive. I went to school in Costa Mesa and did my open water dive in Honduras. I received my PADI and SSI certifications in Honduras. I went back there twice; it was a wonderful experience. I also had the opportunity to dive in Cabo San Lucas. In 1999, I purchased a 2000 Harley Davidson Road King and put 52,000 miles on it before selling it two years later. On the way to Sturgis, South Dakota, going across the Mojave Desert the temperature was 115 degrees. We stopped for gas and I almost passed out even though I had special cooling clothing. One of the other riders caught my bike, and I was put into the refrigerated section of the 7-Eleven to cool down. The other long trip I took was to Harley's 100th Anniversary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sometimes we rode 600 miles a day. This time I crossed the Mojave Desert at 3 am. On the ride, I had a blowout on my back tire. Thank goodness it was not the front tire or I would not be here to write this! My boss at one of the companies I worked for volunteered me for a tennis tournament even though I did not know how to play. My neighbor taught me how to play in three weeks and placed third in the lower division. I fell in love with tennis. He also took me to Western Connection in San Dimas and taught me the two-step. When a friend saw me dance, he decided to give me West Coast Swing lessons for a birthday present. It is still my favorite dance. My mother was a ballroom dancer from Bangor, Northern Ireland. I have a trophy she won in Ireland. She had it re-silver plated and gave it to me for a Christmas present. I will always treasure it. I used to dance every Friday night at the Crazy Horse in Costa Mesa and occasionally at InCahoots in Fullerton. I was invited to join an invitation only class that met on Wednesday nights at the Press Box in Westminster. This allowed me to do ballroom dances like the Cha Cha, Two Step, Nightclub Two Step, Swing, Argentine Tango, West Coast Swing, and Waltz every month. I was in the Advanced Class and we performed monthly for the other classes and guests. I loved my career, even though it was time consuming with a lot of travel; one company was in Malta. I worked from home and was the only person representing the West Coast. My U.S. office was based in Waterbury, Connecticut. I always worked on high-end cosmetic and skincare packaging. Some of my customers included Sephora, Dermalogica, and Murad. I supplied the start-up line for one of my favorite customers, celebrity esthetician Kate Somerville. Tired of only working and not really having a social life, I joined Match.com. Rich and I met for breakfast after the New Year and have been happily together ever since. When I looked for a place to retire, Four Seasons intrigued me because of all the activities, including dancing. We love our home and our community. I began attending the dance classes and joined the Let's Dance Club. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of a team organizing the dinner dances. I was asked to join the Social Committee. Decorating tables for my personal dinner parties has always been enjoyable and now, I get the opportunity to decorate a huge ballroom. Next year I will be taking over as chairperson. Big shoes to fill as Loretta Ramsey has done a fabulous job for the last five years. My experiences and the committee members will help me face the fun challenge. ~ Edited by Elizabeth Westbrook

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