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10 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MARCH 2025 Listen - Care - Share Submitted by Linda Weiss Our human ability to create space in our day to reach out with small kindnesses is a powerful thing. e benefits ripple out and have the potential to create a worldwide community that looks out for each other and actively seeks moments of chance encounters. is encourages us to be gentle with ourselves as we strive to be gracious to others. Kindness is free — sprinkle that stuff everywhere. It really does make the world go 'round. By Clare Mendez, Resident Long, long ago, while sitting in a green, grassy field, I discovered a four-leaf clover, and then another, and another. Four or five in total. I wondered if it meant one big wish would come true, or if I'd have many good fortunes come my way. Anyway, not wanting to be greedy, I kept one for myself and shared the other clovers with family and friends. I still don't know if the luck of the Irish can be paid forward or if it all stays with the person who discovered the four leaf clovers in the first place. Still to this day, I hope to come across another four-leaf clover. I guess it means the luck is life-long. Good friends, like four-leaf clovers, are hard to find. Irish you luck. By Janet Boyce, Resident e first time I visited Solvang was about thirty years ago, in the 1990s. e town was established in 1911, when immigrants from Denmark came to start a new life. ey purchased 9,000 acres of land in the Santa Ynez Valley. ey named the town "Solvang" which means "sunny field" in Danish. Solvang truly resembles the many quaint towns in Denmark with its open beam style of architecture that became popular aer World War II. ey celebrate Danish Days annually, and over a million visitors come to Solvang each year to experience the Danish culture, cuisine, and shopping. Denmark is famous for their Danish pastries which are so yummy! I went to Solvang initially because of the Danish pastries but discovered so much more. ey used to sell their authentic Troll Dolls that were popular in the 60s-70s, but those are hard to find nowadays. Solvang is a great place to stroll through the little, narrow streets filled with shops of all kinds. I've been back to Solvang about five times. It is located north of Los Angeles, and east of Santa Barbara. One of the 21 Spanish missions, Old Mission Santa Inez, was established there in 1804. In more recent times, there are now many newer wineries with gorgeous views of the valley. If you go, it's a nice road trip up and back. Plan to stay at least one or two nights to really enjoy all that Solvang has to offer. Happy tripping! Lucky The Danish Town of Solvang