Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, November 25, 2017

Mountain View News Saturday, November 25, 2017 
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Mountain View News Saturday, November 25, 2017 
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Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 


“I saw a lot of deer...till the mountain lion came!” 
Lions and bobcats and bears! Oh my! 

I met the most delightful person, Gail Gottfried, at Mary’sMarket this past week. Mary’s, by the way, is flourishingunder new ownership and, once again, you can meet friendsthere for coffee and something delicious to eat. Gail had justfinished a run around the canyon and, as almost always,
whenever one meets someone new, one finds an interesting,
charming new friend behind their welcoming smile.

Gail has lived in the Canyon fourteen years since shefirst saw her house at Christmas time of 2003 and took upresidence in 2004. Her peaceful rustic home backs up ontoforest land and it came equipped with a cat. This particularkitty was such an important permanent resident that he waswritten into the sales contract. Her view of the valley is simplyawesome. It’s a wonder she gets anything done with thatlayout of the whole San Gabriel Valley from her front roomand downtown Los Angeles from her bedroom. Yes, friendsand neighbors, on clear days she can see Catalina. Gail saidon the day she moved in, raccoons were waiting on the frontporch to check out the new owner.

Bears, bobcats, deer, mountain lions, skunks, raccoons, 
coyotes and ground squirrels are frequent visitors. The deerare especially inquisitive, peering into her motion cameras,
which are attached to trees. Gail shared her pictures with meand all are studies of animals relaxing in their environment,
ignoring the fact that they are just a few feet away from ahouse. I especially loved one of a bear soaking in her littlepond, one front paw resting on the edge looking exactly likehe was waiting for his glass of chardonnay to be delivered. Ihad a hard time picking a picture to go with this article as shegave me these three bears I finally chose, an amazing nightshot of her mountain lion stalking away from the camera,
two coyotes playing like puppies, a bobcat whose camouflagefur coloring matched the dried grass he was standing onand, a great shot of her triathlon cookies. Hard choice!

Gail is one of those people who can do just about anythingwith the written word. She teaches psychology on a substituteteacher basis, frequently at the Claremont Colleges. Sheworks with textbook publishers as an editor and writer. Incase you didn’t know, being an editor, especially withinthe academic world, requires vast quantities of the art ofdiplomacy as being an editor involves telling people wherethey have gone wrong in their manuscript. This requires a 

special gift as all writers – myself included – consider everyword they write to be golden. Working with professorial-typefaculty members is especially touchy as she has to be carefulnot to treat them like students. She spoke in particular ofworking with a university back east on their student firstyear orientation class handbook where instruction was givenon changing one’s major. The writers consistently called it a“major change” instead of changing a major. Think about it.
Every writer wants their work to shine and a skillful editorcan make that happen, but vast quantities of holding one’stongue and employing great finesse are required.

Gail is now embarking upon the career of her dreams. Sheis in the process of becoming a cookie-cake-jam-nut butterentrepreneur. Currently in the last stages of getting all herlicensing completed, she expects to be actively turning outdeliciously beautiful cookies early next year. She has had greatsuccess creating triathlon cookies depicting each stage of atriathlon, i.e., running, swimming and bicycling, featuringvarious colors of clothing. These are so authentic lookingand if you knew anybody who did any one of those things,
you’d want to give them a box of Gail’s cookies. She createda special post office kind of cookie for John, her mailman,
and a trash truck cookie for her trash guy. Beyond clever! Shehad a beautiful apple bundt cake sitting out on her counterawaiting glaze....a Thanksgiving experiment.

Wanting to take a different direction with her jams and nutbutters, she has been testing recipes using dextrose/glucoseas it is easier to digest and she’s aiming for products that area little less sweet, a little more tart; for instance: StrawberryHibiscus Jam. Exciting! As a strawberry preserves makermyself, I am looking forward to tasting Gail’s jam. Wediscovered we both love the Food Network on TV and she’s 
a graduate of the Harvard Online Cooking Class on thechemistry of cooking. Watch for news of her cookies in thecoming year.

We truly do have the most interesting, friendliest, mostwilling to give of themselves people here in Sierra Madre. Seewho you can meet this week.

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 
Blog: www.authordeanne.com 

“Star of Wonder – A Christmas Story”

Is available there. This is a wonderful Christmas Love 
Story...trust me!

Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@ 
playwrightdd 

Art of The Women’s Room opens with a freereception Nov. 18, 2-5 p.m., at the Armory Centerfor the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. Theexhibit will run through Dec. 3.

The Women’s Room (TWR) is a daytime refugefor women who are alone and homeless or at risk 
of homelessness. Art is a way that guests of TWR 

Preparations are underway to decorate 
KerstingCourt for the Winter holidays! Join in theholiday spirit. Purchase an ornament for the Sierra 
Madre Community tree and help raise funds for civicimprovements.

It’s easy just visit Leonora Moss (9 Kersting Court) 
or the Bottle Shop (58 W Sierra Madre Blvd) and 
fill out a postcard and leave your donation. Checks 
should be payable to Sierra Madre Community 
Foundation. Volunteers will be decorating 
Kersting Court in mid-November for the holidays 
and in preparation of the Support Small Business 

ALTERNATIVE GIFT FAIR & BOUTIQUE 

Sierra Madre United Methodist Church is holding its annual Christmas Alternative Gift Fair & Boutiqueon Sunday, December 3, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Celebrate the spirit of the holiday season with agift that truly “gives back.” Your donations help support the relief efforts of local organizations such as SanGabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, Friends in Deed, and Foothill Unity Center, and global efforts suchas Heifer International, Imagine No Malaria, and missionary programs in Mexico. Sales from the popular 
handcrafted gift boutique will benefit Family Promise of San Gabriel Valley. Enjoy free refreshments while 
you browse. The Church is located at 695 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. in Sierra Madre. Call 626-355-0629 for 
more information. 

express themselves to sustain self-respect and a spirit

FRIENDS IN DEED 

that keeps them going. Paintings and other art pieces

HELP TRIM THE SIERRA MADRE CHRISTMAS TREE!


will be available for purchase as a donation. Proceedswill benefit The Women’s Room. 

Further information is available on the Friends 
In Deed website frinedsindeedpas.org. Although thereception is free, a favor of a reply is requested and canbe made on the website or calling 626-797-2402. 

Saturday and Sierra Madre’s Holiday Winter 
Events. Program Sponsored by the Sierra Madre 
Community Foundation and Sierra Madre Chamber 
of Commerce 

Sierra Madre Community Foundation is a charity 
singularly devoted to Sierra Madre. SMCF solicits 
donations to enhance our community by making 
direct grants, both large and small, to worthy 
people and organizations that might otherwise be 
overlooked and also assists other community groups 
in collecting and distributing funds for programs 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com