Tearing myself away from my warm cozy home Sunday, I headed to First Street expecting empty streets Boy, did I get a wrong number. The Street was jumping. Benicians are on the move despite the uncertainty ahead. Where will we be same time next year? Will we have passed the sales tax measures? Will plans for a new hotel on First be in the works? Will we have a fireworks display, a Christmas Tree Lighting. Will there be peace in the Ukraine and the Middle East? Will we keep our democracy intact? Despite it all life goes on.
I step on clumps of tiny red peppers, thick on branches that have fallen from the trees. The berries have a satisfying crunch beneath my boots. The first blossoms of oxalis peak out from a yard full of shamrocks. I can never remember the differences between mustard and oxalis. If memory serves mustard greens are something my great aunt cooked. Oxalis greens, on the other hand, look like clover and are actually wood sorrel — just looked it up — which is often used in soups, pestos, and even sorbet. Giant, magenta camellia blossoms lay on the ground in front of the dentist’s office on East D St.
Ran into landscape architect Alison Fleck in front of Happy Life Pottery on her way to teach a class there. Asked her if she liked using the wheel and she gave a poetic, artful description of how satisfying it is to center a pot and see the shape evolve. Told her that I never got the hang of it, with every attempt ending up in a big, wet splat on my chest. Maybe I should sign up for the one-day class to see if anything has changed. It’s a good excuse to get another one of their cute aprons — maybe the one with Freda Kahlo.
Walked over to Pocket Monkey Vintage at 560 First St. behind Double Rainbow to check out their newish digs and was disappointed that they were closed — only for that day, I hope. Always loved looking at the jackets and shirts and smattering of antiques in the old shop in the 621 Building. If you want a real treat go to You Tube and type in “Pocket Monkey Vintage” for one of the best dance routines ever and a tour of the shop. Don’t know who the fellow is but he really rocks doing body rolls and bounces with a twerk or two for good measure all to the 1985 recording of “Oh Sheila.” Check it out!
The next day, Monday, rushed up to Bookshop Benicia for a birthday card. People were on the Street celebrating Martin Luther King’s birthday. The outside tables were full at Mare Island Brewing despite the cold. Musicians bounded up the stairs late for their performance of Celtic music. “We’re just a bunch of Irish guys who like to play music together,” one of them says. Further up the street Double Rainbow is packed with families wearing parkas and knit caps devouring their cups and cones of icy goodness. Did a double take at Scott, The Teak Man’s open-air shop. A family of four life-sized wooden black bears, pen ed in by a fence, stare at pedestrians. One of the bears is holding a rifle and another a carved wooden fish. Thought that bears caught fish with their paws? Hope they aren’t going duck hunting. A rustic yellow birdhouse sits high on a pole overlooking Avant Garden with its beds mostly empty except for some chard ready for sautéing.
Sign outside Rookies says, “ Brekky: 2 eggs any style — 2 pieces bacon, hash browns all for $10.99.” Such a deal! A huge banner catches my eye in front of the Washington House — “Benicia Foodie Fest” Sat. Jan 20th at City Park featuring dozens of food, drink, and artisan booths, plus kid-friendly activity.
A shiny new sign in front of the Library says: “City of Benicia Resiliency Plan, We Want Your Input on Benicia’s Future.” The booklet mailed to all Benicians recently on the budget situation lays out in a clear manner what we must do to remain solvent. Was surprised and disheartened to hear that Amazon is the largest sales tax producer in Benicia. Have been boycotting them for years, but that’s another story. Please fill out the survey with your preferences on where to keep and where to cut City services before January 24. BelieveInBenicia.org
Today (MLK”s birthday) in her “Letter From an American,” Heather Cox Richardson, speaks of heroes.
“You hear sometimes, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, that America has no heroes left.When I was writing a book about the Wounded Knee Massacre, where heroism was pretty thin on the ground, I gave that a lot of thought. And I came to believe that heroism is neither being perfect, nor doing something spectacular. In fact, it’s just the opposite: it’s regular, flawed human beings choosing to put others before themselves, even at great cost, even if no one will ever know, even as they realize the walls might be closing in around them.” https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-14-2024
Benicia works because of such heroes, too numerous to name. Onward!
Letters From Benicia 