Benicia Magazine January 2024 Issue

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS

FEATURE

12

Our Mental Health Era Gentle Resolutions For a New Year Yayoi Kusama

8

18

20

From the Editor

Booktails

Dinner & a Movie

Happy New Year!

Mother, Nature

by Jedidiah Jenkins

Vegan Month: Asparagus Soup

6 • Benicia Magazine

AROUND TOWN 9

Thank you for an amazing 2023!

12th Night

January we’ll be closed to relax, rejuvenate & create.

The Twelve Nights of Yule

Join us February 1 for the opening of Larnie & Bodil Fox’s ‘Probability 2’

10 Food & Drink "Veganuary" The Value of Veganism

11 Student Projects Benicia Students are Making Waves

interactive musical sculptures that will fill the entire Gallery!

Wishing you abundant happiness, good health & laughter in 2024!

Vickie & Twigg Check out 2024’s show schedule at ny2cagallery.com 617 1st Street, Benicia, CA 94510 (315) 945-7945 Thursday - Sunday noon to 5PM

14 Art & Philanthropy Spreading Infinite Love Yayoi Kusama at the SF MoMA

16 Hidden Benicia The Pianos on First Were Their Idea

21 Events Calendar * Picket Fences continues on beniciamagazine.com

January 2024

Creating a Trusted Space for Financial Growth

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Cover Photo:

Cooper Mickelson Infinite Love, an art instalation from Yayoi Kusama at the San Francisco MoMA

BeniciaMagazine.com • 7

Columns | Letters

Happy New Year! n From the Publisher

January is the coldest month of the year. It has, since ancient times, been the month of new beginnings. The name January comes from Janus or Ianus, the Roman god of passage and new beginnings. Iānus is Latin and means arched gateway. It is related to the word Janitor, which initially meant “Keeper of the Gate.” So, by all counts January is a month of new beginnings, a time to refresh and reinvent ourselves, perhaps open new doors.

It's rather fun to set new goals, decide on lifestyle changes and to ponder the new year. I stopped making lists of resolutions a long time ago. Instead, I pick one thing that I know I can accomplish; just one. For me, this year, it is to slow down. I am a workaholic as well as a funaholic (yes, I made that up). I love what I do, but I tend to volunteer to do more, and take on more projects than I should. I like to work out, walk, hike and travel. I love the arts. What I’ve noticed is that I’m not getting the full enjoyment out of life because I’m always thinking about what’s next. Okay, I’ll add a second resolution. Be in the moment. This seems to be a resolution that is top of mind for many people. If you take a look at the January feature “2024: Our Mental Health Era” you will see it is a common thread in the resolutions for the Benicia Magazine staff.

In our Winter Quarterly issue, “The Heart of Winter,” there is a truly wonderful article about taking care of yourself. It is called “Wellness in the Heart of Winter.” Written by Derek Linsley, co-owner of The Elevate Company, it is about exercise and mental and physical health and community.

He weaves a story into his daily early morning run where he contemplates the beauty and health of Benicia. He says, “I am struck by the parallel between nurturing our own heart's well-being and tending to the heart of our town. Just as taking care of our physical health involves dedication, persistence, and mindful choices, so does preserving the vibrancy of our community.” This is so true.

So, take some time, slow down, take care of yourself and take a walk around Benicia in January.

Genevieve decided to implement her resolution to slow down and has taken a few days off! She will return in the February issue!

Happy New Year! B

All the leaves are brown And the sky is gray I've been for a walk On a winter's day

— MARY

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around town | Community

Twelfth Night and the Twelve Days of Yule n Mary Hand and Jeannine Mendoza, Ed.D

Did you ever wonder how our Christmas celebrations happened to occur during the shortest days of the year?

Before the birth of Christ, the natural world played a formidable role in the lives of people long ago, and affected all aspects of daily life. The combination of short, chilly days and long, dark, cold nights resulted in specific holidays that celebrated life and light. In ancient times, the twelve days of Yuletide began on the winter solstice and ended on January 1. Christianity revised this pagan celebration to the Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide, beginning Christmas Day and ending on the 5th of January, with the last day being Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve). Twelvetide is a time of holy nights dedicated to glorifying God. It also is a time of feasting, resting, revelry, and charity. This collision of cultures, the sacred and the secular, has evolved to how we celebrate winter holidays today.

Twelfth Night is also the eve of Epiphany, the day that baby Jesus is presented at the Temple, and the day the Magi, or Wise Men, came to visit baby Jesus, bringing with them the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Besides influencing gift giving at holiday time forever, Twelfth Night also was a time when the regular rules of societal behavior were suspended and nobility and commoners celebrated as one.

As the last night of Twelvetide, a traditional holiday cake with a pea and a bean inside was cut and enjoyed. The man who found the bean in his cake would be the King of Misrule and would lead the drinking and debauchery. The woman who found the pea would be the Queen of Disrule. Twelvetide was an annual opportunity for people to celebrate life and each other during the darkest days of winter.

Twelvetide, also known as Twelve Nights, played a major role in providing entertainment during the gloomy, winter days with feasting, dancing, music making, and general merrymaking, a tradition that began long ago. Performances relating the story of the Nativity, Christmas songs and carols added to the fun. Many of today's customs date back to those same festivities from centuries ago and are evident in the plethora of amusements and activities available during the holiday season. We owe it to ourselves to enjoy this special season of love and light that comes only once a year.

Happy New Year, everyone! B BeniciaMagazine.com • 9

around town | Food & Drink

The Value of Veganism Going plant- based for the month of january n Cooper Mickelson January is full of resolutions, lifestyle changes, and month-long challenges. A new year helps us kick-start the habits we hope will bring us closer to our goals. Last year, we focused on Dry January, a commitment to ditch alcohol for the first month of the year. This year, we thought we’d highlight a different January challenge. Veganuary!

Veganuary (not the catchiest of names, I know) involves a pledge to live a plant-based lifestyle for the first 31 days of the year. Just as Dry January benefits our mental and physical health, participating in Veganuary can benefit the health of our bodies as well as the health of our planet.

What is Veganuary?

“Veganuary” is a non-profit organization encouraging people worldwide to go vegan for January. They offer recipes and eating guides and work with brands, restaurants, and supermarkets to help them create and launch new vegan products. Although Veganuary does a beautiful job of inspiring individuals to try this diet, you don’t need to go through them if you’re interested in doing this yourself. There are countless resources online, on social media, and in our community that can help you make the most of your month eating plant-based.

Why should I try a plant-based diet?

Eating completely plant-based or even simply reducing the amount of animal products you consume can significantly impact the planet and your body.

Eating a vegan diet reduces water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the UN, Meat and Dairy (farmed livestock) account for 11.2% of manmade greenhouse gas emissions. If we all went vegan, scientists believe the world’s food-related emissions might drop by 68% within 15 years, limiting global warming. That being said, not all vegan food is environmentally friendly. So, if your environmental impact is the main reason you’d like to try a vegan diet, I suggest you carefully research the products you choose to buy. Your best bet is to buy locally and support local farms and markets.

A plant-heavy diet is also excellent for your physical health. Rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and hydration, a plant-based diet can leave you feeling much more energized and boost your immune system.

Done correctly, a vegan diet may also result in weight loss, and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

What about my dinner club? What if I can’t live without cheese? Etc Die-hard vegans might hate me for this one, but you don’t need to give it all up to make a difference. If your monthly dinner club is serving barbeque and you don’t want to miss out, eat the barbeque. If your mom made delicious chicken noodle soup to cure your cold, there’s no need to throw it out. Making small changes in your diet is more important than getting it 100% right. If a strict vegan diet sounds too difficult to tackle right now, try eating plant-based one day out of the week. Focus on doing what you can, not on forcing yourself to follow the “rules of veganism.” Make your own goals and change them to fit what works for you along the way.

In short, eating plant-based for January can lead to some inspiring changes for your body and our planet. Give it a go and see what sticks. Here’s one of my favorite “easy” vegan recipes to get you started!

10 • Benicia Magazine

Creamy Garlic and Tomato Cannellini Beans Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil 8 garlic cloves, minced 8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped ½ cup vegetable broth ½ cup cashew cream 2 tbsp tomato paste 1tbsp fresh or dried parsley 1 tsp salt and black pepper 3 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice 1 16-ounce can of cannellini or lima beans (butter beans) 3 cups spinach Preparation: 1. In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped sundried tomatoes. Cook until the garlic is lightly browned.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the cashew cream, vegetable broth, tomato paste, parsley, salt and pepper, and white wine vinegar. Stir well, and then add in the beans, mixing them to evenly distribute throughout the cream sauce.

3. Cover the pan and reduce heat to simmer.

Cook for approximately 5 minutes.

4. Add in the fresh spinach and mix into the bean mixture.

5.

Cover the pan again and cook for 2-3 minutes at a simmer. Add more vegetable broth and salt if the mixture becomes too thick for your personal preference.

6. S erve warm with your favorite crispy bread. B

around town | Community

Student Projects in the New Year

n Alexa Manning

Benicia High School is rife with opportunity—it is clear that the school’s administrators see the potential in their students and want to give them tools for success. With hands-on projects and partnerships with the community, Benicia’s students are making waves.

The Arsenal, a beloved part of Benicia’s history, was the latest subject of Mr. Andreas Kaiser’s Engineering and Architecture students. In a competition against their peers, the students worked with a non-profit organization, 1,000 Friends of the Arsenal, to build a plan for the best, communityminded design plan. The winning team’s project showed 2D models of a new Visitor Center and play park.

Plans for the Visitor Center included a cafe, museum, gift shop, and balcony overlooking the strait. This Visitor Center would be a central point of the arsenal with paths to a new playground, the garden, and the clocktower.

Locals and tourists alike would feel comfortable and welcome in the Arsenal at this central space for honoring Old Benicia’s history.

This project was finished at the end of 2023. In the new year, Kaiser’s students are finishing up their laser-cut holiday ornaments and fidget spinners.

The students in Kaiser’s Robotics class are building robots to enter into the 1st Solano Robo Rave Robotics competition that will be held during the Steam Discovery Festival on April 20th at Solano Community College.

His advanced Engineering students are working on 3D printed toy trains or full-motion flight simulators. Each student is receiving experience that will help them in college and their careers later on.

Arsenal Playground

In the overall site plan, there is the inclusion of both existing buildings and new additions. New additions include a trail, a playground, a community garden, a visitor center, and a sitting area overlooking the water view. This plan protects the preservation of trees while using available space to make the area more welcoming.

November 15, 2023

Arsenal Project: Site Plan By: Jillian Guan, Team: The Arsenal Architects Mr. Kaiser’s Engineering Class, Benicia High School

To the right is the visitor center. This center will have facilities such as bathrooms and dining available. To the left is the community garden, playground, and sitting area. These spaces are convivial and will be inviting. Finally, there is a trail from the clocktower to the garden and playground for more recreation and connection to the space.

VISitor Center!

This playground designed for the Arsenal preserves the style of the surrounding area.

It is mainly made of wood and rock which allows it to feel natural. The playground contains multiple features such as a slide, monkey bars, and a tire swing, etc.

Additionally, there is a seating area next to the park.

It has benches, tables, and water fountains. Lastly, there are also trees that are native to California and previously located at the Arsenal.

Made By: Jocelyn Wenslawski Team: The Arsenal Architects November 15, 2023 Benicia High School Mr. Kaiser’s Engineering Class

Visitor Center Exterior Design

Alyssa Kennessey, Team: Arsenal Architects, Benicia Arsenal Project, 11/15/23, Mr. Kaiser’s Engineering Class, Benicia High School

Built in the style of the Commandant’s House and the Jefferson Mansion

Not just Kaiser’s students are benefitting from such realistic, skillbuilding projects. Anouk Dorrance’s Medical Careers and Medical Sciences classes have had the opportunity to learn about medical practices in other countries and participate in “true patient care” simulations, respectively.

BHS’s medical clubs, also overseen by Dorrance, execute community-focused projects. While the Red Cross holds blood drives, the medical clubs have a variety of volunteering opportunities with The Lodge at Glen Cove, an elderly community. During their required hours of community service, each student is able to interact with a member of the community and exercise compassion while they earn experience with real patients.

The Auto and Construction students, under Steve Shields, will begin working on an old Volkswagen

car, the end goal being a completely electric vehicle. These students may learn how to research and source parts, but also the practical skills required to implement them.Includes a At the end of 2023 the historical Careers museum, a gift in Education students shop, wrote and a cafe, and illustrated children's booksa balcony basedthat on the childhood development foroverlooks their final Carquinez Strait. exam. The beginning of 2024 brings a deep dive into lesson planning.

The plans that the students create may make it to a classroom at one of Benicia’s elementary schools.

The new year also means new shows on BHS’s stage. The Dance students will return from winter break to work hard on teaching and learning new dances. After months of learning new styles and working as a team, the Dance students will share their efforts with the community in the spring show. At the same time, the Theater Department will be holding auditions and rehearsals for the spring musical. B BeniciaMagazine.com • 11

Feature

2024:

Our Mental Health Era n Genevieve Hand

For centuries mental health has been a taboo subject.

In recent years that stigma has gradually been lifted.

While references to therapy used to be whispered among close confidants only, now you can find influencers and celebrities discussing their therapy and broader mental health journeys on the most public of platforms.

This normalization has been a blessing for many, particularly given the times in which we live. Studies by the World Health Organization in 2022 found that, in the first year of the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression spiked by 25%. While pandemic-related fears have ebbed since that first year, the fallout of pandemic policies, as well as more recent national and global events, provide much weight for the mind. And that’s all on top of the stressors of everyday life—a pile of work stress, money stress, your garden variety social anxiety, social media pressure, or triggered childhood trauma. It's a wonder any of us are functioning at all.

12 • Benicia Magazine

feature

Those most vocal in the reclamation of our mental health overwhelmingly belong to Gen Z and that may be out of necessity. Studies show members of Gen Z are much more likely to report negative feelings of stress, anxiety, and loneliness than previous generations at the same age.

Part of these findings may be due to the normalization of discussing mental health, such that members of Gen Z are better able to recognize and articulate their mental health struggles than even Millennials or Gen Xers were at their age. One can’t help but wonder if the fact that Gen Z is the first to Studies show members grow up with today’s of the internet, of Gen Z are much more version social media, and the likely to report negative first clear effects of feelings of stress, climate change could be contributing to anxiety, and loneliness different mental health than previous generations challenges than what generations at the same age. previous have dealt with.

With all this in With all this in mind, we mind, we are seeing are seeing more people, more people, across generations, making across generations, making their mental health their mental health a a priority in various priority in various aspects aspects of their lives—from the of their lives—from workplace to family the workplace to family relationships. Some relationships. have found cutting out alcohol to have positive effects on their mental health.

Others have been working to draw firm boundaries at work or with family. Still, others have simply started by seeing a therapist to help talk through troubles or gain tools to reframe their cognitive patterns. A great place to start, should you be at a loss, might be by setting manageable mental health-related resolutions for the New Year. Below we’ve had members of our staff (and New York Times best-selling author Jedidiah Jenkins) provide some tips they’ll be taking with them into the New Year:

Dalia:

Alexa:

For the new year I’ll be sticking to an old tip: healthy body, healthy mind. Everyday I usually write down 10 to-do list on my work agenda.

This year, I’ll be replacing 3 of these tasks with: Medidate, hydrate, and take a brisk walk outside or in nature. While remembering to take short breaks and to breathe.

As a serial over-committer, I plan to take more time for myself in the new year. 2024 will be the era of extra reading time, early nights in bed, and taking myself out on solo dates!

Cooper: To improve my mental health in the new year I’m focusing on slowing down and being present.

A part of this will be spending much less time on social media. Death to the doom scroll!

Jedidiah Jenkins: New York Times Best-Selling author

“My one true resolution is I plan to write a poem every day…I want to frame my mind toward poetry, to put my days in verse…I think it’ll romanticize my own life in a lovely way.”

Mary: I have found that as you get older you have to commit a lot more time to keeping fit mentally and physically. I am a busy person who thrives on business and accomplishments, however I have found that I can’t quite fit everything in anymore.

Balance is key and that is what I will strive for.

Genevieve: To improve my mental health this year I plan to commit to a mindfulness practice, like meditation or even just being present in the moment; prioritize taking time for myself, including getting regular exercise; and distance myself from negative stress, physically when possible and mentally when not!

Should you choose to make improving your mental health a priority in your New Year’s resolutions, remember that, like anything, it is a process and not always a linear path. You’ll have easier days and harder days, but the idea is to have tools to get you through the hard times and to gain clarity with which to view your life. What may work for your friend may not work for you when it comes to methods to improve mental health. So, put in the work to find out what works best for you. The benefits—greater productivity, improved relationships, greater resiliency, and greater overall satisfaction with this thing we call life—are well worth the effort. B

BeniciaMagazine.com • 13

around town | Art & Philanthropy

ama s u K Yayoi MA. O M at SF

Spreading

Infinite Love

n Jean Purnell

It only costs $30 to see Infinite Love, an exhibition of artwork by the 94-year-old artist Yayoi Kusama, now on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, through September 2024. But only if you can get a ticket. Timed entry tickets to see Kusama’s “Infinite Mirror Rooms” and large-scale pumpkin sculptures are made available early each month for the month that follows and are snapped up within hours. With similar shows in the world’s biggest art capitals in recent years, she is the most famous and successful living female artist in the world, with auction sales of $174 million in 2021.

My artist friends Angela White, Ebba Navas, and I managed to get 2:15 pm tickets on October 10. We boarded the Ferry in Vallejo for the 45-minute trip to San Francisco. We took a short ride via Lyft from the SF Ferry Building to the Museum, but the distance is walkable, about 1.2 miles. We arrived around 12:30 pm and stopped at the Museum’s café to have a lunch of artistically created salads and drinks. Guests at the bar recommended a cocktail whimsically titled “Art is Subjective.” On the fifth floor we posed with Kusama’s Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My Heart, a massive polka-dot pumpkin sculpture with five stems and undulating walls.

14 • Benicia Magazine

We were ready to explore the mirror rooms.

Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity, I Would Offer My Love (2023) is Kusama’s newest mirror room, found on the sixth floor. The interior is lined with mirrors reflecting bright colors and lights, creating the illusion of endlessly recurring spaces. iPhones in hand, as though we could capture the out-of-body sensation, we saw ourselves reflected everywhere in the room. The second room is titled Love is Calling (2013). Darker than the first, the room is illuminated by colored fabric inflatable forms that extend from the floor and ceiling. We heard the voice of the artist reciting a poem about love.

Only a handful of visitors are allowed into each room at a time for a two-minute interval. In anticipation, we thought the two minutes was meager, but it turned out to be enough and we emerged from the rooms a little giddy and overstimulated.

Kusama’s intent is for the viewer to lose him- or herself in a process of “self-obliteration,” where one’s identity and ego disintegrates thr into an unending array of oug Sep mirrored images distributed h tem across the room. Upon ber reflection, perhaps, two 7 2 minutes was not quite enough.

024 Kusama has been on the cutting edge of art trends since the 1950s. Born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan, she started drawing and painting as a child, but her mother did not appreciate her obvious talent, often taking away her inks and canvases. She drew pumpkins covered with dots and entire drawings consisting only of lines. At the age of ten, she began to experience hallucinations which she described as flashes of light and fields of dots.

She painted what she saw in these visions, including flowers that moved and spoke to her, polka-dots, and fabric patterns that came to life.

Kusama studied the nihonga style of painting at the Kyoto City University of Arts and had a solo show in

around town | Art & Philanthropy

FATHER OF EIGHT

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1952 but was intrigued with abstract expressionism and obsessed with escaping Japan’s provincial art scene. She moved to New York in 1958. Enduring racism and sexism in a mostly male art world in New York, she persisted, and became part of the avantgarde movement, developing an artistic voice that incorporated pop art and minimalism. Exhibitions of her dot paintings, which she called “infinity nets,” garnered positive reviews leading to additional gallery invitations.

She drew greater attention in the mid-1960s when she began organizing “happenings” with naked participants painted with brightly colored polka-dots. Infused with a love-not-war philosophy, her works include painting, sculpture, textiles and fashion, performance art, film, installations, and literary works. She was a workaholic, but gradually her health deteriorated. She moved back to Japan in 1973. In her autobiography (written in the 1970s, published in 2001), she wrote about being treated for mental illness at various times in her life. Recognizing her own vulnerability, she moved into a mental facility in Tokyo in 1977, within walking distance of her studio. Her work has been featured in numerous major international museum exhibitions over the past three decades.

“Like tens of thousands of artists before me, I was being drawn toward a For more mountain peak that information visit has never been mapped or climbed. https://www.sfmoma.

If the true shape of org/exhibition/yayoithis peak had been knowable, my life kusama-infinite-love/ and would have turned https://www.sfmoma.org/ to grey. Each day I learned anew exhibitions/. Tickets free what an inscrutable, for members and ambition-filled human struggle it is to 18 and under. paint, to create.” B

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around town | Hidden Benicia

The Pianos

on

first Were Their n Kevin Nelson In the winter issue of Benicia Magazine we published a quiz, “How Well Do You Know First Street?” testing residents on their knowledge of Benicia’s lively downtown thoroughfare. One of the questions centered on the two pianos that have been set up outside on First, asking residents to identify their different locations.

When I began my research in November one piano was stationed (spoiler alert!) in the courtyard in front of St. Paul’s Church and the other was next to the Capitol building. But after writing the piece I took a drive down First and noticed, to my alarm, that things had mysteriously changed. The pianos were gone! What the heck? Did the gang of thieves stealing everyone’s catalytic converters these days make off with our pianos too?

Fortunately my editor caught my error and updated the quiz before publication. Nevertheless I was curious to learn more about the pianos (and where they went to!), and this led me to call Elizabeth Lewis, better known as “Bizzy,” a family nickname she was given as a young girl due to her abundance of energy. Her energy has not slackened. Now a forty-something elementary school teacher raising two young kids here in town with her husband Will Stockton, Bizzy is the busy chairperson of the Benicia Arts and Culture Commission, the group responsible for putting the pianos on First and, as it happens, taking them off, too.

When we spoke I confessed that I had never heard of the Arts and Culture Commission and had no idea such a group even existed. “That’s so good you said that,” she responded, putting a nice, positive spin on my clear

16 • Benicia Magazine

Idea

ignorance of city affairs.

“Because that’s a huge mission for us. People don’t know about us and what we’re doing and we want to change that.”

The commission, she explained, provides the funding for a variety of local arts groups including Arts Benicia, Voena, and Benicia Theater Group. It also sponsors public art projects such as the colorfully rendered traffic boxes and public benches you see at various locales around town. These are painted by local artists chosen by Arts and Culture’s sevenmember volunteer board of directors. More examples of commission-funded activity are murals by Benicia High students, the library’s mural of Benicia’s sister city Tula, Mexico, sculptures on First and at the Community Center, a Shakespeare in the Park performance, and a “Spooktacular” movie event at the Majestic Theatre.

The commission is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; rather its funding comes solely from the city. Bizzy and her fellow commissioners typically meet on the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the Dona Benicia Room of the library, and they are always game for fresh faces to join them.

The pianos on First Street may be their most surprising civic success. The impetus for it came from former City Manager Eric Upson, who, after seeing people play on one in downtown Walnut Creek and noting how warmly it was received, brought the idea to Terry Scott, Benicia’s vice mayor who was, then, chair of Arts and Culture. Scott pitched it to the board, funding was approved unanimously, and on a lovely spring day two years ago in the courtyard of beautiful and historic St. Paul’s, Benicia welcomed “Hippo” to town.

Hippo is a standard upright piano with an anything but standard paint job. Artist Phyllis Hartzell splashed musical notes across it, a quote by Mozart, and in the whimsical touch that gave it its name, dancing hippos. The Mayor and City Council members spoke at the unveiling. Voena founder Anabel Marie tickled

around town | Hidden Benicia Hippo’s ivories as did a Benicia High teen. Passersby on First and diners emerging from One House Bakery stopped to share in the moment. “People were smiling, dancing,” recalls Bizzy, “It was wonderful.”

Hippo’s smash performance that summer led to the arrival in 2023 of a second piano—a baby grand nicknamed “Jungle,” inspired by Josie Grant’s rendering of wild animals in a jungle setting. Jungle took over Hippo’s former spot at St. Paul’s and Hippo moved down the street to the State Capitol grounds—a site, Bizzy noted, that it will not return to this spring. Hippo’s first Capitol location was too close to the lawn sprinklers, and its second too far out of the public eye. Bizzy and the board are now actively searching for a new home for Hippo, and they’d love to talk to any downtown businesses that might have a suitable outdoor space for it.

One encouraging note is that even though the pianos are left out overnight during the summer, there have only been a couple instances of vandalism. “We’ve had very minimal problems,” reported Bizzy. “Once people know about them, they’re very supportive. They feel like the piano is theirs.

They take ownership. People check it out and take care of it for us.” One of the “unsung heroes” of the program is Robert Gordon, who operates a shop in the Arsenal that restores and repairs pianos. Gordon donated Hippo and Jungle for use by the city, stores them in his facility over the winter, and he will transport them back to their respective locations when they return again in the spring.

Which brings up an interesting question. With the city bleeding red ink and cutting services and staff, and some of our roads as badly cratered as the surface of the moon, why spend tax dollars on whimsically painted pianos and traffic boxes?

“For me,” says Bizzy Lewis, “there’s nothing but positivity that comes with public art. It’s one of the things that unites us, that brings people together. It spreads joy, especially on the heels of the sadness of Covid. So many young people have their faces stuck in their devices.

It’s so great to see them put down their phones and participate in what’s around them.

We love this town.

And one of the things we love about it is the feeling of community we have here. Our art and artists contribute to that feeling, and it’s one of the reasons we don’t want to leave.” B

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 17

column | Booktails

Mother, Nature

by Jedidiah Jenkins

“We cannot feel this, but many of the biggest changes—in nature, in life— go unnoticed. They happen without the moment ever being named.”

Book and Cocktail Club n Cooper Mickelson

If you know me personally, you know that Jedidiah Jenkins holds a special place in my heart. In February 2020, I picked up his first book, To Shake the Sleeping Self, and immediately felt a special kind of kinship. This first book recounts his experience cycling from Oregon to Patagonia as he attempts to shake himself out of his routine and answer some big questions surrounding his beliefs, identity, and place in the world. A year later, I read his second book, a collection of moving essays titled Like Streams to the Ocean: Notes on Ego, Love, and the Things That Make Us Who We Are, which secured him a spot on my list of favorite authors.

There’s a warmth to Jenkin's writing that feels familiar and comforting even when it explores dark and somewhat terrifying topics. He can transfer lived, human experiences onto the page in an intimate and beautiful way while inviting others to interpret them from different and often conflicting perspectives.

Through his writing, Jenkins creates a 18 • Benicia Magazine

judgment-free space for curious minds to play, grow, and connect.

In 2023, after almost two years of stalking Jenkins’ social media for any news of a new release, I finally caught a glimpse of the cover for Mother, Nature.

If the name “Jenkins” sounds familiar, you might be one of the millions who followed along as a young couple walked across the United States in the ‘70s. In 1973, Peter Jenkins left New York City on foot, planning to walk all the way to Oregon with his dog, Cooper. After Cooper was struck and killed by a truck in Tennessee, Jenkins made his way to New Orleans alone, where he met the awe-inspiring Barbara Jo Pennell. The two married and completed the walk together, arriving in Oregon in 1979.

This journey was featured in National Geographic twice: “Walk Across America” in April 1977 and “Walk Across America: Part II” in August 1979.

Peter and Barbara Jenkins had three children before ending their marriage in 1987. The eldest was a daughter conceived during their famous trek across America. The youngest was a cute and happy baby boy, and in the middle was a curious child named Jedidiah.

Over forty years after the walk across America, Jedidiah and his mother decided to take a roadtrip, retracing her thousands of miles journey from New Orleans to the Oregon coast. Mother, Nature follows this mother-son duo as they drive across the country, listening to true-crime podcasts and navigating the somewhat tricky relationship between a deeply religious mother and a gay son.

Although the book continuously circles back to Barbara’s inability to accept Jedidiah’s sexuality, Mother, Nature explores so much more than that. As his mother enters her seventies, Jenkins wants to get to know her on a deeper level. To catch a glimpse of what she was like as a girl in her thirties before she became a mother. I believe many of us begin to feel this way as we age and notice our parents are also aging. We get curious about who they are as individuals beyond their role as our guardians.

As times change, the parent and child relationship can get increasingly strained. Ideas on politics, religion, and society tend to be wildly different between generations, resulting in

column | Booktails some pretty heated conversations. It can feel easier to simply disregard your parent’s or child’s beliefs and let the distance between you grow wider as a result, but Jenkins challenges this impulse in a big way.

Through his gentle curiosity, Jenkins carefully peels back the layers of questions many of us are asking. How do we not only stay in, but also nurture relationships, even when they hurt? When should we stand up for ourselves, and when should we just let it go? How do we set boundaries without them turning into separation?

Love (especially between family members) is complex, and Jenkins seamlessly brings forward the beauty in that complexity. Whether you’re a parent struggling to accept the beliefs or lifestyle of your children or you’re a child attempting to navigate a relationship with a parent who loves you yet can’t accept vital parts of who you are, Mother, Nature is guaranteed to inspire and strengthen you in that journey.

At under 250 pages, Mother, Nature is a quick and addictive read. Buy yourself a copy from Bookshop Benicia, and while you’re at it, buy a copy for your parent or child, too. If you finish Mother, Nature and crave more time with Barbara Jenkins, she also released a book in 2023 titled So Long as It’s Wild: Standing Strong After My Famous Walk Across America. Dolly Parton read and loved it. That should be enough to convince you to pick it up. B

Booktail's Cocktail of the Month

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Preparation 1. Combine Italian Spritz, blood orange juice, apple cider, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker.

2. Add ice and shake for about 10 seconds.

3. Strain into a fancy glass with ice.

4. Add a splash of club soda, then top with your garnishes!

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BeniciaMagazine.com • 19

column | Dinner and a Movie

Gourmet Gracie and Movie Magic

It's Vegan Month n Gourmet Gracie Let's review...What is a VEGAN diet? A vegan diet is a plant-based diet that avoids all animal products including meat, fish, insects, dairy, eggs and honey.

And, good news, Benicia has several vegan options.

Aung Maylika, our Burmese restaurant offers many vegan dishes, including Papaya Salad, Ginger Salad, Lettuce Wraps, Tea Leaf Rice Salad (Gracie's favorite!) and more. Mai Tai and Pearl Thai have a selection of vegan menu items like vegetable curries, fresh vegetable rolls, coconut soups. The Cafe at The Inn at Benicia Bay has an incredible Vegan Porridge with gluten-free oats, coconut milk, chopped nuts and seeds, dried fruit and cinnamon. Wow! And let's not forget the fabulous Fox & Fawn...serving up cakes and cupcakes and cookies...all vegan, all delicious.

Most restaurants can accommodate a vegan diet with salads or pastas that have no meat or dairy. Try the Aglio Pomodoro at Venticello's—Garlic, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil tossed with olive oil and linguine. Kimono's offers an amazing Garden Salad with fresh asparagus, tofu, teppan vegetables and brown rice. The Tempura Vegetables are every bit as tasty as you want them to be. Sounds like anything is possible!

All restaurants mentioned are in Benicia—check out their websites.

n Movie Magic January gives us some down time after the holidays and during wintery weather. Here are a few popular movies with a vegan theme. Forks Over Knives, an exemplary documentary exploring the possibility that switching from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet can help eliminate or control diseases like cancer and diabetes. On a lighter note, Charlotte's Web is a delightful, animated film that tells the story of how a spider named Charlotte weaves an elaborate web to save her friend, Wilbur the Pig, from the butcher block. Chicken Run is the hilarious, critically acclaimed, animated film about a group of chickens in the British countryside who engage an American rooster, named Rocky Rhodes, as their only hope to escape the farm when their owners want to turn them into chicken pies. All are streaming on Amazon Prime. All are worth watching.

20 • Benicia Magazine

And, just in case you want to spend some creative time in the kitchen, here's an easy (vegan, of course) tasty and warming soup recipe:

Asparagus Soup Makes 2-4 servings.

Ingredients 5 cups chopped asparagus (can use frozen) 1/2 yellow onion coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves (or more to taste) 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup almonds 2 cups good quality vegetable broth Black pepper to taste Fresh herbs chopped for garnish Place the asparagus, yellow onion and garlic in a saucepan. Add broth; cover and bring to a simmer.

Cook for 5-7 minutes until all are tender. Remove from heat. Transfer to a blender*. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Vent the steam from the blender as you go. Pour into bowls and top with fresh herbs. *An immersion blender works as well.

Note: Asparagus is full of easily absorbable vitamin B, trace minerals and naturally detoxes while providing a much needed alkaline balance.

The thicker the stalk, the more nutritious. B

January Month of january Dine Downtown Benicia Downtown Benicia Eat your way through January!

Share pictures of your meals to info@beniciamainstreet. org for a chance to win $100 Downtown Dollars.

January 5 First Friday at the Museum MoHB 6:30-9:30 Retroflection Band January 13 & 14 Vallejo Symphony Presents: An American in Paris Empress Theater, Vallejo Saturday: January 13 (8:00PM) Sunday: January 14 (3:00 PM) January 19 Tyson Snow Art Exhibition Echoes of Humanity Empress Theater, Vallejo 6:30pm Tuesdays Trivia with King Trivia Mare Island Brewing Co. First Street Taphouse 6:30pm King Trivia every Tuesday upstairs, in the Benicia Room.

The Rellik Tavern Last Friday of the Month Goth Night 9pm-1:30am Tuesdays Open Mic for Musicians 7-10pm Wednesdays Karaoke 7-10pm Thursdays DJ 9pm-1am Fridays and Saturdays Live Music Sundays Poker Night 6-10pm

EVENTS Empress Theater January 3 Kid Anderson 8:30pm January 10 Blues Defenders 6:30pm January 17 Terrie Odabi 6:30pm January 24 Johnny Cats Blues and Soul Revue 6:30pm January 31 Alabama Mike and the Mighty Revelators 6:30pm Lucca's Beer Garden January 18 Jeff Tamelier & Tony Lindsay 6:30-9pm January 19 Groove Dragon 6:30-9pm January 20 Hattie Craven & Alex Jordan 1:30-3:30pm January 20 Walking Mirrors 6:30-9pm January 21 Mark Hummel 2:30-5:30pm January 25 The New Frantics 6:30-9pm January 26 4th Friday Don Bassey 6:30-9pm January 27 The Rhythm Method Trio 1-3:30pm January 27 Jenny Kerr Band 6:30-9pm January 28 Fog City Swampers 2:30-5:30pm

around town | Events

Classes &

Workshops January 16 Adult Sculpture Workshop with Artist Tyson Snow Empress Theater, Vallejo 9am This intensive workshop will offer students a 3-day sculpting experience of the human head with Tyson Snow. A sculptor who works in a variety of met and sculpture mediums in wall mounted or low relief, with more than 25 years of experience.

Jan 20-Feb 25 Portrait Painting 991 Tyler Street #206 Saturdays 10am-2pm During this 6-week Portrait Painting course, you will learn how to analyze the structure of the head, techniques to locate the features and how to see value.

January 21 Gelli Printing for Collage Arts Benicia Annex, 991 Tyler Street #116 10am-2pm Delve into the world of color theory as we explore how to select and combine colors effectively to achieve your desired aesthetic. B Visit our events page for the most up to date list of

upcoming events! www.beniciamagazine.com/events/

Want to see your event here?

Email editor@beniciamagazine.com with your event details to have it added to our events page!

BeniciaMagazine.com • 21

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Proceeds benefit Soroptimist of Benicia Safehouse in partnership with SafeQuest and projects and programs for women and girls education and training

6th Annual SIP with Soroptimist A n eve n i n g o f W i n e Ta s t i n g , Fo o d a n d M u s i c

Raffle | Silent Auction | Wine Pull | Whiskey Tasting Saturday, February 3, 2024 6:30-10 pm The Clock Tower, 1189 Washington St. Benicia | Tickets: Eventbrite.com or Benicia Main Street $85.00 per ticket

22 • Benicia Magazine

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