The SOKA University, California is nestled into the beautiful hills of Aliso Viejo. SOKA University is a private, nonprofit, four-year liberal arts college and graduate school located in South Orange County, it welcomes students from all over the world. The International Festival celebrated each year in April is a place to enjoy ethnic art and handcrafts, dances and music from all different cultures, only to name a few ….. Bolivia, Mexico, Japan, India and China. This year it was a beautiful day of spring after lots of rain I decided to take my camera to the Festival grounds.

 Grupo Folklorico Los Sonadores

So many beautiful faces to capture

Mar Y Sol Bellydance

Henna Design byVaishali Bellad from Aliso Viejo # 949-293-6284

Did I mention that I got a little Henna Tatto….

Fujima Kansai Odori Kai Japanese Dance

A color wheel of umbrellas -they looked like spring blossoms …..

You can also view my post from last years SOKA Festival

                                                Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spring is bursting in Southern California! Recently I spend a sunny afternoon at the famous Flower Fields in Carlsbad. My eye was tickled by all these colors, me and my camera didn’t know where to turn first.

The fields today are a result of over 85 years of floral cultivation.Starting in the 1920s Ranunculus were the first seeds to be grown in these fields.

At the end of the day my camera and me laughed!

The Ecology Center located in San Juan Capistrano, California is a place of  HOW TO…………….

… to conserve enegry

… to composte your household waste

… to grow your own organic food

… to harvest rainwater……. and it goes on and on…

        A Green house

and an alternate treat mill..

I finish the Earth Day with a basket of the first organic strawberries for this season. Freshly picked from the South Coast Farms , they are located at the same ground as The Ecology Center

Countless poets were inspired by the daffodils to praise the beauty of nature. Only to mention one of the famost William Wordsworth. The first few lines go like this……….

” I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on hight o”er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd

A host, of golden daffodils, beside the lake beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze..”

My friend Amy feels just the same way, here she is harvesting some rhubarb for a great pie, ya she lives here. Amy is a great talented writer ! Being so involved into the local community  offering information’s of what’s going on as far as events, food bank etc… she has her own website snovalleyscene, it’s a MUST to check it out.

So one day she took me along with a group and a naturalist leader for a hike up to Rattlesnake lake mountain. It was beautiful hike when we got to the top it started to rain, really pouring, and I had looked forward for a grand view over the valley.

That could be just my backyard…..

or maybe a yard on the roof???

This would be my spot , a bench with a book for the day.   But it’s actually my friend’s back yard!

Listening to the  gurgling sound of the water at the creek and gazing at the light’s reflections,..

Recently at my friend’s house in Laguna Beach, I had the pleasure to met Caroline a french chef. She is a cooking instructor & caterer and the owner of  Califrenchcuisine. We immediately connected and she invited me to come to one of her cooking classes at the Antoine’s Cafe in San Clemente.

 Antoine’s Cafe is a small restaurant downtown San Clemente on Camino Real with a very charming atmosphere, a great place for breakfast and lunch.

Caroline had put together a menu of 5 appetizer’s and handed out printouts of the recipes.

 Greeted with a glass of wine takes the students  right into a food and cooking mood. She teaches with enthusiasm and quite some humor. To me the highlight of all courses was the desert, a french pear almond tart, the butter and all the flavors just melts in your mouth.

Bon Apetite! It is a great experience for food lovers  who like to learn new cooking techniques and it’s fun to share the creations together. Voila! Sign up for a class.

cupcakes and kisses, cookies and candles…..

….what a fun birthday party for the three little girls.

CELEBRATING IT’S 10th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Soka University of America is located in Aliso Viejo, California and is a private four-year liberal arts college. The University’s mission is to offer global citizens an education.

The other weekend it celebrated its 10 th anniversary. Dance and music performances from different cultures like Thailand, South America, Japan and other asian countries were scheduled all day long. Certainly a place of happiness and celebration which offered diversity in food, art and handcrafts. Go look!