June, not so gloomy

Your's truly and husband, Paul, at the San Diego Book Awards

. Photo by Leslie Hoffman

Hello friends, here is May and June's monthly WORD combined, WORD being my acronym for Welch On Rice Diary. May was busy with several events
and June is just as lively.

In San Diego we call the month of June: June Gloom. This somewhat amusing, yet negative description, is due to the marine layer that descends on the coastal regions of San Diego County and settles in like a gray misty blanket. Despite the lack of azure skies this month, June for me is very bright thanks to the San Diego Book Awards. Last night I attended the 17th annual SDBA event after I learned that my book, Lilian J. Rice: Architect of Rancho Santa Fe, California" [Schiffer, 2010] was a finalist. So imagine my joy when I was announced the winner. I was thrilled and so happy to see Lilian Rice getting the recognition she so rightly deserves. No one was happier than I, and the fact that it happened just hours before Lilian Rice's birthday anniversary was icing on the birthday cake. It was a very happy evening.

[Lilian J. Rice, June 12, 1889- Dec 22, 1938]

ZLAC Rowing Club

In May I was a guest at the ZLAC Rowing Club. I presented my DVD “Lilian J. Rice: Sincerely Yours” to a packed house on location at the ZLAC Rowing Club in Pacific Beach. My excitement was almost too much to bear when I met Robert Hatch, the son of George Chandler Hatch, a famed architect, graduate of MIT, and friend of architect, Bill Krisel. Hatch worked in Lilian Rice's Rancho Santa Fe office while the San Dieguito Union High School was being designed. I'm so looking forward to further conversations with Bob about his father and his role in San Diego architecture. I presented to the ZLAC Rowing Club members this lovely signed floor plan drafted and reproduced from a Lilian Rice original plan, by Monique Parsons and Christopher Real who were both present. I also presented digital copies of reel to reel tape recordings of early ZLAC presidents. These were copied by the talented Ed Balian

Molly McClain, associate professor at USD, gave my book a stellar review in the San Diego History Center's “The Journal of San Diego”. The link to the article will be online next quarter. Molly is also a ZLAC member and very active in supporting its history. I have been invited to meet Crew X11 this week for a dinner get-together and look forward to it.

In The News.

The Del Mar Times and Solana Beach Sun published news that my book, “Lilian J. Rice: Architect of Rancho Santa Fe, California” was up for an award in the biography category. The editor tells me a statement that the book actually won the award will be published at the end of this week.

Events

On April 18, I presented to the Rancho Santa Fe Rotary weekly meeting at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. It was a lovely luncheon event in a fitting setting-- the Lilian Rice designed guest house--formerly La Morada (house of many rooms).

On Friday, April 29, I attended Schiffer Publishing's author meet and greet in Los Angeles and attended the world famed Los Angeles Book Festival. It was really special to meet my publisher face to face. Pete is a lovely guy who is continuing the family tradition of publishing gorgeous, quality books.

Diane at the Schiffer Booth at the LA Book Festival

Giving back

On April 17, the Childhelp event was an unqualified success. I donated part of my proceeds to the charity and had a fun time meeting other authors which included the famed presenter of Inside Edition, Jim Moret. I learned a lot from his retelling of his personal desperation during his family's bad economic times when he felt that he was worth more dead than alive. Thankfully his story had a happy ending!

In May I attended the author book fair at the Solana Beach Library, and also gave a presentation on my Del Mar Fairgrounds book for the San Dieguito Newcomers Club in Carlsbad. It was a lively group and they were most welcoming.



What's ahead?

July 1, noon- 3:30 pm I will be at the Del Mar Fairgrounds doing a book signing for my book on the history of the Del Mar Fairgrounds [Arcadia, 2008].

July 25 at 2:3- pm I will give my dvd documentary presentation on the history of the Del Mar Fairgrounds to La Vida Del Mar in Solana Beach.

August 5 at 10 am I will give the same dvd documentary presentation to the Rancho Santa Fe Senior Center

The Rancho Santa Fe Senior Center

Thanks for stopping by friends of LJR.

As always I welcome your comments and ideas.

Warmly,

Diane