Graduating With Class

Katherine: Just like the SpaceX launch of NASA astronauts into a whole new, exciting era of space discovery, students are graduating into their own new and bright phase of life. From elementary school graduates to each graduating class through college and beyond - 

Congratulations! Well Done!

Amber: My friend Mira is graduating from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. I can't wait to congratulate her in person. She's going to stop by the Purse-onality gift shop when she's back in town and when I get off work I'm going to take her out to celebrate.

MJ: Welcome Mira! And best wishes to you on your life adventure. What is your degree in?

Mira: Hello! I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Psychology.

Katherine: That's very impressive. You've certainly worked hard to achieve all that.

Amber: How are you doing classes there during this virus?

Mira: My classes have all been transferred to an online format. I definitely prefer having in person classes.

Amber: Is there anything you like about online classes?

Mira: I do like online classes because I can do my homework and my assignments at my own pace as long as I turn the assignments in at the right time.

Amber: Staying off campus is a drag. What do you miss most?

Mira: I definitely miss the happy vibe that is present on campus. It was so great walking through campus on the way to class and seeing my friends left and right.

Amber: Who are you living with now on the stay at home? I bet you guys never thought you'd be spending all this time together. Do you all get along? What do you do to make the best of it? Maybe whatever you do could be a good suggestion for other people too.

Mira: I am living with my 5 roommates in our home here in San Luis Obispo (SLO). We do get along! To make the best of it, we have tried to do as many activities as we can outside. One example of something that we did was organizing a spirit week. Every day was a different theme. For example, we had a sports day when we played games like spikeball and cornhole.

Amber: If you could pick anyone to be stranded together with, who would it be? Of course for me it would be Michael, or maybe my friend Julie because she's pretty chill and we study together and we like to listen to music..She plays guitar.

Mira: I would pick my 5 roommates now. It has been great to spend time together at the end of our senior year. We are just trying to take in everything that we can in SLO before we have to move out. 

Amber: Friends are the best! What does all this virus do to your graduation plans? Will you get to celebrate with your family?

Mira: The in-person Cal Poly graduation was cancelled but they are finding a way to recognize students virtually. We are also having a small graduation ceremony in our backyard the weekend that our official graduation ceremony was supposed to be. Unfortunately, my family won’t be able to make it to our makeshift ceremony but we will be able to celebrate when I get back to Seattle.

MJ: Your family will be celebrating with you in spirit, for sure. And you'll be able to feel that. A backyard ceremony is a smart idea and it will be beautiful in San Luis Obispo, I've lived there for a time years ago and loved it.

Amber: As a 2020 college graduate, so exciting, What is your advice for the world?

Mira: My advice for the world would consist of not taking anything for granted and never saying no. There are many things and events that I wish I participated in although did not at the time, that is my biggest regret of my college experience.

Amber: And do you have any advice for people like me who are through with high school and trying to figure out what they want to do with their life?

Mira: My advice for those people are to not feel pressure to know exactly what you want to do with your life going into college. My idea of what I was going to do following college was very different than what I am doing now but I am extremely happy for that. 

Amber: I'm still deciding on my major. I was thinking maybe Business. I've learned a lot managing the gift shop. I thought about Library Sciences, or maybe Astronomy I like that too. Now with this virus I'm thinking maybe something in medicine so I can really help the world.

MJ: Don't forget, history is a good major.

Amber: Anyway, what was your favorite class Mira, and why? 

Mira: My favorite class was Muscles and Locomotion. This was an upper division Biology class that was about the anatomy and physiology of the musculoskeletal systems, including energetics and biomechanics of locomotion. I am extremely interested in the human body and this class was absolutely amazing.

Amber: What are you doing after you graduate? Will you come back here to Bayside?

Mira: Following graduation, I will be moving home to Seattle for the summer and applying to Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate programs. After the summer, I will be moving back to San Luis Obispo in the fall and hopefully work at the physical therapy clinic I have worked at for the past year.

Amber: What's the first thing you're gonna do when the stay at home is over?

Mira: The first thing I am going to do following the lifting of the stay at home order will definitely be go to a restaurant to enjoy a drink and a nice meal!

Amber: Oh yeah! I'm with you on that! Well, I have to finish this display and clean up the shop. These macrame purses, I can't believe people carried them. I like to travel light. I just carry a wristlet with only my essentials. My favorite one is barely big enough for my phone. What's your favorite purse to carry?

Mira: My favorite one is a black Michael Kors purse. It matches with all outfits and is just big enough so that I can carry everything that I need wherever I go!

Katherine: Great choice Mira. What a wonderful designer. I still regret that I wasn't fast enough to get in on that IPO in 2011. Terrific purse in the picture.

Amber: Big congratulations to you on your graduation! Wow! I really admire you! I hope your graduation day is super!

MJ: Congratulations from me too Mira. All the best to you now, and for your bright future. My wish for you is that wherever you go, it will be with all of your heart.

Katherine:  Congratulations to all the graduates of 2020 - may all your dreams come true, and have lots of fun in the purse-suit!

Katherine with a K & Kimberlee with 2 E's

MJ: Katherine (with a K), help me welcome Kimberlee (with 2 E's) Mendoza, our talented book cover artist.

Katherine: Yes, welcome Kimberlee Mendoza. We just love our exciting cover. It certainly paints the picture for the suspenseful mystery inside, from designer bags to body bags. You're an award winning cover artist for The Wild Rose Press publishers. People can see a sample of your enticing work in addition to our Kat Out of the Bag on Covers By Kim. Our author was completely enchanted with your work. What got you started as a book cover artist?

Kimberlee: I was a graphic artist in the US Military and I'm an author. I had just got my book published at The Wild Rose press and saw an add for a cover artist. Since I had experience, I applied and got the job. I love it. It mixed my two worlds.

MJ: Kimberlee you lead an energetic life. You inspired my meditation today - Life is based on the capacity of energy in you, not outside of you. You're artist, author, playwright, teacher, speaker, comedienne, U.S. Army Veteran and that's barely the tip of your intrigue. As an author, do you feel like you have an extra intuition for your art work about what readers are looking for as a visual threshold to a good story?

Kimberlee: I think it helps to be an author and a reader. The more exposure I get to the industry from all sides, I think it helps me know what sells.

Katherine: Kimberlee, thank you for your service in the U.S. Army. I think you're an example of variety as the spice of life with all you do. Do you have a sentimental favorite of your cover works? Have you done any of the covers for your own books?

Kimberlee: Yes and yes. One of my favorite covers of all time was a book called Searching for Sophie. I don't know why, but I just really liked it. I have also been able to do a lot of my covers at The Wild Rose Press. It is great to be able to create art when you are so close to the characters.

MJ: What a cover. It's an invitation to explore an intriguing story. And how wonderful to create your own covers. People can find out more about you and your books on your website kimmendoza.com. As an author, do you feel like you have an extra intuition in your art work for what readers are looking for as a visual threshold to a good story?

Kimberlee: I think it helps to be an author and a reader. The more exposure I get to the industry from all sides, I think it helps me know what sells.

MJ: How is your sense of accomplishment different when you finish writing a book from when you finish creating a cover?

Kimberlee: They are a completely different feeling. I put my entire soul into a book. Covers is a job and someone else's vision, so I do not feel like I am losing a piece of me. I might be proud of the cover, but I try not to be connected to them. For one, an author always has the right to come back and say they "hate it" (and they do), so I try not to get too personal with the creation. When I first started out, it was devastating. So now, I just produce them and cross my fingers.

Katherine: Between the covers of our book Kat Out of the Bag, in the cast of characters we have an exciting, romantic pair. College student Amber who works at the Purse Museum gift shop, and her boyfriend Michael is new to Bayside. They actually end up in dire circumstances when they're entangled in a mystery of their own. They would be part of Generation Z, that you know quite a lot about. Can you tell us a little about your work with Generation Z?

Kimberlee: For my dissertation, I studied Generation Z for three years. They are an amazing group of people. Science shows that when people use technology, it alters the brain. Now imagine using technology while your brain was being developed? That is what has happened to Gen Z. Their brains are rewarded for doing the next thing. It is why they are what we call the "Now" Generation. They aren't waiting until they are 30 to start companies. They are starting them now. They were raised mostly by the driven X Generation, and it shows. Can you tell I love this topic? I could go on forever, but I won't.


MJ: What interesting insights. Do you have any thoughts you'd like to pass along to our readers who are interested in art, or in writing, or both?

Kimberlee: I think if you have an interest in both, you should pursue it. It is like any skill. It takes time and energy, but if you work at it, you can get good. I'm a big component for "just do it" when it comes to talent. I hate seeing talent wasted. Maybe that's why I'm a writing professor.

Katherine: What great advice. Like me, you've lived a life of two states. I've lived in Southern California, and also in Washington state, and both have had an influence on my fashions. You've lived in Southern California also, and in Texas. How have the cultures of your two states influenced your art work and your writing?

Kimberlee: I've actually lived in four (believe it or not; Arizona, New Jersey also while in the Army). I think what we see influences us to some degree. I am still 99% a Southern CA girl, and it shows in my writing and art, but over time, that could change.


Katherine: I'm a high percentage Southern CA girl too! With the artistic eye that you have, I was just wondering if you have a favorite purse, maybe because you love the design, or a visual picture on it, or sentimental reasons?

Kimberlee: Would you believe I don't carry a purse? If I have to, it's usually a backpack.  I am a wallet kind of girl and it usually has some kind of picture on it that represents me (writing, Wonder Woman, the Army, etc.).

Katherine: Oh that's matching wallet and purse-onality! MJ and I were both thrilled when our author said you'd be creating the cover for our prequel novella. Thank You! Can you share any hints of what you're thinking for the cover of this beach read?

Kimberlee: I haven't received the spec sheet yet. I'll have to get back to you on that.

Katherine: And so the suspense, and the fun, builds!

MJ: "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." That's a quote from  Thomas Merton - a monk, writer, theologian, mystic poet, social activist and scholar. Seems so fitting because art, whether visual, or a story, launches the imagination of the creator, and also the viewer or reader. Kimberlee, you certainly have a talent for launching creative imaginations.

Katherine: Thank you so much for joining us Kimberlee Mendoza. We encourage our readers to visit your website kimmendoza.com, and we're looking forward to our next cover.

Kimberlee: Thank you. I appreciate your time. Congrats on your publication and happy sales!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!
I will miss my mother this weekend, but I was so fortunate to be with her for so many years. She lived to the age of 99. She is well into her 90's at the time of this picture of my mother, Pam Kendall and me. She loved to be happy, she loved to laugh and celebrate, she loved her family, she loved people, and people loved her back. She loved her dogs, and they adored her. She was interested in everything. Life energized her.
I've taken my blog back from Katherine and MJ so I can share my own mom for Mother's Day!

 
There is so much of my mother in Katherine Watson's grandmother in my book Kat Out of the Bag. So much of her spirit is in the story. I would read my mother parts of my drafts over the phone, because she lived in California and I'm in Washington state so I didn't see her often enough.

Pam Kendall was just out of her teens and living in England during WWII and the bombing of London. She was one of the infamous plane spotters, and also volunteered as an ambulance driver. After The War she married her sweetheart who had fought in the British Army in Burma. My mother and father enjoyed a fantastic, magical 49 year marriage.

I always think of roses associated with my mom. Her father used to give her roses on her birthday every year as she grew up, and we always gave her roses too. She was an English rose.

My mother grew up in Wales. They make fabulous purses there! They are called Welsh Tapestry purses, in all sorts of styles including shoulder bags, clutch, satchel, handbag, all styles that you can think of. This is one example. Notice the pretty kiss clasp. The trim and strap are leather. The tapestry is all a very colorful and thick wool, that is so soft to the touch.

Just look at the rich, intricate weave up close. 

And here's the silky, dark interior




Here's another beautiful example. This is a shoulder bag with leather trim and steel hardware.

The interior for this one is a lambskin leather, a little aged now but still fully intact.

Oh this beautiful, and durable weave!

 

My mother told me that when she was young purses were thought of as necessary only, not fun accessories or collected. When photos were taken, women would usually put their purse down somewhere out of the way, not to be included in the photo.

I like to think that a love of purses is something that I helped foster in my mother later. Here's her favorite purse, well worn after so very many years of use. We both shared a love of Prada!

Here's an amazing, vintage purse that my mother had kept all her life. Just look at the intricate carving in the silver hardware. That is carved on the inside as well. The chain metal is sewn to it. The coins pictured were inside the purse. They are dated 1920 and are English coins. I discovered these after my mother passed away, so I don't know but I'm guessing this belonged to her mother.

 

Here's another that I found in her belongings too, and the pen shows you how very petite these vintage purses were in that era.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom
Happy Mother's Day to all Mom's

K-9 Details - A Dogged Pursuit

MJ: My guest, Nancy Borylla is a dog lover, and very knowledgeable about K-9 police dogs. In our mystery Kat Out of the Bag local cop Jason Holmes and his dog and K-9 partner Hobbs have a thrilling role.

Katherine: I learned a lot about Hobbs, his dear personality, and also what skills Hobbs has in dire circumstances. In our sequel readers will also meet Jason's dog partner from his duty in the military. Nancy has some great dog stories to tell.

MJ: Nancy, super dog lover, tell us about yourself and when your love for dogs started.

Nancy:  I've been a dog lover all my life.  As a kid my first cousin was a dog named Snofoot.  We didn't get our family dog Whiskers until I was 12.  From that point on I've never been without a dog. When I was bouncing around trying to consider my future career, I took correspondence classes from a guard dog training school.  Through them I was referred to a local breeder from whom I got my first Doberman, Sultan. From there I got involved in obedience training and showing, rescue, serving on a local humane society board, and an animal control commission.  I've put 7 titles on 5 Dobermans over the years.

Katherine: Wow! Congratulations on such amazing team work and talent! And thank you for this lovely picture of yourself with your beloved dog Holly. You both look so happy and ready for your next adventure.

MJ: Taking time out to smell the flowers along the path of life. Beautiful.

Katherine: Nancy, you're a volunteer breed rep and co-rep Doberman and German Pinschers at the Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue. What does that entail? And can you tell us about some dogs you've met there and their personalities?

Nancy:  I'm actually taking a backseat these days.  I was the Doberman rep for several years off and on and placed many wonderful dogs in good new homes.  Most were just dogs that people got tired of, couldn't deal with the Doberman personality, lifestyle changes, etc.  But there have been a few that have totally broken my heart.  Jake was a large male who had been wandering around a neighborhood for three weeks before someone finally called animal control.  He was emaciated and could barely walk.  But he had the greatest temperament and found a great home with the mother of one of my co-reps. That's the type of case that makes one say the more I know people, the more I love my dog.

Katherine: I think our Bayside's finest Jason Holmes feels that way too. I've learned from him and his pawedner Hobbs that they do a lot of training together, including annual continuing education and exams they take and need to pass. Specific training exercises are important police work to prepare the partners both for dangerous encounters, but Hobbs thinks of these exercises as games. Can you tell us about your 4 legged friends on the police force and their partners? Can you tell us about your internship at your local police department?

Nancy: I was enrolled in ITT's school of criminal justice and for one of my classes I was able to intern at the local police station.  They already knew me as I'm on the police foundation that raises money for the department.  It wasn't very detailed work, but the others in the office were happy to show me what they each did and I really wanted to get a full time job there!  As for the K9s, my first major project on the foundation was selling stuffed police dogs.  We raised enough money to purchase Hobbs.  

Katherine: Our author has one of your stuffed K-9's that sits/stays in the corner of her writing desk in her studio! Now I know where it came from.

Nancy: I was graciously allowed to attend one of the K9 training sessions with Hobbs and Kira.  I was given the glove to wear and had I not let go I would have ended up on the floor!  Those dogs are STRONG! In training, when tracking a "subject", the dog is rewarded with lots of hugs and laughs by the subject.  So, yes, it's a bit like a game for them. You definitely need a dog with a stable temperament plus good obedience training.  It's one thing to attack, but you need to be able to "turn them off" as well.

Katherine:  Love seeing these dogs in action. Very intense. I've learned a lot about the tracking too. For example, I thought with our rainy weather in the Pacific Northwest that tracking would be difficult with puddles and such, but dead skin cells that are shed all the time actually can float on top of any water surface and so suspects can be tracked over water. Wind is the worst for dead cell tracking, as you can imagine that scatters the trail. Can you tell us some highlights about your own studies in the fascinating field of Criminology and Forensic Science?

Nancy: There is so much to learn in law enforcement.  You need a firm grasp and understanding of local, state and federal laws.  And there are many facets of the criminal justice system - police, detectives, forensic teams, corrections officers, etc. I did some papers on real life criminal situations, including OJ Simpson and the murder of prison guard Jamie Biendl.  There are so many factors involved in investigating crime scenes and suspects I don't think the general public fully understands or appreciates. After studying forensics, I used my new knowledge to delve into mysteries like the Titanic sinking and Egyptian pharoahs.  It's fascinating!

MJ: I really get into history and mystery. You make me want to know more, and I'd love to read those papers. When you're not researching and investigating, I think you savor the love and comfort between people and animals, with highly trained guide dogs and other helping animals?

Nancy: I have always been interested in Service Dogs.  One of my favorite books as a child was "Follow my Leader" about a German shepherd guide dog and his owner.  A friend was volunteering at the women's prison and through her I adopted two "paroled pets" from their program.  The pet program was developed for inmates to train service dogs for the disabled.  The dogs that don't qualify as service dogs are adopted out as pets.  It's a win/win/win situation - the dogs get out of shelters into good new homes, the inmates gain a marketable skill for when they are released and the new owners get the best dogs in the world.  This is actually the topic of the book I've been wanting to write for years!

MJ: My heart is warmed to hear about this vital program. Dogs to the rescue again, in so many ways. What a wonderful idea. You really must write that book. It would make a great read. Of course animals also have auras just like people do. Usually their auras contain 2 colors blending together close to the dog's body, although there's no limit to the number of colors. A shining and colorful aura reflects happiness. A fearful animal can show a cloudiness with a mix of grays and browns. Do you have advice for keeping a dog's aura shining, and a dog happy?

Nancy: Dogs need structure.  They are pack animals and that pack has a hierarchy whether it's other canines or humans.  It's important that an adult be the alpha leader in a human family with a dog.  For new owners I stress the No Free Lunch program immediately.  Leaders eat first.  Leaders go through doorways first.  So feed the dog last. Make them wait at the door.  Keep them off furniture to reinforce their subordinate position in your home.  That's not to say you can't sleep with your dog!  But until they get the idea that they have to be invited up, keep them off. Working dogs need a job to do.  There are so many options today of activities to do with your dog - nose work, agility, barn hunt, lure coursing,tracking.  Dogs are social animals and want to be with their pack, canine or human.  Make sure you spend lots of quality time with your pet and praise and treat for a job well done.

Katherine: Dogs and people all deserve quality time together. Dogs have some toys and treats and other essentials that are needed for them when they are away from home. Do you have a type of bag you prefer to carry for these things?

Nancy: I don't really have a bag for toys and treats, but they are always available. My dogs have mostly gone on vacations with me, except cruises!  Now that I'm retired and down to only one dog, she gets all of my attention and goes with me pretty much everywhere.

Katherine: Dogged travelers! Glad to hear that they pack light. I have an aversion to seeing small dogs carried in my designer purses. Otherwise, I suppose purse dogs can be fun, and especially that's handy if the dog tires easily. What are your thoughts about purse dogs?

Nancy: Personally I think it's silly.  Too many people treat their dogs like little toys instead of dogs and that can cause a lot of problems.  They are not little humans in dog suits!  I don't want to criticize anyone for having a purse dog.  It's just not my thing.  And I really don't think they belong in grocery stores, etc. 

MJ: You've blown my mind on the love of dogs, and understanding them better. Thanks so much for talking with us today, Nancy. You're so inspiring I want to help a shelter dog, and volunteer or donate some dollars to help.

Katherine: That would get some tails wagging.

Sending our author back to her studio now.
Get back to work on our sequel!