It’s official: Teddy Abrams loves a challenge. Now entering his third season as the Britt Orchestra’s music director, Abrams is challenging himself, the musicians from whom he will coax each precious note, and the audience that we’re sure will fall under his spell. If you anticipate a snoozy little symphony […]
Today, nonprofit performing arts organizations across the country find that to meet the challenges of the 21st century, we must innovate. Some of the most promising solutions are generated by those of us who are willing to work differently by working together. Partnerships enable performing arts organizations to make the most of each other’s strengths […]
In addition to the concerts that Britt presents all summer, did you know that Britt Music and Arts Festival also offers education programs twelve months out of the year? Starting in January, we bring in our first cadre of interns. Internships at Britt provide in-depth, hands-on experience in Marketing, […]
“Gardening in a small space shouldn’t restrict your ideas…Accept the challenge and discover new possibilities!”
~Philippa Pearson, Small Space Garden Ideas, 2014
When I was a little girl, I created a sitting area inside my closet and filled it with pillows, a lamp, books and toys. I called it my “roo”—not quite […]
When good is called evil and evil is called good, moral relevancy is replaced by something else. In the 21st century, it is political correctness. Free speech in the public arena is now about silencing speech. That’s pretty warped but nothing novel. The free press has […]
I just left a private tour of the historic 1100-seat Holly Theatre in Medford and I couldn’t help to think how this area has grown and what an amazing combination of live theater, wineries and outdoor activities we offer. No wonder we were just voted one of the “10 […]
Once you make an offer on a home and your offer gets accepted, many people think there is not much more to it and that the home is virtually theirs. But hang on, there’s a lot more left before you own that home! Since we’re at the start of the home buying season, […]
My wife kept reminding me about how I talked of writing a column on aging, in other words, growing older. I kept putting it off but finally came to the conclusion that I’d better write this now before she forgets to remind me. (She’s getting older, too.)
This […]
Last month we looked at the early years of Benjamin Franklin Dowell, great, great nephew of Benjamin Franklin and a pioneer Jacksonville resident, in his role as attorney, packer, and claims collector. This month we’ll visit a more established Dowell as he becomes a Washington lobbyist and a newspaper publisher.
Dowell had […]
At Hanley Farm, we grow food in a way that requires no irrigation, no machinery, and low labor beyond planting and picking food. Our objective is to demonstrate a simple way to grow food that is approachable to the general public. Everyone has the right to grow their own […]
Our gut is our biggest immune system organ and contributes to our overall well-being. Some health professionals are now linking digestive issues like indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, and even weight gain, to “leaky gut.” “Leaky gut syndrome” causes symptoms like bloating, gas, cramps, food sensitivities, and aches and pains. They […]
Step right up, folks, for the most captivating show of the era. It’s everything a big-budget entertainment should be: edgy, unpredictable, alternately hilarious and horrific. Yes, it’s that character-driven competition known as The 2016 Presidential Election.
We’re fascinated by this big show. But as absorbed as we are, we can’t bring […]
May greets us with many planets in retrograde (Jupiter until 5/9; Mercury until 5/22; Mars until 6/29). This continues to be a time to not be in a rush to “get things done.” Alleviate frustration by practicing mindfulness, patience and making time to breathe consciously. This can also help with the […]
The greatest challenges humans face throughout their lives are two:
1) the challenge of where to start
2) the challenge of when to stop
~Sameh Elsayed
There is something special about the number seven. I can’t explain it, but it’s true. Seven is magical. Every seven years the body completely remakes itself on a cellular level. How […]
In the early 1970’s in the Black Hills of South Dakota, with baby in our backpack, we would tramp through the woods in search of old forgotten cabins and homesteads. Sometimes we would find iron wheels and forged hinges, but the most fun finds were intact whiskey bottles. I remember […]
“If you really want to draw close to your garden, you must remember that you are dealing with a being that lives and dies, like the human body with its poor flesh, its illnesses at times repugnant. One must not always see it dressed up for a ball, manicured and […]
Buying a home is an exciting event and often one of the biggest financial decisions a person can make. Most buyers do not have the cash funds available to purchase a home outright. This is especially true for properties within and around Jacksonville as prices continue to increase, which is intensified by a limited inventory […]
There are moments in our kids’ lives, pivotal moments defining who they are and what they’re destined to be. Some twenty years ago, summer in Oregon came early. Our youngest was just a year old and headed back east with her mother. Mary was going to visit an elderly […]
Over the last 5 years, the median price of real estate in Jackson County has increased 55.6%! What makes these numbers even better is that most of the price increases have come in the last three years. Homes are selling quickly, pending sales are up and the number of […]
Most of our Jacksonville citizens have never been to one of our City Council meetings. They don’t know what they are missing. It’s true each meeting has an agenda, but that doesn’t always foretell what might happen since human behavior is quite often unpredictable. This was certainly […]
May kicks-off the event season at Hanley Farm with two annual favorites—the Heritage Plant & Garden Fair and the Children’s Heritage Fair.
Mark your calendar for Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 7 & 8 from 10:00am-3:00pm, for the Hanley Heritage Plant & Garden Fair. There will be a […]
With the 1861 B.F. Dowell house being a featured home on the Jacksonville Boosters Club’s Historic Home and Garden Tour this month, it seems appropriate to focus our Pioneer Profile series on Benjamin Franklin Dowell.
Dowell, a great, great nephew of Benjamin Franklin through his paternal lineage, was named for this noted […]
Once upon a time, categorizing popular music was simple. Musicians stayed in their lane, playing either “Country/Western,” or “Rock ‘n’ Roll,” or “Folk,” or “Easy Listening.” Radio programmers would adopt a category and run with it. But then Willie Nelson let his hair grow long. Bob Dylan picked up an […]
The buzz around Britt’s 2016 line-up started with rumors that turned into reality. Yes, the “supreme” Diana Ross, along with her daughter, Rhonda Ross, is performing in Jacksonville this summer. Speaking of rumors, have you ever heard the gossip that Johnny Depp owns a house in […]
There is a natural burst of energy that we all seem to feel in the spring. We can get overly-enthusiastic in our outdoor activities, like gardening, golfing … and we pay the price, usually in our lower back and shoulders. (Wednesday JoyFull Yoga chair & floor class at 10:00am & Fridays […]
It is famously said that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Sometimes, that teacher comes as a coyote in a pick-up truck.
In Native American mythology, the coyote is a trickster. Like the court jester of old, he brings insight and wisdom with humor. Coyote upsets your equilibrium when you start feeling all high […]
Ah, April…typically the most beautiful month of the year. With the sun having warmed- up the air, windows fly open and stay open all day and into the night. We emerge from our cabin fever and feel renewed and refreshed with the spring air. We open the windows and doors […]
Once I spoke the language of the flowers,
Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,
And shared a conversation with the housefly
in my bed.
Once I heard and answered all the questions
of the crickets,
And joined the crying of each falling, dying
flake of […]
The approval of Ballot Measure 91 in 2015 to allow the sale and use of recreational marijuana is making some dramatic changes to the landscape of Southern Oregon. You hear about it almost daily in the newspapers or on the news, you see new businesses sprouting up, and you see the price of real estate […]
When we sat down to prepare our trust and will arrangements, the estate planner asked how we wanted to structure the end of life details. This means death and burial instructions. The attorney said no detail is too small. They clearly didn’t know who they were talking to.
Mary said […]
My background in investments in the past has mainly been my 401(k) and my personal stock portfolio. Thirty five years of my life was spent in the high-tech industry, so that became the majority of my stock portfolio. I have seen my high-tech stocks double, triple and then crash! […]
An odd thing happened a few days ago… I saw a penny on the sidewalk and kept on walking, never bothering to pick it up. That would be unthinkable at an earlier time… a time when a penny meant something.
When I was ten-years-old, five pennies could buy […]
Jacksonville Pioneer George Francis Schumpf was the most successful and longest established barber, operating his barber shop at 157 West California Street from the time he purchased the original building in 1873 until his death in 1897. The site itself appears to have housed a Jacksonville barber from the early 1850s […]
Beginning April 7, 2016 – Hanley Farm will be open every Thursday evening from 4:00-7:00pm, April through October. Bring your family, invite your friends, and enjoy a relaxing evening on the historic grounds first settled by the Hanley Family in 1857.
Thursday, 4:00-7:00pm, April-October, Free Admission!
We admit to being suckers for Hollywood biographies. Many of these “based on fact” movies extol the accomplishments of famous personalities: Lawrence of Arabia; Lincoln; J. Edgar. Others examine lesser-known individuals who deserve our attention: Schindler’s List; Twelve Years a Slave; A Dangerous Mind. Filmed portrayals of Stephen Hawking, Butch […]
For over 50 years, Britt has provided our orchestra members with host families that open their homes and hearts to music, and give our musicians who travel from all over the U.S. the true “Britt Experience.” Hosting musicians is a great way to build an intimate relationship with the […]
The Judge Frank TouVelle House, located at 435 North Oregon Street in Jacksonville, is considered one of the best examples of Craftsman-style homes in the Rogue Valley. A special January 1, 1929 edition of the Medford Mail Tribune featured it in a section titled, “Rogue River Valley has Many Beautiful Ranch […]
Nature teaches us about the most important part of Life itself: Awakening! Spring is a time of rebirth and transformation as we step out of the darkness of winter into the light and colors of spring. Within our hearts lies the desire to live a meaningful, fulfilling life. Our inner spirit […]
They say things change the more they stay the same. Sometimes this is reassuring, but more often than not is just depressing as hell.
I’ve been going through about 60 pounds of cards and letters that I wrote to my parents during college and my post-grad years. Reading through my collegiate musings reminded me of some […]
There’s always been a need to illuminate the darkness, to bring illumination into one’s dwelling. Fast-forward through time, past oil and wick, past whale oil, past Edison’s invention of the incandescent light bulb and the nearly simultaneous invention of the Aladdin Industries mantle lamp that glowed brighter than anything yet […]
For each petal on the shamrock this brings a wish your way. Good health, good luck, and happiness for today and every day. ~Irish blessing
According to my family tree, I’m one-sixteenth Irish. One day, I’d like to visit the “land of my people;” however, until then, I’ll wear green and […]
Our grown daughter sent me this the other day. She said it reminded her of me…Love you, Dad! That’s pretty funny but not really. Her teen years were foggy days for me. I was sick as a dog for that particular time in space
We were blessed with a very beautiful daughter although I could make […]
After a ten hour red-eye flight from Salt Lake City, we arrived in Paris in the middle of the day. Getting through customs and walking through a packed airport during the Christmas holidays can be overwhelming, but a packed airport where few speak English is even more overwhelming. You […]
Downton Abbey has ended. We knew it must. One of the most watched series in television history, it carved out a special niche in the hearts of its audience… one that will be difficult to ever duplicate. Even its cast may never again see a production as […]
Hanley Farm is excited to host the Family Nurturing Center’s “Farm and Food Program” for its fourth consecutive growing season! The Farm and Food Program is an outreach component of the Family Nurturing Center, Jackson County’s Children’s Relief Nursery. Families visit Hanley Farm in order to grow, harvest, prepare […]
We first noticed it in October of 2014. Singer Paul Revere, of Paul Revere and the Raiders, died at age 76. The band was internationally known, but he’d been born in Idaho, and shared the stage with Eugene, Oregon native Mark Lindsay, so to us it was a local story.
Three […]
While all of the concerts and programs that we present are important, the Britt Orchestra holds a special place as the artistic core of our organization. The Britt board and staff are collectively committed to making sure the Britt Orchestra thrives, and we were recently able to celebrate the […]
As I was creating my year’s plan and scheduling classes and events, I was amazed at the amount of planets going retrograde every month until this fall. If you are in a hurry to make certain things happen fast in 2016, you could experience frustration. Although the astrological weather doesn’t create […]
Warning: This column has nothing whatsoever to do with Valentine’s, the Lunar New Year, or other such niceties. You may find it helpful, however, if Life has thrown you a few curve balls or wicked sinkers lately, which it has to me.
Last year did not end well. I was besieged by […]
You can picture yourself sitting on that sandy lakeshore while the elegant white swans swim freely on the deep blue water, the majestic snowy mountains loom in the background. The swans have an insatiable appetite for bread chunks that are tossed into the murky water. […]