The Willows Newsletter

Dulce Malaga Vargas, best known to us all as “Candy,” is the supervisor of Housekeeping for The Willows.  She started working here in 2000 and was made Housekeeping supervisor two years ago.

Candy supervises the Housekeeping staff, which includes Laura Vargas, who is Candy’s sister-in-law, Rosa Carillo, and two of Rosalio’s sisters, Maria Gallegos and Chuy (Maria) Gatan.  They each have a set schedule with the residents who use their services.  Although they primarily clean for their clients, often they are hired to help with light meals, laundry and trash take-out.  Most cleaning of the villas takes 2-3 hours, with extended hours upon request.  Those who use their services are very grateful for this optional provision for Willows’ residents.  You can contact Candy for special cleaning services by calling the main office.

On May 20, the Off-Campus Committee has scheduled a trip to the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, including the Japanese Tea Garden and the beautiful newly-opened Chinese Garden.  The Library’s collection of rare books, manuscripts and literature is nothing short of extraordinary.  Among the treasures for research and exhibition are the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a Gutenberg Bible on vellum, the double-elephant folio edition of Audubon’s Birds of America, and a world-class collection of the early editions of Shakespeare’s works.

The Art Collections are elegantly displayed in four separate galleries on the Huntington grounds.  The Huntington Gallery originally was the Huntington residence and is home to one of the most comprehensive collections in this country of 18th and 19th century British and French art, including Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy and Lawrence’s Pinkie.  Works by John Singer Sargent and Mary Cassatt can also to be found among the fascinating collections in these galleries. 

For those more interested in the Botanical Gardens, there are 12 principal garden areas covering 120 acres!  These include the Desert Garden, a large grouping of mature cacti and other succulents; the Japanese Garden featuring a drum bridge and furnished Japanese house; and the Rose Garden showing the history of the rose over 2,000 years.  Other important botanical attractions include the Subtropical, Herb, Jungle, and Palm gardens.  But the latest, and perhaps most exciting, is the awesome and amazing Chinese Garden.  At its February 2008 unveiling, Li Fang Yuan (the Garden of Flowing Fragrance), a traditional scholar’s garden, formed after the customs of south China’s Suzhou region, became California’s first Chinese garden open to the public.

Flyers will be out soon with details about this wonderful opportunity to visit (May 20th).

Carol Cory

Willows’ residents play an important part in Christian Science work in the Orange County jails.  The recent Sentinels, Monitors and Full Texts that you place in the basket in Hodges Hall reach the jails once a month.  They are carefully prepared by Jerri Retell, Bill Romaine, Virginia Skidmore and myself.  Daily metaphysical prayer is given by a host of residents.

Church services are held at each jail on various days.  Betty Everett, Fran Hunt, Marsha Harris, Leah Parks, Dona Romaine, and Carl Symons read regularly.  Talk with these individuals about this gratifying work and how you can join them.  Chaplains are also needed.  Your church’s representative to the Institutional Committee can give you details.

The Orange County Institutional Committee meets monthly on the first Tuesday at 7:30 pm at the Costa Mesa Church.  At these meetings we hear heartwarming reports on how Christian Science is giving hope and turning lives around.  Everyone is welcome!  It is this committee and your churches that are arranging for lectures to be given in the jails quarterly.

Harriett Porch