Descanso Gardens

A morning stroll through La Cañada Flintridge's Descanso Gardens doesn't have to end at the trail but in child's pose, stretched on a yoga mat. The next 10-week yoga program at Descanso begins on Jan. 4. The morning and evening classes are Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Longtime yoga instructors Cara Davis and Cam Hall work with participants on increasing strength, flexibility and decreasing stress. Class begins with a 25-minute fitness walk to warm up muscles and to identify any pains or aches.

Stephanie Anne Blair and Nathan Scott Deal, both of Chicago, exchanged marriage vows in the Rose Garden of Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Alan Katz officiated. The maid of honor was the bride's sister, Kathryn Blair. Alyssa Kuban served as the bridesmaid, and Shana Blair was the flower girl. The best man was Aasim Saeed. The usher was Pete Hannon, and ring bearer was Benjamin Blair. A reception followed in Van De Kamp Hall at Descanso Gardens. The couple honeymooned on Catalina Island, and will make their home in Chicago.

J im and Joanne Jackson lead a series of night walks once a month during the summer in Descanso Gardens. It's a better opportunity to see the creatures that call the gardens home. The couple, married 53 years, give their evenings as volunteers at Descanso. The next night walk is Friday. They became curious about the gardens in the after hours, and asked to begin a night walk for the community, Jim Jackson said. "Descanso is such a diverse place that it opens up many opportunities for people to ask questions on the night walk about what's the difference between this and that," he said.

Descanso Gardens visitors can anticipate more than just beautiful foliage this summer. Starting June 24, the gardens will host an eight-week jazz music series on its main lawn, while simultaneously launching the Camellia Lounge, a low-key cocktail bar to be housed in the Japanese Full Moon Tea House. The concert series will serve as a replacement for the Pasadena Pops program, which last year announced plans to relocate to the Rose Bowl after 15 years at Descanso Gardens. “The idea behind the music program is simple, and that is during the summer months when the days are long and warm, the most beautiful times in the garden are in the evening,” Executive Director David Brown said.

The Lilac Ladies celebrated the 50th birthday of their friend, the Lavender Lady, in 2003. Joyce Kjarsgaard and Bonnie Compeau — or the Lilac Ladies as they’re known at Descanso Gardens, where they volunteer in the Lilac Grove — gathered with members of the community at the gardens in La Cañada Flintridge to eat cake and sing happy birthday to the hybridized lilac plant species developed at the gardens. “It was really a lot of fun,” Kjarsgaard said.

Armenian organizers to discuss resolution Leaders from the group United Young Armenians are scheduled to appear Thursday on ?The Larry Zarian Show? to discuss the Armenian Genocide resolution in Congress, which has continuously stalled over the years amid fears that it would hurt U.S. relations with Turkey. On March 4, the resolution officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee 23 to 22 amid opposition from members of both parties who warned it could damage relations with Turkey, a strategic ally in the Middle East.

Student loans are due. The credit card is maxed. The mortgage payment’s late. And that’s just the mail, which is probably unread and heaped in a pile. Then there’s the worry that you’ll be a casualty in the next round of layoffs, and what if those stock prices don’t climb back up? These are stressful times, and stressful times call for meditative measures. To withstand today’s vexing economic climate, health professionals suggest that people take a mental timeout.

CHILDREN’S EVENTS   Budding Botanists at Descanso Gardens — July 11 to Aug. 1, from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Children ages 5 to 8 can learn about the natural world through guided experiments and laboratory tools. $85 ($75 members), $50 for each additional child (siblings only). Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada. For information call (818) 949-7980 or online at www.descansogardens.org.     CLASSES Poetry Workshop — July 7 at 1 p.m. The La Cañada Flintridge Library will host a poetry workshop lead by Lory Bedikian.

Regarding the loss of their beloved cat, I totally sympathize with Jim and Amy Roach (“Some paws for thought,” June 20). Kitty Pants was obviously a big part of their lives, and of course they love and miss him very much. So why didn’t they make sure that he had some sort of identification? It takes only a split second for a pet to slip away. That is precisely the reason why it is so important to make sure that your cat or dog is wearing either a collar with a tag, a microchip, or both.