Barbara Strona
Barbara Strona is a native Californian who grew up in the Mid-West and Los Angeles. She and her architect husband, Carl, came to San Diego in 1968 and have lived in Mission Hills since early 1971. Barbara received a Bachelor of Arts from Scripps College with a major in English, and a minor in Art. She attended UCLA graduate school and received a General Secondary Credential. She taught English in Los Angeles, Pennsylvania, and at Point Loma High School. She has been a Realtor specializing in residential sales since 1984. Her passions include her job, reading, writing, foreign languages and foreign countries, animals (feathered or furry), theatre, and her family: husband, two adult children and two grandsons.
Barbara Strona's Latest Posts
Winter Gardens with Chuck McClung
At our final meeting in 2022, Chuck McClung, a gardener his entire life with a master in botany, gave a truly enlightening talk. His focus was on what we can do in the winter with and for our gardens. McClung began by saying how lucky we are to live in San Diego, and in Mission […]
The Hardships of Horse Riding
October was not my best month. It began with a stupid mistake on my part. I was practicing dressage on my friend, Dolly, the lesson horse. I knew something next door had disturbed her; she jumped a bit to the side. Normally when this happens, or if she gives a little buck to express displeasure […]
Besotted by Creatures who Reciprocate the Feeling
I admit I am besotted by most animals, particularly furry or feathered. Furry are my favorites because I love touching them. I can relate most easily to mammals being one myself. This past week was absolutely fabulous. The trainer where I take lessons in dressage, a type of horse-back riding, went out of town. I […]
Some of the Less Attractive Aspects of Age
First, I am not a doctor. Therefore, what I write may or may not be true for you. These are my personal observations of aging, which I find a fascinating topic. We are all unique and our bodies react differently based on genetics and lifestyle factors. With that thought, I find it interesting that I […]
Communicating with the Non-Human World
I have always believed that there should be a way to communicate with living entities that are not human. Given today’s state of the world, I am not sure humans are doing such a great job communicating with our own species. I am not an “animal communicator,” nor do I wish to become one; I […]
Happy Half-Birthday
I wonder if I am the only person in the world to celebrate half-birthdays. It is a wonderful way to celebrate yourself with no expectations and no disappointments. Here is why you should do it and how. Birthdays are a big deal in most families. When we are young, we hope for a party with […]
Surprising Information about Bees
In April, the Garden Club met at Mission Hills Nursery to hear Candace Vanderhoff from Solobee tell us the truth about bees. I assumed that most of our food is directly or indirectly dependent on the European honeybees’ pollination. We learned from Vanderhoff that the European honeybee is threatening our native bee population by bullying […]
Companion Plants for Succulents
In March, the Mission Hills Garden Club learned that many plants thrive amidst succulents. Linda Bresler, a certified landscape designer, is truly an artist using living plants as her canvas. In her talk, she gave us a host of types of plants with which to paint our yards. We learned that from early childhood, Bresler […]
Kokedama Workshop
In February, the Mission Hills Garden Club attended a workshop on Kokedama, an offshoot of Bonsai, given by Kanako Yamada. Kokedama is a plant which grows from a sphere consisting of roots covered in soil and then wrapped in colored moss. The spere represents the earth. After feasting on delicious Japanese style hors d’oeuvres, we […]
Tyler Trimble Presents Fruit Trees and Soil as a Living Thing
In January, the Missions Hills Garden Club attended a Zoom presentation about back yard fruit trees given by Tyler Trimble, also known as Mr. Tree. Trimble, a third-generation farmer, and his family live in Bonsall where his “home orchard is a food forest.” Trimble’s talk focused on how to get maximum year-round production from your […]
