M&M: MALIBU

Tuesday, a week ago, Max went with five of the senior Elders from the mission office, public affairs, and visitors’ center to North Hollywood to pick up new Toyotas for the mission. They went together in the mission van and then each drove one of the five new cars back to the office. We went to the 6:15 session at the temple that night.

We had nothing special planned for Wednesday's p-day, but Elder Kelly asked Max if he would go again with him and three more Elders to pick up four more cars. When they arrived at the dealer, we learned that only one of the cars was for our mission. Max drove that one back and the others returned in the van. We did our preparation day stuff, and then went to see Saving Mr Banks, the movie about the making of Mary Poppins, starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as Mrs. P. L. Travers, the book’s author. We thought it was very good. We did some shopping at the mall. It was a quiet, peaceful day.

Thursday was our late day at the library. It is the day Max would deliver the mail, but the scheduled was changed because of zone conferences.

Last Sunday was busy. After fast meeting and priesthood meeting, we went to the ward family history class, but no one came. We visited with Bro. Shurtz, the teacher, and then came home for dinner. Max spent most of the afternoon working on revising a talk he gave last year. He added some powerpoint-like slides to his iPad to illustrate the talk. Sunday evening at 6:00 pm we opened the library for a class our center director, Bro. McBride, gave. We stayed until 9:00 pm.

Monday evening, at 7:00, Max gave his presentation on the Joseph Smith Papers project to the first-week shift temple workers’ family home evening. They stay in the apartments the first week of each month, from Monday until they check-out on Saturday. They work at the temple Tuesday through Saturday. His talk went well. There was a light buffet supper afterwards.

Also Monday was the day twenty-five new missionaries arrived. Only four will be going home this week and one later this month. We went to the temple Tuesday evening.

Wednesday we went to Malibu to the Adamson House, Malibu Lagoon State Park, and Surf Rider Beach. The Rindge family owned all of what is now Malibu, where they operated a 17,000 acre ranch. After Mr. Rindge’s death in 1905, his widow, Rhoda May, built a short-line railroad to keep the Southern Pacific railroad out. She also opposed the state’s plan to put in a coastal highway through the property. A court battle continued for 24 years, but was eventually lost. What became the Pacific Coast Highway was built through the ranch. Not wanting to sell the land for development, she looked for new sources of revenue. Discovering high-quality clay on the ranch, she established Malibu Potteries, which became a supplier of custom and suppliers’ tile during a period of great demand for architectural and decorative tile.

Mrs. Rindge hired Merritt Adamson, a lawyer who was raised on an Arizona ranch, to run the ranch. One of Rhoda May’s daughters, also named Rhoda, married Mr. Adamson. Mrs. Rindge gave the newlyweds the property that now includes the beach front property from Malibu pier to Malibu Colony, including Malibu Lagoon and the site where the house built by Merritt and the second Rhoda. The house is famous for its tile and is preserved as a house museum for that reason. The Adamson’s had three children, including a third Rhoda and a second Merritt.

Malibu Colony was one of Mr. Adamson’s enterprises. It is now a gated community on the beach, famous as the home, or a get-away, for Hollywood stars, directors, and producers. Another of his enterprises was a dairy farm the sold milk with the label Adohr – Rhoda spelled backwards.

We enjoyed our short visit there. Then we sat on the beach while the wind was very blustery. There is a bird sanctuary nearby; we saw egrets, pelicans, sandpipers and sea gulls, along with a whole colony of baby birds.