The Valley Line

I say thank you to the Zephyr God. He has been sending us his lovely daughters the, “Zephyrettes,” who have been dispensing cooling breezes over our valley at the end of each day.

Considering this is August, the temperatures have been quite pleasing and moderate. Of course that always worries me because I know the unbearable heat will hit us soon. I would like the expected heat wave to be over soon, after all there are not many more “Dawg Days of Summer” left before we leap into autumn.

Speaking of the Zephyrettes, we applaud them for the delightful job they performed last Saturday evening when Dr. Paul Toffel and his wife Beverly hosted a “Book Launch/Book Signing” party for their son-in-law, George Mastras whose first novel, “Fidali’s Way” is garnering world-wide acclaim and is now on the best-seller list in Holland. George is married to their daughter, Hope.

Beverly Toffel, an extraordinary party — it’s an art form for her — created a lovely ambience for the nearly 60 guests who attended.

The Toffel home, an historic house in the Flintridge Hills built in 1922, was the 2008 Showcase House of Design. The house was designed by architect Henry Harwood Hewitt and is a Spanish Colonial Revival design with strong Moorish detailing.

The Toffels extended the invitation to guests to take their own personal tour of their magnificent home.

It was with pure delight that Paul Toffel showed me the architect’s signature of interlocked Hs that is tucked away overlooking the pool and patio. ‘Tis pretty amazing! I’ve never see an architect sign a building they have designed before. It truly is a very special hallmark.

Guests, several of them high school friends of Beverly and Paul, gathered poolside to sip beverages, taste a host of passed hors d’oeuvres and certainly to enjoy the lovely evening as the sun gently set.

The patio dining tables were centered with small wooden boxes filled with beautiful apricot colored roses created by Princess Flowers in La Crescenta.

Marilyn Delanoeye, who is vice president of hospitality and private events at the Skirball Cultural Center and longtime friend of the Toffels, assisted with the coordination of the party and the fabulous food prepared by Kensington Catering.

Paul Toffel acted as master of ceremonies as he introduced each guest and their affiliation with the family. It was a loving gathering of people who had come to celebrate George and Hope and the release of George’s book.

The man of the hour, George, along with his wife, Hope, was then warmly introduced. George, who has twice trekked throughout Asia, once alone and another time with Hope, gave us great insight into the dangerous and explosive regions of Kashmir, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Many of the experiences that George and Hope encountered during their journeys have not only been indelibly inked on their memories but some of those experiences have been retold by the fascinating and sometimes horrifying cast of characters in George’s book, “Fidali’s Way.”

The book is filled with tension and suspense but also features a beautiful love story. It is not just a mere “good read” but a “I-can’t-turn-the-pages-fast-enough read.”

The book’s cover notes state, “Drawn from the author’s own experiences trekking through Asia, ‘Fidali’s Way’ brims with George Mastras’s deep knowledge of the Himalayan region. He has walked the lands, climbed the mountains, and met the diverse peoples who call the high Himalayas their home. Few American authors have traveled as extensively as Mastras through these remote, dangerous, and unstable places, and his personal insight is evident on every page. ‘Fidali’s Way’ is a timely exploration of a politically complex region and a meditation on some of the most important issues of our time: the relationship between Islam and the West, the ruthlessness of fanatical religion and the redemptive power of pure faith.”

Flintridge Book Store & Coffeehouse carries the book, so get a cup of java and begin this very exciting book.

JANE NAPIER NEELY has been covering the La Cañada Flintridge social scene for over 26 years. She can be reached at jnvalleysun@aol.com