Hey, bay area. Its time to share some Amazing Stories and feel good. We could all use some inspiration right now, and youve come to the right place. This show is all about good food, good people, and good living. On todays show, a local comedian is using her talents to inspire the deaf community, a coal mine experience that takes visitors underground to encounter deep layers of the earth. But first, were bringing in the Lunar New Year with a special dragon vintage brut. Dragon is a vintage brute. Its a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir grown here on the estate. My mother is a san franciscan, so we have a natural affinity for Lunar New Year. I mean, im a february baby, so as a little girl, the themes of my birthdays were either chinese new years or valentines day. That was pretty much it. So for us, theres a special connection. This is iron horse. This is my familys winery. Were in sebastopol in Sonoma County. We are all about evolution, baby steps. If we can think of one thing to do thats exciting and exhilarating and stimulating and delicious, then were just going to go for it. And thats again, the beauty of being a small familyowned winery is that we can turn on a dime and enjoy ourselves in the process. Our wine has been served at the white house for 38 years. Clearly you become president of the united states, one of the first things that happens is that you develop a taste for iron horse. This is our second vintage of dragon. The first vintage of dragon was made for exports of china. Were approached by a company in china who had heard about iron horse from being served at the white house. They wanted to try bringing in a california sparkling wine into the market, and they commissioned a chinese cuvee. We just loved it so much. And we felt rather than exporting to china, this is just so beautiful for Lunar New Year and particularly san francisco. It is very dry. It is, of course, delicious with asian cuisine. Bubbles in general are. When youre feasting and celebrating community, which is what Lunar New Year is about, youre going to have a lot of different dishes. And one of the great things about sparkling wine is that it can really go with many different flavors. Bubbly can go with everything. Weve been named top 100 wine by wine spirits magazine for 20 years. To stay on top like that, you have to work really hard. You have to run very fast for people to perceive that youre standing still. And so we really feel strongly that were only as good as our last finish. Excellence for us means the quality of the wine, but also how we conduct ourselves as employers, as community members. Thats just essential. In fact, that is part of our sustainability. It is also doing the right thing at every opportunity. We make several giving wines. One of them is called gratitude. And for that vintage which comes out around thanksgiving, we give 5 a bottle to the redwood empire food bank, which helps people from Sonoma County all the way to the oregon border. Everybody who has a Family Business hopes that its going to carry on. We are not shy about our aspirations. We want to be the best. And, you know, we have colleagues in europe who have been making wine for 11, 12, 14 generations. I say why not. And so, yes, at the turn of the next millennium, i hope that people everywhere will be toasting with iron horse. Coming up, this comedian went from hiding her hearing loss to embracing it. Welcome back to the show. Jessica flores is a deaf comedian and improv performer whos inspiring and motivating the deaf community. Lets do this okay, now you have a deaf person in a car. Today, im going to be talking about something that i have noticed as a deaf person. Every time i meet a hearing person for the first time, i have to give them the headsup that im deaf. There are a lot of misconceptions about hearing aids. I want whoevers going to watch this in the future to look back and be like, oh, my gosh. Thats what you guys did. Whats up, everyone . Welcome back to my channel. Sit down and make yourself comfortable because im about to embarrass myself for your own entertainment. Because, after all, thats how youtube works, right . My name is jessica flores. Im from san francisco, california. I am an artist, improviser, comedian. Uh. I do a whole bunch of stuff. Also, im deaf. Oh, my god. Cant believe im telling you guys this. Shh. Dont tell. Hi, jessica. When i was growing up, i grew up with a very wacky and goofy family filled with storytellers. See you later, alligator. Celebrate your memory well be dancing at the revelry i have a mother who did improv, and she actually did a lot of improv shows in our basements when we were growing up. Yeah. If youre looking for Something Different to do around the city, then why not go where theater meets 3 beers . She would bring us to comedy clubs, and wed watch her perform and give her advice on how her sets were doing when we were like five and six. It was really weird. What . Oh, you think i should go up there, huh . Really . So, i got pretty lucky with my family. They already were so animated. They like to speak with their hands. They like to make faces like. I could tell if theyre happy or if theyre sad. Theyre very animated. And my mom, especially going back to her, when she talked to me, she can gesture. That helped me out so much growing up. I literally wish everyone gestured as much as my family did. Were on national television, daddy. What a guy. The first time i realized that i had hearing loss, i didnt even remember it until a few years ago. I was at church, and me and my group of classmates who were supposed to be doing some kind of singing, i remember looking at everybody else, and everybodys singing. And i had this pamphlet in my hand, this little booklet. I looked down, and theres, like, different songs on it and stuff. And i was like, i dont even know where we are. Im trying to, like, you know, keep up with everybody, and im kind of giggling about it, but im also hiding my face because i didnt know what the heck was going on. My firstgrade teacher was like, she needs to take a hearing test, or else shes going to stay back a grade. And they were like, okay, well do it. Then when we went to take my hearing test and actually see an audiologist, they were like, what do you mean she has a hearing loss . What . And then thats when they found out. It impacted their life in a big way, and they really didnt know what to do. They said, you have a profound deafness in one side especially. It totally shocked us because there was nobody in our family that was deaf on either side of our family, and we didnt really know anyone that was deaf. And plus, they were kind of pitching. The school was pitching well as hard of hearing, which they didnt really consider deaf. I could see it was very stressful at times. You let your guard down and you were. Running to keep up, and that was so very hard to deal with and understand. They didnt have resources. Like, theres a deaf center. Theres deaf people out there. Theres sign language. They didnt connect us with anyone like that. It was kind of just like, oh, she has a hearing loss. Get her some hearing aids. Make her take up speech therapy. Shell be good. That didnt really work. You would like to tell me what this is . This is not a tootsie roll. This is actually my first pair of hearing aids that ive ever gotten in my life, and i think i got them around 1994. These little brown hearing aids. I remember the first thing that i heard with these was the sound of the water fountain that was outside the audiologist office. I remember pressing the button, and then it was like. [imitating whirring] and i was like, what the heck . My mom was like, its the water fountain. Its making noise. And i was like, i never knew water fountains made noise. I needed the sound of water fountains in my life. [gasps] [yowls] i started doing art ever since i was younger. I remember my grandma would always, like, put crayons and pastels in my hand and just be like, draw. Okay, i guess. I remember people in high school being like, can you draw this celebrity for me for my binder. And id be like, okay, i guess. I really like drawing monsters or flowers. I am really big on drawing flowers, architecture. This is actually all the houses that ive ever lived in in san francisco. Only one of em is in pacifica. Theres 17, and my mom claims that im missing one. I think drawing, to me, is a way to capture the way that i observe the world. I dont know. I really like keeping Little Things like this because thats kind of what my grandma did for me when she saved all of my old drawings. I keep them because thats where i started. Yoohoo yippee whoa [laughter] well be right back with more of jessicas journey. Welcome back to the show. Jessica flores went from hiding her hearing loss to posting youtube videos about it to bring awareness. My mom actually enrolled me in an improv class. So much fun in those classes. It says that you shoplifted twice. What do you have to say about that . I did. [laughter] i was like, this is what i love doing. I love acting and comedy and just making people laugh. I would get a thrill out of taking those classes. Oh, my god, that thats me. I had so much fun doing that, even if i couldnt hear them. There was a bigger part of me that was like, im going to keep doing this. Im going to find a way to make it work, cause if i quit now, im setting limits on myself. And i was like, i cant do that anymore. From there, i went on to train at Upright Citizens Brigade in l. A. For a while. I did groundlings, and im also doing killing my lobster in san francisco, all with interpreters. And im going to keep going with it, and hopefully ill graduate from all the schools. Aw hey, everybody. Lately ive been realizing that theres been a lot of people who are like, where the hell has jessica been . My first youtube video, i did a response video. There was this other deaf youtuber. Her names rikki poynter. She was like, oh, you know, share your experiences of why youtubes captions are not that great. Closed captions are extremely important because they help us feel equal to the rest of society. I dont know about you guys, but ive definitely had a couple of experiences where i was not offered any closed captions in some of the videos that i watched for class or at the movie theaters, and i felt left out. I guess people liked it. And i was like, why not share more of my experiences . Please, please. Please, please, please, please. I want them to remember why they should caption their content. I want them to remember why deaf people do drive. I want them to remember whats the difference between open captions and closed captions. I want them to remember it. Movie theaters that provide open caption movies for the deaf and the hard of hearing are amazing. Im going to just tell it how it is. But im also going to use comedy as a way to make these topics, these heavy topics, more digestible. The pandemic kind of inspired me because i stopped going out and i was watching more and more tv. Who wasnt . And i remember watching a show and being like, why is there no deaf shows . Why is there no shows that have completely the entire deaf cast . Why . You know what . [bell dings] i have time. Ive done youtube. I wrote my own scripts there. I edited, captioned everything. Why not try to write a film . So i wrote an entire film. And from there i was like, if i can write an entire screenplay, i can do it. Theres nobody stopping me again but myself. I can do it. Currently, im working on a couple of tv show ideas that will have a lot of deaf actors in it. Today in film and tv shows, i slowly see were welcoming deaf actors, and that is cool. But are they made for a hearing audience or are they made for a deaf audience . We got to start inviting people with disabilities into the entertainment industry, into different businesses. If we want to start creating, like, a more accessible future, we have to start inviting the people that need the accessible future. [gasps] im just going to start kicking down doors. Im tired of waiting behind the door. Im like, no, i want people to know im here. I want to kick it open. Over the summer, i was able to get a writing fellowship. That was super cool. It kind of gave me more of a guidance of where i can take my projects and how i can improve my stories and putting together pitch decks and pilots and stuff. I learned a lot. I want to see a deaf nasa astronaut on the screen. I want to see the deaf lawyer. I want to see a deaf tooth fairy or whatever it is. I want to see that on the screen. Yeah. I hope this inspires people to share their own story. Coming up, immerse yourself in the history and danger of a real coal mine. Welcome back to the show. Beneath the hills in antioch is a history of innovation that explores the eras of mining in the 19th and 20th centuries. Kauzer its not often that you get to come to a park and go underground in a mine that used to be an operational mine. Caldwell Black Diamond mines regional preserve is definitely one of the bay areas hidden gems because its something that most people havent seen before. Being a coal miner here was definitely a difficult job and a laborintensive job. Kauzer when you come in and see the rails on the ground, the carts, the shifters office, everything that you see here is of the time period. This is definitely like taking a step back in time, getting to experience what someone almost 100 years ago would have experienced. Caldwell and learn a little bit about the mining history of california in the bay area. Kauzer absolutely the definition of living history. Caldwell this area is called Black Diamond mines regional preserve. Its named for the valuable rock that came out of this hillside, which is coal. And so coal is black in color and valuable, such as a diamond is valuable. So thats where the nickname Black Diamond comes from. In the mount diablo coal fields, there were five towns. The one that is in the park today that we see and walk through is the former town site of somersville. There were multiple buildings here. There were schools, there were homes, a general store. Kauzer while there are no buildings left from the old somersville, there are giant waste rock piles. So these are all of the rocks that came out of the mine during the coal mining era. So this pile behind me is probably about 150 years old. Caldwell coal mining here started in kind of the 1850s or 1860s or so and lasted until about early 1900s. This was the largest coal mine in california at the time. Were here to protect the natural and Cultural Resources of this area and share it with people and educate them as well. Open their eyes to something that they maybe didnt know about before. As you come on one of our mine tours, youll pass by this section here where there is a coal vein. Youll be able to see a little bit of this black, kind of shiny rock here. Thats the coal. Were standing in the coal mine experience here underground. Weve recreated that kind of feeling of being in a coal mine. People as young as eight years old started working in the mines, usually as the knobber, and their job was to push coal down the chute. And then as you got older, you might work as a miner. So the spacing we have here is only two to three feet tall cause thats how the coal naturally occurs. So youre mining in a really small, dark space. Youre mining by candlelight. Black diamond mines has a lot of the coal mining history, but we also talk a lot about the sand mining history. What were standing in right now is the hazelatlas sand mine. In the 1920s, marvin greathouse started mining sand here for use in glassmaking, so anything from a heinz bottle to salt and pepper shakers. The sand here is a highquality silica sand that is not found in common beach sand in the bay area. We can look up into some of these rooms called stopes that are these huge, large areas that they would have dynamited the sand out of to bring it out for glassmaking. Youre not only learning about the history of sand mining in this era, but also getting to experience what it might have been like to be in a mine during sand mining here. Caldwell one of the exciting things about this place is were always learning more and unearthing more history and sharing that with the public. I think thats a really exciting thing that we get to do here. Thats it for todays show, but tune in next week for an all new episode. In the meantime, keep connected on social for more feelgood stories. Hey, bay area. Its time to share some Amazing Stories and feel good. We could all use some inspiration right now, and youve come to the right place. This show is all about good food, good people, and good living. On todays show, sip, savor, and enjoy the finest coffee beans from around the world. A unique experience invites adults to unplug and have fun. Authentic mexican cuisine meets californiainspired flavors. The magic of teatime inspires change and brings hope. But first, the art of sewing brings technology and community together. With holy stitch, the first word that comes to mind is family. Yeah, thats overall what it is and what it means to me and what it grows in to be. If you were to walk into this space today, its a sewing school in a factory with an Alterations Department and a donation center. My core motivation when younger that fueled me was lack of having a father. Anytime that i see that in any form or shape, i utilize whatever resources that i have within myself or around me to make sure that that cycle at least goes half time. Its an interesting feel that i get. And i know these kids are looking up to me for me to push them the right way. So im gonna just head forward. So im like, lets do this. Doesnt matter what youre doing in life. You have an idea, figure out how to make it happen. All you need is someone to say, go do it. I believe in you. I got into sewing jeans after graffiti. Somehow my brains fused the two. A neighbor, one time, the dad had left. Mom came up to my house, said, i need help with my son. I was sewing jeans that night. I told him to come up. I saw myself and him and directly a lot of the things that i went through. He started bringing his friends over. They started bringing their friends over. They told their teachers, and that is literally what it has become today. Theyre able to learn pattern making, a whole lot of everything just when it comes to sewing. I see them at the fabric store or the sewing shop. I see a little of myself in them. Theyre usually often by themselves. And i say, hey, are you into sewing jeans . They say, yeah. I say, hey, im down to teach you. I got a spot. I got a sewing school that i can help you do whatever you want to do with your thing. I need a little bit of help. Maybe you need a little bit of help. When i open the door, my arm and heart is open, and im here for you in whatever way, because the sewing is the easy part. Im here for you. First question, how is your housing . Did you eat today . Who do you talk to . Do you have anyone to talk to . Whats going on in your personal life . Oh, cool. Okay. Now we got a scope of who you are. Whats your ambition . Why do you feel like that . And the sewing just comes easy. The creation and making art is the easy part. But fostering that sense of community where people just come in, feel safe, able to do that, that is essentially what i am. Theyre coming in. Theyre taking in information. Theyre taking advice, and then theyre actually using it in the real world. This lady the other day, she, umshe told me i saved her sons life. Yeah, i thought about that this morning. Like, what . Ive gotten that twice. I just did whatever i wanted. I wish i had when i was younger. Thats what i did. Talk to him, relate to him