Jewelry box
I was tired of untangling necklaces and earrings and couldn't find a jewelry box to purchase that wouldn't perpetuate the problem. So I took a wooden wine box and converted it to a vertical jewelry box which solved my problem....
Gardening
When I first came to California, I didn't recognize a lot of the plants, because so many would never thrive on the East Coast. I started gardening in earnest in 2004, with my first garden. Luckily, my neighbor, a Dutch...
Almond orchard
Last week I took a trip to the Sacramento Valley, where almond blossoms were beginning to come out, and the bee hives had been trucked in to fertilize them. I visited the organic orchards of Glenn & Leslie Anderson, and...
Party birds
Every year at this time, the berries of the Pyracantha and Cottoneaster get ripe—really ripe as in fermented—and the birds go nuts. It sounds like a party all day long as flocks of beautiful Cedar Waxwings and over-wintering Robins hang...
Bûche pour le Nouvel An
I love making all sorts of pastry, especially when there's construction involved. I have made a bûche almost every year. Here's the one for Jan 1 2012, made with chocolate sponge cake, mocha buttercream, and the traditional meringue mushrooms.
Dolphin Club
On Christmas Day, my friend Nancy took me to the Dolphin Club in San Francisco. I am fascinated at the ability of people to be able to withstand the terrible cold of our San Francisco Bay. I appreciate the love...
Corsica
In July I visited Corsica, which is a province of France, though I don't think the inhabitants are too keen about that. (Witness the crossed out French translations of Corsican village names on the signposts). But this island has the...
Paris
I am fortunate to have family in France and I go as frequently as I can. Before going to St Cannat, a tiny village in Provence where my sister lives, she and I packed in as many adventures as we...
Berkeley dogs
As a cat person, I am always amazed at the patience and devotion dogs show for their beloved masters. Here are a few sample dogs waiting for their consumer mistress/masters in the Elmwood on a sunny day in Berkeley. I...
Dr Sketchy’s
This organization is a treat for those of us who like to draw from real live people. Dr Sketchy's Anti Art School gathers in cities across the world and gets us artists together with fantastic performance and otherwise exhibitionist folk....
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