List of a few things that make me happy (in no order and far from exhaustive): 1) Luna 2) Sarah, Liz, Rachael, Gregorio, and Ron 3) Ray 4) My extended family 5) Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Handel and Haydn 6) Birdsong 7) The Orange Grove and the smell of orange blossoms 8) My friends…

Today I had to tackle one of those dreaded areas of my life: clothes shopping. I realize that for many women (and men) taking time to pick out just the right outfit is a pleasant pastime, perhaps even fun, but for me, shopping is one of those activities that rivals cleaning out the refrigerator. The…

I came across a box of old pictures when it Ojai the other day. They were stored in one of our two big bins up there. I am going to share them here since they bring back those days of childhood and high school, which were now a few years back… 1st or 2nd Grade…

I am sitting with Jonah. I can hear our employee, Gregorio (not our son-in-law) and Ray outside talking about Gregorio’s upcoming trip to Hawaii tomorrow. He is very excited since this is the first trip he’s gone on in a very long time. He and his wife are going for their 25th wedding anniversary and…

These delicious brownies were made by Liz’s boyfriend’s mother, Cindy Betty, as a dessert for us last night at the Betty home. Thank you, Cindy. These are really tasty and beautiful! Ingredients (Makes 12 brownies) 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed very well (The unusual ingredient) 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder pinch of sea salt…

Jolene loved going to a coffeehouse in Hermosa Beach. The place was called The Insomniac, and it was cool. Beat poets congregated there and read their poems. Jolene was excited by those loose thoughts and wild rhythms and was always going home with somebody at the end of the night. She liked to say, “I’m…

Our dogs, Cordelia and Sammie, are with Rachael right now. I am missing them tonight, so here are some dog cartoons from The New Yorker Book of Dog Cartoons that I thought were funny and you might, too. I hope so, at least!                     Yes, as…

I plan to make these tomorrow. We have loads of lemons on our lemon trees and a healthy lemon bar is a definite treat. Here is the recipe. Let me know who it turns out for you. Filling: 3 whole eggs 1/4 cup honey (I found the smaller amount was perfectly sweetened enough – raw…

This question is not a tough one for me. The possession I prize the most is my wedding ring. I received this ring on my 30th wedding anniversary from Ray, my husband. Before that, I had a plain gold band for a long time and then a thinner band that I bought for myself with…