I had the lovely occasion recently of getting to spend several hours with my grandbabies and I was reminded of something I absolutely knew as a child: kids want your undivided attention, nothing more. During that afternoon together, Lyla, who I was holding, started to get a little fussy.  I gathered up a blanket and…

I will be the first to say that the Instant Pot has been one of my favorite additions to my kitchen and I use it almost every day. (Thank you, niece Nicki Leatherwood-Schooler for introducing me to this time and energy saving appliance.) I’ve had mine for over a year now and make all sorts…

Here are the supplies that we have ordered to hopefully help us not lose every antique and collectible we own when the next earthquake rocks Southern California. We have a plethora of products that arrived today to help make that hope a reality. Museum Wax is common around these parts precisely to glue down beloved…

I have been working on lowering my blood sugar levels. This was prompted by blood tests over the past several years labeling me as prediabetic. That label scared the ever-loving bejesus out of me since I have read that in the short term, 3 -5 years, 25% of people with that condition will become diabetic…

When you live in California, the potential for the “Big One” is always looming. Yesterday, there was a 6.4 magnitude earthquake out in Ridgecrest which was felt all over Southern CA. We were at the parade in Ojai at the time and the fellow next to me said he felt it quite clearly. I, in…

Happy 4th of July, everybody. We were up in Ojai with daughter Liz and soon-to-be son-in-law Ron for the annual parade and then we went over to a neighbor’s party for a short while. Anyway, we are now back home in LA and I can hear the boom of fireworks not too far away. I…

At the request of my soon-to-be son-in-law, Ron Betty, I am posting an excellent recipe for honey-sweetened carrot cake with honey-sweetened cream cheese frosting. I altered this recipe from one I found online and had great results. I made this cake yesterday and it was moist and delicious. I had a second slice today and…

I am trying this again.  Handwriting versus writing directly on the computer page.  This is inspired by Margaret Atwood’s Masterclass and my own experience. I know I write deeper when I handwrite versus type, but “efficiency” has gotten in the way of my process. As if it is efficient to write something that isn’t quite…

This is my second attempt at a sonnet. In contrast to the complexities of Shakespeare’s work or a fine sonnetist like Edna St. Vincent Millay, this looks pretty paltry. However, I am just proud to get it on the page. I am only now learning about iambic pentameter, poetic feet, quatrains and couplets (well, I…