My great-nephew Eli, a fellow non-eater of refined sugar, came up with this delicious and nutritious recipe for a cake-like lemon cookie sweetened with honey or agave. This is one of those recipes that you can count on. The cookies are perfect every time in taste and texture. Today I went out and pulled a…
Beethoven at the Hollywood Bowl
We were lucky enough to be invited by our neighbor, Linda Homer, to the Hollywood Bowl tonight for a picnic and then a whole evening of Beethoven performed by the LA Phil. Linda had three extra tickets so we invited our daughter Rachael to join us, as well. The seats were close to the front…
Flash Fiction Revisited: Now and Forever
Madeline was tired. She had been boxing up all sorts of antiques all afternoon since the owners, Maude and Jason Fredericks, were going out of business. These boxes would be heading to an auction where they would all go for what Maude described as “pennies on the dollar.” Madeline was especially upset about three different…
Failure and Success
I thought by the time I was in my early 60’s, I would have accomplished all sorts of impressive things. Surely, I’d have made lots of money, seen the world, had a successful career, raised lovely children, had a successful marriage and published at least three books. Here I am at 62 and I can…
Restful Evening Back in Ojai
I am listening to the classical radio station KUSC this evening and they are playing Robert Schumann’s Five Pieces in the Folk Style with Benjamin Britten on piano and Mstislav Rostropovich on cello. It is absolutely lovely, rich and resonant. We are back in Ojai for a few days. We will be working, but are…
A Reprieve from Near Death
A few years back, my husband and I were traveling from California to Texas, and I was pulling a 1958 Buick on a trailer behind our 15-passenger Ford Van. This was my husband’s idea of love at first sight – that ’58 Buick – a car from his birth year that he hoped to restore…
My Connection to Texas
Whenever I drive back to Texas, the minute I hit the border from New Mexico, a calm settles over me. Not that West Texas is my home, but still, I can see the big open sky and the flat plains and I hear that West Texas closed-mouth drawl when I stop for gas. These signal…
Back Home
Tonight we are back home in LA in a quiet house. We have been very busy working and traveling and entertaining for the past several weeks so the calm of our home feels good. We have returned to our guilty pleasure at present: binge watching older television series. Right now we are watching the 1st…
Last Night in Ojai
We have relinquished the new Airstream to Sarah, Gregorio and Luna who arrived here this evening. We are back in the Spartan Manor and I am writing this by candlelight. We figured our pregnant daughter trumps our need for modern conveniences; besides, we want to encourage our kids to come up to the orange grove…
Ojai for Work and Play
Today our Texas friends headed back to the Lone Star State. We enjoyed them very much and are so appreciative they were willing to bring out our restored Airstream. Thank you, Scott and Amy Ellis (and daughters) for making the very long trek with a 33 foot trailer. Also, much thanks to master craftsmen, Darrah…
20 Minutes a Day 