I am sitting here in Ojai. The kids are gone; it’s just Ray, me, and the dogs. I can hear a mourning dove cooing off in the distance, a bird tweeting in a nearby tree and a car shifting gears on the highway, which is at least two miles away. Cordelia – the Corgie –…
Ojai for Memorial Day
I am standing by our campfire this evening listening to a frog croak nearby. Liz, Ron, Rachael and Ray are all getting ready for bed. The stars are all out and there is a sliver if a moon. It is quiet and peaceful here. Ray and I are staying here for a…
Mad Max: Fury Road
We have just returned from seeing Mad Max. Ray hated it; thought it was a waste of time. I, surprisingly, thought it was pretty good for the type of movie it is, which is pretty much one huge monster truck chase after another. Still, I have to say that I thought Charlize Theron stole the…
Repost 5-Star Recipe: Chocolate Eclair Cake
This is one of those recipes that deserves a repost. Here it is. Let me know if you try it. I would love to hear how it worked for you. This recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen, and even after I modified it to use agave syrup rather than refined sugar it is still awesome….
Visitors in Ojai
We have just returned from an overnight visit to Ojai. We had the pleasure of having two visitors while we were there: Rachael and Luna. This was possible because Sarah is currently working nights and Gregorio had a graduate class on Wednesday night so Rachael was able to bring Luna up for the night. We…
Lessons from Two Masters
I just finished helping a student finish his 10 page term paper on how Edith Wharton’s and Tennessee Williams’ lives inspired Ethan Frome and The Glass Menagerie. The truth is that both of their lives are right there on those pages, disguised as other people dealing with problems of guilt, abandonment, thwarted dreams and societal…
Childhood Days of Fabric Stores and Seamstresses
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not much of a shopper. I hate going into clothing stores and going through the racks to determine yet again that I am a hard size to fit. The fashion industry certainly doesn’t use the under 5 foot tall woman as the model for their clothes and…
5-Star Recipe: Lentil Soup with Spinach
If you are looking for a 100% predictably wonderful lentil soup recipe, then look no further. This comes from a Greek cookbook, The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean by Aglaia Kremezi. This particular cookbook is ranked #2 in a list of 8 for the best Greek…
Birthday Celebration at The Natural History Museum
Here are photos of Sarah’s birthday celebration today at the Natural History Museum here in Los Angeles. Liz joined us for dinner, but no photos of her, unfortunately. Sorry, Liz! Lots of fun. Happy birthday, sweet Sarah.
Happy Birthday, Sweet Sarah
My beautiful firstborn baby is turning 33 tomorrow and I thought I would share a few pictures over the years. Here are just a few: …
20 Minutes a Day 