Here are a few things I’ve learned from writing 2887 blog posts to date, which I can proudly say have had 313, 343 views! Some take 20 minutes, a few take 10 and most take at least 45 minutes to an hour. And then there are those I spend as much as 2 hours on. The…
Recipe for Excellent Maple Sugar-Sweetened Hummingbird Cake
Hummingbird Cake originated in Jamaica, where it was called a “Doctor Bird” cake, which is the nickname for the Red-billed Streamertail, a member of the hummingbird family. Presumably, the banana and pineapple cake got its name because it was so full of fruit that it attracted hummingbirds. Once the recipe came to the Southern US…
Louise Love’s Kitchen
My mother had one dish she cooked – spaghetti with clam sauce – and only if we’d run out of Cambell’s soup and chicken pot pies. That was just the way it was. She didn’t clean, either. Cooking and cleaning were tasks that you hired other people to do. She had more important ways to…
Celebrating Rachael’s Birthday with Her Birth Story
Today is Rachael’s 32nd birthday, and in the spirit of tradition, I am going to recap her birth story. This is something I usually do in person on the birthdays of my daughters, but since I won’t see Rachael until tomorrow, I’m sharing it here. If you’ve followed my blog for a long time, then…
Happy Birthday to My Son-in-Law, Ron
Happy birthday, Ron! I hope you’ve had a lovely day. Please know that I feel very lucky to have you in our family. I love you and am so happy that you and Liz are together and that you two now have baby Ethan. What a joy to have your little family as part of…
The Skating Rink in My Little Texas Town and Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date”
Few songs on the radio trigger such a visceral reaction for me as Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date.” This instrumental piece featuring a piano with the accompaniment of a string takes me right back to my childhood and the roller rink where I spent endless hours skating on Saturday and Sunday afternoons with my friends. As…
Alpaca Shearing Day
Daughter Liz and her husband Ron have three alpacas up at our orange grove in Ojai. Their names are Leroy, Buttercup, and Finn. This is the second year that they have had an official shearing day, where the professional shearer and his helper arrive and not only shear their fur, but also trim their nails,…
So Near to Heaven
Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast I awoke early one morning and walked out onto the balcony of my hotel. The sun was rising, the air cool, the sweet scent of orange blossoms wafted from the blood-orange tree. I saw the sun-dappled blue of the Mediterranean, the muted green of olive trees, the vivid fushia of…
A Poem for Brother George
I participated in a Story Circle Network poetry webinar today with poet Sharon Charde. The title of her presentation was, “Transforming Your Trauma into Art.” I don’t consider myself a poet but am drawn to this short form of expression. At the end of the 1 1/2 hour presentation, Sharon gave us the prompt: Describe…
Chocolate Cake Recipe with a Secret Ingredient + Royal Honey Butter Cream Frosting
Here is a tried and true recipe for an exceptional chocolate cake. The secret ingredient is mayonnaise, which substitutes for the oil and the eggs in the recipe. This is from the Cake Bible and is moist, rich, and “Double-D” delicious. Ray and I don’t eat refined sugar so I substitute one cup of honey…
20 Minutes a Day 