I have been reading about the foods that people in the “Blue Zones” of the world eat. Blue Zones are places where there are an inordinate number of folks who live to be inordinately old. Beans, beans, and more beans are part of the diet of these old folks in all of the zones and…

I have read recently that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been removed from the list of required reading for high school students in many districts around the country. The use of the n-word and accusations of racism appear to be the main reasons, along with material that made students “uncomfortable.” Below is a piece…

Today, baby Ethan is 7 weeks and 2 days old. He weighs a little over ten pounds and has bright blue eyes. He is alert, very attached to his mommy and daddy, and likes to give his Grandma Len kisses on the cheek. Well, he isn’t really kissing. He is actually bobbing open-mouthed on my…

Today, Ray gave me three books that he ordered for my birthday. They are The Blue Zone Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer, Better Life, The Blue Zone American Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100, and The Blue Zone Kitchen: 100 Recipes to Live to 100 all by Dan Buettner. I must say…

I am sitting in front of the fireplace here in Los Angeles, enjoying the fire. The grandfather clock is ticking rhythmically, cars are racing up and down the street outside, and whatever Ray is watching on television upstairs periodically features someone singing snippets of a song. (I think I heard a verse of Leonard Cohen’s…

I made this homemade chicken pot pie this morning complete with the double pie crust and I am here to say this is an excellent recipe. Ray and I gobbled it down with gusto. To be honest, this is not a dish you can throw together quickly. You have several steps to complete to get…

We were standing in the park late one afternoon, the sky the color of slate, when he said, “It’s a matter of the heart.” “No,” I said. “It’s reality.” “My heart says no.” I stared at the kids on the merry-go-round. “We can’t pay our rent.” “We can’t leave.” “We need to eat.” “We love…

Raindrops drum on the metal roof Each drop A connection to the sky above The rhythmic pitter-patter Soothes I breathe deeper Shoulders relax I feel safe Swaddled in the dark night

I was thinking today about how my brother George faced a huge adversity in his life shortly after he got sober. His life changed abruptly after a small non-healing sore was diagnosed in his mouth as cancer and two weeks later, he was at M.D. Anderson preparing to have his jaw and soft palate in…

I made this recipe this morning but substituted honey, maple syrup, and maple sugar for the equivalent amounts of granulated and brown sugar. The result was a rich and moist pumpkin and cranberry bread that I’ll be sharing this with family and friends this weekend. Baking makes me happy. I feel centered and calm when…