Cottage Cheese and Crepe Paper

I’m California born and bred. But because my sister married a Southern gent and raised her family in Memphis, and because both of my daughters went to college at University of Kentucky, I’ve been fortunate enough over the years to visit quite a few cities and small towns in the South. (Yes, I do...

As seen through the eyes of my iPhone…   {Sand between our toes} {The cast of characters} {Appetizers and wine~aka dinner } {Laugh Out Loud! Little Old Ladies! Lots of Love! Love Our Life! Lollygagging!} {Homage to the ocean}   {A beautiful mess} {Just plain silly} {It always pays to look up, especially when you’re...

As I was grabbing my usual go-to brand of orange juice at the grocery store a few weeks ago, I actually took the time to look, read and comprehend the label. There it was: “100% REAL Orange Juice.”  I about choked on my Dentyne. 100%? Real? Isn’t all orange juice, like, real, and 100% full of orange juice?...

What a week. And all I can think about is, this time last week, the victims and injured from the Boston bombings and the West, Texas explosion were enjoying their Saturday night, feeling the warmth, beauty and promise of an early Spring weekend. “You just never know.” “Life can change in the blink of an eye.”...

After months of comparing calendars and juggling schedules, at 11:30 a.m. a few Fridays ago, I was finally going to be reunited with an “old” friend. Except for a too-brief conversation and a quickie hug at our 30th-year Porterville High School Class of ’75 reunion, I had not seen Therese in 38 years. So I was a nervous wreck. I...

  So the birds are chirping, my backyard is coming back to life, my eyes are puffy, and my nose is itchy.  It’s that time of year when the strawberries are plump and plentiful, and “Sunshine on My Shoulders Makes Me Happy” is more than a song. It’s Spring ~ when J Crew, Banana...

Darn! Life’s gotten in the way of my blogging lately. A lot has been going on: BIG LIFE PICTURE stuff — Cassidy moving to Portland and starting a new job; Julia a short six weeks away from graduating from college! FUN stuff — connecting with a high school friend I hadn’t seen in 38 (yes, 3-8!)...

When Chuck and I were in Grand Cayman last week, as we were discussing how best to get to the other side of the island for dinner at the highly touted Cracked Conch, counter to my preference to take a pristine, pricey, quiet, safe taxi, Chuck insisted we take the $2.50 bus — of, for and (driven)...

Consider this a sort of cautionary tale… Following is kind of a combination of pearls of wisdom/a to-do list/sage advice to all of you now living out your glorious Thirties. ~~~~~ Go put on your bikini, however skimpy. Now go parade around in it…on a busy street…in a crowded bustling metropolis if you feel like it. Because...

I don’t know about you, but I’ve about had it with the bombardment of diet ads out there. I know each new year brings inspiration for losing weight and getting fit. I get that. This year, however, it’s gotten out of hand. From the Rachael Ray Show and Dr. Oz (which I think should now be called The...