Days shorten; reading lists don’t

Days shorten; reading lists don’t

After hiding in the color wheel almost all year, orange has emerged as a dominant color because it’s fall. Pumpkins on porches, pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks, and a change of leaves’ color on deciduous trees. Sunsets come earlier as the days shorten...
Beatles Songs for Boomers

Beatles Songs for Boomers

When I’m Ninety-five (By Bruce Handy and Jay Martel (from The New Yorker ) Listen Do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell? Whoa, oh, oh Closer Let me whisper in your ear It’s the left one that still hears? Now I’ve forgotten what I wanted to say...
He was a Butt-Scooting Cat

He was a Butt-Scooting Cat

The brass was coming for a visit and the branch manager wanted to impress… And so, she ordered a sheet cake, to sweeten their evaluation of her skills. Royal blue icing slathered thickly on the top and down the sides of the cake, with the branch name written in...
Where do you Write?

Where do you Write?

When an audience of newbies convenes to imbibe the wisdom of an established writer, he/she is often asked, “What’s your process?” Many things are interwoven in this be-all question: are you a plotter or a pantser (or, like me, a plodder) what time of...
My Silver Palate

My Silver Palate

THE SILVER PALATE COOKBOOK came out in 1979, the same year my husbnd and I moved permanently to California. I adored it, feeling so grown up and removed from my Midwestern roots. Who ever heard of baking prunes with chicken! Blueberries, too. The only way I knew prior...
Rise and Shine!

Rise and Shine!

How do you start your day? Do you have rituals that enlighten, coffee, tea, or gin that must be inhaleded, or do you stumble and bumble around for a bit when your feet hit the floor? Is a quck splash of water or a full shower required to get your motor running? I...