The image of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, Germany (cover photo) is a place of contemplation, a place of remembrance and warning. It is close to the Brandenburg Gate in the he...
The first day I worked in the Bakery Candy Kitchen at Harry & David, we were making the Traditional Fruitcakes. I wondered who on earth was still eating these things. We made thousands, in an asse...
This Valentine’s Day was a Full Moon. We couldn’t see it because of the outrageous downpour of rain we are experiencing, but Ben felt it. He has been a little obsessed with werewolves late...
This morning, I read again from the gorgeous gardening, meditation, living life book, “Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate: At Work in the Wild and Cultivated World,” by Wendy John...
Today, we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday with a couple of videos* specifically tailored for children’s understanding. When we were done, my six-year old announced that he was...
In addition to all the Christmas presents Ben made out of paper and tape, and the tree itself, and all the decorations, he didn’t think the living room was quite festive enough until he created ...
It has snowed a whole bunch in our area. (I am so cheating with this photo. It’s from a photo site and not one I took of our current storm.) Our snow is bad, but not this bad. It’s packed,...
It never occurred to me how very Christmas-like is the world of Gnomes. The gorgeously illustrated book of Gnomes was something my dad and mom had out on their coffee table when I was younger. I remem...
We get to see my little sister and her family tomorrow, as they drive through our area on their way to their new home in Portland, Oregon. She has been in the San Francisco Bay Area all her adu...
Sometimes it hits me, how beautiful life is right now. My husband and I watched the Season Finale, the Epic Finale, of The Office tonight. We have watched this show our entire married life. Whe...
This year, more than anything else, and of course, there is so much to be thankful for always. But this year, it is the fact that my children understand the concept of gratitude. That my little...
Excerpt from the NPR interview with Tom Stoppard, Screenwriter for the Adaptation of Anna Karenina: On what he thinks love is “Love is — OK, it’s 20 things, but it isn’t 19. And I th...
My father served in the Army in Korea. He was there when Kennedy was shot. He used to tell us “War Stories” after dinner around our table. The stories he told were about the crazy, funny a...
Talk about going through the motions. Grown-ups never cease to amaze me, and not always in a good way. Last night we trick-or-treated with our kids for two hours in a Kid-friendly neighborhood where h...
I asked the boys today what their favorite part of the Fall Season is, and they started mentioning all the bright colors of the trees. Before we knew it, we were in the middle of a gigantic art projec...
There are so many gorgeous colors in the world. I am drawn to colors and the juxtaposition of colors, the interesting array of possibilities, the “World is our Canvas” mentality, and splas...
Over dinner the other night, Ben, our 8-year old, explained that this phrase was how Koko, the signing gorilla, described a Birthday Party. Ben is fascinated by gorillas, and this one in particular, a...
It is still raining in Southern Oregon. Last year was our first year in this kind of weather, and it got a little depressing around the edges for most of the people in my family. I have a confession t...
The Valentine’s Day card Ben and I made on the computer to pass out at the 2nd Grade Party My seven-year old hates Valentine’s Day. He will make that known to anyone who will listen to him. Yet ...
For my mother’s 70th birthday, her four daughters surprised her and took her to the St. Francis Hotel on Union Square in San Francisco for a festive sleep-over with all of us grown women. We had...
