Independence Day
It’s a star spangled holiday, ripe for celebration. The mood is festive as we conjure images of picnic hampers, deviled eggs and strawberry shortcake; of marching bands, sack races and yes, fireworks! This charming image on aged linen evokes all the innocence of childhood, excitement of the holiday, and anticipation of adventure. Ah fireworks! – vibrant but verboten, tempting but taboo. This duo in simple play clothes and sturdy shoes, remain clean and pressed, per mother’s orders, yet can’t help but experiment with the tantalizing pyrotechnics. We aren’t too worried, however, as...
Read MoreTea
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” Henry James The Portrait of a Lady Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Sleet and snow, blizzards and cloudbursts envelope and surround us. Yet the flip side to winter’s frosty coin always lands happily heads up when we can take a moment for a cup of tea. It’s the perfect prelude for a snuggle or siesta, a game of backgammon or chess, or burrowing with a best seller by a blazing fire. Perhaps most comforting of all, it’s an elixir for every hour – from purple pre-dawns,...
Read MoreHandkerchief Heroes
Are people so consumed with collecting that they’ll drag blistered feet through antique stalls or hunker over a hot keyboard for hours to scroll through web auctions for watch fobs, pickle dishes, or campaign buttons to find the pièce de résistance to complete their collection? Indeed they will. You’ll know them by the pallor of their skin, and the tiny computer monitors reflected in their pupils. I used to scoff at those silly fools…until I became one. A zombie from The Walking Dead is tame compared to a gimlet-eyed ebay master trolling cyberspace 3:00 a.m. Like most collectors my...
Read MoreButterflies
“Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” R. H. Heinlein Fall is here and it’s migration time for the magical Monarch butterfly to California’s Monterey Peninsula. They swarm in drove to frolic and flutter in the eucalyptus groves. This year’s count – 13,400. Yikes! It’s Match.com for Lepidopteras! They sojourn from October through February. You’re welcome to visit the grove and photograph all you like, but touching a butterfly carries a hefty $1,000 fine. Locals take their guardianship duties seriously, and children proudly parade in praise of these pumpkin colored wonders....
Read MoreBack to School
Before I started college, my dad told me to pick classes based on the teacher whenever you can, not the subject….his point was that good teachers are priceless. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don’t know it. Nicholas Sparks, Dear John It seems every retail outlet is running specials on back to school supplies and clothing, as moms gratefully and children grudgingly prepare for the fall semester. One wardrobe staple in days past was a supply of fresh handkerchiefs. As far back as the late 1800’s children were required to bring a fresh...
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