Labor Day. The official end of summer and, according to women of my grandmother’s generation, the last day you could wear white shoes during the year (unless you were a nurse or wished to be considered tacky). I love to hike, and there’s nothing I like better than hoofing it through the Rockies on a… Read More Labor Day Movie Marathon

Find It! Love It! Thousands of inspiring finds arrive every single day! The sign in front of the ARC thrift store says that in addition to its exceptionally low everyday prices, most items are half price today. Yay! I love thrift stores, flea markets, consignment stores, and the like, partly because I never know what… Read More Treasure Island

Today is a special day for me, partly because it’s the first day of summer (my favorite time of year, second only to Christmas) but mainly because it’s Marvin’s and my personal holiday. Our story begins in August of 1984, in San Jose, California. I was working for a weekly advertising shopper called the “Potpourri”… Read More The Story of Us

I was cleaning out my office the other day, when I came across a box of old stuff I’d written when I was a teenager. Reading through this literary time capsule brought back a flood of memories, most of them cringeworthy. What struck me most was the optimism of my teenaged self. Despite the pile… Read More Throwback Friday

My love affair with literature started early. Both my parents loved reading, so it was natural they would pass their enthusiasm along to me. According to family lore, they read to me from the time they brought me home from the hospital, long before I actually understood what was being said. As a result, I… Read More Blame it on the Books

“Gimme a head with hair, long beautiful hair Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen Gimme down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer . . .” The song from the musical Hair’s been going through my brain all day, probably because I’m having, if not exactly a bad hair day, a seriously mediocre one. I’ve never… Read More Hair

Due to health reasons, I’ve followed a gluten-free diet for nearly eight years. During this time I’ve reworked most of my favorite recipes and discovered a bunch of new ones. Although my favorite gluten-free recipes are those that never had gluten-containing grains in the first place (e.g., chili, stir-fry over rice, etc.) or that merely… Read More The Best Gluten Free Cookies You’ll Ever Eat

With both the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries behind us, both the Democrats and the Republicans are well on their way to picking the final candidates for the 2016 presidential race. Unfortunately, the next nine months are sure to be grim, with plenty of mudslinging, name-calling, dirty secrets, and general nastiness on the part of… Read More High Hopes

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot. But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did NOT! —Dr. Suess, How the Grinch Stole Christmas As a kid, I loved Dr. Suess’ story about the angry recluse who spied on the citizens of Whoville from his home on top of a mountain. As… Read More Grinchy Musings