After reading Jackson Lander’s chilling account of being bit by a black widow spider, I’m cautiously eyeing the fall crop of spider webs around my yard. Though Landers writes that black widows are notoriously shy and likely to stay clear unless threatened, he was still caught unawares when he stepped into a water shoe to [...]
If you live in the Bay Area, be sure to add the annual Junior League of Oakland-East Bay’s Artful Living Home Tour to your November calendar. I toured the homes last week in order to write about them for an upcoming spread in Diablo magazine and I can tell you that the homeowners (several of them design [...]
The America’s Cup finals are happening here in San Francisco just as the fog’s rolled out and the warm weather’s rolled in. Boats of all shapes and sizes cut across the Bay this afternoon like kids playing tag on a September playground. While the hi-tech racing catamarans were docked for the day—races resume tomorrow—a splashy lineup [...]
The Bay Area is blessed with local companies who make beautiful and eco-friendly building materials. Fireclay Tile in San Jose is one of them. Founded in 1986, the company emphasizes green design and custom options. You can find out more about Fireclay Tile in my Bay Area News Group story. Also, check out today’s Boneyard [...]
“I find it harder and harder to live up to my blue china.”—Oscar Wilde I was reminded of Wilde’s blue china quote last week when we took in Cal Shakes production of “Lady Windermere’s Fan“ (through Sept.8.) The play is charming, acted with great aplomb. And the sumptuous period sets by Annie Smart were glorious out in [...]
You may recall from my last post that I was intrigued by chef David Lebovitz’s extensive packing list. A few days later I volunteered to help my sister-in-law Connie, also a top-notch baker, create some desserts for my niece’s wedding in Idaho. Her packing list was equally impressive. Connie’s mini-van was filled with kitchen implements [...]
Some days you wake up with plans to meet a few work deadlines, maybe figure out a new recipe for the rapidly ripening tomatoes on the counter and then somehow, by the time you’ve fallen into bed that night, you’ve bought plane tickets to Peru. Yesterday was one of those days. I’ve never been to [...]
I hear that kids are heading back to school this week. Which means, I suppose, that summer is over. Did it ever really begin? Work proceeds apace and my time away has been dictated by family obligations. Thinking about gearing up for full bore fall productivity makes me long for a stretch of emptied out [...]
What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck
I feel bad about the bees. You’ve probably heard that they’re dying inexplicably (no? then read this story.) The bee-pocalypse means not only less honey but also diminished pollination which effects many crops including almonds, avocados, blueberries, cherries, grapes, peanuts, onions and even cotton. How can this beeeeeee? And even more importantly, what can we [...]
