They say this will be the last super hot weekend around here for awhile. Which makes sense, since we’re having air conditioning installed on Monday. Until it—and the fog—arrive, we’ll be hydrating like crazy. And thus, today’s Friday Things topic: Plastic Tumblers. We own a range of nice drinking glasses—everything from the now vintage olive [...]
I’ve subscribed to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box for decades. Every week I pick up a box full of organic vegetables and from May through September I can also receive a bouquet of flowers grown on the farm (Full Belly Farm north of Sacramento). These gorgeous sunflowers were today’s bouquet. Arranging them in a [...]
Recently I was invited to dinner at the offices of my niece’s hi-tech start up in the booming South of Market area of San Francisco. The on-site food was some of the best I’ve had and the interiors more upscale than many tech companies I’ve visited. But during the after dinner tour of my niece’s [...]
More bad news on the deer front this week. Last night’s conquest—an until now untouched shrub—was so violently ravaged that out of respect I feel like I should cover its snapped branches with more than deer netting. I spotted the prong-horned culprit and his gang of thieves as I pulled into the driveway at the [...]
So how are you spending the last weekend of summer? I’ll be deadheading plants, doing laundry and generally catching up after yet another trip to Utah. Three family weddings (including Will’s) had me flying into the Beehive State once a month over the summer. On a clear day, the descent into Salt Lake City is [...]
When I was a kid the biggest event of the summer happened one town down the line on July 24th. Known as “Pioneer Day” or, more pragmatically, “The 24th,” this county-wide celebration commemorated the day that Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley after leading his people across the plains. On that fateful July 24 [...]
You know how big events often dog pile in your calendar rather than lining up in an orderly fashion? That was my June. It all started with our daughter Sydney’s graduation from Harvard Law School. Harvard Law. Quite remarkable that. And then a week later her little brother Will’s graduation from MIT. Really, no [...]
Goodness gracious things have been busy around here. The wrapping up of the garden renovation, wedding and travel planning, some local travel writing for the San Francisco Chronicle and a few speaking opportunities have kept me on the go, go, go. I’d like to take a break and tell you all about it but that [...]
The poet Nikki Giovanni once said that she spent a lot of time learning about bird watching. Placing these birdbath basalt rocks in my new garden has made me want to do the same. We’ve created our own little aviary hammam out front and when I’m around I try to sit very still so [...]
If this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase is any indicator, color is making a comeback. The hushed neutrals of the past have been replaced by sumptuous hues and bold graphics that feel fresh and invigorating. For example, in Cecilie Starin’s black and white dining room the abstract murals by San Francisco street muralist Ian Ross [...]
