After a very warm October and November, fall seems to have truly arrived in Southern California. Today there is a crisp wind, bright trees in autumn shades, and clear blue skies. Soon Thanksgiving will be here, and like everything else in 2020, it will be different. Looking out on our serene valley, it is easy […]
Read MoreOn Saturday I made a coffee cake. An “honest to God” coffee cake that filled the house with the fragrance of cinnamon and sweet spices. But baking was just as tedious as I remembered. For me, it has always been a means to an end: you bake so you can eat whatever wonderfully fattening thing […]
Read MoreI still believe good things are coming, but it seems too many “good times” have set back our progress in containing the coronavirus. I have no doubt that we will defeat this plague, but in the meantime it would not be wise to “let the good times roll,” like we did in 2019. Doesn’t the […]
Read MoreI’ve been looking for signs of summer and trying to capture that carefree essence that defines the season. Where we live, the weather in June is definitely transitional. A blanket of fog appears many days, and sometimes the sun never appears. I’m reminded of the Carl Sandburg poem: The fog comes on little cat feet. […]
Read MoreI had a very trying morning the other day. Nothing major, just a whole flock of irritations. So I knew I was not in the right frame of mind when I sat down to write this blog. While I was waiting for my ancient Mac to open Word, I noticed a small box that had […]
Read MoreMarch 17 is Saint Patrick’s Day, and I’ve decided to let you in on a little secret. My mother wanted to name me “Kathleen Mavourneen” after the old Irish ballad, but my older sisters prevailed and I ended up with “Kathleen Helen.” (I think I prefer “Mavourneen.”) My heritage is not all Irish, but I […]
Read MoreThe last line of my previous blog read, “I think it is going to be a rough re-entry.” Little did I know how prophetic those words would be … On February 2, we celebrated our grandson Zeke’s birthday at Leo Carrillo Beach with a barbecue. Friends and family gathered on a gorgeous California winter day. […]
Read More“Finally!” Hattie, my 14-year-old human sister, said as she levered her stiff body out of the van. The rest of the family, both two- and four-legged, echoed her sentiment. After all the humans had extricated themselves from the van, Hattie, Pinky, and Joey released Rex, Kotty, and me from our crates. We all stood there […]
Read MoreThe invitation was for dinner and a “surprise.” We approached the front door of our son Chris and his wife, Marlene’s, home and heard an unusual sound—barking! “They did it!” I said to my husband, John, excitedly. “Finally,” he responded with feeling. The door opened, and running excitedly around the whole family’s feet was Cali, […]
Read More“You do know on a 1–100 scale of canine intelligence, dachshunds were rated in the high nineties?” Greg informed me. Greg was our daughter Jennifer’s new husband. “Well, I know that! They are extremely bright, among having other interesting qualities,” I said. “You’ve got it wrong. One is the most intelligent, and 100 is …” […]
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Kathleen Chamberlin 