Vintage Romantic Author
We’ve made a habit of meeting up with friends in Cambria through the years. In fact, we journeyed there during the first summer of Covid. We found plenty to do and dined in the street and parking lots. But state parks were closed then and we were anxious to tour Hearst Castle. Once parks opened, …
The delights of home improvement simply cannot be fully enjoyed until the project is finished. And if you’re the type who doesn’t actually finish, it can, indeed, be a nightmare. I always find it exciting to start a project and especially enjoy any shopping involved. We decided to put the same vinyl plank in our …
I guess I am. I’ve always been willing to experiment and challenge common knowledge. This hasn’t always been a wise thing to do. For instance, not long after we moved into our first house, it seemed strange to me that I could put all manner of vegetable parts down the garbage disposal, so why not …
Before socialists, communists, anarchists, labor activitists and leftists took May 1 to commemorate their struggles, it was widely celebrated by the masses. In some regions, it was considered a public holiday that included dancing, singing and yum—cake. In an attempt to bring back the traditional May Day, if only on a small scale, I gathered …
Road trips have been all too rare lately, but my friend Betty and I took off for Carpinteria, a small beach town south of Santa Barbara. If I were rich, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a quaint little 1900s-era house blocks from the Pacific in Carpinteria. In my imagination, there would be nightly walks along …
Long before Dr. Spock’s attempt to document the “correct” way to raise psychologically healthy children, many authors published medical science of the day for use by housewives. Knowing I was interested in times past, my mom brought me Wife and Mother or Information for Every Woman from my aunt’s yard sale. Published in 1886, the …
I remember the good old days when it was easy to find a nearby, quirky, fun store. Collectibles have become passe. People aren’t decorating their homes for holidays as they once did. All my eccentric little stores have fallen by the wayside. Even Barbara Cheatley’s went out of business last year. It seems antique stores …
Have you kept a New Year’s resolution? I don’t believe I ever have. That’s probably a good reason to avoid them. Yet, there’s something undeniably hopeful about New Year’s. In the dead of winter, it’s a moment of renewal. A time to pause and reflect. A time to contemplate the future. History often shocks me. …
What inspires you? What makes you want to get off the sofa or abandon electronics? To be honest, the older I get, the better the sofa looks. And yet, I have my moments. There’s nothing like a trip to the quilt show or store to inspire sewing. The fabric junkie in me gets a little …
Let’s take another trip down the 126, my favorite route. It wasn’t about antiques or history this time, though. First stop was Cracker Barrel in Camarillo. It never ceases to amaze me, how cool, even wintery it can be at the beach when we are sizzling 40 miles away. After a great breakfast, I managed …