What’s Your Line? Dark or White?
It was a warm September 1954 morning when Spouse boarded the bus from his suburban Los Angeles home for his first day […]
Ms. Hester Prynne & The Return of Her Scarlet Letter
Spouse’s face lit up when I answered, “Sex” to his question, “What are you going to write about today? He added a […]
Now I’ve A Soon-To-Be Celebrity Cat
Author’s Note: Here’s the link to the podcast on Animal Radio http://animalradio.com/top.php The interview begins at 00:33:20 Before the day’s commotion begins I like to rise ahead of the sun and either soak under the stars in the hot tub or spend quiet moments in a chair in mindful contemplation. Don’t get too impressed with this early riser routine of mine. It’s a reluctant pleasure. Today’s late winter morning, in the 5 a.m. neighborhood, and the day after some serious gardening, […]
Contraception + Viagra = WTF (Literally & Figuratively)
Neighbors actually talk to each other in my neighborhood. Here’s a recent conversation that I overheard between spouse and another retired man as he walked his dog. “Gorgeous day today, isn’t it?” spouse greeted dog-walking neighbor. “It sure is. It’s the kind of day that makes me glad to be retired, even without my late wife,” he noted. He lengthened his pooch’s flexi-leash. “I’ve learned to enjoy life without my wife—she died 12 years ago. But I’ve gotta friend—he just turned 70—and all he […]
The Power of Post Menopausal Women
I’m still catching my breath after a vigorous walk with a woman who became my friend after seeking me out because, she explained, “I like your energy levels.” I remain flattered. I remain so because this woman, of the same generation as I, harbors so much energy that she could power up the lights on Main Street. Another friend, soon to celebrate her 70th birthday, actively seeks a new career as a lifestyle model (code for a senior citizen model). She […]
They Eat Horses, Don’t They?
I’m a part-time vegetarian. That means I’m an omnivore but heavy on the herbivore side. In other words, my heart prefers non-meat foods, but my carnivorous soul requires consuming something with legs. It’s kind of gross when I think about it. It felt even more unpleasant when around last Thanksgiving President Obama legalized horse meat for human consumption. And the bill that legalized horse meat–soon to be featured at your local grocery store–was something both Democrats and Republicans agreed upon! Like the linked news […]
Sit Back–Enjoy The Show–Nosh Venison Sliders
Author’s note: This is a continuation of a series of blogs about the experience of watching my daughter, Chef Dakota Weiss, make her way through Bravo TV’s Top Chef Texas, currently airing on Wednesday nights. Over 250 Los Angeles chefs and restaurant industry professionals swarmed the W, Westwood (where Dakota is executive chef) this week for a red carpet roll out of Dine LA 2012. What’s this to do with my daughter-on-Top-Chef series? Read on. News cameras rolled and media photographers clicked […]
429 Anti-Inflammatory Flames of Good
This floodgate of what I now call “sparks of light from the prism” amaze me. It is everywhere. I find good deeds in my newspaper’s letters to the editor, on Facebook, in books I’m given, and from random discoveries. A heightened awareness of good seems to foster more good. It also spins my Irish temper into an Irish toast. What would once have given me cause to jump all over some nincompoop now coerce me into smiles and humor.
An Ugly Box With A Beautiful Gift
Sparkling ribbons and paper swathed the holiday season with excitement, expectation and surprise. Tenderly, I removed each ribbon so that it could be reused–a sentimental and frugal habit. Then like my grandchildren, I ripped through the colorful wrap and held my breath anticipating the moment I would hold something special purchased or made for me by someone I love. A gift card for my favorite clothier, grandchildren smiling in a framed photo, a box of French cookies, a book, fragrant lotions and a shiny […]
It’s Trite, But Winning Top Chef Isn’t “Everything”
Author’s note: This is a continuation of a series of blogs about the experience of watching my daughter, Chef Dakota Weiss, make her way through Bravo TV’s Top Chef Texas, currently airing on Wednesday nights. Check for updates at bottom of post. “June Gloom” also known as a “thick marine layer” that typically hangs over California’s coast during June, lasted most of the summer. It was the kind of summer when I wore fleece instead of gauze while Dakota, in the hellish […]
