Watching a video of Alice Waters preparing a vegetarian lunch, I was most impressed by her pleasure in the process. She seemed to enjoy every moment and phase of the food preparation, from selecting and appreciating each vegetable, then peeling, cutting or chopping her selections …
Last year at this time, I would not have thought it possible that five small rectangles on my computer monitor could make me so happy. But there we were, friends from our Brownie days of so long ago, together again, not in person but on …
Joining the Living Room Choir last year fulfilled my lifelong wish of finding a home for my voice nestled among other voices. I’ve always loved to sing. By the time I was in third grade, I’d learned the words to every verse of every Christmas …
We were stopped for roadwork on Route 128, waiting behind a short line of cars. Between Boonville and Cloverdale, 128 is a sinuous, narrow two lanes, with enough twists and turns to challenge my composure. I often close my eyes for the 40-minute drive, looking …
On his birthday this year, Jonah organized a horseback ride. Everyone quickly agreed to the excursion, including me. While as a kid, I was terrified of horses, I began to feel drawn to them about a decade ago. When I’m in France I volunteer at …
We’ve been spending a lot of our quarantine time in Rancho Navarro, where Jonah and I bought some property years ago. We now have two houses on our tract, ours built by Stephen and his guys around 15 years ago, then added on to just …
I began holding “Writing Workshops” with my granddaughters as soon as the Shelter-In-Place orders hit, and have continued this summer, though modified and less frequently. Last Wednesday, for example, we collaborated on writing a “graphic story” on the sidewalk in front of their house, each …
I’ve been aware that as we age, we become more and more grateful for the friends we made when we were young/er who have stuck with us through the years. My first college roommate and I are still in close touch, and I find our …
Most difficult for me these last months has been not being able to hug and kiss my grandchildren. In this, I know I am not alone: the New York Times recently published instructions on how grandparents can hug their little ones and remain safe. Knowing …
After we had the trees on our Anderson Valley property limbed up several weeks ago, a neighbor cut the downed branches into firewood for us. Since Stephen was busy with another project this weekend, it fell to me to stack the cut wood, a task …