The Blog

August has been the month of things breaking down. First it was our house air conditioning, unfortunately a must-have in Southern California. Also unfortunate was the news that we needed an entire HVAC system, and it would cost $20,000 to install. Then my car decided it wanted to act up. Another couple grand. The last […]

Premium brands have their place, but there is no doubt that drugstore beauty has been killing it in the last few years. The formulas are so good now that with the proliferation of “dupes” on the shelves of your neighborhood Target or CVS there is no reason to spend more for your makeup. After much […]

At the urging of several friends, I went to see the “Looking Back / Moving Forward: The Wisdom of Older Women” exhibit at the Fullerton Museum Center featuring the work of award-winning photographer Donna Edman and over 70 artists from across the country. This small but powerful multimedia exhibition gives the visitor a peek into […]

In many ways, the Big Island is the most family friendly of the Hawaiian chain. Simply by the nature of its size it has more offerings to explore —at a total land area of 4,028 square miles, it is larger than all the other Hawaiian Islands combined. It has all the outdoor activities people associate […]

Today is July 4 and instead of thinking about pool parties and barbecues, I’m pondering the origins of this nation that we call the United States of America. Lest you think that I’m overly obnoxious for bringing up historical matters on what is traditionally the most celebratory holiday of the year, there is a reason […]

If you haven’t already learned about Amazon’s Stuff Your Kindle Day, you’re about ready to get really excited. This promotion by Amazon is day when everyone gets to stock up on thousands of free e-books all in one place. There are no catches–if the book is listed on this page at Amazon it’s free! There […]

Traveling alone can be a tricky thing. In theory, there are no limits to what you can do because there isn’t anyone else to please, but it’s still easy to get swept up in other people’s must-see recommendations and blindly follow the crowds. But after years of solo trips, I’ve found that my best adventures […]

I’ve been blaming it on the hormones. For a couple of years now I’ve experienced a variety of strange behaviors that make me feel out of step with the world. I’ll find myself in a completely ordinary situation that I’ve been in thousands of times and my response to it seems bizarre and unreasonable. For […]

People are always surprised when I tell them that I’m a user of TikTok. It’s probably because I’m known for hating a lot of social media channels and, at first blush, Tik Tok seems to be the most frivolous and obnoxious of the mainstream options. Or, you know, it might be because I’m old. But, […]

Becoming a mother was a privilege that I fought hard for. I had multiple miscarriages before and after my daughter was born. She is the light of my life, and, like most of you, I take my role very seriously. Parenting is a hard, often thankless job during which you constantly toggle between joy, fear, […]