An authentic Chanel scarf purchased at an estate sale. I love a good mystery. A whodunit where the tension builds up as the clues keep us guessing...until we discover, gasp! that the spurned lover did it, or the creepy Butler did it, or the shy, nerdy neighborhood psychopath did it. But aside from those kind… Continue reading The Mysterious Life of Objects
The Yin and Yang of Joie De Vivre
Balance, pen and ink drawing by Betsy Thatt, 2023 @betsys_art Bonjour to you all! Are you wondering what the heck the Yin and Yang of Joie de Vivre means? Me, too. I made it up, but I think it means that no matter what is going on in your life, you should be able to… Continue reading The Yin and Yang of Joie De Vivre
Camping Ho! Adventures on the High Plains…oh, I mean Malibu
Archival photo of an actual wagon train. Wagons Ho! or Forward Ho! was the official call the wagon master would shout to mark the start of their arduous trek across country in hopes of a better life. When I was a young girl I was fascinated with pioneer life and wagon trains. I had a… Continue reading Camping Ho! Adventures on the High Plains…oh, I mean Malibu
Happy ‘Labor’ of Love Day
Labor Day in the USA means barbeques, a three day weekend, the unofficial end of summer, the "don't wear white" anymore fashion mandate, big department store sales, etc. The holiday, however, stems from our Industrial Revolution roots in the late nineteenth century. Labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to honor our fellow hard working… Continue reading Happy ‘Labor’ of Love Day
August is Almost Autumn
In typically sunny, every-day-is-the-same Southern California, we don't have the change of seasons that punctuate the East Coast experience. With the exception of the very rare hurricane, or I should say the Hilary "hurriquake" we recently experienced, the weather here is fairly predictable. Nonetheless, the pleasures of August are abundant even in suburban Santa Clarita… Continue reading August is Almost Autumn
Renewal, Tradition and Stuff
"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." William Shakespeare Shakespeare's Garden in New York City's Central Park. Happy April! After a particularly wet and cold winter here in California, signs of spring are slowly showing up. Wildflowers are covering the rare emerald green hillsides, the bees are buzzing, and right here on the… Continue reading Renewal, Tradition and Stuff
Retirement is Re-vision…
and requires a lot of coffee... In December 2022 I made the big leap to retire after 24 years in education. I held many different jobs in the field, including English Teacher, Substitute Teacher, SAT Prep Instructor, Instructional Assistant (my last position), etc. I primarily developed my career around my family's needs: having winters and… Continue reading Retirement is Re-vision…
When Life Gives You Lemons…Make Pie! Recipe included.
These lemons are so yellow they don't even look real! Have any of you been watching 'Julia' on HBO Max? Streaming now, it is the story of how legendary chef Julia Child (played brilliantly by Sarah Lancashire) first got started on television. It is quite the story of how Child's love of French cooking and… Continue reading When Life Gives You Lemons…Make Pie! Recipe included.
Yellow is the New Black
This bumblebee is harnessing the power of yellow. I know this is kind of unusual, but I have been contemplating the meaning of Yellow lately. It's not a color I normally gravitate to, either, so I have no explanation for this, other than I am noticing it a lot (welcome Spring flowers, perhaps?). As it… Continue reading Yellow is the New Black
Once Upon a Time in Suburbia
“Little Red Riding Hood was my first love. I felt that if I could have married Little Red Riding Hood, I should have known perfect bliss.” - Charles Dickens. There she goes skipping along, la la la...beware the Wolf around the bend! What in the dickens was Charles Dickens thinking? Sorry, but I couldn't help… Continue reading Once Upon a Time in Suburbia
Cheryl Thatt-Burbank 