Looking Over My Shoulder

30 May at 4:21 pm

Dealing with Sudden Change

From one day to the next our fifteen-year-old Peruvian grandson no longer will come grooving in to the banquette table for his breakfast…won’t be here for supper tonight…we delivered him to the airport last night…he’ll actually be landing in Lima…

10 May at 12:59 pm

Awash in Generosity

Reflections

Generosity of spirit. How I cherish it. This past weekend I was awash in generous spirits. First it was at Macy’s. Our fifteen-year-old Peruvian grandson was invited to his first bat mitzvah on Saturday morning. For some reason I’ve been…

25 Apr at 7:30 pm

A Funny–No, Not At All Funny–Thing Happened on My Way to Kleftiko

Aging Ain’t for Sissies, In the Kitchen, at the Table

Terrible terrible terrible. We–well, mostly I, being the one who’s the Entertainer in our family–wanted to have a new friend and his children over for dinner. The New Friend was the father of one of Cameron’s (our Peruvian grandson’s) friends–actually…

11 Apr at 4:27 pm

How Not to Blame

Becoming My Own Best Self

Last week was my husband Bill’s 93rd birthday. Pretty big deal, don’t you think? The day or two before, I tried to use a light hand reminding family of the occasion. Problem is, I come from a long line of…

4 Apr at 8:12 pm

Our Teenager’s Birthday Party

Around and About

I last put together a birthday party for a fifteen year-old in 1977…um, forty-six years ago…and it was for a girl (daughter)…so I was a tad rusty heading into a party for our Peruvian grandson. Why is putting together a…

26 Mar at 8:21 pm

Me or Peanut Butter?

Aging Ain’t for Sissies

So that morning we set out on our walk with Uschi and half a block from our house Bill stopped, said, “We have to go back. I’m having a touch of angina…” Of course we double-timed it home so I…

14 Mar at 1:17 am

Drunken French Pears from Elizabeth David

In the Kitchen, at the Table

For lunch I just served friends a favorite dessert–a superb dessert, fun and easy and elegant—and I want to tell you about it. It’s from French Provincial Cooking and the incomparable English food writer, Elizabeth David. Initially published in 1960…

10 Mar at 4:45 pm

Choices

Aging Ain’t for Sissies

When we realized we couldn’t have a weekend in San Francisco to celebrate our twelfth wedding anniversary (our dog-sitter was snowed in), Bill said, “I know. Let’s go in June and celebrate your birthday in Copenhagen! Then we can take…

22 Feb at 8:36 pm

Tagliatelle Alla Marinara, Wonderful!

In the Kitchen, at the Table

Every so often if you like to cook and you cook a lot (I admit to both), you discover something memorable. That happened to me a bit ago thanks to Giuliano Bugialli, esteemed Tuscan chef and cooking teacher (the New…

17 Feb at 8:21 pm

Mousy Fellow Mortal

Reflections

Valentine’s night we went to one of the town’s favorite cafés for treats of delicious suppers and the live jazz of a friend’s combo. We were in a covered patio, seated at a small table close to the musicians, more…