Living on the Pacific coast gives every day its own magic. The ocean is always changing. Wind-tossed and choppy, bright and welcoming, stormy and turbulent, grey and flat, high tide or low tide. Today was a low-tide, grey-flat day, one…
Rainbow Hope
Last week we had a warm spring rain, steady enough to make puddles and trickles. And at the end of it all, walking my dog under an evening sprinkle, the clouds parted and something magical happened. The rainbow was huge…
Summer Peaches
That moment when I see the first peaches of the year in the grocery store is always a big one. I blink, look again, and head their way with hope in my heart. I love peaches and nectarines and miss…
Eastern Sierra New Year
I spent a happy New Year surrounded by the setting for my books. My family and I rented a house near Mono Lake. About an hour drive north of the house is the town of Bridgeport, which is the inspiration…
Life in a Seashell
It has occurred to me recently that I may be trying to live my life inside of a seashell. How did I make this discovery? It began when we stayed for a week in a gorgeous house overlooking Mono Lake.…
Drought Shrunk our Christmas Tree!
If you are a fellow Californian, you know that the drought has affected many parts of our daily lives. From installing water-saving shower heads and low-flow toilets, to watching our lawns and gardens slowly die, it’s been pretty discouraging sometimes…
Finding Beauty After Fire
Every year, when we drive up into the mountains behind our town to get our Christmas tree, we pass an area that looks other-worldly. It’s an old forest that was burned in a wildfire almost eight years ago, and the…
Holiday Magic at the Harbor
I live in a Northern California beach town and every year, for the past fifty years, people have decorated their boats for the holidays. One night a year, thanks to their hard work and creativity, the local harbor comes alive…
All the Little Things ~ Creative Storage, Part Three
We all have so many bits and pieces in our lives, and often it’s hard to know where to put them. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but living in a small house, with a Lego-obsessed son and a…
Multi-tasking Furniture ~ Creative Storage, Part Two
I live in a small house with my husband, our Lego-obsessed little boy and a dog named Chauncey. Between us, we have a fair amount of stuff! Our house didn’t come with a lot of built-in storage, so we’ve had…