Happy Birthday Dad July 11, 1927- August 31, 1998

I found this pretty little angel in Carmel when I was there, on a trip, to reflect on my father's life after he passed away in August of '98. He was born on July 11, 1927. This angel beckoned me to buy her and take her home with me. I kept telling myself she was too expensive. I went into the shop where she kept calling my name, in fact, I must have gone back into that little shop ten times before deciding I must have her. She sits perched on my back porch and reminds me of my father and the reconciliation of the little girl within and a father who desperately wanted to make things right after many years of absence. I will always be thankful for the second chance I had to feel my father's love.

No matter the absence and the feelings of abandonment I felt as a child, I will always remember my father with kindness. Happy Birthday Dad!

Friends for life

I have a story of friendship that started over 40 years ago. We met in cooking class our sophomore year in high school. You never know when you will meet a friend that will become a sister. Some call it luck, some call it destiny... I'm just glad my friend still calls. We were just young girls, full of hope for the future, unsure of where our paths would lead, when we met.

We spent many a Christmas and Thanksgiving together, with our single German mothers, celebrating every possible occasion.

Just recently we reminisced about the time we auditioned to be on the Dating Game (a popular show in the seventies). I didn't understand why Sybil got selected and I didn't. She laughed and told me I was the reason she got on. She said that I had told her that they picked the outgoing talkative and animated types to be on the show (I had told her that I wished I hadn't been so shy on the audition) , and so she determined to laugh and be animated and she got picked.

Now years later we have had many adventures, separately and together. We have laughed and cried together and even traveled together. The first time I saw Paris was with my friend Sybil.

We took a cruise on the Bateaux Mouches on the Seine to witness the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, a most memorable night, for sure!

We drank cappuccinos and ate croissants at Sally Clark's cafe in London. Don't you love the bistro chairs in the photo and all those big hunks of cheese sitting on the counter?

I love the way Europeans display their fruits and vegetables in big baskets.

Below we lunched at the Orangerie outside of Kennsington Palace. It was a fabulous place to lunch with my dear friend.

This restaurant called the French Horn out in the English countryside was loaded with charm.

This place made us as giddy as schoolgirls inspired to take silly pictures of ourselves.


I toast to you my dear friend! I haven't posted on my blog for a while and your phone call has inspired me with happy memories of a deep and lasting friendship and sisterhood!

Happy 4Th of July

"The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety, and satisfaction. ~ Laurie Colwin

I hope you all have a joyous 4Th of July, with memory making moments that enrich your lives!

Weekly words to live by - June 20, 2010

Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever. ~ Isak Dinesen

Have you visited Twig?

I've been at a loss for what to write about lately, but I've been reading a lot of new blogs, as a result (new to me anyway).

One of the blogs that I recently decided to follow is Twig . Twig is having a giveaway. She is giving away my favorite kinds of things, like, a very cool apron from Anthropologie and French soap from Heather Bullard's online shop (and another favorite blog of mine), the cutest earrings, and a terrific book from Country Living called 500 Kitchen Ideas. Make time and visit Twig, I think you'll be glad you did. Just click here and you'll be there.

Tea on Tuesday

Has anyone else out there in blogland fallen in love with these insulated Starbucks cups? I can fill my cup up in the morning with ice and homemade ice tea and it stays cold for most of the day.

For me there's nothing better than ice cold tea in the summer, except maybe, drinking ice tea in Paris.

Jewelery that speaks to me

I have never been one to collect a lot of jewelery, but in the last few years I have collected a few pieces that I really love...some I bought, some gifts, some inherited, some just for fun, but all loved dearly.

The bracelets below are a couple of favorites... the one on the left has the names of my daughters and my grandsons spelled out in the beads, the one on the right was given to me by my sister in-law and then added to with love by friends and family on special occasions. You might notice the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, the Arc De Triumph, a London double decker bus, and many more special charms.

Some of you know by reading my blog that I adore Scrabble. I usually have ten games going on at a time on Facebook. One of my Scrabble partners lovingly gave this special bracelet to me.

I have a small collection of Maximal Art pins that are so pretty and I found irresistible, and I don't even wear gold jewelery.


The heart necklace below I bought a TJMax about 15 years ago and I wear it almost everyday. It was inexpensive (cheap actually), but it has been a favorite. At one point, several years ago, our house was burglarized and along with some other valuables this neckless was stolen. On the burglars second attempt to hit our home the little hoodlums were arrested and my beloved neckless was recovered. I have thought of this neckless as my lucky charm ever since.

This next neckless tickled my fancy at the Remnants of the Past Antiques Show. I bought it from jewelery designer Kelly Maddalena of Le Creme Boutique in San Luis Obispo. I love the tree of knowledge that it represents and the little salt water pearls add to its charm. It was my Mother's Day gift to myself this year.


The bracelet below belonged to my mother who passed away just three short years ago right after Mother's Day. I don't really know how my mother came to possess this beautiful bracelet, but she did tell me it was made in Egypt. I love the little hearts on it and I love that it belonged to my mother.

This last neckless has two sides...the one that says Ooh la la and the side that has the Eiffel Tower on it. This was a gift from my sister in-law and I wear it all the time. Now that I have actually been to Paris it is especially precious to me.


Do you love jewelery? Do certain pieces have special meaning for you?