Writer, photographer, reader, historian, librarian, amateur chef, nature lover, gardener.
Reading saved me as a child, giving me a way to see the world outside the walls of my childhood home, offering me respite and escape from an often intolerable and hostile atmosphere. The public library in my small town in eastern Washington state became my sanctuary. So it’s no surprise that I cherish books … More Another Stellar Book Set in a Library: Bella Osborne’s “The Library”
A few weeks ago, on the strength of a rather glowing review, I added Matt Haig‘s The Midnight Library to my bulging Kindle library. And although I never read books in the fantasy genre – well, I DID read Like Water for Chocolate once upon a time – I could not stop reading Haig’s bestseller, … More “Try Before You Buy”: Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library”
On any given New Year’s Day, I start out, always, with the best of intentions. I resolve to carry through with certain goals/outcomes for the year. I think of New Year’s like the first day of school, with brand-new, blank pages in a notebook or gleaming white screens on a laptop. Full of promise and … More About Those New Year’s Resolutions …
Happy Holidays! I discovered Portuguese cooking several years ago on a visit to Sagres. Standing on the edge of the cliff, I struggled in the merciless wind to keep my unruly hair out of my eyes. A losing battle it was, for I could barely see the roiling blue Atlantic Ocean below. No trees, scrubby … More Happy Holidays! The Iberian Way
Best known for his memoir, Toast – both book and film – English author Nigel Slater is one of those food writers who really writes about a heck of a lot more than what’s on the table and in the mouth. Take his stunning work in The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, Stories & 100 Essential Recipes … More The Christmas Chronicles: Nigel Slater’s Paean to Midwinter, a Blissful Reading Experience
Wow! And to be in such company as Henry Notaker and Tom Jaine. Doing somersaults! So happy to report that “Take a Goose or a Duck” has won the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for cookbook history and writing for the USA! Competing for Best in the the World, but with Henry Notaker and Tom … More “Take a Goose or a Duck” Wins Gourmand Awards Best in USA for Cookbook History & Writing
A book that furnishes no quotations is no book – it is a plaything. ~ Thomas Love Peacock Snobbery tends to be a universal human tendency, so despite my comments below, I know that it’s not exclusive to the British. Apologies to my decent British friends right up front. However …. A particular … More Snobbery isn’t Just for the Upper Classes: An Incident with a Couple of British Twits
I wrote this back when none of us had a clue about the long haul we were in for with COVID. From May 2020 originally. Last night I watched the film, “The Forgiven,” with Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain. So Morocco has been n my mind this morning. Once upon a time, I lived … More Escaping to Morocco, via the Magic Carpet of Memory: COVID-19 Isolation, Day 62 (I Think)