A few years ago my best friend Stuart gave me a Christmas gift. I was still in mourning from the summer before, having lost my two Texas Peek-A-Poos, Biff and Joey. The thought of replacing them [...]
I flew to Northern New Mexico a few days ago to check on my casita, see a few clients and buy Christmas presents for some good friends. But what I really went for was the magic.
Every year I think Christmas is still far away. But suddenly it’s here. I’m never, ever ready! To be honest, I’m not good at “making a list and checking it twice”. I lead a busy life, so I need [...]
Just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, lying deep in the woods on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais, stands a charming old brown shingle cottage. A previous owner tried to make it into something it’s [...]
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. Gathering to give thanks for our blessings and each other is the best way I can think of to celebrate this spectacular season of abundance.
Lately I feel I am living in a painting. As I write, I find myself staring out the window transfixed by my own front yard. It seems fall days are splurging as November nights grow darker. I see [...]
This can’t be the place, I said to myself, as I walked into a sunlit clearing on the Valley floor dotted with old trees towering above eight hopelessly shabby-looking structures. I had driven up [...]
This season of the year and the wild fires have indeed changed my life. Fall now beckons me to leave the day sooner and arrive home to the evening earlier. I have never been more grateful for my [...]
This wise old saying of unknown origin has been resounding in my mind for the past 12 days. I kept repeating it to treasured friends and clients as they were evacuated from Sonoma and Napa due to [...]
