Missing the Alameda Vintage Flea

Although I’ve been back in the SF Bay every other week this month, I haven’t been able to time it with the Alameda Vintage Flea Market. That’s by far the thing I miss most on the West Coast (although my wallet seems better for the distance!) I just got two pieces of email that tugged … Continue reading

L.A. I Always Thought You Were Cool

(Seen on a street beside Fairfax High School on L.A.) Los Angeles is a sprawling mega-city I’ve had the privilege of getting to know in the last four years. I certainly don’t have the city conquered, but I’m not afraid to drive the freeways, and I’ve developed a sense of my favorite spots. If I … Continue reading

In search of… A Chair

I’m on a hunt for the perfect chair. Mom needs to replace the faded old thing she sits in quite a bit now that she’s retired. She likes wingbacks, solid colors, a washable slipcover in a sturdy fabric would be great in this high-use situation. Price should be $500 or less.  Here is a sampling … Continue reading

Painting of Mt. Diablo, CA

I saw this painting at the PG&E training center in San Ramon last Saturday. I wish I could tell you the artist’s name. But those golden hills, dry and brushy, are iconic of what one sees outside the cities by the bay. So different from MY valley, the perpetually lush Green Hills of Nashville.

New Year’s Resolution: Write more! Walk more!

  My resolutions for 2014 are simple: post more frequently here, and walk more (especially long distance!) to prepare for a bucket list item: a pilgrimage trek across Spain to Santiago de Compostella. Have you seen the Emilio Estevez-directed, Martin Sheen-starring movie “The Way”? It’s a must-see. My dad did the walk about 6 years … Continue reading

America’s Mood Map: Where do You Belong?

A friend of mine from grad school (we have actual degrees in Southern Studies! So cool, so interesting, so region-fantastic!) shared this link from Time Magazine. It’s a study of U.S. citizens’ personalities, how we rate ourselves on openness, agreeableness (didn’t know that was a word?!) and such.  The researcher found three distinct regions or … Continue reading