My blog has migrated to a new host and is being painstakingly reconstructed here. Please bear with me as I iron out wrinkles, hammer out the dents, and apply enough spit and duct tape to hold it all together.— Karen
Normally when I meet a friend for drinks after work, I don’t need to go through two security checkpoints, have my picture taken, and sign a non-disclosure agreement. But this was one of the Bay Area’s hottest high-tech superstars and it was just a wee bit twitchy about its privacy. “Don’t even think about taking…
Time to declutter? Ya think? Photo: Tomwsulcer What’s your clutter threshold? I usually hit mine when I’m just about to hit the road and I realize I can’t find any of the things I’ve been squirreling away for the trip: My reversible rain jacket has gone to ground somewhere in my closet, my travel toothbrush…
When I say the words “chocolate cake” do you immediately think “guilt”? Most Americans do, according to Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto . The French, on the other hand, go right to the idea of “celebration!” I have no official knowledge about the Spanish response, but I can tell you this:…
At a Transylvania guest house “I used to dream about all the places I would go as soon as I was old enough to get away,” says blogger Stacy Monday . “But then … life happened.” After a career as a paralegal and mediator, Monday (who’s just a kid of 50) decided to join the…
This was up in Napa; my house was spared. Photo: Sscknapa At 3:20 on Sunday morning, I was jolted awake when my bed started doing the jitterbug. Earthquake! And this was no minor tremor, but a serious effort by Mother Earth to realign a couple of plates that met at the long-dormant West Napa fault.…
Not long after we decided to make San Anselmo, California, our home base when we we’re in the US, Rich and I were invited to a casual neighborhood cookout. The main course? Barbecued whole baby squid . “I am so outclassed,” I whispered to Rich. “I am going to have to get all new recipes…
“So how much rent do you pay?” Spanish friends ask, not realizing that to Americans, providing specifics about our finances is as personal and taboo as giving the details of our most outlandish sex acts. “Who do you think is prettier, me or my daughter?” a Spanish hostess once asked, boxing me into an excruciating dilemma in which…
“There is no home repair,” an old friend used to say, “that I can’t take care of with three simple tools: the yellow pages, a telephone, and my check book.” Luckily for me, Rich is considerably handier around the house, thanks to his capable father and the wisdom in the Better Homes and Gardens Handyman’s…
Last week, after a refreshing dip in the California lake where my family has vacationed for twenty years, I walked past the lifeguard stand and read this sign for the first time: Wait, what?!? I have all sorts of skin sensitivities, entered the lake through a shallow area (doesn’t everyone?), and practically had to step…
If you Google Naples, Italy, you’ll find “ 79 Tips on Naples Warnings or Dangers – Stay Safe! ” where travelers can express their feelings about the city, mostly using such terms as “filthy,” “dangerous,” and “stay away.” Many complained bitterly about “helpful” residents who turned out to be thieves, and described, aghast, the staggering…
CELEBRATING GOOD NEIGHBORS These days I’m writing about Good Neighbors, exploring how the people around me are working to help each other get through these challenging times. My weekly posts appear on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on my travel and research schedule.
THIS BLOG IS A PROMOTION-FREE ZONE. As my regular readers know, I never get free or discounted goods or services for mentioning anything on this blog (or anywhere else). I only write about things I find interesting and/or useful.
