This is Halloween! We had about 200 kidlets of all ages come by our house. (We ran out of candy!) They were all well-behaved, said thank you, and were very complimentary about our decorations. We had a fogger, that I activated when trick or treaters came up to the treat table, and lots of them got scared by the sudden burst of fog! Even parents! Funny! We had lots of fun with our granddaughters too -- they came by to trick or treat, and though they are really too little for t

Have a Happy Halloween...I'll report about our Trick or Treaters on Monday! Enjoy!

We were nearly famous for 15 minutes because our driveway was used to host the craft services snack table for a commercial which was advertising an extended car warranty! I know it's a stretch...but it was fun to see how it all works, and be part of the buzz! They arrived at 7:00 a.m.and didn't leave until close to 5:00 p.m. We saw Ernie Hudson acting his part in our neighbor's garage, and we were invited to have all the snacks we wanted from the caterer in our driveway. PL

Don't judge. I love Hallmark Christmas movies, and there's no harm in that! When I was teaching at the university, I used to share with my students that one of my favorite musical artists was Barry Manilow. And, at first, boy did they make fun of me! Then, I asked them what music they liked. I proceeded to tell them that while I would never listen to their choice of music, I wouldn't make fun of them because they did...and they got the point. Everyone should be allowed their

Recipes always turn out differently each time you make them. And I hadn't made this soup in over a year, at least. But it still turned out beautifully - it's very forgiving, AND it freezes well. It makes 10 - 12 servings so there should be lots left unless you're having a party! Oh, and Robert's anniversary gift giving skills improved immensely from the blender faux pas. Think diamond bracelets, and trips to Italy. I'm very spoiled. Curried Squash Soup Ingredients 2 tablespo

Carved at Descanso Gardens is an outdoor Halloween event that is part scary, part art, and wholly fun! We decided that we needed a mini-vacay this weekend, and so we invited a few good friends and made reservations at this evening event that we had never attended. And it really lived up to the hype! During the year Descanso is a lovely garden, with winding paths, camellia forests, rose gardens, and beautiful water features. During the holidays, at night it is a fantastic ligh

Cora's rocking horse is a family heirloom, and all of the grand babies will get a chance to have fun on it. Abby had some time with it already. But, really, it belonged first to Jennifer, my oldest daughter. Jennifer was the first grandchild in both of our families - both Robert's and mine. So everyone was elated to have a baby to spoil. The rocking horse that Cora is on, was given to her mother Jennifer by her great grandmother Ruth Hubbell. It's nice to use her name. To hea

It's a yearly tradition at our house -- the funny gravestones. People stop to read them on Halloween and it's a hoot. Sometimes the gravestones are political, and I'm sure our neighbors have no doubt about our political persuasion. But we don't care. Life long Democrats and proud of it! But it's been a tough year. There's not a lot to laugh about politically or otherwise. But I think we can eke out five or six gravestones - that's why we need your help! Write me if you have a

This video made me write a note to myself on my "to - do" list for tomorrow. Get an appointment for a hair cut! I can't believe the cowlick that is sticking up at the back of my head!! Here's my problem. I don't have a hairdresser. I had a hairdresser who had been doing my hair for many years - who I loved - but she injured herself and is not back in action. So, a while back, (when I was desperate) I visited a salon, and made an appointment with someone who had done my ha

Just this tonight. I worked really hard on the video because I wanted it to be a fitting tribute to Robert's legal career. I couldn't be more proud. Or love him more.

It was a busy Sunday! Robert had set up a woodworking tutorial for his son-in-laws, so I wanted to do something with the ladies. And. tea party was just the perfect idea for a Sunday afternoon. Now I do realize that my grands are really too little to appreciate a tea party -- but I believe it's never too early to introduce them to the finer things. They watched me pour the tea, and they tasted the tea muffins. Plus, they sat at the table like big girls with their moms for at

As I mentioned in my vlog, I overdid it today! So just this video tonight...I'll be back in the game tomorrow!

Our house is looking so festive! Just tonight we saw several cars stop by and take pictures of our decorations. And we have more plans for fun! The best part about it is that most of our decoration are either recycled from year's past, or home made. We bought one new statue this year ( the "Holy" witch - if you haven't seen her I will show you soon - hilarious) and the canopy of lights. Those lights are a big hit! They really spook the place up! I remember when I was a high s

Every summer when my girls and I were on summer vacation, I would always plan a Friday Field Trip for us. It was always something fun, but something educational as well. We went to every museum in Los Angeles - the Doll Museum, the Peterson Auto Museum, LACMA, the La Brea Tarpits, the Neon Museum, and so many more. There were picnics at the duck pond, beach visits, and zoo days. I wish I had a list of all the places we visited. I always really enjoyed myself. I enjoyed being

It's so windy here in Los Angeles tonight - we had to deconstruct some of our outdoor decorations so they wouldn't tip over. When we get everything totally situated I will show you the final product. It looks spectacular. I had someone stop by today and tell me that she liked the two new blue ceramic pumpkins in the front garden decorations - but she didn't see them last year. So when I say that our neighbors really notice when and what we put up each year -- that's proof! Ro

We had such fun time. The sun was shining, it was cool in the shade, and the grands were in a joyous mood. As you can tell if you listen closely, I was also in a joyous mood...you can hear me humming in the background! And as for the Corn Maze. It was the highlight of the day for the son-in-laws! We thought it was too arduous for the grands, so instead we went on the hay ride, but the boys felt up to the corn maze challenge. And boy was it a challenge! We waited and waited

This was simply a visual delight! A perfect Friday retreat. I didn't buy anything - but I think I want to go back and bring Robert -- because there's lots of things that I really need! Have a good weekend! We're heading to the pumpkin patch with the littles! Fun!

My garden continues to teach me so much. Hard work. Memories. Beauty. And, today it reminded me that even in the waning days of the season, there is joy to be found ... and I loved every minute. That's a lot. P.S. Happy 6 month old birthday Coraline! Love you madly! Can't wait to celebrate!

There's no shame in taking short cuts. When you're busy, and you still want to have a garden, or cook a nice dinner, or decorate for the holidays -- there's always a way to get it done, just maybe in a different way. Lots of practical people would say -- just let it go. It's too much trouble. Why have a garden? Why decorate? Just pick up dinner from the store.. But that's not what I want to do. I want to have a winter garden, and decorate for the holidays, and cook fresh meal

We really do it up for Halloween, as you can tell. And it's not because we have grandchildren. They're really too tiny to appreciate it. We've been doing this since our kids were little. And we do it because we love it. It's just a lot of fun to delight the neighbors and passers by alike with Halloween cheer. The thing is, we have one rule for our decorating. No scary, violent stuff. And believe me -- that's hard to achieve if you are buying decorations from the store these d