There's can be so much beauty in the backyard, on the patio, or even on the windowsill. It can soothe the soul and lift the spirits. And as you begin the weekend, enjoy the beauty of the irises in my own backyard. I am so happy to be able to share them with you.

Beautiful weather, not too hot, perfect for a garden stroll. There was lots of plants in the Getty garden that I have in my own garden -- and that made me happy too! But there's one thing that the Getty garden does, that mine does not. Absolutely every single inch of the garden has plantings. every where your eye looks, there's a different plant. That comes from lots of annual plants, AND just the right placement of perennials. I'm working on the perennial aspect of my garden

Such a fun birthday excursion! I like to hear stories from Robert's life when he wasn't with me...because, well, there's very little that we haven't shared since we've known each other from the first grade! So hearing about stories of Burbank from the old days when I wasn't around is always a treat for me. I think you will enjoy them too...and Bob's Big Boy? A historic site that wasn't historic when we were dating in the 1970's! Plus the burgers tasted exactly the same...it t

Learn from me! I planted potatoes today using the information gained from my previous failed attempts! Though I still think it's an iffy proposition because I start with a few challenges: 1) Wrinkly and sorta old-ish potato seeds (internet says it's ok!) 2) Kinda hot, late in the season to plant 3) Lack of confidence However, I think my perseverance will out strip my lack of confidence, and I'm counting on a a roaring success! Two other things: I had to fast forward through

The pictures tell the story. Birthdays are always special days at our house. But Robert's birthday? One of the most important days of the year. Because, well, we think he's pretty great. And we feel so blessed that he belongs to us. Happy Birthday dear Robert. We all love you so.

A message from Suzanne and Patrick: Twenty-four years ago we adopted the first of our three girls from China; it will be no surprise to hear that Jill hosted a party for us not long after. Now two of our girls are interested in searching for their birth families. There is a lot of anxiety surrounding a search like this since some of us may learn that our children were trafficked or that their families were pressured to turn over their children rather than freely relinquishi

It's so serene in the garden at dusk. It's cooler, and so restful. It would be a perfect time to actually garden, except it's a little hard to see! The delphinium is a tall stately flower that reblooms all spring and summer. I had one delphinium that even bloomed all the way into January this year! Despite its beauty, it is toxic to animals and humans if ingested - so I'll have to keep the granddaughters away this year! The genus name Delphinium derives from the greek word de

I'm hoping that my plant supports will are as functional as they are beautiful. I love the trellised obelisks in the garden, they show off the plants well, but are lovely in their own right. And the yellow tomato supports in the front yard (especially in the Talavera pots) are an eye catching pop of color in the garden and will hopefully do a good job of tending to the tomatoes. I've never planted an entire spring veg garden by seed. But I did this year! And it's even a litt

This is the best thing about a garden -- you can have an Easter egg hunt! I was busy in the kitchen, so Robert took the lead on the hunt, and it was a big success. We started out by having just our two grandchildren, even though we did invite the neighborhood kids, but by the time Easter morning arrived, we had almost 15 RSVPS, and not quite enough eggs! We stuffed the eggs with a whole bunch of individually wrapped Peeps. They fit great in the eggs, are sanitary, and won't m

Honestly, we had a lovely Easter, BUT I took hardly any video! Ergh. I was so busy cooking, setting tables, & holding babies, that I wasn't able to properly document all the doings! Ah well. The meal was delicious, and was a combined effort of the family. Jenny made breakfast potatoes, and deviled eggs, Matt made the ham, & Jackie made the brownies! The rest was made by yours truly, with great consternation I might add! The best of my lot was the lentil recipe. The lentils we

There will be lots of celebrating this weekend...egg dyeing, easter egg hunting, basket finding, table setting, and lots of cooking. (Guess who's preparing all of that!!) But really those are traditions that enhance the joy of the season, and celebrate spring and the new life that will come. They're not the reason for the season. Tomorrow is Good Friday. I will light a candle for the intentions of those that I love. I will sit quietly and pray at noon on one of my beautiful r

Easter baskets all around! I love spoiling my girls, so I don't intend to stop just because I have grandchildren! The only option is to spoil all of them! Tomorrow...filling the Easter eggs for the Easter egg hunt!

"Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?" This is a quote from my daughters' favorite movie, based on the novel by Jane Austen - Sense and Sensibility. And it's exactly how I feel every morning as I wander in my backyard garden. Now that my irises are beginning to bloom, each morning is a new delight. I wish you could visit and see. But maybe a video is the next best thing.

All of my daughters had backyard birthday parties every year. And I am so glad that the tradition continues with my granddaughters. Home is where they feel most comfortable. And it's where the best memories are made. So I think home birthday parties are always best. I remember one birthday party when I turned 7, my parents took me and my class (all 50 of us - that's Catholic school for you!) to a restaurant called Hody's, where they had a Hody's clown, and lots of spaghetti.

I could tell that my daughter Jennifer was worried about how the cake would turnout. I was too! I think we both thought that Big Bird might not look exactly like himself. But voila! It's really not so bad. But phew! It was labor intensive. However, the only reason that it took so long was because I am such a novice. If I had had all the tools and utensils necessary (which I thought I had) it would have taken much less time, for certain. The one real upside that I had not coun

So much to do for Cora's 1st birthday (i.e. I better get on the birthday cake asap!) so I'll make this short. Love our awnings. Here's the info -- Alpha Productions, inc. 5830 Jefferson Blvd. Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90016 (310) 559-1364 Tell them we sent you! Also, I just can't let the day go by without mentioning Tiger Woods. What a performance today. A testament to the human spirit and the resilience of the human body. Have a great weekend! Watch some baseball! Or golf!!!

Of course, the headline today is that it is Cora's true birth day! We had a mini-family celebration, with Cora's first cupcake...which she was a little suspicious about at first, but then whole heartedly embraced. She squealed the rest of the evening! It feels like the year flew by, and yet I know her parents might feel differently! There will be a big birthday party for Cora on Saturday in her backyard and I will be sure to capture all the festivities. It is going to be a Se

Baseball makes everything better. Let me explain a few things about the game last night: 1) There were a a few Angel fans at the game and I think I chatted most of them up. That was great fun. Mike Trout did not play because he had a "stomach bug." I hope that's all that it is. 2) Seeing Shohei Ohtani is like seeing a super star. That was spectacular. He's an amazing, once in a lifetime player. I feel privileged that I can watch him play. 3) I like Angel Stadium better than D

Everyday this spring when I go into the garden, I find something new to delight. A walk around the block, or even a gaze upward can often provide the same results. Nature is healing in every way. In the last week, I have been brought to tears by the evening news on several occasions. Robert has had to turn off the TV so I can finish my dinner! And that's hard for him because he needs to watch for the newsletter. So things are at sixes and sevens here. But the one balm that ne

Every night 5 days a week - Monday to Friday (and sometimes on Saturday), my husband writes a politically progressive newsletter. In his own words: The newsletter started in January 2017 as my effort (as a father and husband) to provide hope and perspective to my family after the unexpected results of the 2016 election. Over time, my family email was shared among friends and became a community of like-minded citizens devoted to preserving American democracy. The newsletter be