EF, who receives my monthly “Stuff-Whisperer” newsletter, read that I spent the first two weeks of September in Malaga, Southern Spain, visiting my brother. She sent an oil on canvas of her Spanish Lady, as it is known to her family (dated 1887), because I have experienced Andalusian culture recently! EF’s grandparents purchased this work […]
After being paralyzed from the waist down at just 18 years old, British TV presenter, writer, and artist Sophie Morgan has become a beacon for disability advocacy. A jack of all trades, she has reported for the Paralympics for three years, released her debut book Driving Forwards, and most recently co-founded W.E. Rides, a movement […]
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JE has an elegant Art Deco green glass decanter trimmed with gold leaf and topped by an 11-inch clear glass stopper. It is likely of Italian or Czechoslovakian origin, because in the 1930s to 1940s Art Deco glass with gold was a signature of these two glass making centers. The shape is not the kind […]
Few illustrious tourist attractions in Ohio rank higher than the Reverend Paul Johnson’s Pencil Sharpener Museum located in the middle of the State, a menagerie donated by the Reverend’s wife after he collected approximately 4,000 sharpeners from 1989-2010. He left her holding the collection when he died in 2010. She had no one to blame […]
Get up and out of your bunk at 4 am. Make coffee and a bagel… it’s burnt. Equip your waders, boots, headlamp, backpack, and lots of surveying equipment. Wade in the river and hike the woods for 12 hours, being cautious not to run into the man who lives in the shack made of bones. […]
The house and the barn, built in 1901, was located on a dreary plain on a frontier homestead, 169 acres that her husband chose near Rosette, Wyoming; a work-filled ranch of crops and livestock on the American Prairie which stretched as far as Zertta’s 24-year-old eyes could see. Ten years lay ahead of her, living […]
‘Dorothy Parker in Hollywood’ Dorothy Parker in Hollywood by Gail Crowther is a revelatory look at the writer and Algonquin member’s time in Hollywood. For over 35 years Parker worked on screenplays’ trademark snappy dialogue (mostly uncredited) with husband Alan Campbell. The two cavorted with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Orson Welles while punching up scripts with […]
The first time I had a persimmon was seven years ago upon moving to Santa Barbara. There are two main types found here, the Fuyu and the Hachiyas. Avila and Sons Farms has some of the first Fuyus in the Farmers Market. The Fuyu is considered a non-astringent persimmon, one that can be eaten hard […]
This is the time of year when the focus is on spiritual rituals, celebrations and reflections across all religions and beliefs. Starting in October with Rosh Hashana on October 2-4, we can look forward to Navratri on October 3, Yom Kippur on October 11-12, Sukkot on October 17-23, Samhain [All Hallows] on October 31, and […]
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A plump grotesque porcelain figure in the Asian style – the head nods, the hands bob up and down, and the tongue lolls in the smiling mouth – this is a magot, which is a late 17th century term for such seated ‘oriental’ figures. Many of these figures were said to be modeled after the […]
Her Produce has some green and red okra at the farmers market right now and let me tell you, if you haven’t tried okra before go and grab some of this delicious fruit. That’s right – it’s technically a fruit as it is a flowering plant with edible seed pods. Grown mainly in warm climates, […]
Sometimes, taking time away to be quiet and introspective is exactly what’s called for. This might be simply when you’ve been working hard and need a break. Or, in response to a significant event like a big birthday, a career change, or when the kids leave home. It might be precipitated by a health issue, […]
Legendary Decorator, beloved villager, and Charlie Munger muse Penny Bianchi is herself a striking figure – a living, breathing design element in her own right. The indescribable Bianchi casually radiates charm, wit, joy – and the fauvist Je ne sais quoi one experiences when falling into a painting by Chagall. To madly understate it, there […]
As a Santa Barbara wine expert, I’ve learned that the finest vintages are best enjoyed with inspiring company—and that’s exactly what I found with the Association for Women in Communications, Santa Barbara. Serving on the board has been an absolute delight, immersing me in a vibrant community of brilliant women who are as passionate about […]
