I Love Manzanita Trees

Marcia and I went on a hike and I remembered how much I love manzanita trees. From far away, manzanitas are all scraggly and ancient and gnarled looking. They look like they belong in a Van Gogh painting. Up close,…

Article: Great Expectations in Mental Floss

Did you catch my most recent article in Mental Floss? It’s 11 Dickensian Facts About ‘Great Expectations’. Did you know Estella may have been based on Charles Dickens’s mistress? Also, remember the 1998 movie version with Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan…

Coast Trip 2015

Last month, we rented a cabin on a bluff overlooking the California coast. It was a great four days. We played banjo and card games and took walks and roasted hot dogs over an open fire. There was even a…

Hello and Some Facts

I’ve decided to make updating this blog more of a priority, for now at least. Old-fashioned-bullet-update-go! * We took a four-day, much-needed vacation in a cabin on the coast. Pictures soon. * Kyle is writing a book. I am writing…

Article: Luther Burbank Experiment Farm In Via

Want to learn about the white blackberry, the spineless cactus, or the trifoliate orange? Consider taking a trip to the Luther Burbank Experiment Farm, which I wrote about for Via Magazine.

Fiddle-dee-dee! 18 Facts About Vivien Leigh

When I was a kid, Vivien Leigh was one of my heroes. My admiration was re-awakened by this recent Mental Floss article Fiddle-dee-dee! 18 Facts About Vivien Leigh. She was a fascinating lady.

Suiting Up For Battle

I looked down at my hand while I was line editing and had to chuckle. I look like I’ve had an injury, but in fact the three band-aids I have on are to protect my fingers from writing calluses. Who…

Yosemite Trip

I took a little trip to Yosemite on Friday. The park was gorgeous, uncrowded, and peaceful. We saw a coyote–pictured below–and a bobcat, which strolled right in front of us, as casual as could be. It was my son’s first…