the sundries

Bloom & Plume: Embracing individuality

I needed this...we collectively need this...a Southern California floral designer, Maurice Harris, who successfully taps into his...

When the Ahwahnee Hotel was Briefly Mid-Century Modern

Postcards, a rarity within today’s electronic immediacy, offer an opportunity to see history in ways that may not be caught in websites...

Thomas Jefferson and the Corona Virus

If Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he would ask, “Haven’t we learned anything about the proliferation of disease?” In his time,...

Eden Revisited

The bucket list of Northern California public and quasi-public gardens. Motivated by 1993's Visiting Eden, by Joan Chatfield Taylor and...

Quote Capture: Celia Thaxter

On weeds, men, and the California Poppy: Weeds and Men: Mrs. Gatty (the mother of that beautiful woman, Juliana Horatia Ewing, who has so...

Quote Capture: Frederick Law Olmsted

Before Olmsted designed Central Park or became America's first landscape architect. Twelve years after Texas statehood, Frederick Law...

Because It's Overdue: Joining the Plastic Free July Challenge

This is how I started my Plastic Free July challenge, shopping. My Jeep is kept stuffed with reusable grocery bags, yet so many times I...

Hummel Girl

How a fragile object reveals my family’s tragedy and perseverance Our family’s material culture fits in a shoe box. A mason’s bible,...

Before Breaking Bread

Baking makes me feel human. It always has, because the first person in my life that helped me feel whole was our neighbor who invited me...

Rethinking Plastic Waste

A mother's practice becomes a son's career and personal choice When after my mother past away and emptying out her home became necessary,...

Making a Front Yard into a Welcoming Entry Garden

The Welcoming Garden: Designing Your Own Front Garden, by Gordon Hayward There are some books that stick with me, and The Welcoming...

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