Thrifting

I've been craving a good thrift store where I can lose hours riffling through racks of vintage clothes or surveying endless rows of mid-century furnishings.  My all time favorite haunt, the 111 Antique Mall in Palm Springs, closed suddenly several years ago amidst scandalous gossip.  I still dream about the  large warehouse filled with vintage treasures.  A mere eight hundred feet from my house, I often visited the mall, alone or with weekend guests in tow, enticed by the promise of  an affordable souvenir and the persnickety owner's R-rated shtick that was better than most comedy acts. The exceptional prices made it easy to take decorative risks.  It was not uncommon to take a break in one of the many living room settings while plotting potential purchases.  Inspiration for my burning man installation occurred when I stumbled upon a 1970s pool slide in the back of the store.  One November I finally gave in and purchased an original Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree, the quintessential Palm Springs holiday ornamentation.  During another visit I became obsessed with a listed Californian artist, Hendrik Grise, and purchased two of his watercolors.   Although I continue to search, I've never encountered another store  that comes close to the 111 in scope, merchandise and entertainment, but the optimist in me keeps looking.

Light after the Storm

Of late, we've had a lot of varied weather in Los Angeles.  I hiked one afternoon, later than I should have, the consequence of ignoring the fact that the days are indeed getting shorter and shorter.   The sunset cast a purple hue over the mountains, and a warm Santa Ana breeze chased any chill that would typically accompany the onset of night.  Days later low hanging clouds gave way to hours of rain, the perfect atmosphere for staying in, finding comfort in various rooms while reading scrips and books that had piled up as attachments in Google docs.  The storm ended in the afternoon, and I watched the descending sun's patterns on the walls through out the house.  Simple days; nourishing, calming and productive occupy my week.  For years I sought balance between the demands of a satisfying career and a rich social life that provided connection and downtime.  I knew something had to give, and it did in a big way when I took two years off from work, but the goal, the dream, was to find balance while integrating these two parts of my life.  I wasn't sure how to achieve it, and I had many doubts it was even possible, but I didn't stop dreaming.  So the other day as I was chasing the light around my house with the camera, in awe of the beauty and thankful for the moment  I realized my dream was no longer a dream, but my reality.

Trick or Treat

I have friends who despise Halloween, loathe the mere idea of dressing up in a costume and venturing out of the house.  I can't relate.  Masquerading as someone else for a night has always appealed to me.  It's a holiday where creativity and inspiration shine.  Unfortunately, this year I didn't go to any parties, nor did I carve my pumpkin, but thankfully the holiday warrants lots of facebook postings.  These pics aren't from people I know but seem to be making the viral rounds, and they made me chuckle.  Long live Halloween!

Tart

I've always loved to bake.  I vividly remember making brownies for the first time with my aunt Jeanette in the kitchen she shared with my grandmother on Long Island.  I remember the pounds of dough my mother kneaded, rolled, pressed, and dusted with sugar every Christmas.  Halloweens when my grandmother from Brooklyn visited, fresh apple pies were the solution to not biting into the apples we received as treats for fear they were "laced" with razor blades.  Gotta wonder which candy company started that myth.

Living alone, and consuming a sugar and lactose free diet, I only pull out the cookie sheets and baking pans when there's a holiday or occasion.  Last night's dinner with the astronaut whose life we're adapting into a series was the perfect excuse to peruse my cookbooks and experiment with a new recipe.  Juicy red plums from the farmers market gave me a direction, and I finally settled on Nancy Silverton's hazelnut and plum tart.  Several labor intensive steps:  roasting and peeling the nuts, toasting and grinding anise seeds, infusing melted butter with vanilla bean, took longer than anticipated.  Having to rechill the dough after difficulty rolling it, threw a wrench into my timing.   I brought it to DS's half-baked, certain the recipe didn't call for a twenty minute car ride of twists and turns midway through the process, but I had no choice.  I only have the other guests to gauge how it turned out, but the empty plates and smiles suggested it turned out well.

Seasonal

I'm dreaming of a white Halloween doesn't quite have the same ring to it.  This time of year I envision a flurry of tots in costumes swirling around neighborhoods in search of confections, not snowflakes.  But since the east coast was hit with a wintery storm earlier than usual, perhaps the blooms on my Christmas cactus are right on schedule.

PKH

 HAPPY 50TH PKH!!!!!!

Birthday Chill

Some birthdays we honor with big bashes, and others sneak up on us as we try to ignore the passage of time.  To commemorate  Noch's birthday I hosted a last minute, low key, Sunday BBQ.  The afternoon unfolded with ease, as we collectively participated in putting food on the table.  We toasted the birthday girl and the sunset.  We drank wine and ate chocolate cake.  Although Noch was initially reluctant we were all glad she acquiesced to the celebration, a wonderful excuse for us to carve out time in our schedules to be together.