We've had unseasonably warm and lovely weather here in the foothills for the last couple of weeks, giving B time to finally chop up and split the two giant fallen oaks that have lingered on the property for sometime now (one for close to two years). I even managed to help stack some, before my back and elbows  rebelled...so how much wood ( Read more... )

Comic-Con 2010 is officially over and we have unloaded and returned the truck. Happily, not in 100 degree weather after yesterday's 10-hour drive broken up by a quick visit with the Boys in Bakersfield (my brother and his partner and the dogs ( Read more... )

Last weekend involved a mad dash down to San Diego and a speedy return via Bakersfield for family, friends and legal matters. (OMG! I have a will! and it's signed and everything!) I had a delightful couple of days with my ex-roommate and her husband including fabulous food and  a wonderful production of  Sweeney Todd at a small theater in Old Town ( Read more... )

I have now been home for a whole week after consecutive weekends in two distant states trying to sell books during an economic panic. Interestingly enough, people are still buying out of print books with some enthusiasm...possibly because you actually have something to hold in your hands when the money has melted away.

Disjointed items of ( Read more... )

October vanished in a whirl of bookfairs and travel and weather. We exhibited at the Seattle Antiquarian Bookfair early in the month; the show opened the day after the stock market plunged 900 points. Weirdly, that seemed to bring out the buyers, maybe because they could actually see something for their money. So of course, we bought many books as ( Read more... )

After abandoning the thought of picking up the invite to spend a week in Paris with B's retired partner and his sweetheart, B's schedule opened up at the same time I figured out we could fly out of Seattle right after the book fair in October for the perfect window of opportunity and the under $1K per ticket price point we sought so hopelessly.

Am ( Read more... )

Iz ded from teh crowds ( Read more... )

The weather forecasts all say sunny today, but it's overcast from the smoke of many fires around the north state. I'm grateful that so far none of them are closer than 90 miles away, but you know it's bad when the smoke is evident this far away. Fingers crossed for the winds to die down at last and give the fire fighters a breather ( Read more... )

Friday morning as I was busily processing orders for the post office, B got a call from our friends who spend a month down at the beach on Monterey Bay every winter saying the weather was gorgeous and why didn't we come down. Now.

So we did.

Here I sit in front of a dazzling view of sunlit breakers below the dunes outside the rented beach house, ( Read more... )

I had meant to post lovely descriptions of our holiday travels wherein we spent the key days with dear friends (e.g., New Year's Eve and Day with the beloved
( Read more... )