IT WAS OUR FIRST ROAD TRIP since the pandemic, an eight-hour drive from Southern California to the Sacramento area. On the way north, we took I-5 (also known as "The Five" in Southern California parlance). The I-5 can take you from Mexico to Canada (and I've driven the full extent, though not in one trip). …
A little tribute to my big sister
NOT TOO MANY years ago, sister Claudia came to visit Sherry and me in the San Francisco Bay Area. Claudia had brought her treasured bike, a gift from her siblings upon her 60th birthday in 2010. It was a bright pink Schwinn with a basket in the front, and she loved her two-wheeled vehicle. We …
Our Ladybug Picnic
We have a favorite little beach we frequent just north of Malibu. It's just a 20-minute drive from home. It's well off the proverbial "beaten path," but, being the introverts that we are, we want to ensure that we have the place mostly to ourselves, away from boisterous people, especially those with dogs off leashes. …
Our little corner of the world
We hail from different hemispheres of the globe. I am a New England boy and Sherry, although born in Canada, claims Mauritius as her homeland. For those of you who don't know, the island nation of Mauritius lies smack dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean. After Sherry and I met, traveled the world, …
Lunar New Year in Mauritius + recipe
Chinese New Year was probably my favorite holiday growing up. It is a public holiday in Mauritius, so there would be no school and no work! On the eve, we would wake up early to "sao shiong" before going to school. It's a Buddhist religious offering of sorts to thank the gods. Mom would have …
From gluten-free to free gluten
It was baking day today, and so I decided to experiment with both ends of the gluten spectrum, which means from gluten-free (no gluten) to free gluten (added gluten at no extra charge to you). I started with the now tried-and-true ciabatta bread. This recipe is about as simple as it gets: 3.25 cups of …
The art of giving
Photo by Alecia Paolini WHETHER IT’S FOR THE HOLIDAYS, a birthday, an anniversary or any other celebratory event, nothing beats receiving — and giving — a gift made by hand. Our featured artist today is Gene Paolini, who hails from Northern California. He has been a craftsman and woodworker all his life. He got introduced …
Hand-made gifts are the best
IT’S BECOME SOMETHING OF A FAMILY TRADITION to hand-craft our gifts. Since we have been in lockdown for the past umpteen months, there really was no excuse this year. Sister Francine and her husband, Mike, created this beautiful little rabbit out of redwood. They aren’t sure of the genesis of the wood stock, but I’ll …
Christmas miracles come in many forms
A true story from my childhood The holidays for me invoke nostalgia, and for good reason. All in all, childhood was an idyllic time. My family was not monetarily rich by any means, but we had a lot: loving, supportive parents, siblings and relatives. I decided to try to capture the essence of my childhood …
Sherry & George 