musings about food, travel, creativity and life
While visiting a friend in Palm Springs recently, I had an “interesting” day. Throughout the day, three different people told me my hair was beautiful and asked if it were natural—ah, yes, I answered, both in curl and color. One even asked if she could […]
We had been talking for quite a while about going to one of our favorite foodie destinations—Gayle’s Bakery and Rosticceria in Capitola (home to my all-time favorite biscottis!)— to hear the Hot Club Pacific Jazz group which performs there every Thursday evening. Finally, we did […]
With all that is going in our world right now, finding “comfort and joy” feels challenging at times. But I’m not giving up hope. I am going for both. And I hope you are, too. Some days for me that means doing two meditations […]
So…there we were in Grocery Outlet buying a bag of popcorn for the road when I saw the “home decor” item in the photograph above. I had to have it. It seemed like a perfect reminder of what made our recent week in Tucson and […]
Today marks the date, seven years ago, that I started this blog. Happy Birthday, Blog🥳 And thank you! You’ve given me, and I hope others, little reminders that life can and does provide points of joy, big and small—through precious moments, people, pets, places, […]
We just returned to Madison from a two week escapade to London and Paris, our first international trip since the pandemic. Oh, my. It was filled with all the “Joie de Vivre” elements I love about travel, and life: ⋅great food,⋅beauty, art, fashion, ⋅wonderful people, […]
We just returned from a 10-day adventure to visit friends and places we love in Oregon. It was heartwarming and fun! So here is a mini-travelogue of some destinations and activities just in case you happen to find yourself in Oregon… ♥ In Ashland… […]
”Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” —James Beard I love traveling—here, there, everywhere. Right now, we are in Madison, Wisconsin, where […]
“What I like best about San Francisco is San Francisco.” —Frank Lloyd Wright It was time. Time to visit my childhood hometown of San Francisco. And to even stay over a few nights in the Marina District—woo-hoo! I got to see Golden Gate Bridge, hear the […]
Hi again and welcome back to “Bring Joy to the Table.” This summer John and I are enjoying and thankful for the comfort and pleasures of home. We are “vegging out” by harvesting our first tomatoes, eating Peter Pan squash, and looking forward to […]
It was that kind of week. A sad one, with our American flags again at half-mast, with words and images that made our hearts ache and our minds wonder–what can we do to be a part of a solution to all of the violence, loss […]
Sometimes it’s nice to have a foreign trip in the hopper. Sometimes it’s nice to stay home. Right now, we are home and California-oriented. What this home orientation is allowing is a series of unexpected gifts. Deepened friendships–with people and nearby places; home projects finally […]
During the quiet time of winter, I am drawn to nature…a walk in the woods through barren trees, a search for sea glass on an ocean beach, a view of a sunset from a cozy porch. We came upon a newspaper article about one […]
We spent a lot of time this last week around Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin, a wonderful hub for all kinds of activities. We tasted, and bought, cheese at one of our favorite cheese shops anywhere–Fromagination, a great source of Wisconsin cheese gifts (https://fromagination.com) We […]