Jesus is in trouble. Ever since my father’s house sold last year, he’s been in limbo. I just found my mother’s treasured 8×10 of him in a corner of my bedroom buried under a pile of partnerless socks.…
My daughter just started college a few weeks ago. I hate to admit it, but it’s nice to be able to take a break from my indentured servitude with the PTA. I think I served for 12 years. PTA years are like dog years, so that’s close to an average life expectancy I put in. I did what I had time to do, but there were women and…
(September 23rd will be the anniversary of my mom’s big debut on national television. This story was originally published in the Los Angeles Times under the name, “Da Holy Hour.” There was an accompanying YouTube video of my mom in action, which was proof I’m not making any of this stuff up, but it’s been blocked due to copywrite laws.) Enjoy! Some women love athletes, others love…
Last weekend I made sauce for the first time in months. It even had the power to draw my daughter downstairs before 11 a.m. Still in her pajamas, sleepy-eyed, she said, “I love waking up to the smell of spaghetti sauce.” The smell is heavenly. The garlic and olive oil mingle with the sausage, tomatoes and herbs, filling your kitchen with tomatoey love. You should start cooking it…
I just found out that the doctor who delivered my two children passed away this year and I’m unbelievably sad. I’ve been thinking a lot about Dr. Sanford Tisherman and why he meant so much to me. Yes, he had a couple of unfair advantages over everyone else; he definitely saw things other men haven’t, and he helped bring two of the most important people in my life…
It’s no surprise that I was 32 when I married. Frankly, I’m amazed I was that young because my mom had a way of winnowing out the weaker prospects pretty quickly. Any suitor who visited had to be warned about her because her childlike frankness left people stunned. To protect myself, I sat at the table with her, laughing too loud so whomever she was talking to knew…
When I walk into my favorite Italian store, I can’t wipe the smile off my face. It’s like coming home. There’s a smell Italian stores have; a combination of peppers and oregano with a little hint of salami and tomato sauce in there for good measure. I love it.…
Summer means fruit pie season and I am a ho for fruit pies and crisps — especially right out of the oven with vanilla ice cream on top. Every time I overeat then vow to cut out sweets completely (this happens weekly) I realize I could never do it if it meant not having fruit pie again. This is clearly genetic. My brothers are both ho’s for blackberry…
Baking• Cakes• Dessert• Great Memories
Happy Birt-a-day! Mom’s Tiramisu-Boston Cream Birthday Cake
July 4, 2014
I love the Fourth of July. Even its name shows it’s a holiday to be reckoned with. No holiday gets the number first, not even Christmas. I also LOVE fireworks. They’re all the excitement of lightning without the house burning down part. And mostly, I love the Fourth of July because it was my mom’s birthday.…
Great Memories• Random Thoughts
Passing Down the Mascara Wand to Your Daughter– Gracefully
July 1, 2014
Just as a woman is watching her face shrivel up like the faces in those paintings in the haunted house at Disneyland, a cruel irony of life surfaces. She sees her daughter burst into full bloom in front of her; probably as beautiful as she’ll ever be. It’s like roses on a rosebush. The mom is the one that’s left with just a knob and some straw-like hairs…