by Marlene Bumgarner | Oct 20, 2022 | Aging, Child development, Community, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting
Pumpkin Patch Traditions Long-time readers know that when I lived in Santa Cruz my oldest granddaughter and I enjoyed visiting a pumpkin patch each October. As the years passed, I watched little Bean progress in her relationship with the pumpkins. At first, she just...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Sep 4, 2022 | Cooking and Eating, Health
Adjusting to the Heat Southern California, along with much of the US and beyond, is experiencing a record-breaking heat wave. In my email this morning came this warning from the Weather Service: LOS ANGELES, CA — Punishing triple-digit heat continues to bear down on...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 15, 2022 | Community, Cooking and Eating, Family, Gardening, Grandparenting, Health
Explore Your Local Market In the last decade, millions of people have altered their buying habits and now purchase some food from CSAs, farmers’ markets, and grocery stores that specialize in locally grown, unsprayed, and unprocessed produce and grains, sustainable...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jan 11, 2021 | Back to the Land, Cooking and Eating, Family, Gardening
Awakening to the Anger Abroad When I awakened on Thursday morning after the attack on our national capitol, I felt as if the world had tipped on its axis. I was disoriented and frightened. So I did what I always do when I’m feeling down. I headed for my garden....
by Marlene Bumgarner | Nov 9, 2020 | Aging, Community, Cooking and Eating, Family, Grandparenting
Remembering Past Traditions Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated with large family gatherings. We eat communally prepared feasts, share family stories, and spend hours indoors playing games, working puzzles, and watching televised sporting events. Even more than...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Sep 29, 2020 | Community, Cooking and Eating, Family, Gardening, Health
Doldrums in the Morning I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. That’s unusual for me – I usually bounce up, starving, with the beginnings of a coffee headache, open the blinds and the sliding door beside my bed so Kismet can go out, and head...