You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

You've Got to Love London from Alex Silver on Vimeo.

It's been a long time since I've wandered the back alleys and dark streets of London. The day I was leaving I was in tears on the train and I promised myself I'd return in five years. Twenty-five years later, I'm still breaking promises. Someday, some way...

Casa Dule Casa

Sometimes I wander through my own home, sweet home and can hardly believe I live there. There's a lovely pool out the front window. A big pot of lavender beckons visitors with heavenly scent at the front door. Sweet jasmine and a lounge chair on the patio. A sink under the window in the kitchen, this is important because it gives me something to do while I'm rinsing off dishes. My window looks out on the car port of the complex. So Roxy and I can keep track of our neighbors' comings and goings. I've got a crockpot full of beef stew in there cooking on the counter today. There's a dishwasher in the kitchen and a washer/dryer in the hallway. My bedroom is filled with my great-grandparents' furniture -- and a pillowtop mattress waiting for me and my Kindle at all times of the day and night. (I am a middle-of-the-night reader when I'm really engrossed in a great read.) I guess for me, it's all about the home. That's probably why these articles in the New York Times caught my eye today. One was about a brownstone in New York -- something I have always fantasized about owning. The other is about a Lake Michigan beach house -- another house I have always dreamed about owning. It's good to dream when you have a nice house to come home to.

The Hottest Thing Under The Sun Umbrella

We spent the weekend at the Ojai Valley Inn. It was wonderful. The campus is beautiful and it was so much fun to be away with friends and family. We've been to Ojai before and I've fallen in love with the little town. There's a wonderful little wine bar and Rains -- a family-owned department store on the Main St. that reminds me of Milliken's that stood at the center of downtown Traverse City for many years. Across the street from Rains is a tiny movie theatre. I noticed that the Sunday afternoon show was going to be "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."

I've become fascinated with the mystery series of books by Stieg Larsson after downloading the first in the series onto my Kindle and becoming completely absorbed in the complicated and dark mystery story. All of the details of the classic veddy veddy British mystery (raise your hand, Ms. Christie) tales that I've grown up with were there -- but this guy told a tale that was even darker and more twisted than any of those. I was so engrossed and overwhelmed by the time I reached the end of the story that I decided I wanted a breather before continuing on with the next book. Instead, I did some research about the author.

Stieg Larsson died before his books were published -- and he's become a phenomenom. Publishers are now flocking to Sweden to find the next great American author. Not kidding! And then there's Larsson's own family drama -- who gets all to benefit from his posthumous fortune? O yeah! They're fighting. And just to make this more interesting -- even though the books have been turned into films in his native Sweden -- American movie business wants to make their version -- and the casting wars have begun. Daniel Craig? Really? It's all so very fascinating -- and will probably be the next book to movie sensation. Just like Twilight. Only this time, it's not just teenage girls that have read the book.

The book is a great read -- but it does have some very graphic and upsetting sexual violence that may not be everyone's cup of tea. To be quite honest -- I skimmed that part -- not my cup of tea -- I prefer English Breakfast...the kind Agatha Christie serves with scones. But I have a feeling that if Aggie was still around, she'd be a big fan of Stieg. I know I am...and I'll be downloading the next in the series on my Kindle soon.

Legally Blond CopyCat

I found this post because someone tweeted the photo about Reese Witherspoon's 'plaid face plate.' Much to my surprise when I clicked on the link, I discovered they were talking about her iPhone case -- I have the same one. And I love it! It is one of my most prized possessions. The HMA picked it out for me. He said it was very "Nancy Drew." That was all I needed to hear -- wrap it up, I'm taking it home. And now I know that not only is Reese Witherspoon one of my very favorite actresses (and a part-time resident of Ojai), she also has very very good taste. Hazzzah! And just in case you were starting to think that I was the craziest cat lady you know -- the New York Times proves you wrong.

I Want To Be Alone

I spent too much time at home this weekend. That's the word according to Roxy. Usually she looks forward to my company when I get home at night. But at the end of a long weekend, I could tell she was like, "lady you have got to go back to the office because you're driving me nuts." I think everything she does is more adorable than the last and want to get a photographic memory of it. She just wants to get her beauty sleep.

My Little Grass Shack

I thought you might enjoy the view from the front porch of my little grass shack on the north shore of O'ahu. No, I have not recently become a home owner. And no, I'm not currently in Hawai'i. (I've returned to L.A. in body, but not in spirit.) A piece of my heart will always be there. On the first morning that we were in Hawai'i, the HMA and I went exploring. We drove up the coast and rounded the point until we came to the ghost town of Lai'e where we found this beach. It was like something out of all of my favorite movies -- from "Romancing the Stone" to "Jurrasic Park." I couldn't believe I was standing there with the waves lapping at my toes. There was a little creek that ran into the ocean near the beach. On the other side of the creek we could glimpse the roofline of a Japanese-style house nestled into a lush tropical jungle. We were both enchanted by the beach and returned to take photos on our last day on the island. If I was going to build a little grass shack, this is the spot. Have you ever?

On The Sunnyside Up Side Of The Street

It's the day after the primary election here in California. I've been election central for the past 24 hours -- cranking election results out of my living room until after 11:00pm last night. Fortunately, I have two assests. One is a little feline named Roxy who loves to have her people gathered in the living room. She alternates her time between cavorting with her toys, and curling happily into a sleeping donut next to you on the sofa. There is nothing nicer than a sleeping cat. Last night we discovered she snores! My other asset is the Handsomest Man Alive. He enjoys my "work-from-home" election results coverage -- throwing himself into it by yelling numbers from the sofa and manning the controls of the television, flipping from channel to channel for the latest results. Good times.