"Give a Piece a Chance." — Books. Blog. Pie Classes. And a Pinch of Activism.
It’s a funny feeling to walk by a newsstand and see a picture of your own hands prominently displayed on the front page of a newspaper. I knew Portland Tribune was coming out with a front-page article about pie, because I had been interviewed and photographed for the story, but you never know how it’s … Read more
I have a new friend in pie and her name is Gina Hyams. (That’s her in the picture.) We met in January through a Yahoo! group for journalists (thank you, David Hochman), where I posted a request seeking pie ideas for the TV pilot. Gina replied, “As long as we’re on the subject of pie, … Read more
Seven months ago today the date was August 19, 2009. That was the day my life changed forever. That was the day Marcus, my husband who was healthy, smart, funny, sexy, gorgeous, fit and, okay, yes, sometimes annoying (he wasn’t perfect, we’re not going to canonize him here), died of a ruptured aorta. One minute … Read more
I had a hard week. I won’t bother going into details, but it had something to do with what I later learned is called a “grief burst.” Just when I thought I was doing soooooo much better. Hmmmph. At least it helps to define these things so you know you’re “normal” and thus deeming it … Read more
I’m in Seattle at the Seattle Pie Company, a new pie shop in the Magnolia neighborhood run by a darling young blond woman with the world’s most welcoming smile. It’s a sweet little spot with a big display of crumble-topping pies filling the space – four giant shelves packed with fruity, homemade-looking, county fair-comfort food … Read more
Death is part of life. I continue to be reminded of this almost daily. Yesterday, on the day that marked six months of Marcus’ passing, I learned that Bob Webb, father of my friend Mimi, died. He passed away a few weeks ago, I was told by Betty, my Texas landlord who just lost her … Read more
Seeing as I’ve been paying rent for the last two months on my apartment sitting empty in Portland, I finally extracted myself from Southern California and the fame-and-fortune-seeking life as an aspiring TV star of a pie series to return to my own reality show. Rain. Taxes. Unpacking. Unemployment. PHOTO: Shoes of Swan Island. Random … Read more
Have you ever stopped and listened to the sound of wind blowing through the thorns of a Saguaro cactus? It creates a gentle, calming whooshing noise, kind of like a pie as its fruit filling bubbles in the oven. When I can’t be in Arizona any longer I’ll have to put my head in the … Read more
The question loomed for weeks: “How would I get through the holidays? How would I survive my first Christmas and New Year’s Eve without Marcus?” Many friends worried about me, calling and emailing to offer their good wishes and support. I worried about me too. But luckily I discovered something important during my early December … Read more
There is nothing like facing your fears — and overcoming them — to make you feel alive. Back in October I suggested in my post “8 Reasons to be Happy” that I would take our RV and drive to Crater Lake National Park, to honor the memory of where Marcus and I met. Seeing that … Read more