Notes and Reflections Blog
Cathy is an essayist who writes from her base at Boomerang Creek. Her blogs range from gathering persimmons to thoughts on global pandemics. To share her observations, follow her at “Notes and Reflections".

A Rare Vintage and Friendship
As September begins and Covid is again on the rise, I recall the long months of pandemic isolation in 2020.

An August Blue Moon
As August 2023 came to an end, a second full moon appeared overhead high above the tall pines and Douglas firs that surround our home in the Sierra Foothills.

Summer Visits with Topher
During the hottest week of August, a welcome “storm” arrived from the east ahead of Hurricane Hilary—a rare Category 4 tropical storm that blew in from the Pacific and pummeled the Baja Peninsula and a broad swath of Southern California.

Cooking with Hayden
What a week it has been! For Kit’s 85th birthday, our son Hayden flew in from Madrid, Spain where he has lived and worked as an architect for the past 28 years.

San Francisco Intersections
When visiting San Francisco, one mindset thinks of grand excursions in, over and around the city’s historic bridges, bays, harbors, hills, and culturally diverse neighborhoods.

Back on the Dance Floor
For now, as Kit hits 85, we’ll settle for some wheelchair dancing.

Remembering Hank
Henry J. Waters III was a pioneering journalist, editor, publisher, and columnist for over 50 years at the Columbia Daily Tribune newspaper in Columbia, MO.

Sweet Corn and Tomatoes
Imagine summer without corn and tomatoes. You can't, can you?

Peaches and Blueberries
In July, the longest line at Nevada City’s Saturday Farmers’ Market is shoppers in search of ripe peaches.

Our World in a Different Light
While thinning my library of books and magazines, I recently came upon a November 2008 issue of National Geographic.

Nicolas
Last week, Kit and I spoke with our grandson Nicolas on his first Father’s Day.

Sustenance for Body & Soul
Recently, my beautiful niece Aliya and her lovely daughters Zehra and Saira arrived for a four-day visit.

Africa on my Mind
Last week I shared a blog on Lemon Meringue Pie with new friends Debbie and Rich Basham. They were visiting her father who is at the Lodge where Kit is working on mobility rehabilitation.

Rose Gardens in the Sierra Foothills
From late May into June, Nevada County, CA has been abloom with roses that take my breath away.

Lemon Meringue Pie
In every family, food memories and traditions are passed down from one generation to the next.

Gardens, Poets, and Memory
Walking in my garden this morning, I stopped at a bench and sat still as the stones that surround my fledgling irises planted a year ago.

Simple Joys
This spring it is simple joys that keep my spirit afloat as I navigate each day, uncertain where I am going.
London’s Kew Gardens
If you were to list the top ten things to do while in London, I’m guessing that it would be heavy with a rich array of museums, art galleries, churches, Millennium architecture, bridges, towers, royal palaces, Westminster Cathedral, Parliament Square and historic shopping sites like Harrods, Selfridges, and Covent Gardens.

Books Matter
A box arrived this week from my friend Sue Dunkin.

The Bridge
On a recent Monday, I arrived home at twilight from “the Lodge” where Kit now resides and I spend hours each day.