Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Sorted by date Results 1 - 15 of 15
October is supposed to be fall, or so I thought for years. Now I think that this September just took over and has kept us, and much of the rest of the country, in warm weather. Due to lack of water, many of the trees in the western half of the US are bypassing their usual fall array. Sad when even the aspens are loosing their leaves before turning copper and brass. Or perhaps the colors of fall are just late. I miss them. We are back from our annual trek to Minot, ND for the Scandinavian...
A new voice in the romance field! Waiting for Sparks by Kathy Damp shows a fresh approach to what we used to call sweet romances. All the characters in this small town of Heaven are one of a kind. Trying to learn to work together to save their town from being drowned by the building of a new dam simply adds more drama and conflict to the romance building between two people who have no intentions of falling in love, especially not with each other. In the hopes of drawing more visitors to town,...
A June evening, a delightful breeze at the end of a 90 degree day, sitting out on my deck, flowers in pots, the fountain running, apcat not thrilled that the computer is on my lap instead of her, a neighbor’s dog barking, and the cottonwood tree whispering in the breeze describe my idea of a perfect evening. I am grateful for a laptop that allows me to work outside instead of in my office. Two nights ago I finished reading a novel that might end up on my top ten must-be-read list. Not sure w...
I love Spring when so many perennials are blooming: roses, peonies, irises, snow ball bush, candytuft and poppies, just to name a few. But this year I have something new, not in the garden growing but growing right now in our repurposed dog crate. I have four baby chicks, Buff Orpingtons, one month old as of today. With their combination of fluff and feathers, they are looking pretty ratty but Henry, Mabel, Maude and Mildred are getting tamer all the time and provide ongoing entertainment. Our...
Here I am again, thanking my Bookies Reading Group for coercing me – well not quite, but you know what I mean – to read a book I would not normally have picked up. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is one of those books I had to force myself to continue reading, but I am grateful that I read. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but some things in life are that way. Yes, in spite of all that, I am recommending it for others to read. I call it a worthy read because the writi...
Spring is here, spring is here. Well, almost. But no matter; any time is good reading time. I had the crud earlier and spent the entire week reading. Between going through the tissue boxes and racking up the pages, it was a memorable week. A trusted friend recommended a new author to me, now doesn’t that sound familiar? I, of course, said I’d try the first one. Author? Jacqueline Winspear. Title of book number one? Maisie Dobbs. I am now starting book ten in the series, if that tells you any...
Winter is a fine time for reading, as we all know, but I offer to you the suggestion that any time is a fine time for reading. Yes, I do understand, the more you read, the more you want to read and that sounds a bit addictive. Catching a cold virus gave me permission to read, read, read, and so I did. I read about elephants and dogs, the Civil War, the Great War, the Bush family, and both suspense and mystery novels. Strangely the-to-be-read pile seems to be growing taller. Just a little side...
How about starting off the New Year revisiting a previously read author? I’m suggesting that because I have been reading through Susan Meissner’s impressive list of books and becoming more enthralled with her writing all the time. I read her earlier books, I’m not sure how many years ago and loved her writing then, but I didn’t continue to follow what she was doing. So, when I picked up two of her books at the Mount Hermon Writers Conference last spring, I was glad to go back to reading her. I...
Fall always makes me think of children kicking and jumping on raked-up piles of leaves and laughter. Always laughter. It doesn’t really take a lot to entertain kids, a pile of leaves, a clod of dirt, a shovel and permission to dig, or even a large cardboard box to play in. At least it used to be that way, or am I showing my age? One of the first hints of fall, besides the liquid amber trees starting to turn color or the lengthening shadows, is that special feeling in the air, especially in the e...
It seems so strange to me that schools here in California start in August. In my mind, school starts right after Labor Day, unless you are attending college which usually begins later in September. I guess this is another one of those things that don’t remain the same. I’m finding there are a lot of those, especially as I get older. From what I hear, I’m not the only one experiencing this phenomenon. So I guess that’s why I chose an older book to review this month: The Cross Examination of Oliv...
This month my favorite household appliances are window fans. Since I live in an older house sans air conditioning, these fans are heaven sent. Add in an ice-filled bandana for my neck and a cool glass of iced tea and I’ll survive these hot summer days very nicely. For all of my complaining about the heat, my tomatoes simply love it and I do so delight in the longer summer evenings. Theoretically, summer is supposed to be a time of leisure with extra time for reading. I hope you are finding it so...
Heat wave. We’re having a heat wave! I’m thinking of summer songs when it might be cooler to be thinking about winter snow songs. However, the plants are growing like crazy, the flowers are blooming and ah, the cool down of the evenings. Pure bliss. Summer makes me think of reading programs at libraries and my question is: how come they are only for kids? We all need more encouragement to read. Oh, well. This month I want to share three YA books that are good reading for all age groups. And bes...
All hail to the upcoming summer. I love watching the sun rise over the eastern hills. It is moving farther north every day and is almost beyond the cedar tree barrier in my yard now. The trees are more leafed out and with the sun sparkling on them, their greenness brightens each new day. Can you tell spring is my favorite season? This spring in Tehachapi has been glorious. With the onset of gardening, I have less time for reading; a yearly trade off that I always try to pretend does not exist....
This is one of those winters where I am really grateful I live in California. We had snow in December, and – while more would be welcome – our snowplows remain parked. We pray for any drop of moisture we can get, but I am really enjoying the sunny days. I admit I am a weather wuss. I complain about the cold when temperatures are in the teens and can’t imagine what my friends in other parts of the country must endure with temperatures below the zero mark for days. That’s not even includi...
Dreary overcast days, falling rain and snow and temperatures in the 30s; so cold all I want to do is sit by the woodstove. Well this year I thought I'd escape to Texas to attend a writer's retreat and visit friends. Well the joke is on me – it is warmer in Tehachapi than in Texas and like all Californians I am praying for rain and snow to help ease the drought. Besides meeting fascinating people on this trip, I have been introduced to an exceptionally powerful and life-changing book. I am c...
