It's in the Bag

Find out how I became a bag lady at Open Mouth, Insert Fork.

Mutts for Marrow to March in Doo Dah Parade

Are you a mutt (ala Obama) or a minority?

Do you own a four-legged mutt?

Do you live in Southern California?

Join me and other mutts on Sunday, January 18, at the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade, the hip alternative to the city's annual Rose Parade. Our theme is "Mutts for Marrow." We'll raise awareness of the need for minority bone marrow donors as we walk the six-block parade route with our mutts. We'll also be throwing out Milk Bones, Live Savers and information about becoming a donor.

Krissy Kobata, a young hapa in search of her bone marrow match, will be joining us. She's pretty enough to be a Rose Queen and quirky enough to be a Doo Dah Queen.

If you or your dog would like to join the march, please let me know by Monday, January 12. (susancarrier@sbcglobal.net). There's a modest $10/person charge for participating in the parade. Dogs walk free. And, of course, there's no charge to come and watch and cheer us on.

The Conservative Gardener

I'll bet you didn't know that most gardeners are conservative. At least that's the absurd conclusion drawn by a commenter on my garden grieving article.

Read more about this on a post I did for the YWCA's blog, What's the Difference.

My Boots and My Bike!!!

Susan really hasn't changed much in physical appearance. What do you think?

Good Grief - Leaving a garden can be painful

Two child-sized Adirondack chairs rest among the golden leaves.

Tell the truth.

Have you ever "haunted" a former house or garden? Do you drive by to check out the height of the sycamore tree you planted? Do you wonder if the new owners are feeding the azaleas?

Read about how some have coped with "gardening grief" in my latest story in the Home & Garden section of the LA Times.

Letting go and moving on, whether it's associated with a garden or an illness, are never easy.

Even in winter the garden is full of life: lemons ready for squeezing, flowering maple in full bloom, an old chandelier converted to a garden fixture and miniature strawberries scattered across the path.



A moss-covered Buddha presides over the shade garden.

I know that one day - in a year perhaps - we'll sell this house. I'm already grieving over the garden.

What's in store for 2009?

In 2009, I plan to live simply while consuming more champagne, sparkling wine, prosecco and cava.

I am also determined to find the ultimate crab cake recipe. (Read more about it at Open Mouth, Insert Fork.)

And, of course, I'm still on the hunt for that perfect purse.

One More Reason I HEART City of Hope

Amazing research is happening in AIDS as well as cancer.

For example, researchers are exploring if a bone marrow transplant can keep HIV from turning into AIDS.

Click here to watch KABC-TV's story on City of Hope's development of a promising new gene therapy that uses the patient's own blood stem cells.