All Posts By

Julie

An American Family: Love, honor, & poetry

I bought An America Family by Khizr Khan for my husband, both wanting to support and honor this brave man, his family, the son that he lost, also knowing it’s a book Don would enjoy. I had no idea…

I Moved a Garden … and more unsolicited gardening advice

“Plants that wake when others sleep. Timid jasmine buds that keep their fragrance to themselves all day, but when the sunlight dies away let the delicious secret out to every breeze that roams about.” ~ Thomas Moore, Irish poet…

Does Billy the elephant belong at the LA Zoo?

A small, influential group of celebrities and animal activists have reinvigorated their failed 2009 campaign to move Billy the elephant out of the LA Zoo. On April 19, Councilmember Paul Koretz introduced a motion to “immediately cancel any current…

Hyggelig & Gemütlichkeit

This Danish word refers to a warm, friendly, cozy, delightfully intimate moment or thing. It gives off imagery of a candlelit winter evening at home with warm blankets and maybe a bit of alcohol. …

Portantino celebrates 2017 Women of the Year

“But today I will take up space, so much space. I am practicing what I preach, breaking the cycle of fear, feeling like we are imposters, as if our accomplishments are accidental, as if it couldn’t have really happened.”…

They Go Low – We Go Local!

Published originally in CityWatch LA BUTCHER ON LA – Within two weeks of moving into our new apartment in La Crescenta, I learned of two substantive, meaningful opportunities to participate locally: a community meeting explaining the new districts for elections…