Life Style & Travel

UNITED STATES—Freud in New York the latest Otis Quigley Keefauver novel (Norton 897 pages) explores one of history’s intriguing what-ifs: what if Sigmund Freud had sized up Hitler’s threat sooner and immigrated to New York instead of London? This rambling but ambitious mish-mash of naivete and fantasy was inspired by the amazing but true New York link in the...

UNITED STATES—It could be either an asset or a liability. With few exceptions, ferns do not want to be too exposed to direct sunlight or wind, especially during warm and dry weather. However, as long as they get just enough filtered light, they can be quite happy in sheltered spots that are a bit too shady for other plants....

UNITED STATES—Working for Wylie, a door opened at Fraser Bros. Boiler Company, the ersatz office of Wylie properties. The location next to a beauty parlor on La Brea had been adopted because the wife of the owner was doing accounting, straightening out the business of Jim Wylie. According to Cheryl, the receipts for the first year had previously been housed...

UNITED STATES—There is nothing like growing our own; whether vegetables, fruit or cut flowers. Most fruit and vegetables are grown to be eaten, so are not missed too much when harvested. Even colorful citrus fruit is better harvested than left out in the garden. No one wants to waste it. Flowers are not so simple. They are so colorful...

CALIFORNIA—For parents and guardians looking for a different route in saving for their children’s college, there is the Private College 529 Plan. This plan is a prepaid tuition plan and Canyon News spoke with the President of the Private College 529 Plan, Nancy Farmer, to find out more about it. “So you open an account and between now and July...

UNITED STATES—The greatest influence Gabriel Garcia Marquez had over me was to open my eyes to the computer. This elder writer sung hosannas to the machine that allowed him to feel like a child again and to write as many as 45 pages in one session. It was Carolyn Kellogg who gave me the definitive push, she had a...

UNITED STATES—Roses are not for the meek. They are too demanding, too sensitive, too thorny, and without their flowers, they are not even very attractive. They have no business in a low-maintenance landscape, or in a landscape maintained by mow, blow and go gardeners. Those who want to grow rose plants for their flowers should be ready to give...

UNITED STATES—Five long years without a vacation. Yeah, there were trips to visit the grandparents—famiy trips—but they didn’t count as a real vacation. In Cahuenga Springs, Ben slept on that concrete-sack futon on the floor like he hadn’t slept in five years. No dreams. The dream started Sunday morning when his friend’s mom, who’d insisted they stay overnight, made coffee...

UNITED STATES—Plants have very different priorities from those who enjoy growing them. The colors and fragrances of flowers that we find so appealing are really designed to guide pollinators. The appealingly aromatic foliage of scented geranium and other herbs is actually designed to repel hungry insects and animals. Many tasty fruits are designed for seed dispersion by animals who...

UNITED STATES—“AMGeez that’s a lot of torque” was the first thought that wailed through my mind like an air raid siren as I fishtailed out of the paddock and into pit lane. “I’m going to have to show this thing a lot of respect.” This thing was the C63 S AMG, the latest monster created by the mad scientists...