Inspiring Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction and Memoir How to be Eaten by Maria Adelmann This book is a treat for women who love feminist retellings of fairytales, folklore and myths. Gretel, Lil’ Red, Bluebeard’s girlfriend, a secret fairytale character and a Bachelor-type show winner all join a basement therapy group similar to Al-Anon. Each woman tells their tale from their point of view and…

Imperial Beach Sun & Sea Festival in July Imperial Beach, also known as “Sandcastle City,” hosted the Sun & Sea Festival near its pier this July. Although much smaller than its historic U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition, this festival featured a competition of four master sand sculpture teams, along with an Exhibition Castle. Who doesn’t have happy memories of…

Santa Monica History Museum & Annenberg Community Beach House On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I spent a perfect day in Santa Monica and visited the Santa Monica History Museum, pier and Annenberg Community Beach House. Located in west Los Angeles, Santa Monica is on the coast with Venice Beach to the south. …

Serve up a Romantic Feast of Aphrodisiacs Most of us know the libidinous reputation of the oyster, but there are five aphrodisiacs waiting on your supermarket shelves. Create your own Valentine’s Day or romantic feast with these titillating treats. What Makes Something an Aphrodisiac? Aphrodisiacs come from Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love and sex. …

Young Adult (YA) Nonfiction and teacher resources, like Retro Report, make learning Cold War history painless. Why spend time learning about the Cold War? The headlines give us reason enough. Russia masses troops and threatens Ukraine. Russian troops put down protests in Kazakhstan. The threat of nuclear weapons has all but disappeared from the news, but not from world arsenals. …

Palm Springs and Idyllwild Geography Named After an Evil Shaman In Palm Springs, hikers can explore Tahquitz Canyon on a two mile loop trail that leads to a waterfall. In Idyllwild, rock climbers can challenge themselves on Tahquitz Rock, which is also called Lily Rock. The names of both geographical features are explained in the legend of Tahquitz, the evil…

Thanksgiving with the Three Sisters: Corn, Beans and Squash This Thanksgiving, weave Native American stories, recipes and crafts about the Three Sisters into the festivities. The Three Sisters are the crops of corn, squash and beans traditionally grown together in mounds by North American indigenous people. “The plants were thought to be watched over by the three sister spirits…

Stingy Jack and the Devil Create the First Jack-o-Lantern The devil lay in bed watching the flickering flames of Hell. His toady, Lickspittle, hopped up. “Sir…Master?” The devil slid a languid glance his way and flicked a piece of ash off his finger. “Stingy Jack is bragging again, Sir.” “What?” the devil sat up, his cloven hooves sparked as…

The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is an oasis of green in the center of a seamy city. The symbolism needs no explanation. — Tombstones and mausoleums fight for attention. Celebrities even in death. Statues of rockets, giant Bibles, and Johnny Ramone playing his guitar. Palm trees, junipers and fig trees throw shade.