Historic Train Station Continues Its Travels Through Time

I wanted to share with you a piece I wrote for "Under the Oaks," the Los Altos History Museum's quarterly. The piece is about a recent renovation of the city's old train station, a station I recall my father using when he worked in San Francisco. Alas, in the early 1960s, the tracks were pulled up to make room for an expressway. The expressway is a handy route indeed: but now it would cost billions to reconstruct the even handier old rail line that carried travelers between San Francisco and Los Gatos. Here's the piece:

The newly renovated Los Altos train station. That is a nineteenth century caboose from the Gold Country.

      The local entrepreneur who recently renovated the Los Altos train station to transform it into a bakery and café, has joined a tradition begun half a century ago when the station also served as a restaurant.

Solvang, California is so HOMICIDAL!

Solvang, California on a rainy day in February 2014.

I made a flying visit to Solvang, California, this week. It is a charming little tourist spot on the California coast, nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. To reach Solvang, you turn east at Buellton and everybody knows where Buellton is because it is the home of Pea Soup Andersen's where they make Andersen's Split Pea Soup.

I accidentally timed my visit to coincide with the only rainy week we've had in California in about a year, and for me the mood fit neatly. This Danish-California village may be cute; but, it will always seem a little homicidal to me. Since you may find that strange, I shall explain.

The Coming Year Another Big One for California Apricots!

California Apricots: the Lost Orchards of Silicon Valley, brought me, in 2013, to Stanford University where I spoke at the Stanford Bookstore. My friend Michelle Wahl, widow of LAHS grad Vic Wahl, is a nurse at Stanford Medical Center and stopped by to stay "hi."

We have a new schedule of events and book talks for CALIFORNIA APRICOTS: 2014. The book has been out for nine months and is headed toward its fourth printing! I thought things would be slowing down about now, but that hasn't happened.

Just click "Read More" and scroll down for the upcoming events:

Events For CALIFORNIA APRICOTS Now Scheduled for 2014

With my friend Claudia Nord Campbell, a friend since kindergarten, who stopped by my book event at Capitola Book Cafe. It was a surprise since she lives in Washington State!

Now that we are in the final days of 2013, I'm guessing many of you will have purchased your 2014 calendars--those of you who still use the analogue calendar, as I do. The computer and iPhone are efficient for schedule-keeping, but I still enjoy writing things down. 

But, whatever style of datebook you use, I hope you will mark it for the CALIFORNIA APRICOTS events we have scheduled in the early months of the year. So here we go:

The Mysterious Message in the Pocket of the Chinese Jacket

The jacket came from a discount store I frequent, and carried the Guess label. 

Just before Christmas I did a little shopping for myself, and, as is my wont, I descended upon one of my favorite discount stores, into which goods trickle from some of the better shops. Bloomies, Saks, and other stores of that ilk are always changing displays and seasons and, after a certain amount of time, they sell what consumers don't purchase to discounters like TJMaxx and Marshalls. Lovely.

If you take your time and sift though the loads of stuff that isn't worth very much, you can find a gem or two from time to time. That is how I felt when I came across a jacket on my shopping day in brown-ish/red-ish leather. The price was right. The jacket fit and it had these cool zip pockets: just the right size for an iPhone or a house key. And, it was from the company called "Guess" a nice sportswear brand.

Hale and Farewell to Two of Hollywood's Best

 

Joan Fontaine and Peter O'Toole died this week. Each is unforgettable and each appeared in films that will never be forgotten.

I was sad to hear that two of Hollywood's best were gone this week: Joan Fontaine (age 96) and Peter O'Toole (age 81) died just a day apart. They both were born with photogenic faces and both had the talent to make that beauty memorable. Fontaine's career began to sparkle at the end of the richest years of Hollywood--the 1930s--and bloomed in the 1940s. She and her famous sister, Olivia de Havilland, became the only two siblings to each win an Oscar for Best Actress. 

O'Toole was a hard-living man of the 1960s, who made one of the best films of all time--Lawrence of Arabia--and, though he almost killed himself with alcohol, he did survive to make more films for which he will also be remembered. 

Last Minute Booking at Andy's Orchard

With friends at Books Inc., in Mountain View. We had a really busy day!

I just did CALIFORNIA APRICOTS book event #37 on Saturday, 12/14/13, at Books, Inc. on Castro Street in Mountain View. This wonderful independent bookstore was swamped as shoppers dropped in for Christmas gifts and browsed the many titles. The people who work at Books, Inc. are great at customer service too! Doug, Alex, Loren--you know who you are!

Anyway, this is just to let my readers know we have one more event scheduled (#38) ... before we all take off for the rest of the year ...