Picture Sundays: Doberman Chariots

...ve forms of transportation. Our late dog was a Doberman and I remembered a book we used to have about the breed that showed some unusual events that used to be held in South Africa in the 1970s: harness racing with Dobermans and kid jockeys! Remembering just how powerful and fast our Doberman was, I imagine these races were quite a thrill for the kids in those carts. Try this in the US and, no doubt, child protective services would shut down the f...

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Stoicism as a Toolkit for Modern Life

...may be, without wishing for what he has not. In this age of me-centric Facebook updates, we we have a lot to learn from Seneca’s wisdom. If you live in harmony with nature you will never be poor, if you live according what others think, you will never be rich. Suggested Reading I recommend beginning with Seneca’s Letters From a Stoic–-short concise essays that offer a great introduction to stoicism. All of Seneca and Marcus Aurelius are available...

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Annie’s Annuals and Perennials

...edibles. It’s first time I’ve ever seen Oca (Oxalis tuberosa) outside of a book. I had to keep a tight grip on my credit card to prevent myself from buying plants I had no way of getting home on my bike. The good news is that Annie’s does mail order. And she’s got a bunch of tutorial videos covering topics such as container planting and plant combinations. As we begin version 4.0 of our back yard garden, I have a feeling we’ll be ordering plants f...

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2013 in Review Part II

...ter choice. Mrs. Homegrown pondered equine touring by reviewing an obscure book, The Last of the Saddle Tramps. Perhaps she was inspired by our 2012 siting of the 3 mule guy (one of our most Googled posts, by the way). August I consider summer to be our winter in Los Angeles. It’s hot and dry and, other than harvesting tomatoes, summer here is not the best time for gardening. Time to contemplate closed vs. open floor plans and catch a crappy Holly...

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