I’m Going to My First WordCamp #wcsac

Bonjour! I can't wait to attend my first-ever WordCamp this weekend (September 21-22, 2019) in Sacramento, California. I'll be live-tweeting as an attendee. Find me on Twitter (@bonjourdarlene) and follow along using #wcsac! (Or scroll down to see my Tweets below!) What is WordCamp? According to the WordCamp Central website, "WordCamp is a conference that … Continue reading I’m Going to My First WordCamp #wcsac →

Wednesday Postcard: Bastia and Saint-Florent, Corsica

Bonjour! This week’s carte postale is from Corsica (la Corse), the French island in the Mediterranean Sea. My dear friend in France sent me this postcard featuring the cities of Bastia (top photo) and Saint-Florent (bottom photo), which are located in northern Corsica. My friend writes, "Corsica is a beautiful place. You can be in … Continue reading Wednesday Postcard: Bastia and Saint-Florent, Corsica →

Wednesday Postcard: Santa Cruz, California

Bonjour! This week’s carte postale comes from Santa Cruz, located on California's central coast, about 75 miles/ 120 km south of San Francisco. Points of Interest include: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (California's oldest amusement park operating since 1907) Santa Cruz Diner (featured on Guy Fieri's show, "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives") UC Santa Cruz (The Grateful … Continue reading Wednesday Postcard: Santa Cruz, California →

Meaningful Photos: a Mindfulness Practice

Meaningful Photos is one of many science-based practices for a meaningful life curated by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. For this mindfulness exercise, the how-to states: “[Take] 15 minutes per day for one week to take the photos.” Instead I did the following: From my phone's camera roll, I selected nine favorite … Continue reading Meaningful Photos: a Mindfulness Practice →

Picnic By the Pond at Marin French Cheese in Petaluma

The Marin French Cheese Company is located on a dairy farm in Hicks Valley, near the city of Petaluma, California, about 40 miles/ 64 km north of San Francisco. Since they have been at this location since 1865, Marin French Cheese has earned the distinction of being the "longest continually operating cheese company in America." … Continue reading Picnic By the Pond at Marin French Cheese in Petaluma →

Two French Bakeries and the Blue House in San Francisco

In my blog post, "If You're Going to San Francisco, Be Sure to Watch These Videos Filmed There," I described how a blue house in San Francisco inspired Maxime Le Forestier to write a French song entitled, "San Francisco." I recently got the chance to see the house on 18th Street made famous by the … Continue reading Two French Bakeries and the Blue House in San Francisco →

Wednesday Postcard: Catalina Island

Bonjour! This week’s carte postale features the old Hotel St. Catherine, which was located in the city of Avalon on Catalina Island, off the coast of California. The elegant hotel on Descanso Beach was open from 1918 to 1966. It was a popular vacation destination among celebrities and foreign dignitaries. For more information: Hotel St. … Continue reading Wednesday Postcard: Catalina Island →

Wednesday Postcard: Place de la Concorde in Paris

Bonjour! This week's carte postale features Place de la Concorde in Paris. Over a thousand people were executed by guillotine at this spot during the French Revolution, most notably Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette The Luxor Obelisk was a gift from Egypt and placed in the square in 1836 Between 1836-1846, the square was redesigned by … Continue reading Wednesday Postcard: Place de la Concorde in Paris →

Good Vibes Only at the Seaside Town of Capitola

In Capitola, California, a seaside town about 76 miles/ 122 km south of San Francisco on the coast of Monterey Bay, you can imagine you're somewhere in the Mediterranean! Look at these colorful houses! This picture was taken from the Capitola Wharf. The colorful houses are on the left. Only a few steps away from … Continue reading Good Vibes Only at the Seaside Town of Capitola →

Wednesday Postcard: Zurich, Switzerland

Bonjour! This week's carte postale features St. Peter's Church in Zurich, Switzerland. Of all the tower clocks in Europe, St. Peter's has the largest clock face measuring 8.7 meters/ 28.5 feet in diameter! Fun fact: Since there are four national languages, the city's name is spelled several ways: Zürich/Züri/Zuerich (German) Zurich (French) Zurigo (Italian) Turitg … Continue reading Wednesday Postcard: Zurich, Switzerland →

Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again Exhibition at SFMOMA

Andy Warhol would have been 91 years old today (August 6, 2019)! Before he became better known for his involvement in the visual art movement called Pop Art, Andy Warhol was a successful commercial illustrator! I was familiar with his Campbell's Soup Cans, Brillo Boxes, and self-portraits, but I recently learned he also produced a … Continue reading Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again Exhibition at SFMOMA →