April at Urban Home Blog

Here are our plans for the awakening month of April at Urban Home Blog:

• Meet up with colleagues and friends attending the IACP 2016 Conference in Los Angeles. Share favorite Los Angeles discoveries with them, including The Pikey and The Delancey. Set aside special time for Kat.
• Attend The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC.
• Decide if schedule will allow travel to attend James Beard Journalism Awards in New York City and book flights and lodging if so.
• Finalize and submit 2015 taxes.
• Install spot lighting in display units for John's transportation toy collection.
• Retrieve outdoor living furniture from storage unit. Inspect unit and contents; replace moisture control from last visit over the winter holidays if warranted.
• Spend quiet week in Solvang burnishing book proposal.
• Once ruby grapefruit and Meyer lemons start coming in, make and can marmalade.
• Transfer house palm to outdoor space for spring and summer growth. Place in refreshed soil, and nourish as new growth appears.
• Watch over potato, pepper and tomato plants.
• Have gardener tend laurel tree, including trimming and feeding.
• Wash patio and outdoor furniture.
• Visit longtime stylist Nikki at her new salon. Treat self to cut and style, color swatch and manicure.
• Make cucumber vodka in anticipation of spring and summer entertaining.
• Order The Balvenie Scotch; Hitorimusume "Sayaka" Saké, Junmai; and Vya Vermouth in anticipation of spring and summer entertaining.
• Bake a honey cake.
• Fully enjoy Judy Garland month on TCM.
• Return to the tennis court after healing an injury. Goal: two games a week.
• Celebrate April Fool's Day by posting this column a week from now.

Reading list: At Bertram's Hotel, Agatha Christie; Too Big to Fail, Andrew Ross Sorkin; Love, West Hollywood, Christ Freeman and James J. Berg, editors

April, 2014: Spring Cleaning

April, 2013: Mustard, California Cooking, Weeknight Dinner

April, 2012: Outfitting the Kitchen, Weeknight Dinner, Easter, Baking

April, 2011: Sewing, Baking, Weeknight Dinner, Dinner Menus

April, 2010: Spring Cleaning, Side Dish, Crafts and Projects, Baking