One of the things that makes Los Gatos such a great little town is that there is so much going on. Every Sunday in summer there are two superb happenings. The all year Farmers Market sets up in the Town Plaza Sunday mornings 8am - 1pm -- rain or shine! I think it is by far the best Farmers Market around. Wonderful produce and flowers, several delicious food vendors (crepes, Mexican, Asian) and usually some music as well. The Town Plaza Park next door is a wonderful little tree lined grass park, perfect for dogs, kids and just lounging around. There's a neat little fountain too! But the star is the produce -- fresh, lots of variety, and you can taste everything before you buy. Music in the Park is a ten-week, Sunday afternoon concert series (which started this past Sunday, June 21st, and continues through the end of August) presented by the Los Gatos Arts Commission. Concerts are free to the public and are held on Sunday afternoons from 5pm - 7pm on the Civic Center (Town ...

One of our favorite weekend getaway spots is Cambria, a little picturesque town on California's central coast. It is west of Paso Robles and northwest of San Luis Obispo, and is a quiet little area that is loaded with things to do ... or not do if you prefer to just lounge on Moonstone Beach. A great entry into Cambria is along Santa Rosa Road, which winds through the local hillside and enters town in Cambria's East Village. The town has a split personality, with the older East Village and newer West Village. Both villages are home to good eateries, a few antique shops, boutiques and art galleries. Susan & I tend to favor the East Village where several of our favorite shops are located. In the old Cambria Creamery building are three great shops -- all different and worth a visit. Birds of a Feather is one of the most interesting antique shops you will encounter -- anywhere. The owner, Bonnie Crawford, has a great eye for unique items, be they birds nests, old ribbon...

With Flag Day just behind us and Independence Day around the corner, I thought I would share a group of American Flag images I have collected. Some are wonderful folk art creations, some famous images. One is graffiti, another the side of a building, still another a tribute to the heroes of 9/11. The Civil War is represented, as is WWII. Enjoy ... and be proud we are Americans.

Fathers' Day is in a week-and-a-half! Time flies. What a different celebration than Mothers' Day. Dad wants to watch the ballgame, have a beer and a BBQ, maybe go to the beach. No shopping in downtown Los Gatos, breakfast at the Los Gatos Cafe or brunch at the Hotel Los Gatos! It's a guy thing, right? But please don't forget Dad on his special day ... just do it his way. I remember my Dad. I got closer to him as I got older and he got smarter (ahem ... it's true!) He didn't toot his horn or say I told you so. He just smiled! I found this old book, Dear Old Father , which is a 1910 compilation of essays, sayings, quotes and poems about fathers. Some are corny and some are rather somber, but they all point out the greatness of Dear Old Dad. One poem that reminds me so much of my dad is a little five stanza ditty by E. A. Brininstool titled simply My Dad . It reads in part: My Dad he makes the slickest kite You ever saw, by jing! Why, it will sail clean o...

We recently rearranged most of the shop. It makes things look new and fresh. Plus it gives us a chance to highlight new and exciting additions. We've brought most of the decorative paper and ribbon up to the front of the store. Easier to find and compare what we have this way. We continue to add handcrafted gifts made by local artists, including pendants, fragrant lavender pillows, decorated bottles, tags and cards. With summer approaching, we set up our picnic table with a load of beach and picnic items. These are watched over by Harold and Josie, two cute little handmade stuffed beach kids from a wonderful doll maker in Phoenix. There are also some great lemonade and summer drink pitchers and glasses, hand carved wooden paddles and bouys , and picket fence fish. We added a little garden center in the back corner. We have some neat little pots, super topiary trellises, pottery mushrooms, a new shipment of birdhouses and other outdoor decorations. Have a great Summer and d...

Come join us and a hundred other merchants for fun and savings on Second Saturdays in Los Gatos this summer. The first of these special days is Saturday, June 13 th What better way is there to spend a Saturday than in Los Gatos – especially when there will be more than 100 merchants treating you to special offers and fun? The first Second Saturday is June 13th, all day and into the evening. The others are on July 11th and August 8th. Shoppers, diners, spa-goers and wine-tasters will be treated to the treasures of the historic downtown. Free Valet Parking will make parking a breeze ... and then you can enjoy great deals, live music, entertainment and free pedicab rides. There’s even a “Treasure Hunt” in town for fabulous raffle prizes! We’d love to see you and help you discover new treasures in town. Just look for the red ribbons displayed by participating me rchants. There will be one on our door. Please pay us a visit. Here at Vintages we will be offering a f...

A couple of weeks ago Susan & I decided to head on down to Carmel, have a picnic, walk on the beach and maybe hit an antique shop or two. If you have been to Carmel before, you know the picnic and beach part is always somewhat iffy! That day the sun was shining and the temperatures warm in the Santa Clara Valley, and as we drove down through the coastal areas north of Carmel, the same sun and warmth were with us. Then as we approached Carmel we saw it! A huge blanket of fog covered the peninsula! Temperatures dropped 15 degrees and the sun was nowhere to be seen. Darn! But we persevered and headed down to Carmel River State Beach . The Carmel side of it is one of our favorite spots to sit on the sand and watch the waves, birds and just veg. No chance! The wind was blowing hard and the sand was whipping around. Plan B was put into effect and we drove on down to Point Lobos . The sun wasn’t brighter and the air was still crisp, so we had a delightful but quick picnic in th...

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Cannot put Humpty Dumpty together again. Here is another wonderful little children’s book. It is Humpty Dumpty and Other Mother Goose Songs , compiled, illustrated and arranged by H. A. (Hans Augusto) Rey, who later became famous as the co-creator of Curious George , along with his wife, Margret. This little spiral bound volume was published in 1943, but has recently been re-released. (While the 1995 edition is nice, it does not have the nostalgia of the original first edition.) The front cover has a humorous image of Humpty Dumpty seated atop red brick wall, smiling and waving his feathered hat to the high hatted soldiers mounted on white horses below. Interestingly, the back cover depicts a rear view of Humpty atop that wall with a ladder leaning against it. I had always wondered how Humpty got up there. As Paul Harvey used to say: Now you know the rest of the story! All...