6

MAY 2020

SECTION TWO

Larchmont Chronicle

Need a good quarantine read? Chevalier’s Books has your back By Rachel Olivier While you might think access to books is essential, bookstores are not on those lists of essential businesses that are allowed to be open during the Safer at Home directive that is in place until (at this time) Fri., May 15. But if

LIBRARIES FAIRFAX 161 S. Gardner St. JOHN C. FREMONT 6121 Melrose Ave.

Home Ground

MEMORIAL 4625 W. Olympic Blvd.

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WILSHIRE 149 N. Saint Andrews Pl. HOURS All branches are temporarily closed. ASK A LIBRARIAN 213-228-7272 infonow@lapl.org

you’re looking for something to read during your quarantine, Chevalier’s Books, 126 N. Larchmont Blvd., still has you covered. And there are a variety of ways to support Los Angeles’ oldest independent bookstore while it is temporarily closed. Free delivery For locals who live in the 90004, 90020 and 90038 ZIP Codes, you can get same-day or next-day free deliveries if you order a book in stock at the store. You can ask about the book online, but you need to call the store to purchase the item and

weakness of sight;” and, among other things, ambergris for strengthening, as was believed then, the nerves and brain. (A little hard to procure, ambergris is expelled from sperm whales only when they suffer indigestion. But don’t turn up your nose — it is used in some perfume manufacture, including, traditionally, Chanel No. 5.)

FLAUNT your love for your favorite local bookstore with a Tshirt from Chevalier’s.

arrange for delivery. Temporary hours for calling the store at 323465-1334 are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. So, would one take the Powder against the plague — as a preventative — or to cure the plague upon, God forbid, infection? Atavistic? But here we are, 367 years later in our own plague, that of COVID-19, and I don’t know about you, but I am exhibiting some atavistic behaviors. I knew I shouldn’t have grabbed the little bottle, but I did, on the shelf where the zinc throat lozenges (just in

Jill Galloway

323.842.1980 | jill@jillgalloway.com | jillgalloway.com | DRE 01357870

Estates Director, Sunset Strip

At the end of quarantine, if you decide you can’t stand the people you live with, remember, I’m your Realtor® Until then, stay home and breath

If you would like to order a book that Chevalier’s currently doesn’t have in stock, or if you live outside the delivery area, there’s a $6 shipping fee for USPS ground, and it will take two to five days. In addition, Chevalier’s is now using Bookshop.org to sell books. Standard shipping is six to 11 days and costs $3.50, but a portion of the proceeds helps raise money to support local bookstores, such as Chevalier’s. Visit bookshop.org/shop/chevaliersbooks to use this option. If you don’t need any books

right now, consider getting a gift card or joining the membership program, which offers a 10 percent discount on future purchases for the next 12 months, which begin when the store is able to reopen its doors. You also get a free tote with this option. Customers of Chevalier’s Books also can tell the world they support the store by purchasing a T-shirt, sweatshirt or hoodie! Visit chevaliersbooks.com or email chevaliersbooks@gmail. com for more information.

case) should have been, but weren’t. It was an expensive bottle, too — of black elderberry syrup. “IMMUNE SUPPORT,” the label attests. Why did I buy that syrup? In the deep background of my mind, absorbed from the elders, is a quilt of nonsense, seemingly indestructible. I never think of it, but it seems to think of me. My mother was convinced that a raw potato, freshly cut in half and applied to the arm, was a cure for headache. My beloved grandmothers refused to let me sew on Sundays, convinced I would be forced to remove each stitch with my teeth in hell. This admonition, as you can imagine, caught the attention of an eight-year-old girl. I never learned to sew, but these grandmothers taught me to bake with love and generosity, a useful skill here in lockdown. As soon as I type the last word here, I will make the

Countess of Kent’s spice cake. Some pepper, no ambergris. Baking: good against melancholy.

On Preservation

Milalya Properties LLC, the house has been over the past year “modernized” and thoroughly debased. On the façade, several of the character defining features of the home, delicate ironwork, wrought iron grills, original balustrades and grand entry lanterns have been removed and replaced. On the inside, original fireplace mantels have been removed, historic murals painted over, pristine deco bathrooms torn out, and all paneling either painted over or removed. HPOZ rules may be silent about interiors, but the rules are quite clear about what changes to exteriors are allowed, particularly to the exterior elevations that can be seen from the street. These rules clearly were ignored with regard to the changes that were made. It is however heartening to see that other properties are being treated with respect such as the Elmer Grey-designed 355 S. Muirfield Road that is being returned to its original Italianate splendor. As for 184 S. Hudson Avenue, in the words of Catherine Aird, “If you can’t serve as a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.”

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hood, I happened to pass by and see the nearly complete renovations at 184 S. Hudson Ave. Designed by architect John P. Pedersen in 1930 for heiress Louise P. Hill, the villa was an exuberant and sophisticated example of Mediterranean revival. Purchased in September 2018 by Kaya

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ELEVENTH EDITION of a book first published in 1653 that offers recipes for potions against pestilence, and more.