Author: Susan

I do this blog for PG audiences and another one for R audiences with Bae Bliss.

The Sequin That Bugged Me

Posted in alto, chorus, head voice, high school, memoir, OCD, pandemic, parts placement, rehearsal, sequin, singing, sweater, tenor, YouTubeLeave a comment

It was on my shoulder, and it was bugging me, one shiny sequin that I’d failed to see when I’d cut them off my second-hand sweater. It was a blue and green floral, found in a thrift store, hardly worn, but the sequins dated it to the 80s. So I’d cut them off, except for… Continue reading The Sequin That Bugged Me

Stuffing the Bug

Posted in 9th grade, friends, Iowa, Iowa State Fair, memoir, midway, Midwestern, summer job, Teen Town, teens, VW Beetle, waitressingLeave a comment

My first job was as a waitress at the Iowa State Fair for ten days. I was 14, the summer before 9th grade. My friends and I worked the lunch shift, then had a couple of hours off before the supper shift. A girl named Virginia (a friend of a friend) from another school got… Continue reading Stuffing the Bug

How my Bug Collection Changed a Generation

Posted in best, entymology, firsts, humor, insects, Iowa, junior high school, last, memoir, middle school, Midwestern, mouse, nature, parenting, relationships, science, scientist, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) When my new science teacher announced on the first day of 7th grade that no one would get an A in his class if they didn’t make an insect collection, I was like, “NOOOOOOOO! I hate bugs!” My mother hated bugs. Her mother hated bugs. They hated mice, snakes, and dog poop, too. I… Continue reading How my Bug Collection Changed a Generation

Making Time to Write

Posted in dogs, author, writers, contractor, Facebook, writing, empty nester, agentLeave a comment

(re-run) I used to write every day. That was back when I had sleeping babies and pre-schoolers that went to school on a regular schedule. Now that I’m an empty nester I think I am going to write every day, but then stuff happens. Like exercise classes and long hikes. Dog walks. Contractors. A sister… Continue reading Making Time to Write

The Late Winter Blues

Posted in Bay Area, best, California, dancing, Facebook, friends, live music, memoir, nature, picnic, reflux disease, relationships, summer, worstLeave a comment

+ Hail, thunder, sunset, a rainbow. It all happened Sunday afternoon within five minutes of one another. Monday brought polar weather to my California town. It’s the second half of February. I am ready for winter to be done. True, we haven’t had snow, except that one day. We rarely have ice, but this morning… Continue reading The Late Winter Blues

Dive Bar Dancing

Posted in best, California, caregiver, cell phone, dancing, friends, guns, high school, humor, memoir, music, relationships, school shooting, texting, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) I never imagined that I’d still be dancing in bars at this age. But hey, a girl’s got to dance, and in the winter the live music is in the bars. So here I sit, waiting for my girl friend, who is dumping her grumpy guy tonight to come dance with me. She’s got… Continue reading Dive Bar Dancing

Snow Day

Posted in babies, birthday, California, children, estate sale, Etsy, family, friends, gardening, greenbelt, holiday weekend, holidays, humor, internet, memoir, military, relationships, retirement community, snow, TahoeLeave a comment

Many of my Medicare friends are moving or contemplating moving to retirement communities.  A big one close to my town is called Rossmoor.  It’s a huge gated community built back in the sixties and contains 6700 residential units surrounded by open space.   At least one resident in each unit must be at least fifty-five years… Continue reading Snow Day

A Good First Date

Posted in army, bar, dating, engagement ring, Facebook, hair plugs, kiss, North Beach, pandemic, San Francisco, set-up, Ukraine, Valentine's Day, weddingLeave a comment

(re-run) Harold was friends with Jack who worked with Mary. Jack thought Harold and Mary should meet. “Come to the company luncheon with me,” Jack said.  “And it you don’t like Mary, you can meet Alice.” Harold went online and checked out the two women’s Facebook pages. He liked Mary’s page more than Alice’s page.… Continue reading A Good First Date

The Week of Love

Posted in Beatles, best, Beyonce, blues, California, Captain and Tennille, chorus, Costco, dinner, divorce, Elton John, expectations, flowers, friends, girlfriends, humor, James Taylor, Valentine's Day, worst1 Comment

My chorus is singing a love-themed concert this spring. The songs individually are all good except for the flowery Love is a Many Splendored Thing. It reminds me of 1970’s soap operas. The songs are running together in my brain.  Sure, they are different vintages, but none of them is current, and many of the… Continue reading The Week of Love

Paying It Forward

Posted in allowance, cocktail waitress, groceries, memoir, paying it forward, pocket money, Study abroad, teachingLeave a comment

When one of my daughters studied abroad and found her roommate stealing her food because the girl had no money to buy groceries, my daughter was upset. When she finally told me about it a few years later, I had to say to her, “That was me. I was the girl sneaking food because I… Continue reading Paying It Forward