Author: Susan

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

Live Music in a Virtual World

Posted in Beatles, California, chorus, Facebook, grad school, live music, livestream, memoir, musicians, neck, newspaper, pandemic, parking, physical therapy, Prius, stress, summer, weddingLeave a comment

(re-run from the pandemic) Last weekend I watched five livestream music events on my laptop. I was out of town but didn’t feel too lonely until the last livestream guy looked right into the camera and sang Blackbird (Beatles) to me.  I had requested it in the chat feed. “This one is for you, Susan.”… Continue reading Live Music in a Virtual World

A Date with Jesus

Posted in Berkeley, Cal, California, dating, family, Italian, Jesus, mental health, movie, relationships, religion, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Gina was from a big Italian family, So was Vito; they were the same age. The families were good friends, and when they were both fifteen, Gina was in love with Vito. But they never dated, and once Gina left for Berkeley to go to school at Cal, she didn’t see Vito for several… Continue reading A Date with Jesus

Worst Dog Sitting Ever

Posted in Bill Cosby, California, cats, coyote, dogs, kittens, memoir, moving, neighbors, pregnant, worstLeave a comment

(re=run) When I was a newlywed, living in San Diego, my next door neighbor, Doreen, befriended me. She noticed I was home alone a lot, since my teaching job ended at 3:00, and my new husband didn’t come home from work until 7:00 or so. Doreen invited me over for food and chit chat. Once,… Continue reading Worst Dog Sitting Ever

Deciding for your Children

Posted in artist, books, California, children, Chinese food, Chinese restaurant, daughter, donations, garage sales, Iowa, library, memoir, parents, self-fulfilling prophecy, teacher, teaching, writersLeave a comment

(re-run) It’s funny how something pops into your brain and you think, that would make a good blog post. Today I mailed 100 books to a librarian in Menlo Park. They are old kids’ books that my children read back in the day.  My librarian Facebook friend asked for books for her students to read… Continue reading Deciding for your Children

A Memorial and a Party

Posted in humor, memoir, Sweden, Halloween, California, thrift store, party, drinking, memorial service, costumes, World War II, election, Meet-up, South Dakota, OctoberLeave a comment

I got invited to a memorial service for a woman who lived to be 99. It’s hard to be sad when someone has had such a good long life.  We were encouraged to wear hats since the woman loved hats. I spoke into the mike about my friend from my antique shop days (she covered… Continue reading A Memorial and a Party

Weed, Water, Thrift

Posted in 4th of July, flood, Guadalupe River, July, memoir, nature, senior citizen, senior discount, summer, summer camp, tea cups, Texas, thrift stores, thrifting, tragedy, weedLeave a comment

I just got home from an intense 48 hours of going to the beach, watering all my potted plants (gophers), and collecting more teacups for my dining-room side hustle selling dishes. It looked like sunshine, but only the first half day. After that, clouds and more clouds, but good for working in the yard weather.… Continue reading Weed, Water, Thrift

Show Me the Numbers!

Posted in Baby Boomer, Beatriz at Dinner, family, gangs, generation, Guatemala, Hispanic, immigrants, immigration, majority, pension, Spanish, teacher, U.S. Census, wedding5 Comments

(re-run) At a recent wedding rehearsal dinner, I sat across from a well-off, pension-receiving white guy who started a conversation about immigration. Sorry for him that he did not know he was sitting across from a Spanish teacher/book author who has studied and followed Hispanic cultures for most of my life. And I’m old. To… Continue reading Show Me the Numbers!

Life is Short, Use the Pretty Bowl

Posted in dishes, grandma, memoir, Navajo, paramedics, quilt, seniors, thrift stores1 Comment

Maybe it’s a senior-citizen thing. Maybe it’s because I’ve lost three neighbors in the last 14 months. Whatever it is, it’s my new mantra: use the good stuff in my day-to-day living. What am I saving it for? My life is more than half over. No one lives into their one hundred and twenties. I’ve… Continue reading Life is Short, Use the Pretty Bowl

Hot Lipstick and a Missed Wedding

Posted in airline ticket, Chronicle, CVS, deejay, face masks, Facebook, fruit, lipstick, memoir, milestone, pandemic, protestors, relationships, songs, vacation, weddingLeave a comment

(re-run) This morning (Sunday) I ran out to get the San Francisco Chronicle, bought fruit, and then dropped off a library book, mailed a letter, and parked in front of CVS, waiting for the pharmacy to open. Why not run errands later, you ask?  Because the Chronicle sells out fairly early, so I settled in… Continue reading Hot Lipstick and a Missed Wedding