Month: July 2018

Dear Racist

Posted in attitude, college, dating, dumping someone, ethnicity, firsts, Hispanic, humor, picnic, prejudice, racist, relationships, religion, Seattle, Washington, worst1 Comment

Laurie had graduated college and had boomeranged back home to Seattle. She met a cute guy with horn-rimmed glasses. He invited her on a picnic at the beach. She said yes. “Have fun,” her mom said when Greg came to the house. Greg drove to a sandy spot with a view of the city. They… Continue reading Dear Racist

A Lasting Love

Posted in California, cars, Catholic, Chevy, dancing, dating, high school, Homecoming, humor, music, parking, relationships, romance, sisterLeave a comment

Maurice was a sophomore at Riordan Catholic High School for boys in San Francisco. He played tenor sax in the marching band. His buddy Dave was dating a girl named Sheila from Mercy Catholic High School for girls, and he suggested that Maurice date her older sister, Colleen. The foursome went to the football game,… Continue reading A Lasting Love

It Never Goes Away

Posted in best, California, cyber space, Evite, Facebook, friends, funeral, humor, last, memoir, memorial service, relationships, worstLeave a comment

Every year I get a notification from Facebook that it’s a certain friend’s birthday. The trouble is that the friend has been dead and gone for over four years. I read a poem at his memorial service. He was a ski club guy, not a guy I knew real well. Is there no one to… Continue reading It Never Goes Away

The Friend Date

Posted in best, California, dancing, firsts, friends, house party, humor, memoir, Millennials, mom, music, parking lot, relationships, sisterLeave a comment

(re-run) He said he had a girlfriend but that she didn’t like to dance. Here he was, out dancing again. He loved to talk up a good game with the ladies, but would he ever act on it? He’d been with the same woman for over twenty years. He had insisted that I take his… Continue reading The Friend Date

More Uses for a Nine Year Old

Posted in best, bribe, California, confidence, firsts, humor, memoir, nature, nine year old, ocean, relationships, reward, seashellsLeave a comment

Another trip to the beach, another weekend with a nine year old. While her mom toiled away at all the things I can no longer do, I got to spend time with a smart but headstrong little girl who rarely eats healthy food. My goal was to get her to learn her times tables. You… Continue reading More Uses for a Nine Year Old

Judging from the Trends

Posted in author, best, books, California, children, children's books, dinosaurs, humor, memoir, mom, relationships, trends, worstLeave a comment

I was asked to judge a picture book contest. I am a picture book author of 29 books and also a mom of past picture-book fans. Picture books are books with both words and art, usually 28 to 64 pages, and usually for young children. The gift book people have figured out how to put… Continue reading Judging from the Trends

Border Collies 2, Geese 0

Posted in aging, California, dog training, geese, golf course, humor, nature, outdoors, relationships, summerLeave a comment

She named you Tru. You are a member of the smartest dog breed on the planet, one that performs in sheepherding trials, one that needs to work every day because you are so intelligent. You are happy to get into a golf cart and ride around the Crow Canyon County Club golf course, looking for… Continue reading Border Collies 2, Geese 0

Only Human

Posted in Beatles, best, board and care, California, caregiver, cell phone, dancing, friends, girlfriends, humor, memoir, music, relationships, sister, skilled nursing facility4 Comments

It had been a busy day. After exercise class, I stopped at Costco to buy Sis a TV. The board and care home didn’t have one for her bedroom, and she wasn’t willing to go to the living room to watch it with the other five residents. She wasn’t willing to do much of anything.… Continue reading Only Human