Month: June 2022

Uncle Frank and the Jar of Coins

Posted in 4th of July, antique, California, carnival, cats, cousins, Des Moines, grandfather clock, memoir, mom, money, uncleLeave a comment

(re-run) I grew up with three uncles, one in Colorado, another on the other side of the state, and one near my home town in Des Moines, Iowa. Uncle Frank was older than the other uncles, but since his daughter, Nina, was my age, I hardly noticed.  He was married to my grandma’s younger sister. … Continue reading Uncle Frank and the Jar of Coins

I Stole a Dilly Bar on a Dare

Posted in civil rights, conscience, constitution, Dairy Queen, election, flirting, Iowa, junior high school, lactose intolerance, memoir, Portland, president, stealing, vandals, voteLeave a comment

(re-run) When I was fourteen I stole a Dilly Bar from the Dairy Queen on a dare, but it wasn’t easy. It was lunch break from my junior high school, and we had an open campus. That meant we could walk across Douglas Avenue to go to the corner drugstore for candy or the Dairy… Continue reading I Stole a Dilly Bar on a Dare

My Fake-Coffee Half Hour

Posted in blog, blog posts, coffee, Diet Coke, Facebook, GERD, humor, memoir, names, relationships, Spanish, Spanish class, stomach, stomach issues, wineLeave a comment

(re-run) It’s funny how a person’s perception of what is good changes with the circumstances. I used to look forward to my can of Diet Coke every day until I reached my mid-forties. Then the stuff was too hard on my stomach, and I gave it up. I used to look forward to my cup… Continue reading My Fake-Coffee Half Hour

Fluorescent Man at the Wine Festival

Posted in BART, comfort zone, dancing, festival, friends, humor, Lafayette, live music, lunch, memoir, parking lot, relationships, wineLeave a comment

(re-run) Today the town up one freeway (and over another freeway) had a wine festival.  My art friend was showing her work, so we agreed to meet for lunch when she was done.  A guy friend wanted to dance at 5:00 to the Spazmatics. I got the dogs done early, visited my sis, and then… Continue reading Fluorescent Man at the Wine Festival

Back in my Fat Pants Again

Posted in beach, Beatles, calcium, country music, Dexa scan, heat wave, humor, ice cream, memoir, osteoporosis, pants, singing, summer, Sun Kings, weight gain1 Comment

It sounds like a country western song. “Well, my true love done left me. He mosied ‘round the bend. It makes me sad that I’m heading back to my fat pants again!” In the winter, when I can hide under many layers, I am thinnest. Maybe it’s all the no-calorie tea and hot water that… Continue reading Back in my Fat Pants Again

Pepper Might’ve Saved my Life Today

Posted in beach, California, dog behaviors, dog walks, garden hose, gardening, guardian angel, memoir, neighbors, old lady card, timing, tree trimmer, treesLeave a comment

(re-run) When I got back from the winter beach walk where I froze as Pepper smelled every bush and tree along the way, I went inside, put a pot of water on to heat, gave each dog a treat and took Daisy outside to play ball in the front yard. After I’d thrown the first… Continue reading Pepper Might’ve Saved my Life Today

Am I an Outlier or a Weirdo?

Posted in Amazon Prime, boat, books, Disney channel, Dr. Fauci, fight, Hispanic, immigration, iphone, laundry, memoir, nonfiction, NRA, online dating, outlier, recycle, Roe v. Wade, school shooting, Starbucks, tea cups, thrift store, Walmart, Whole FoodsLeave a comment

I don’t go to Starbucks. I don’t have an iphone, not sure how to spell it. I don’t have an Amazon Prime account. I don’t shop at Whole Foods. I won’t shop at Walmart. I recycle everything, even dig through the garbage looking for things my roommate adult child chose not to recycle. I love… Continue reading Am I an Outlier or a Weirdo?

When a House Feels Like a Home

Posted in college, divorce, fixer, house, house remodel, memoir, moving, neighbors, online sales, pioneers, puppy, sister, yardLeave a comment

It’s been eleven years since I moved into my little house. It has changed so much, and that’s a good thing. I liked the location but not the house. It was vacant. I saw it three Sundays in a row. The third time I looked at it, I decided I could live there. It was… Continue reading When a House Feels Like a Home

Playing Ball with Daisy, 2.0

Posted in animal training, animals, Christmas tree, dog manners, dog park, dogs, Girl Scout camp, memoir, rain, treesLeave a comment

A month or so ago, my three-time rescue Jack Russell terrier got overly excited and went after a loose Pomeranian in the park next to my house. Long story short, she’s no longer allowed off-leash. “I thought you didn’t play ball with her anymore,” my handywoamn said when I explained to her that she needed… Continue reading Playing Ball with Daisy, 2.0

Child of Rock and Roll

Posted in 45s, 78s, Bohemian Rhapsody, Eagles, Elvis, Isley Brothers, LPs, memoir, records, rock and roll, song lyrics, songs, songwriter, stereo systemLeave a comment

Being born in the fifties, being a child in the sixties, and becoming a teen-ager a year after the Summer of Love and the year before Woodstock, I straddled two decades of great music with a foot in each. As kids, we danced to Elvis records in Debbie Harvey’s basement, which was way cooler than… Continue reading Child of Rock and Roll