Author: Susan

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

Feeling Better

Posted in animals, birdfeeder, birds, Depression, dogs, exercise, food, Iowa, medications, melanoma, memoir, mood, nature, sunshine, Zumba3 Comments

(re-run) I have some down days every year, but mostly I don’t. I know I’m lucky. I have also aligned my life to feel better. Coincidentally, a relative’s therapist told her the five things she needs every day to get out of her funk. Nature – I grew up outside in Iowa. As kids, we… Continue reading Feeling Better

Wasabi on a First Date

Posted in attitude, bathroom, California, chemistry, dating, dinner, flirting, hairdresser, humor, poop, relationships, restaurant, romance, waiter, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Garth and Gladys had the same hair dresser.  She was coming in as he was going out. He asked for her phone number. She gave it to her hairdresser to give to him. There aren’t too many eligible men in their seventies, especially one that still had his hair! Garth took Gladys to a… Continue reading Wasabi on a First Date

The Racist, the Ficus Tree, and my Garage Sale

Posted in California, entitled attitude, Ficus, garage sales, hairdresser, humor, Iowa, memoir, Millennials, mom, neighbors, racist, relationships, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) When I was six, the one black boy in my elementary school was my classmate. His name was Teddy. This was white-white-white Iowa in the 60’s.  My first grade teacher, Mrs. Van Cura, got angry at the class one day for misbehaving and said, “Whoever doesn’t behave will have to play with Teddy at… Continue reading The Racist, the Ficus Tree, and my Garage Sale

Say What in Santa Cruz

Posted in California, college, dating, friends, helpful strangers, high school, marriage proposal, relationships, Santa Cruz, siblings, vacationLeave a comment

(re-run) Jennifer met Brad at San Leandro High school in the Bay Area. She wasn’t allowed to date, but she was allowed to go to junior prom. The next year Brad asked Jennifer to Senior Ball. It was in San Francisco, and afterward, they went to Pier 39 with everyone else in their limo. Brad… Continue reading Say What in Santa Cruz

First Movie Date

Posted in army, army brat, copping a feel, firsts, Jane Fonda, junior high school, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, movie, movie date, summer, Texas, training braLeave a comment

(re-run) She was just thirteen and an army brat, always moving with her family to a new school. This time it was to Fort Worth, Texas, after four years abroad in Morocco. She got a job working at a Snow Cone stand for 50 cents an hour, but the shifts were twelve hours long. She… Continue reading First Movie Date

My Inherited Dog, Boomer

Posted in animal training, animals, California, dogs, honeymoon, marriage, memoir, pregnancy, raccoons, relationships3 Comments

(re-run) Boomer was never my dog, although he came into my care when I married his owner.  I’m not sure how old he was when I got him. My dog, Tess, was two and Boomer was older. A small, part-Beagle, part terrier, Boomer hadn’t had a regular dog’s life. He had never eaten dog food… Continue reading My Inherited Dog, Boomer

Antique Dolls Get a Bad Rap

Posted in childhood, COVID, dance floor, dancing, dolls, girlfriends, Monterey county, Nancy Ann dolls, online dating, pandemic, robot, Rossmoor, store, textingLeave a comment

Fifteen years ago, my second cousin died an untimely death. She left me all of her dolls that had passsed down on two sides of the family until they ended with her. She had no children, no one to pass the dolls to. I’ve been dragging around my childhood dolls for half a century. When… Continue reading Antique Dolls Get a Bad Rap