Susan

The Ultimate Sacrifice

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019 Posted in airforce, army, best, bomber, California, crew, Himalayas, Hiroshima, Japan, Kobe, last, memoir, mission, POW, relationships, ultimate sacrifice, World War II, worstLeave a comment

What do you do when World War II, the one that killed your big brother or the uncle that you never knew, has been over for almost 75 years? When you find out that your niece has always wanted to know the story? When you learn that your aunt has twenty years of research and… Continue reading The Ultimate Sacrifice

A Corny Tale

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019 Posted in farm, GMO, Iowa, Nebraska, Pioneer seed corn, smut, spiders, summer, tornadoLeave a comment

(re-run) It all started with a post on Facebook, showing how your average American doesn’t know how to shuck corn. If you are from Iowa in the 60’s, then you know how. We weren’t well off. As a matter of fact, people would give us bags of food, like homegrown apples, tomatoes, or corn. Our… Continue reading A Corny Tale

Memories Light the Corners of my Mind

November 10, 2019November 9, 2019 Posted in coupons, dogs, firsts, humor, memoir, memory, MS, names, neurologist, sexiest, sexiest manLeave a comment

(re-run) I used to be good at remembering people’s names and remembering to use coupons before they expired. Now I am lucky if I can find the coupon when I am at the store. Today, at CVS, I checked out and was given a long receipt with $6.00 of extra bucks on it. My new… Continue reading Memories Light the Corners of my Mind

Long-playing Ski Buddies

November 9, 2019 Posted in best, California, car pool, dating, flirting, humor, marriage, nature, relationships, skiingLeave a comment

(re-run) Ellen was in charge of the ski cabin for the In Skiers in San Mateo. Mark joined the Powder Hounds even though he was just a beginner. Mark called Ellen to arrange for a room in the InSkiers cabin. Ellen had a cold and sounded like Lauren Bacall when she answered. Mark liked that.… Continue reading Long-playing Ski Buddies

Airbnb Tragedy on Halloween

November 8, 2019 Posted in airbnb, California, deejay, Halloween, hoodlums, mansion, Orinda, party, relationships, Uncategorized5 Comments

Some mornings I wake up with a burning desire to vent, on paper. Today is such a morning. Eight days ago, five young black people were murdered at a Halloween party at an Airbnb rental in an upscale (mostly white) town near here called Orinda. Orinda is the last mostly-white suburb before the Caldecott tunnel… Continue reading Airbnb Tragedy on Halloween

Joe Average

November 8, 2019 Posted in California, dating, dinner, divorce, humor, online dating, relationships, restaurant, worstLeave a comment

Emily met Joe on Match. They both liked the Giants. They both lived in Livermore, although he worked in Alameda and had to get up early at 4:00 a.m. for his job. Joe made an exception to stay up late one night so he could meet Emily for dinner. Emily had looked forward to meeting… Continue reading Joe Average

The Story of my Rescue Puppy, Pepper

November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 Posted in animal adoption, animal rescue, ARF, break-ins, burglaries, California, care giver, dog training, dogs, firsts, humor, Jack Russell terrier, labrador, memoir, pit bull1 Comment

I laughed out loud. I had joked about a getting a pit bull, and the universe had dropped two of them in my path.

The Middle Child

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 Posted in attitude, birth order, childhood, dogs, expectations, flashback, gender, middle child, relationshipsLeave a comment

I’m not really the middle middle child. I am the second of five. But I am the middle daughter, three girls before two brothers. Looking back over the years, I remember how it felt to not be the oldest, not the youngest, not the first daughter, not the youngest daughter, not the first son (of… Continue reading The Middle Child

Roughing It in Paradise

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019 Posted in apples, beach, Carmel, hot water heater, money pit, Monterey Bay, thrift store, Uncategorized, water heaterLeave a comment

Every two weeks I head down to Monterey to water my plants and visit my little beach house. With 60 mph winds last weekend that toppled a decades-old tree next to my yard, I figured I’d have a hundred or so pine cones to clean up in my other front yard under an 100-year-old pine… Continue reading Roughing It in Paradise

Date with an Older Man

November 3, 2019November 2, 2019 Posted in aging, best, California, dancing, dating, dogs, exercise, friends, girl friends, gym, hiking, holidays, humor, relationships, sister, Spanish, surpriseLeave a comment

(re-run) I said yes. To a date. With a much older man. My girlfriend met him and didn’t approve. But she also said she wouldn’t dance with any guy she wouldn’t want to kiss. I dance with everyone – men, women, kids – many of whom I would never put my lips on. Does dancing… Continue reading Date with an Older Man