Author: Susan

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

Tickled Pink with my New View

Posted in Asilomar beach, beach, Carmel, house remodel, language, memoir, Monterey Bay, neighborhood, neighbors, ocean, roof, trees, vacation, view, writingLeave a comment

This is my week for antiquated language.  Here is my tickled-pink story. For you young’uns, tickled pink means you are really, really happy. OMG! Do I have some news today! For thirteen years next month, I have owned a beach house in Monterey county, at first with my husband, now by myself. It sits just… Continue reading Tickled Pink with my New View

Daydreaming on a Dog Walk

Posted in aging gracefully, animal rescue, animal training, astro turf, brain, dogs, language, memoir, neighborhood, neighbors, relationships, writing1 Comment

I get some of my best writing ideas while walking my dogs. My brain is free to think while my body is exercising. I am not listening to music or staring into my phone. I am enjoying the view. Today I walked Pepper, my almost four-year-old lab, while Daisy stayed home where she feels safe… Continue reading Daydreaming on a Dog Walk

The Thrift Store Angel

Posted in books, California, enviromentally friendly, humor, Marie Kondo, re-use, recycle, reduce, relationships, sparking joy, thrift store, trash, treasure1 Comment

I pulled into the donation line and saw the racks and racks of bagged clothing and rolling containers of all the other stuff. It had been a good day for donations at Saver’s Thrift store. When it was my turn, I got out of the car to open up the back of my SUV. “Wow!”… Continue reading The Thrift Store Angel

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

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 of… Continue reading My Fake-Coffee Half Hour

A Giants Date

Posted in athletes, baseball, California, contractor, control freak, dating, humor, online dating, San Francisco, sportsLeave a comment

(re-run) Tom the contractor was a Giants fan. He found a similar-minded woman on Match. Tom’s friend had given him the tickets, field level seats at the third baseline, near the players’ wives.   Tom asked his date to meet him at his place so they could drive over to the stadium in San Francisco together.… Continue reading A Giants Date

Must Love Dogs

Posted in animal adoption, animal rescue, beach, California, choke chain, dating, dogs, Golden Retriever, humor, ocean, relationshipsLeave a comment

John had a date with a woman named Sally. She had just rescued a dog and named it Muffin. John wanted to go skim boarding at the beach, and he asked Sally to come with him. Of course she had to bring Muffin, her Golden Retriever. When they got to San Gregorio beach a park… Continue reading Must Love Dogs

A Disco Era Story

Posted in dancing, dating, detasseling corn, firsts, McDonald's, memoir, Nebraska, relationships, restaurant, Spanish, Study abroad, worsts1 Comment

The band room was a freezer. “Vamos a sentarnos en el pasillo, clase.” “What?” “We’ll sit in the hallway today.” It was zero degrees outside. The school district wanted a Spanish class but had no classroom for me. I’d complained a zillion times – when the band teacher held private tuba lessons in his office,… Continue reading A Disco Era Story

Date with a Widower

Posted in aging, California, Catholic, dating, deceased, funeral, humor, online dating, relationships, restaurant2 Comments

They found each other on Match. They had both lost their spouses. Don said he was looking for a good Catholic widow. He was involved with the arch diocese in Oakland.  Sue was a recovering Catholic but thought maybe he was a solid guy. She agreed to meet him for coffee. He was good-looking and… Continue reading Date with a Widower

A Great Dane Story

Posted in animal training, Barbie, birds and bees, dog manners, dogs, friends, Great Danes, humor, Iowa, Ken, memoir, parents, relationships, teens2 Comments

When I was almost thirteen, I hung out at my neighbor Bonnie’s house, just one block away from mine, but it was different world.  Both her parents worked full time, so we teens could hang there with no parental supervision. We were supervised, though, by the family’s Great Danes. I remember three dogs, but there… Continue reading A Great Dane Story

Two Birdbaths, One Fountain

Posted in bees, butterflies, cats, compost, fountain, garden, pesticide, recycle, retirement community, skunk, yard2 Comments

I love my yard. When I first bought my fixer house on a fixer third acre, the yard was full of rocks and rose bushes.  Now it has trees, plants, roses, wisteria, a privet hedge, flag stone, one fountain and two bird baths. The fountain is an advertisement to creatures near and far to come… Continue reading Two Birdbaths, One Fountain