(re-run) When my new science teacher announced on the first day of 7th grade that no one would get an A in his class if they didn’t make an insect collection, I was like, “NOOOOOOOO! I hate bugs!” My mother hated bugs. Her mother hated bugs. They hated mice, snakes, and dog poop, too. I… Continue reading How my Bug Collection Changed a Generation
Category: best
The Late Winter Blues
+ Hail, thunder, sunset, a rainbow. It all happened Sunday afternoon within five minutes of one another. Monday brought polar weather to my California town. It’s the second half of February. I am ready for winter to be done. True, we haven’t had snow, except that one day. We rarely have ice, but this morning… Continue reading The Late Winter Blues
Dive Bar Dancing
(re-run) I never imagined that I’d still be dancing in bars at this age. But hey, a girl’s got to dance, and in the winter the live music is in the bars. So here I sit, waiting for my girl friend, who is dumping her grumpy guy tonight to come dance with me. She’s got… Continue reading Dive Bar Dancing
The Week of Love
My chorus is singing a love-themed concert this spring. The songs individually are all good except for the flowery Love is a Many Splendored Thing. It reminds me of 1970’s soap operas. The songs are running together in my brain. Sure, they are different vintages, but none of them is current, and many of the… Continue reading The Week of Love
Best Ed Sullivan Show Ever
(re-run) Carol grew up in in Pueblo, Colorado, which was called the little Pittsburg of the West. Her dad was a steelworker. Her mom was a lab tech phlebotomist at the hospital. Whenever one of the kids got sick, her mom would bring home a hypodermic needle in her purse to draw some blood. “To… Continue reading Best Ed Sullivan Show Ever
UPS Freeway Scare
It was a day like any other day. I was late leaving the house for exercise class so decided to jump on the freeway for two exits to save time. As I was driving, thinking about all the things I had to do that day, I noticed a UPS truck merging into my lane with… Continue reading UPS Freeway Scare
Long-playing Ski Buddies
(re-run) Ellen was in charge of the ski cabin for the In Skiers of 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
No New Year’s Resolutions for Me
(re-run) Today’s the day I am supposed to resolve to do better, work harder, exercise more, and eat clean. Guess what? I learned long ago to do things in baby steps. It takes twenty-one days to form a new habit. Sometimes I can do it if I don’t think too hard about it. Like yogurt.… Continue reading No New Year’s Resolutions for Me
What Not to Do on the First Date
It takes seven artisans to make a glass of wine — from the grape growers to the vintners to the coopers, etc. Or so the pitch goes at the small winery in Fairfield. And to draw a crowd, they bring in live music on weekend afternoons. Brent met a woman online and invited her there… Continue reading What Not to Do on the First Date
C is for Choices
Life is a series of choices: what to eat for breakfast, what college to go to, which person to marry, whether to see the cup half full or half empty. It’s much easier to look back at life and say what choices were good or bad. Whatever they were, they got you to where you… Continue reading C is for Choices
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 