Worst Fake Friend Ever

(re-run) When I moved to suburbia in the Bay Area, I joined the town’s Newcomer’s club and then joined the babysitting co-op within the club. We were all new mothers with one or two children, and the thirty of us traded babysitting with coupons while our little families grew bigger. My two-year-old daughter bonded with… Continue reading Worst Fake Friend Ever

Why Are Birthdays Such a Big Deal?

(re=run) If you’re like me, you remember some of your birthdays, the really good ones and the really bad ones. The older you get, the more focused they become as the other ones fall away. Why are birthdays such a big deal?  Everyone has one every year, and we each share the date with millions… Continue reading Why Are Birthdays Such a Big Deal?

FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

(re-run) You know summer has begun when you are constantly checking your email and calendar to make sure you’re not missing out on some live music that evening. Every town has its own series of music in the park. If you are willing to drive, you can hear it six evenings a week for free,… Continue reading FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

Memorial Day Weekend – Hello to Summer

(re-run from 2020) My next-door neighbor just told me that he had the Coronavirus in December, that he was down for 10 days, lost weight, lost his sense of smell and taste, and felt like he had a big rubber band around his chest.  He had to sleep in a chair because it hurt to… Continue reading Memorial Day Weekend – Hello to Summer

Two Dolls in Two Days

I am in my beach town, and it’s foggy and gray. I pulled weeds the first afternoon so that I could put out a full green can this morning for the yard waste truck. More weeds await, but it’s another gray day. I took off for thrift stores both days at lunch time. Yesterday, after… Continue reading Two Dolls in Two Days

Best Birthday Ever

(re-run from deep into the pandemic) I was dreading the big one with no way to celebrate it during a pandemic. What would I do all day?  How could I make the day different from all the other ones during the lockdown? The good news is that I didn’t have to do anything at all.… Continue reading Best Birthday Ever

Snow Day

Many of my Medicare friends are moving or contemplating moving to retirement communities.  A big one close to my town is called Rossmoor.  It’s a huge gated community built back in the sixties and contains 6700 residential units surrounded by open space.   At least one resident in each unit must be at least fifty-five years… Continue reading Snow Day