If There’s Music in the Park

We’ve waited all winter for this. It’s finally pay-off time. Every town in the Bay Area springs for a summer concert series in its town park, town square, or patch of grass. If a person is willing to drive, he/she can hear free outdoor concerts six nights a week for almost three months. We’ve waited… Continue reading If There’s Music in the Park

The Power of Nature

Sun, trees, dirt, flowers — my nose is full of the smell of Eucalyptus leaves. I used to hike twice a month with my senior hiking group called DASH. Then my sis moved in with me so that I could be her care giver. My hiking days stopped except for once last summer when I… Continue reading The Power of Nature

Worst Fake Friend Ever

When I moved to suburbia in the Bay Area, I joined the Danville-Alamo 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 older and bigger. My two-year-old daughter bonded… Continue reading Worst Fake Friend Ever

FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

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 live music. If you are willing to drive, you can hear it six evenings a week for free, from June to… Continue reading FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

How to Relax for Bed

I closed my online costume shop last summer. I donated 500 dresses to a charity for third world girls and sorted through my aprons, pulling out all the hostess ones, the sheer ones not for cooking. I had 150 of them. I gave them to my local thrift store, the one that knows vintage stuff.… Continue reading How to Relax for Bed

Sorry About That

Aileen had a date in her early fifties that neither she, nor the guy will ever forget. They met online. He suggested a hike out to the Black Diamond Mines in Antioch. She agreed, although she wasn’t much of a hiker. During the hike and while climbing in and out of the mine tunnels, Aileen… Continue reading Sorry About That

Must Be a Small Town

I went to my favorite beach town for 24 hours to get away from it all. The weather was foggy, the weeds in my yard were thick, and my two dogs weren’t getting along. But the thrift stores in Carmel had their end-of-the-month half-off sales yesterday, so who cared about the weather, the weeds and… Continue reading Must Be a Small Town

The Uses for a Nine Year Old

My Girl Friday (who works for me on Mondays) has a daughter, who sometimes comes along with her to work. Now that her daughter is nine, she is useful in many ways. 1. She entertains my dogs. 2. She entertains my sister, giving her someone to watch. 3. She brings music into the house, since… Continue reading The Uses for a Nine Year Old