(re-run) Facebook gives me many ideas for blog posts. I went thrifting this morning in my little beach town and was going to brag about how I went to four thrift stores, bought four bags of stuff and only spent $7.50 plus $4.28 plus $6.53 plus $19.99. It was a stellar day for useful household… Continue reading Marriage Advice from a Divorced Person
Category: California
Drive-in Movie Blues
(re-run) Linda was a freshman and would start high school in the fall. She was doing summer stock at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa. The play was Bye Bye Birdie, and she was playing the part of a show girl. Jeff, one of the good-looking stage hands, drove a blue ’66 Cadillac convertible with… Continue reading Drive-in Movie Blues
Weirdest First Date or Most Purrfect?
Mary met him on Match.com. He had dark hair and eyes and was pale but cute. He drove a Mustang, and Mary loved Mustangs. She was a bit older, but they were both deep into their twenties. He was earning his PhD at Cal and was a teaching assistant, so that meant he was super… Continue reading Weirdest First Date or Most Purrfect?
Best Tomato-planting Advice Ever
One morning, at a local garage sale, I stumbled upon the Alamo Garden Club people, selling plants in one of the member’s driveways. I picked up five tomato plants since the price was right. “Do you know how to plant them?” the man seated next to the cashier asked. “Yes,” I said. “I grow them… Continue reading Best Tomato-planting Advice Ever
The Dog Whisperer
My son moved in with me. He has managed to get the super anxious, high-strung Jack Russell to roll over onto her back when she sees him coming. She allows belly rubs to happen. This is huge. I’ve been massaging Daisy Dog ever since pandemic life went online with Zoom. She knows to sit in… Continue reading The Dog Whisperer
Dog Training, the $100 Secret
(re-run) When I got a ten-week-old puppy four days before Christmas six+ years ago, I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be. I’d trained many a dog, but I did it within the context of my family, with my children at the ready to wear out the new pet. This time I was… Continue reading Dog Training, the $100 Secret
The Red-tailed Hawk and the Toddler Fence
(re-run) I’m a bird lover. I feed the song birds and the finches. I have an ongoing water supply in the form of a fountain in my back yard. I’ve planted native plants for the hummingbirds. When I hike, I am thrilled to find a hawk feather to add to my hat. Twenty-odd years ago,… Continue reading The Red-tailed Hawk and the Toddler Fence
The Day Grandma Got Woke
(re-run) My mom loves to watch the daytime talk show called Ellen. It’s usually fun and games, with hunky guys and Ellen playing tricks on her guests and staff. She rounds out the hour with lesbian jokes, a musical performance by some obscure band, and Ellen surprising some needy but giving person with $10,000 in… Continue reading The Day Grandma Got Woke
Getting Away from all the No, No, No’s
(re-run) My mom, bless her heart, had to keep five children in line, mostly by herself. She did it by keeping everyone in his or her place, as in, “No, you can’t do that!” I just found out that my younger sister also wanted to play clarinet in the band, like I did. But I… Continue reading Getting Away from all the No, No, No’s
Checking Out the Guy Checking You Out
(re-run) First of all, let’s just get this out in the open. It’s weird to be a woman of a certain age and to be hit on while waiting for a BART train. As in Bay Area Rapid Transit. He was sitting when I came up to the platform. I sat down next to him,… Continue reading Checking Out the Guy Checking You Out
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 