California – Page 59 – FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER!

Pyracantha and the Path to School

March 18, 2021March 15, 2021 Posted in California, deer, fences, gardeners, native plants, photinia, pyracantha, school, school district, shortcut, smoking, trash, weedLeave a comment

When my kids were 14, 11 and 6, we moved into a house that bordered the school district’s property. The middle school sat to the right of our backyard, and the high school sat to the left. Only a chain-length fence and a hedge of photinia separated its property from ours. I called the school… Continue reading Pyracantha and the Path to School

A Lasting Love

March 14, 2021March 10, 2021 Posted in California, cars, Catholic, Chevy, dancing, dating, high school, Homecoming, humor, music, parking, relationships, romance, sisterLeave a comment

Maurice was a sophomore at Riordan Catholic High School for boys in San Francisco. He played tenor sax in the marching band. His buddy Dave was dating a girl named Sheila from Mercy Catholic High School for girls, and he suggested that Maurice date her older sister, Colleen. The foursome went to the football game,… Continue reading A Lasting Love

Worst Mom Ever

March 13, 2021March 10, 2021 Posted in baseball, best, brownies, California, children, daughter, eyebrows, humor, memoir, parenting, relationships, son, worstLeave a comment

As a mother, choose your words and actions carefully, for eighteen years! Mom to three grown children, I still hear about the horrible things I said and the awful things I did to them as children. Oldest daughter with her dad’s dark heavy eyebrows: me, to her as a teen, “You might want to pluck… Continue reading Worst Mom Ever

Jerky Jokester

March 12, 2021March 10, 2021 Posted in California, cell phone, dumping someone, firsts, flirting, horse radish, humor, last, relationships, restaurant, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Elena lived in the city. She went to the Cingular store to get a phone line. Fidel saw her and helped her get one set up. She filled out the paperwork and then changed her mind. He put the paperwork into the shredder but then asked her for her phone number. “If you want… Continue reading Jerky Jokester

The Dog That Everyone Wanted

March 5, 2021March 4, 2021 Posted in Bay Area, California, college, dogs, drugs, Judge Judy, marijuana, mountain lion, pot farm, small claims court, spring break, Trinity National ForestLeave a comment

Scott heard from Joe, a college buddy, that someone was giving away a four-month-old puppy that had cost them $300. He was a mix of Jack Russell terrier and something bigger. The family felt bad that they were gone all day, and the puppy was crated every day for hours. Scott thought about the puppy… Continue reading The Dog That Everyone Wanted

Daisy’s Bloody Tuesday

February 28, 2021February 27, 2021 Posted in animal adoption, animal rescue, animal training, California, dog training, dogs, humorLeave a comment

(re-run) Woe is me. I have a weirdo for a rescue dog. I am her third owner. Things go well most days, but then she growls at my bigger dog, which is usually chill with the little goofball. But sometimes the big dog goes off on the little dog growling at her. She pins down… Continue reading Daisy’s Bloody Tuesday

A Crazy Coyote Story

February 27, 2021February 27, 2021 Posted in Bay Area, California, coyote, Facebook, Fish and Wildlife, high school, humans, Iowa, memoir, newspaper, police officer, toddler, wild animalLeave a comment

The Bay Area has a nutty coyote that has, so far, bitten five humans. It started back in July in the town of Moraga, where it first bit a toddler in a park. It also bit a man running track in the dark at a high school. Then it bit a grocery store employee on… Continue reading A Crazy Coyote Story

The White Album

February 25, 2021February 24, 2021 Posted in aging, Beatles, best, board and care, California, caregiver, dancing, flirting, humor, memoir, relationshipsLeave a comment

(re-run) The last time I saw the Beatles cover band in the Santa Cruz mountains hippie town of Felton, I noticed that most of the crowd was coupled off, and most of the couples didn’t dance. They were too old, having been die-hard Beatles fans for fifty years. It was a shame. The floor is… Continue reading The White Album

Give Them a Chance

February 24, 2021 Posted in artist, books, California, children, Chinese food, Chinese restaurant, daughter, donations, garage sales, Iowa, library, memoir, parents, self-fulfilling prophecy, teacher, teaching, writersLeave a comment

(re-run) It’s funny how something pops into your brain and you think, that would make a good blog post. Today I mailed 100 books to a librarian in Menlo Park. They are old kids’ books that my children read back in the day. My librarian Facebook friend asked for books for her students to read… Continue reading Give Them a Chance

Spear Fishing, Anyone?

February 23, 2021February 22, 2021 Posted in California, cars, dating, hunting, Monterey Bay, sports, travel, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) Aaron and Katie decided to go spear fishing. He had just bought her a wet suit, and he was looking forward to introducing her to hunting in the ocean. The pair had been to Fort Bragg, where they dived for abalone. This time, Aaron took Katie to Monterey Bay, and they went through the… Continue reading Spear Fishing, Anyone?