When It’s Foggy, Go Thrifting

(re-run) I am in Monterey County, which is known for its June Gloom. I woke up to fog and had no desire to pull weeds in the dampness. Since there was no Zoom Zumba this morning, I seized the day, deciding before breakfast to go thrifting in Carmel. I hadn’t been there for a few… Continue reading When It’s Foggy, Go Thrifting

The Power of Vacation

(re-run, pre-pandemic) The week after Christmas is a dead time for scheduled activities. Chorus rehearsals are cancelled. The city building where I exercise three times a week is closed.  There’s a lot of extra time during the day. So . . . . . . for the first time in two and a half years,… Continue reading The Power of Vacation

Racism Embedded in our Language

(re-run) A few months ago, I was in Carmel visiting my favorite thrift stores. If you don’t like thrift stores, you haven’t been to the ones in Carmel!  I got into a line to pay, and when it was my turn, and the woman had rung up my $89.00 worth of purchases, I whipped out… Continue reading Racism Embedded in our Language

Piglet in a Box

(re-run) Carin was working, cutting her stepsister’s hair at the salon her mom owned.  Her cell phone vibrated. She never took calls during work.  All of her friends and family knew that.  It vibrated again, a second call from the same number. She picked up.  It was her ex boyfriend, Rob. Rob was two ex-boyfriends… Continue reading Piglet in a Box

Piglet in a Box

(re-run) Carin was working, cutting her stepsister’s hair at the salon her mom owned.  Her cell phone vibrated. She never took calls during work.  All of her friends and family knew that.  It vibrated again, a second call from the same number. She picked up.  It was her ex boyfriend, Rob. Rob was two ex-boyfriends… Continue reading Piglet in a Box

Car Shows, Men, and Elvis

(re-run) It’s funny how memories of one thing lead to memories of other things happening in the same time period. Like the Twin Towers falling, or JFK getting assassinated. Or Elvis dying. Today is the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death. Forty-two years ago, I was stepping off an airplane from Spain (by way of Morocco).… Continue reading Car Shows, Men, and Elvis

When It’s Foggy, Go Thrifting

I am in Monterey County today, which is known for its June Gloom. I woke up to fog and had no desire to pull weeds in the dampness. Since there was no Zoom Zumba this morning, I seized the day, deciding before breakfast to go thrifting in Carmel. I hadn’t been there for a few… Continue reading When It’s Foggy, Go Thrifting

Melanoma and Me

(re-run) This is the kind of post that is scary to write, knowing that melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. When I got the call, I was hiking in one of the most beautiful places on Earth near Carmel, with two friends, a happy couple who happened to be in town. “I have melanoma,” I… Continue reading Melanoma and Me