Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita

(re-run) Beth’s husband had two Akitas.  She wanted to get one for their six-year-old son.  She got Lee a puppy and named him Kuma, which is Japanese for Bear. The two older dogs kept attacking the puppy.  The marriage wasn’t going well, either. Beth and her son moved out and got their own place and… Continue reading Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita

Whatever is Meant to Be

(re-run) I’ve been on the hunt for bookcases for a while now. I have ten tubs of antique books sitting in a damp garage near the beach, and it would be good to get them into the house. I sold all my beautiful bookcases when I was getting divorced. I knew the new smaller house… Continue reading Whatever is Meant to Be

Marriage Advice from a Divorced Person

Facebook gives me so 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

Almost Toast

(re-run) Marlene and her friend Beth came out to California from New Hampshire after college to work for Bank of America. They each made a new friend, and each new friend brought another friend to the party (plus one more) until they were a group of seven recent college graduates, living in the city of… Continue reading Almost Toast

The Story of Dr. Seuss

I just finished a 430-page biography about Theodor Geisel.  You might know him better as Dr. Seuss (his mother’s maiden name). When I chose the book to review, I expected a children’s biography, not an in-depth  tome that chronicled his life year by year, from birth to death at age 87. He had two wives,… Continue reading The Story of Dr. Seuss

Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita

Her husband had two Akitas.  Beth wanted to get one for their six-year-old son.  She got Lee a puppy and named him Kuma, which is Japanese for Bear. The two older dogs kept attacking the puppy.  The marriage wasn’t going well, either. Beth and her son moved out and got their own place.  Kuma came… Continue reading Kuma, the Teddy-bear Akita

To Dye or Not to Dye

(re-run) Driving to Monterey today, looking at the velvety green hills and the occasional sprinkles of white on the tallest ones, my mind started composing this blog post. I thought about how everyone in California dyes his or her hair – menopausal women (no surprise there), old guys, young women, teen-aged boys. Everyone, at least… Continue reading To Dye or Not to Dye