My first dog, Pepper, eats breakfast, waits through Zumba for her walk, takes a nap, gets up for supper, and then takes another nap. She runs outside to bark at the neighbors’ dog and the dogs in the park, sometimes eating the fence. But other than that, she is a contented dog in Suburbia. Then… Continue reading Stuck in Suburbia
Category: dogs
Reflections on a Retired Thursday
(RE-RUN) You’d think retired people have seven days a week to reflect on their past lives. Not so, Smokey Joe. There was chorus, plus a COVID booster shot on Tuesday which produced a huge headache. “Take Tylenol,” my adult child who lives down the hall said. “No, you’re supposed to let the vaccine do its… Continue reading Reflections on a Retired Thursday
Ketchup and Noodles
When my son was two and his big sister was in kindergarten, I saw a window of opportunity to go do child-free errands, if I could just find a place to park him for two or three hours. Enter my neighbor Peggy. She didn’t have a childcare license, which limits the caregiver to six children… Continue reading Ketchup and Noodles
Taking a Trip
Wash the sheets! Pick up those pieces of construction debris! Hide a key! Do laundry! Eat! Pack some checks. Hide the jewels! Show the neighbor girl where the tomato plants are to water. Pack gifts for grandson and graduate. Pills, food, hats, don’t forget the hats. Ceremony is outside. Mouthguard. Pillow – oops, doesn’t fit.… Continue reading Taking a Trip
Falling, Falling, Falling
(re-run) The first time it happened, one of my shoelaces was untied. I stepped on it with my other shoe, then picked up my foot in the untied shoe and fell over. I was going over a berm along a busy street to get to – you guessed it – a thrift store. That was… Continue reading Falling, Falling, Falling
The Dog Whisperer
(re-run) My son moved in with me. He’s managed to get the super anxious, high-strung Jack Russell terrier 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… Continue reading The Dog Whisperer
Feeling Better
(re-run) I have some down days once in a while, but mostly I don’t. I know I’m lucky. I have aligned my life to feel better. Coincidentally, a relative’s therapist told her the five things she needs every day to get out of her funk. Nature – I grew up outside in Iowa. As kids,… Continue reading Feeling Better
The Tree Trimming Post
(re-run) The beach town where I have an almost -100-year-old house has Draconian tree-removal laws. In other words, you can’t. You can trim your tree up to 25%, but good luck trying to remove it. I found this out the hard way when I applied for a tree removal permit ($181.00) and was denied. A… Continue reading The Tree Trimming Post
Not your Normal Fishing Trip
(re-run) Really, guys, you can’t make this stuff up. My fisherman friend, we’ll call him Pete, took a buddy and his boat and spent a day on the Delta, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers meet Suisun Bay, which flows into San Francisco Bay and then the Pacific Ocean via San Pablo Bay. After… Continue reading Not your Normal Fishing Trip
Things That Go Flash in the Night
I was so tired from all the yardwork that I didn’t sleep well. I had tried to heat up the cold beach house, first by opening the windows and letting in the warmer air, and then in the evening, by turning on the heat. The thermostat wasn’t working and indicated I needed to replace the… Continue reading Things That Go Flash in the Night
