Lovely Rita, Meter Maid

(re-run) Saturdays are best when they are busy.  I like to have things to do.  So yesterday was fun from morning to night.  I spent most of the day in overly-metered Walnut Creek.  The town of walnut orchards has turned into a buzzing destination for shoppers.  It boasts a Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus (Needless Mark-up), Tiffany,… Continue reading Lovely Rita, Meter Maid

Apple Tree

(re-run) When I bought the house, I inherited the apple tree. I didn’t realize how prolific it was until one day, after the gardeners left, I noticed a line of fat apples sitting on my side fence. One of the gardeners had picked them with the intention of taking them home, but he must’ve forgotten.… Continue reading Apple Tree

A Good Dog Neighbor

(re-run) Yesterday my son and I had lunch together at the local sandwich shop. He brought his little dog, half Chihuahua, half terrier. I fed Violet scraps of lettuce under the table while we ate. She thinks she’s a vegetarian. Afterward, we followed the usual routine and came back to my house, where Violet could… Continue reading A Good Dog Neighbor

What to Do instead of Going Online

(re-run) It’s amazing once a person takes the internet out of the daily equation, just how much she can get done. And how she doesn’t miss it all that much. And how she has time to write about not missing it. As technology goes, I could take it or leave it. I still shop at… Continue reading What to Do instead of Going Online

Peace Corps Fail

(re-run) It was in the spring of my first year of teaching when the call came. I was at Greenwood Elementary in Greenwood, Nebraska. I had applied to the Peace Corps the year before. They had just seen my application. They wanted to fly me to Chicago for an interview that weekend. They gave me… Continue reading Peace Corps Fail

The Turquoise Trailer and the Homeless Couple

(re-run) My little beach house sits on land bought back in 1929 from the railroad company.  The old deed shows the purchase price of $25.00. For some reason, the original owner didn’t want to buy the land up to the railroad tracks. Now, 90 years later, the land between my back fence and the old… Continue reading The Turquoise Trailer and the Homeless Couple

The Weakest Link – my Low Back

(re-run) The good thing about the current Coronavirus Covid-19 lockdown is that I have a hundred projects to finish.  Suddenly I have nothing but time to do it all. Everything was going along swimmingly yesterday. I exercised. I painted (spray-painted picture frames), I picked up dog poop. I did a heavy load of laundry.  I… Continue reading The Weakest Link – my Low Back

More Crazy Real Estate Stuff

My little beach house sits on what was once a run-down looking street with oversized lots (for the town).  I bought it with my ex when we were married. He didn’t love it, but I did. It was one level, no steps from the driveway to the back door, a big fenced front yard and… Continue reading More Crazy Real Estate Stuff