Category: gardening

Pepper Might’ve Saved my Life Today

Posted in beach, California, dog behaviors, dog walks, garden hose, gardening, guardian angel, memoir, neighbors, old lady card, timing, tree trimmer, treesLeave a comment

(re-run) When I got back from the beach walk where I froze as Pepper smelled every bush and tree along the way, I went inside, put a pot of water on to heat, gave each dog a treat and took Daisy outside to play ball in the front yard. After I’d thrown the first ball,… Continue reading Pepper Might’ve Saved my Life Today

Frostbite Memories

Posted in beach, California, college, December, dog walks, dogs, frostbite, gardening, Iowa, memoir, Monterey Bay, old lady card, tourists, tree trimmer, trees, wind, winter breakLeave a comment

Today the sun was shining, the ocean was royal blue and the wind was bitter cold. I had the dog on a choke chain since I couldn’t squeeze the prong collar back together (I’d taken it apart in the wrong place).  I headed down my street past a tree- trimmer truck that has just pulled… Continue reading Frostbite Memories

Biggest Scavenger Day Ever

Posted in California, ceramics, dog food, friends, garden club, gardening, handy woman, hiking, low back pain, memoir, moving, pots, succulents, truckLeave a comment

A friend of mine in a garden club knows that I like pots and plants. She called to say that one member was moving and offering her many potted plants to the club.  Nancy drove over to the woman’s house with me on Tuesday. I filled up my car with lots of little pots and… Continue reading Biggest Scavenger Day Ever

Wrapping Up the Weekend

Posted in bartender, dogs, gardening, humor, letter carrier, lunch, memoir, October, party, planner, racetrack worker, rats, relationships, retirement, sewingLeave a comment

(re-run from 2019) It’s Sunday evening, the dogs are snoring, and I reflect on my awesome weekend. Nothing monumental happened.  It was your run of the mill event, with a return trip from Monterey, a potluck party to attend, a visit to Sis, lunch with my son, a couple of dog walks, and an afternoon… Continue reading Wrapping Up the Weekend

The Tree Whisperer

Posted in California, gardeners, gardening, helpful strangers, humor, memoir, nature, outdoors, relationships, trees, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) I walk my neighborhood once or twice most days while walking Dog A and Dog B (I can’t walk them together since the newest little weirdo is nuts). Because I am a tree hugger and have planted more than sixty trees at my various houses over the years, I will free a distressed tree… Continue reading The Tree Whisperer

Dealing with Duff

Posted in beach, beach house, duff, fire prevention, fires, forest, gardening, insurance, memoir, Santa Cruz, urban fires, urban wildlife interface, woodsLeave a comment

What is duff, you ask? It’s decaying vegetable matter covering the ground under trees.  It’s what burns in a wild fire. It’s especially thick under evergreen trees because those pine needles build up and don’t necessarily get raked up like obvious leaves do. Insurance companies want those of us who live in California to get… Continue reading Dealing with Duff

Snow Day

Posted in babies, birthday, California, children, estate sale, Etsy, family, friends, gardening, greenbelt, holiday weekend, holidays, humor, internet, memoir, military, relationships, retirement community, snow, TahoeLeave a comment

Many of my Medicare friends are moving or contemplating moving to retirement communities.  A big one close to my town is called Rossmoor.  It’s a huge gated community built back in the sixties and contains 6700 residential units surrounded by open space.   At least one resident in each unit must be at least fifty-five years… Continue reading Snow Day

Always Wear Clean Underwear

Posted in accident, cars, Christmas, clean-up, company, dogs, gardening, hospital, humor, laundry, memoir, mothers, Thanksgiving, toilet, underwearLeave a comment

I was getting ready to walk the dog this morning when I noticed that the toilet bowl needed a swish. Doing it later isn’t a thing with me. What If I get hit by a bus and people see my dirty toilet? Swish, swish. My youngest is coming home for Thanksgiving? Dust the cobwebs, vacuum… Continue reading Always Wear Clean Underwear

It’s the Little Things

Posted in birthday, cooking, dancing, dogs, drinking, friends, gardening, hiking, hospital, memoir, party, singing, walking, weekend, writingLeave a comment

(re-run) A morning sunrise, skies streaked pink and blue.  A warm dog cuddled under the afghan throw as I read a book. A hot cup of fake mocha coffee and a Madeleine cookie.  A bunch of texts from an adult child 3000 miles away.  A photo of my smiling grandson in his high chair. The… Continue reading It’s the Little Things

Staying Fit without a FitBit

Posted in cleaning, dancing, dogs, exercise, fitbit, gardening, gophers, hiking, memoir, Monterey county, moving, succulents, Zoom, ZumbaLeave a comment

(re-run) Today, before and after Zumba class on Zoom, the ladies were discussing how many steps we take during one class and how many calories we burn. This went on for a while, and I signed off. I don’t need a gadget to tell me if I am getting enough exercise. I have dogs. They… Continue reading Staying Fit without a FitBit