It’s a Jungle Out There

(re-run) I saw a coyote yesterday during my strength and training class at the senior center. There are so many people in the drop-in class that I have to stand right in front of the glass doors, with a view of the hills filled with wild turkeys, birds, and now Wiley Coyote. My back hurts… Continue reading It’s a Jungle Out There

The Chicken Church and Other Tableside Travels

(re-run) I used to travel, back in my twenties before marriage, before kids. Now I stay home with an older sister (who would otherwise be in a nursing home), one normal dog, and one little weirdo dog. But I still get to travel. My friends are in Austria, Indonesia, Hawaii, Tahoe, and Guatemala, as we… Continue reading The Chicken Church and Other Tableside Travels

The Way to a Man’s Heart is Salad?

(re-run) Bruce was a lieutenant in the navy, and he lived with four bachelor roommates. They’d been out to sea for six months and were back for six months. A guy could save up a lot of money in six months, so Bruce was able to buy a silver Jaguar XKE convertible. He nicknamed it… Continue reading The Way to a Man’s Heart is Salad?

Parking Lot Pick-up

Edith and her friend, Laura, were bored. It was Saturday night, and they’d been at their all-girls’ school, Holy Names, for a whole week. It was time to find some guys, to find a party. They pulled into Berkeley and headed for Fraternity Row. Laura spotted someone she had dated before and rolled down the… Continue reading Parking Lot Pick-up

No Christmas Tree for Me

(re-run) Eight Christmases in this house and only two trees. Both were living, and they got planted in my yard. Guess what? My yard is full. That’s what happens when you get rid of your grass, fire your gardener, and watch volunteer trees grow on their own, self-planting trees with a little help from the… Continue reading No Christmas Tree for Me

Cut Loose on a Saturday Afternoon

(re-run) “I like the way you dance,” he said to me last Saturday afternoon. Margo and I had gone to Vino Godfather, a cool little winery in an old Victorian house on Mare Island in Vallejo. The island used to be a naval base, judging from the abandoned barracks on the way to the winery.… Continue reading Cut Loose on a Saturday Afternoon

A Good Little Shopper

If you think this post is going to be about how I scour the racks at Nordstrom’s for the best deals of the season, it’s not. If you think it’s about how I maximize double coupons at the grocery store, I don’t. What it is about is how I can find the deals for myself… Continue reading A Good Little Shopper

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

Getting Away from all the No, No, No’s

(re-run) My mom, bless her heart, had to keep five children in line, mostly by herself.  She did this by keeping everyone in his or her place, as in, “No, you can’t do that!” I just found out that my younger sister also wanted to play clarinet in the band, like I did. But I… Continue reading Getting Away from all the No, No, No’s

Porch Pirates, Poinsettias and Peaches

(re-run) The joke going around social media is that if you want to get rid of your junk, put it in an Amazon box and leave it on your porch. It’s not that funny around my neighborhood. Porch pirates are everywhere this time of year. Neighbors are sure to tell each other when they will… Continue reading Porch Pirates, Poinsettias and Peaches