The Morningstar is in the Garage Freezer

I live in a nice town with a lot of well-off people. The burglars have figured this out. I bought a locking mailbox that sits on the street with two other mail boxes. Mine has been tampered with twice. Once they bent down the metal to reach their hands inside and get a 2020 calendar,… Continue reading The Morningstar is in the Garage Freezer

Late-night Loser

(re-run) We decided to meet at Bing Crosby’s. I took a seat at the bar, and asked for water. After all, I’d had two glasses of wine already, waiting for him to get off work at the TV station and to drive all the way to Walnut Creek from Marin County. I listened to the… Continue reading Late-night Loser

Wiener Dog Versus Rat

(re-run) Long ago, when I had three school-aged children off at their respective schools, I sat at my desk writing during the quiet of the day, when I heard the Dachshund barking. He was somewhere in our spacious back yard. I ignored it at first, but when the barking didn’t subside, I decided I’d better… Continue reading Wiener Dog Versus Rat

Daisy vs. Squirrel – Guess Who Won

The squirrel was attracted to the three bird feeders. It would jump down from the neighbor’s Valley Oak tree, run down the fence, across ten feet of mulch, then run up the plastic rain barrel to climb up the gutter or hang onto the stucco. This is when the dogs would see him as the… Continue reading Daisy vs. Squirrel – Guess Who Won

Help your Mood, Pull some Weeds

(re-run) Yesterday I made the short trip to my little downtown, got some cash from the ATM, picked up two newspapers, and headed back home. On the way into town, I saw two city workers spraying Roundup on the weeds in the median strip. They were still at it, in the very same place, on… Continue reading Help your Mood, Pull some Weeds

Mow, Blow and Go – Gone?

My little beach town has outlawed the gas blowers that the gardeners use. The new law went into effect on March 1st, and clearly, my 98-year-old neighbor’s gardener didn’t get the memo. He was out in full noise-and-air-pollution force last week with his gas blower.  The law states that electric blowers and battery-operated blowers can… Continue reading Mow, Blow and Go – Gone?

Staying Fit without a Fitbit

Today, before and after Zoom Zumba, 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 need exercise daily.… Continue reading Staying Fit without a Fitbit

Worst Mom Ever

As a mother, choose your words and actions carefully, for eighteen years! Mom to three grown children, I still hear about the horrible things I said and the awful things I did to them as children. Oldest daughter with her dad’s dark heavy eyebrows: me, to her as a teen, “You might want to pluck… Continue reading Worst Mom Ever

Musical Cleaning Day (waiting for plumber)

I am cleaning today. The plumber said he’d be by mid-morning, but it wasn’t not looking good.  I worked on a review for a new children’s book coming out next month. I watched some Dry Bar Comedy while I digested my breakfast.  That is no longer a multi-tasking feature of my aging body. Reflux. It’s… Continue reading Musical Cleaning Day (waiting for plumber)

Daisy’s DNA

My three-time rescue dog looks like a Jack Russell terrier. The vet calls her a Jack Russell. She sort of looks like a skinny Eddie from Frazier.  But that’s where the comparison ends. Daisy is freakishly smart. She can open doors and escape yards by jumping over the gate or digging under it. She can… Continue reading Daisy’s DNA