When CPR Class Pays Off

Long ago, in my previous married life, I was a Girl Scout leader for my youngest child and the girls her age at her elementary school.  I was supposed to get CPR training, so I went to the classes and got certified.  Maybe someday I’ll need it while doing a scout activity. As it turned… Continue reading When CPR Class Pays Off

The Crazy Real Estate Game

My old house at 155 Clover Hill Court in my town just sold for $1,335,000. I saw it in the Homes section of my local Sunday newspaper. My ex and I paid $286,000 for the house in 1987. We suffered big-time sticker shock, coming from the Midwest, where his house cost him $85,000 and mine… Continue reading The Crazy Real Estate Game

Butterflies in the Park

It’s the day before Halloween.  I was able to walk my dog for the first time in two weeks since the stitches in my lower leg (melanoma) were removed yesterday. Pepper was happy to get out of the house but went back inside with the lure of a beefy treat. That meant Daisy, who had… Continue reading Butterflies in the Park

Desperado

(re-run) Another first date during my time in Omaha, Nebraska, was with a tall, thin but attractive man who was a few years older and reminded me of James Taylor. Kevin took me to the standard dinner and a movie and then wanted to show me his house. It was a summer night, and after… Continue reading Desperado

Hot (but not diverse) Guy Catalog

I receive many catalogs this time of year. One of them, for men’s clothing, came today. As I flipped through it, one of the models grabbed my attention. It was a pretty steamy look on his face for a family company. I flipped through the catalog again. Hmm, most of the guys have facial hair.… Continue reading Hot (but not diverse) Guy Catalog

Grandfather Clock

I am waiting for my grandfather clock to be delivered. It’s from my friend’s aunt’s estate.  She didn’t want it. Her brother didn’t want it. It reminds me of my aunt and uncle’s clock in their house in Iowa. As a child, I’d spend the night with my cousin and listen to the clock chime… Continue reading Grandfather Clock

Memories Light the Corners of my Mind

(re-run) I used to be good at remembering people’s names and remembering to use coupons before they expired. Now I am lucky if I can find the coupon when I am at the store. Today, at CVS, I checked out and was given a long receipt with $6.00 of extra bucks on it. My new… Continue reading Memories Light the Corners of my Mind

Antiracist (Racist?) Memory

I just picked up a book to read. It had a long preface, so I paged past it. Then there was a foreword, another preface, and then an introduction. Seriously? Chapter One didn’t start until page 25. I set that book down and picked up another one. The introduction ended on page 11, and the… Continue reading Antiracist (Racist?) Memory

Melanoma and Me

This is the kind of post that is scary to write, knowing that melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. When I got the call, I was hiking in one of the most beautiful places on Earth near Carmel, with two friends, a happy couple who happened to be in town. “I have melanoma,” I said… Continue reading Melanoma and Me

The Stars Have Aligned

Okay, maybe not stars, but three things happened today that are related enough to fashion a blog post from them. I was only ten pages away from finishing The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd when I closed it to go have lunch with two of my adult children. On the way back from… Continue reading The Stars Have Aligned