The Serendipity of It All

Several months ago I rented a movie the old-fashioned way from Netflix. It came in the mail as a DVD, and I proceeded to lose it in my house. Let’s blame it on the kitchen remodel. I like the old way of using Netflix because then I can carry the DVD down to the beach… Continue reading The Serendipity of It All

Shop Till You Drop

(re-run) We had already hit two thrift stores and were heading for a third. Then I remembered that Vicky wanted to go to the ones in Carmel. I turned onto Forest Avenue and took the winding highway 68 through the Monterey pines. It would lead to the new roundabout that would send the traffic north… Continue reading Shop Till You Drop

The Future of us Baby Boomers

One day a few years back, my next-door neighbor came over and asked me to take her to Safeway. She was the same age as my mom, which put her in her mid-eighties, so I agreed. I dropped off the neighbor at Safeway and then ran to the post office to mail my package. When… Continue reading The Future of us Baby Boomers

The Moon Landing and a Funeral

The day we landed on the moon, my parents took the family to a picnic/fishing spot at the Des Moines reservoir. I was going into high school in the fall, so it was a dorky thing to do on a Sunday, but hey? I couldn’t drive yet, and the food was always good on a… Continue reading The Moon Landing and a Funeral

Daisy Strikes Again

After a five mile hike, my legs ached and wanted to go to bed. I turned off the news at 10:15, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and then headed down the hall to the main bathroom with the doggy door. Both dogs were outside barking. I turned around and went to the kitchen slider,… Continue reading Daisy Strikes Again

Playing the Internet/Cable Company Game

Everyone knows that if your cable bill goes up, you call them, and they will work with you to retain you as a customer. So when my Comcast bill went up $20.00 a month, making it $130 for cable and internet, I was not a happy camper. I am two years into retirement, and the… Continue reading Playing the Internet/Cable Company Game

The Power of Nature

(re-run) Sun, trees, dirt, flowers — my nose is full of the smell of Eucalyptus leaves. I used to hike twice a month with my senior hiking group called DASH. Then my sis moved in with me so that I could be her care giver. My hiking days stopped except for once last summer when… Continue reading The Power of Nature

Sneaking into the Pool

While student teaching in Venezuela, we learned how to have fun with not much money. One of the American teachers had stolen a couple of striped beach towels from an upscale hotel, and she had been sneaking into the hotel pool for years. “Just carry the towel and act like you belong,” Linda said. Christy… Continue reading Sneaking into the Pool

The Missing GPS Gene

The women in my family are spatially challenged, as in which way is south? West ? North? East? I remembered that the northwest corner of the basement was supposed to be the safest place in case of a tornado, but I had no idea which corner that would be. Now that I live near the… Continue reading The Missing GPS Gene