Pavlov’s Perfume

My girlfriend, who shall remain nameless, lest someone recognize her on this page, has a three-time rescue dog like me. Hers also started out as a voluntary surrender puppy after his owner first lost a home in the Redding fire. Or possibly he was at the Redding shelter and got shipped out to make room… Continue reading Pavlov’s Perfume

L is for Loco (Loca)

Tonight at chorus rehearsal, an older friend asked me how my dogs were doing. I told him about Pepper, the lab mix, whom my contractor calls a sweetheart. She got a little loca the other day. The granite guys came to make templates for my counter tops, and Pepper, who is usually pretty happy to see… Continue reading L is for Loco (Loca)

F is for Frantic

I have exactly seventy-five minutes to write this post, get dressed for the wedding rehearsal dinner, kick the contractor out of my house, and get to the church on time. Isn’t the last part a song? Well, it didn’t happen.  It’s the next morning.  This blog post is now about friends, fun, fish, fighting (more… Continue reading F is for Frantic

E is for Earth

Earth is our everything — the air we breathe, the water we drink, the gravity that keeps us anchored.  We can’t live without it. Scientists have predicted that by 2030 climate change will be a runaway train . . . unless we change our ways starting right now: We stop using straws and throwaway containers.… Continue reading E is for Earth

B is for Boots

A spring wedding means pastel colors and floral prints, right?  But what if it’s still raining on the wedding day? And what if you have to walk up to the altar, turn to face the crowd,  and then need to read a poem without tripping or falling over? For me, that means wearing the shoes… Continue reading B is for Boots

Dead Begonias and Other Stuff

It started with the dead begonia plant. Sis and I called our mother who lives with our younger sister ninety miles away. “How is your begonia doing?” Mom asked Sis. I looked over to the college-sized fridge. The begonia plant was gone. As Sis talked with Mom, I went down the hallway and asked the… Continue reading Dead Begonias and Other Stuff

Date with a Cad

Against her better judgment Svetlana met up with a man from Match and….drum roll….he met her expectations of the Cad. A cad is a man who is aware of the codes of conduct, which separate a gentleman from a ruffian, but finds himself unable to live up to them. Cads are capable of disguising themselves as good… Continue reading Date with a Cad