The woman who works for me one day a week also works for my contractor. It’s actually how I found him. Here’s the problem. She/they keep moving my stuff around. Anyone who has ever done a kitchen knows what I mean. First they need to get out the sliding glass door to cut pipe. Never… Continue reading The Bleeping Contractor’s Assistant
Category: memoir
The Red-tailed Hawk and the Toddler Fence
I am a bird lover. I feed the song birds and the finches. I have an ongoing water supply in the form of a fountain in my back yard. I’ve planted native plants for the hummingbirds. When I hike, I am thrilled to find a hawk feather to add to my hat. Twenty-odd years ago,… Continue reading The Red-tailed Hawk and the Toddler Fence
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
How to Train your Dog so He Won’t Bite You
Yesterday at the natural stone store where I went to look at their granite, the guy that helped me mentioned that his friend’s German Shepherd puppy kept biting his owner. Puppies do that because they are exploring their world. They are babies using everything as their personal teething rings. When my lab mix Pepper was… Continue reading How to Train your Dog so He Won’t Bite You
Drinking, Dancing and Driving
I am a happy version of a designated driver. Instead of abstaining completely, I drink two glasses of wine per dancing event. I drink early and then stop. I do this for two reasons. #1 — I am a lightweight with alcohol. #2 — I need to drive friends that drink more than I do.… Continue reading Drinking, Dancing and Driving
To Dye or Not to Dye
Driving to Monterey today, looking at the velvety green hills and the occasional sprinkles of white on the tallest ones, my mind started composing this blog post. I thought about how everyone in California dyes his or her hair – menopausal women (no surprise there), old guys, young women, teen-aged boys. Everyone, at least it… Continue reading To Dye or Not to Dye
How to Relax for Bed
I closed my online costume shop last summer. I donated 500 dresses to a charity for third world girls and sorted through my aprons, pulling out all the hostess ones, the sheer ones not for cooking. I had 150 of them. I gave them to my local thrift store, the one that knows vintage stuff.… Continue reading How to Relax for Bed
Sparking Joy, One Wine Glass at a Time
I am getting a new kitchen. My contractor is coming today to start the demo of my old one. I’ve spent the past week packing up my cabinets and the ding room hutch on the wall that is getting torn down. That’s a lot of dishes! I have enough wine glasses to have a big… Continue reading Sparking Joy, One Wine Glass at a Time
Lovely Rita, Meter Maid
Saturdays are best when they are busy. I like to have things to do. So yesterday was fun from morning to night. I spent most of the day in overly-metered Walnut Creek. The town of walnut orchards has turned into a buzzing destination for shoppers. It boasts a Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus (Needless Mark-up), Tiffany, Apple,… Continue reading Lovely Rita, Meter Maid
Writer’s Block
You sit at the blank screen, the blinking cursor mocking you. You’re at the beach in a warm house with no internet. You don’t know your neighbors’ WIFI passwords. You don’t like the morning news shows. The thrift stores won’t open for two hours. Its’ too cold right now to do yard work, plus your… Continue reading Writer’s Block
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 