Category: memoir

We Need a Lemon Law, Mr. Trump

Posted in cars, congress, firsts, house of representatives, lemon law, memoir, politics, president, women's march, worstLeave a comment

(re-run from 2018) When a person buys a new or used car, and it gives the new owner nothing but problems in its first year, in many states, after three attempts to repair it, the owner can return the vehicle. Consumers everywhere are protected by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the Federal Lemon Law which applies… Continue reading We Need a Lemon Law, Mr. Trump

Where’s the Beef?

Posted in bacon, beef, Beyond Burger, California, climate change, Costco, cows, energy, food, Iowa, memoir, Millennials, nursing home, pescatarian, plants, sister, Thanksgiving, vegetarianLeave a comment

(re-run) My sister fell out of her recliner at her nursing home (board and care home, actually) and landed on her face and glasses. The glasses were badly bent, so I needed to go to Costco on the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING to see if they would bend them back into shape with their magical optical… Continue reading Where’s the Beef?

My Republican Beach Town

Posted in boycott, Carmel, cost of living, memoir, pandemic, teaching, thrift store, thrifting, writers, ZelenskyLeave a comment

A thrift store in Carmel had a half-off sale yesterday and today. I paid cash for my stack of books at the book store. I mentioned that cash is important, especially for people who don’t have bank accounts or credit cards. “Without cash, what would those people do?” I commented. “Those people always find a… Continue reading My Republican Beach Town

Neighborhood Pack Rat

Posted in Amazon, antique store, Coronavirus, Costco, Covid 19, Depression, elastic, fabric, face masks, garage, grandma, memoir, neighborhood, neighbors, pack rat, recycle, scavenger, sewing, sewing room, shelter in place, social distancing, thrift storeLeave a comment

(re-run) You know our kind. We save everything, just in case. I might need that someday. I’m going to wear that size again. That thing on the side of the road still has use left in it, and it’s free. That has a good memory for me. Who keeps stuff that evokes bad memories? No… Continue reading Neighborhood Pack Rat

Pretending to Be Fat

Posted in Ally McBeal, college, costume, fat shaming, Halloween, humor, memoir, national news, obesity, Robert Downey, Jr., sexLeave a comment

I found this photo of myself this morning, in a glass cabinet where I stuff important stuff. I don’t remember putting the photo in there, but here it is. I wore hats even back then. I am working on a middle grade novel, so that provides me with an outlet to write daily. My blog… Continue reading Pretending to Be Fat

Suck It Up, Buttercup

Posted in antibiotics, California, dancing, flat feet, friends, hip replacement, kayaking, klutz, knee replacement, memoir, orthotics, Russian River, shoulder surgery, surgeryLeave a comment

It’s that chapter in life where many of my friends in their sixties and seventies are having hip, knee, and shoulder replacements.  Some are younger than me, most older, but all of them so far have seen the benefits of getting a bionic body part, aka titanium. One girlfriend mentioned that she is allergic to… Continue reading Suck It Up, Buttercup

Dancing, Diversity, and a Mole

Posted in California, culture, dancing, diversity, Mare Island, melanoma, memoir, mole, skin cancer, Vallejo, winery, Wobble, Zumba1 Comment

When you live in a lily-white suburban town like I do, it’s good to get out of it and see how diverse our country is becoming. Duh. It’s California.  After a summer of dancing in other lily-white towns (Clayton, Alamo, Moraga) it ‘s nice to be with other cultures, races, skin tones, whatever you want… Continue reading Dancing, Diversity, and a Mole

Dieting, Body Image, and Stay Out of my Business

Posted in anorexia, body image, bulimia, college, diet, Karen Carpenter, memoir, mental health, mental illness, pregnancy, restricting, teacher, teaching, weight lossLeave a comment

(re-run) “Are you going to eat all of that?” I was sitting at a table in the teachers’ lounge, my lunch spread out before me. There was a sandwich, a red apple, carrot sticks and a glass of juice, maybe a chocolate or two. Why was the teacher I barely knew commenting on my lunch?… Continue reading Dieting, Body Image, and Stay Out of my Business

The Good Karma Post

Posted in beach, Chronicle, department store, energy, fabric, Karma, memoir, San Francisco, shoppingLeave a comment

Sunday morning, I was in my beach town, so I ran down to the post office to buy a Sunday Chronicle out of the newspaper dispenser machine thingie.  Another guy was parking at the same time, and we walked up together. “I’ll bet we want the same paper,” I said. “The Chronicle,” the guy said.… Continue reading The Good Karma Post

Take It Away, With My Blessing

Posted in Africa, beach, Dress A Girl, dresses, Eiffel Tower, fabric, French, hoarder, memoir, neighbors, non-profit, Philippines, seamstresses, serendipity, tea cups, thriftingLeave a comment

My neighbor at the beach is a hoarder, but people who live in glass houses . . . We had a talk one day about it on our shared driveway. She was an only child, and her single mom would move around a lot, throwing away her daughter’s toys every time. She lost all her… Continue reading Take It Away, With My Blessing