Hat Trick

I have too many hats. Most of them were store inventory since I had a costume business for kids – field trips, book reports, etc. I sold on Etsy for five years until they became a corporate company with plans to streamline the buyer’s experience. Just click a button and order with your credit card.… Continue reading Hat Trick

Cut Loose on a Saturday Afternoon

(re-run) “I like the way you dance,” he said to me that Saturday afternoon. Margo and I had gone to Vino Godfather, a cool little winery in an old Victorian house on Mare Island in Vallejo. The island used to be a naval base, judging from the abandoned barracks on the way to the winery.… Continue reading Cut Loose on a Saturday Afternoon

Uncle Frank and the Jar of Coins

(re-run) I grew up with three uncles, one in Colorado, another on the other side of the state, and one near my home town in Des Moines, Iowa. Uncle Frank was older than the other uncles, but since his daughter, Nina, was my age, I hardly noticed.  He was married to my grandma’s younger sister. … Continue reading Uncle Frank and the Jar of Coins

Feeling Better

(re-run) I have some down days every year, but mostly I don’t. I know I’m lucky. I have also aligned my life to feel better. Coincidentally, a relative’s therapist told her the five things she needs every day to get out of her funk. Nature – I grew up outside in Iowa. As kids, we… Continue reading Feeling Better

The Racist, the Ficus Tree, and my Garage Sale

(re-run) When I was six, the one black boy in my elementary school was my classmate. His name was Teddy. This was white-white-white Iowa in the 60’s.  My first grade teacher, Mrs. Van Cura, got angry at the class one day for misbehaving and said, “Whoever doesn’t behave will have to play with Teddy at… Continue reading The Racist, the Ficus Tree, and my Garage Sale

My Inherited Dog, Boomer

(re-run) Boomer was never my dog, although he came into my care when I married his owner.  I’m not sure how old he was when I got him. My dog, Tess, was two and Boomer was older. A small, part-Beagle, part terrier, Boomer hadn’t had a regular dog’s life. He had never eaten dog food… Continue reading My Inherited Dog, Boomer

Best Ed Sullivan Show Ever

(re-run) Carol grew up in in Pueblo, Colorado. They called it the little Pittsburg of the West. Her dad was a steelworker. Her mom was a lab tech phlebotomist at the hospital. Whenever one of the kids got sick, her mom would bring home a hypodermic needle in her purse to draw some blood. “To… Continue reading Best Ed Sullivan Show Ever