Monterey Bay – FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER!

Tunes, a Car, and 120 Miles To Go

December 18, 2025December 17, 2025 Posted in Ace Hardware, Adirondack chairs, Bay Area, Beatles, California, catalytic converters, CD player, memoir, Monterey Bay, Speedo, thrift store, weedsLeave a comment

I visit my little beach house a couple times a a month. Mostly it’s so my potted plants don’t croak (thanks, Mr. Gopher), especially during this very dry winter, but it’s also a change of scenery and a chance to blow the cobwebs out of my head . . . . . . while driving… Continue reading Tunes, a Car, and 120 Miles To Go

K is for Karma

December 10, 2025December 9, 2025 Posted in California, Carmel, dogs, honesty, integrity, Karma, memoir, Monterey Bay, thrift store, weedsLeave a comment

My second day in paradise, the day after my work day of pulling too many weeds and also going to a street fair, was thrift store day. I drove to Carmel and got there just after the 10:00 opening. I picked out $10.00 worth of stuff so that I could get another punch on my… Continue reading K is for Karma

Return to the Scene of the Crime

December 6, 2025December 5, 2025 Posted in animal rescue, animals, beach, bench, California, carbon monoxide alarm, dogs, donations, fences, Good Will, hard boiled eggs, memoir, Monterey Bay, Nordstrom, repurposing, smoke, smoke alarms, thrift store, yard, yard workLeave a comment

(re-run) Two weeks ago, I tried to burn my house down. I came home in time to turn off the burner under the hard-boiled eggs. Eight of them had become missiles and hung in pieces from every surface in the kitchen. Four of them turned black in the Teflon pan. When I put the key… Continue reading Return to the Scene of the Crime

Frostbite Memories

December 2, 2025December 1, 2025 Posted in beach, California, college, December, dog walks, dogs, frostbite, gardening, Iowa, memoir, Monterey Bay, old lady card, tourists, tree trimmer, trees, wind, winter breakLeave a comment

Today the sun was shining, the ocean was royal blue and the wind was bitter cold. I had the dog on a choke chain since I couldn’t squeeze the prong collar back together (I’d taken it apart in the wrong place). I headed down my street past a tree- trimmer truck that has just pulled… Continue reading Frostbite Memories

Freaky Friday

October 3, 2025October 2, 2025 Posted in Carmel, dancing, humor, memoir, Monterey Bay, relationships, travelLeave a comment

(re-run) It was a beautiful day in Monterey County. I got up early, ate breakfast, showered, wrote a blog post, and stuffed more branches (blown down in the last storm) into the green can. Then I left for Carmel to be there when the thrift stores opened at 10:00 a.m.. One of them was having… Continue reading Freaky Friday

Five Red Chairs

August 31, 2025August 30, 2025 Posted in August, beach, Facebook Marketplace, fog, lawn chair, memoir, Monterey Bay, neighbors, sale, shopping, tariffs, tea cups, thrift stores, Wayfair1 Comment

I bought them in April because of the upcoming tariffs. There were only five left in red. They had to be red. They were delivered to my neighbor’s house since I’m not always here. They came unassembled. I tried to put one together. I had the diagram, the parts, and the time. I did okay… Continue reading Five Red Chairs

The Tree Trimming Post

August 30, 2025August 29, 2025 Posted in Bay Area, California, dogs, heat wave, memoir, Monterey Bay, Monterey county, permits, tree trimmer, treesLeave a comment

(re-run from 2021) The beach town where I have an almost -100-year-old house has Draconian tree removal laws. In other words, you can’t. You can trim your tree up to 25%, but good luck trying to remove it. I found this out the hard way when I applied for a tree removal permit ($181.00) and… Continue reading The Tree Trimming Post

Car Shows, Men, and Elvis

August 13, 2025August 12, 2025 Posted in beer, Carmel, cars, dogs, Elvis, exercise, humor, memoir, Monterey Bay, Pebble Beach, relationships, Spain, Study abroad, wineLeave a comment

(re-run) It’s funny how memories of one thing lead to memories of other things happening in the same time period. Like the Twin Towers falling, or JFK getting assassinated. Or Elvis dying. Today is the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death (August 16th). Forty-five years ago, I was stepping off an airplane from Spain (by way… Continue reading Car Shows, Men, and Elvis

Three Donkeys – Halfway There

April 12, 2025April 11, 2025 Posted in airbnb, California, car accident, donkeys, highway, highway 101, Iowa, memoir, Monterey Bay, Morgan Hill, mule, ocean, plane crash, temperature, violence, weather, weddingLeave a comment

The drive from 105-degree weather in my town to 60-degree weather in my other town takes two hours, door to door, if I go during non-rush-hour times. I leave around ten and get to the other house by noon. It’s 120 minutes, unless there’s an accident, like a jack-knifed semi trailer or a church bus… Continue reading Three Donkeys – Halfway There

Weed Whacker Workout

April 7, 2025April 6, 2025 Posted in beach, dogs, foxtails, garden, memoir, Monterey Bay, mulch, neck, neighbors, weedsLeave a comment

(re-run) I’ve never owned or used a Weed Whacker. I’m an Iowa girl who pulls weeds by hand so they don’t come back. But this year is the exception. With record rainfall, the weeds are on steroids this spring. See photo. I ordered an electric weed whacker from my local hardware store since I didn’t… Continue reading Weed Whacker Workout