A Ghost Story

(re-run) This isn’t a Halloween story. No words are written in blood on the hallway walls, no moaning spirits or flickering lights, or candles blowing themselves out. Just a feeling of not being alone. Ghosts, if you will, leftover energy from those who came before us. As a child I was called the sensitive one.… Continue reading A Ghost Story

Daisy’s Nervous Car Ride

Every two weeks I load up my dogs and head to Monterey County to check on and use my little beach house.  But a month had gone by since the last time, due to 9 rainstorms that wreaked havoc on Northern California. Last week, it left one of my highways underwater. I finally found a… Continue reading Daisy’s Nervous Car Ride

Best Album Ever, Rubber Soul

Twice a month I drive two hours to my beach town to do house maintenance, see the waves, and take a break from the day-in, day-out of retirement. Half the fun is the drive, the music, the scenery along 101, surrounded by fields and hills, trees and sky.  My old car still has a CD… Continue reading Best Album Ever, Rubber Soul

Remember Kelly Dolls?

Do you remember the Kelly dolls by Mattel? They are 5 inch tall dolls in their own little plastic and cardboard boxes, Barbie’s little sister. The boxes are as colorful as the dolls. Twenty-some years ago, on my weekly run to Target with a toddler in tow, I would check out the Kelly dolls and… Continue reading Remember Kelly Dolls?

The Power of Vacation

(re-run, pre-pandemic) The week after Christmas is dead time for scheduled activities. Chorus rehearsals are cancelled. The city building where I exercise three times a week is closed.  There’s a lot of extra time during the day. So . . . . . . for the first time in two and a half years, I… Continue reading The Power of Vacation

Don’t Get a Sun Burn

(re-run) You think you know someone. You’ve sat across from your brother-in-law at countless holiday meals. You raised your kids together, although far enough away that you only saw them four or five times a year. You know George loves Monterey, but you didn’t know the whole story. You knew he’d been in the military,… Continue reading Don’t Get a Sun Burn

Where’s My Fish?

(re-run) During the 2020 pandemic, it was easy running down to the beach house for a few days since nothing was going on. The freeways were deserted while everyone stayed home.  Now that life is somewhat back to normal, I have to give up fun things to make room for a beachy weekend. I left… Continue reading Where’s My Fish?

The Tree Trimming Post

(re-run) 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 was denied. A… Continue reading The Tree Trimming Post