A is for Air

If a bluebird ski day is one without a cloud in the sky, then a dog-bird (bird-dog?) day is one where you can open all of your windows and air the doggy smell right out of your (my) house. All that stale winter air that has been recycling through my closed-up house during rain storm… Continue reading A is for Air

Pepper Might’ve Saved my Life Today

(re-run) When I got back from the beach walk where I froze as Pepper smelled every bush and tree along the way, I went inside, put a pot of water on to heat, gave each dog a treat and took Daisy outside to play ball in the front yard. After I’d thrown the first ball,… Continue reading Pepper Might’ve Saved my Life Today

Living in Two Worlds

I have a house in suburbia, where I sing in a chorus, go dancing with friends, and shop at amazing thrift stores and then resell to the public through Facebook Marketplace. Then there’s my beach town, where life is slower, the ocean is one shade of blue, the sky another. Deer wander in front of… Continue reading Living in Two Worlds

Why Seniors Shouldn’t Multi Task

(re-run) I’ve been multi-tasking my whole life. Until today. No more. This is why. I spent the last two days working with my handy woman/gardener/housecleaner at my beach house. We cleaned and organized the garage, donated furniture and stuff with her truck and moved rocks around in the front yard.  She left this morning, and… Continue reading Why Seniors Shouldn’t Multi Task

A Scary Five Seconds

(re=run) I had followed the same routine dozens of times. Arriving in my beach town, the dogs got excited and wanted out of the car. There’d been an accident in San Jose, so we were running a half hour behind. Daisy (Jack Russell) started barking and pulling on her tether as soon as we got… Continue reading A Scary Five Seconds

When You Hit a Girl with your Truck

(re-run) I wasn’t texting. I wasn’t speeding. I hadn’t been drinking. Otherwise I would’ve killed her. She ran out in front of me at 4 o’clock on a Monday afternoon. I didn’t see her until her long hair was flying up in front of my hood. I slammed on the brakes and sat there in… Continue reading When You Hit a Girl with your Truck

The Racist, the Ficus Tree, and my Garage Sale

(re-run) When I was six, the one black boy in my elementary school was in my class. His name was Teddy. This was white-white-white Iowa in the 60s.  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… Continue reading The Racist, the Ficus Tree, and my Garage Sale

Five Red Chairs

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

Another Dog Story

My water bill for the beach house arrived. It was $2500. Someone had left the hose running in the front yard. It could’ve been me. It could’ve been my neighbor. At any rate, I finally got the adjusted bill with $1900 taken off. Yes, I still have to pay $600, but that is much more… Continue reading Another Dog Story