So much is changing, my head is spinning. My favorite grocery store of 39 years is now shuttered. The local bowling alley is being torn down today. My sister and brother-in-law left California for Nevada. They used to be just 90 minutes away. A friend died of cancer last month. My middle daughter’s dog died. … Continue reading 2026, Loss and Change
Category: neighbors
Beware of Craigslist?
I’d sold a thousand dollars’ worth of tea cups and dinner plates the year before. When Sis moved in with me, I had to let all that inventory go. It hadn’t been selling that well on Etsy anyway, and Etsy had just changed its policies and had kicked me off their site. Why? Because they… Continue reading Beware of Craigslist?
Weed Whacker Workout
(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
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
Take It Away, With My Blessing
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
Grandfather Clock
(re-run) I am waiting for my grandfather clock to be delivered. It’s from my friend’s aunt’s estate. She didn’t want it. Her brother didn’t want it. It reminds me of my aunt and uncle’s clock in their house in Iowa. I’d spend the night with my cousin and listen to the clock chime every fifteen… Continue reading Grandfather Clock
Worst Dog Sitting Ever
(re=run) When I was a newlywed, living in San Diego, my next door neighbor, Doreen, befriended me. She noticed I was home alone a lot, since my teaching job ended at 3:00, and my new husband didn’t come home from work until 7:00 or so. Doreen invited me over for food and chit chat. Once,… Continue reading Worst Dog Sitting Ever
Weekend Thoughts on a Spring Day
(from 2021) I am physically exhausted. It feels good. Cleaning, sorting, weeding, dancing. I have managed to fill up my day alone. I did meet the new neighbors when we were all headed to the beach. They bought four doors down as a second home. Maria across the street chatted with me for a moment… Continue reading Weekend Thoughts on a Spring Day
The Turquoise Trailer and the Homeless Couple
(re-run, a pre-pandemic story) My little beach house sits on land bought back in 1929 from the railroad company. The old deed shows the purchase price of $25.00. For some reason, the original owner didn’t want to buy the land up to the railroad tracks. Now, 90 years later, the land between my back fence… Continue reading The Turquoise Trailer and the Homeless Couple
Highway Dog
(re-run) I’m in my little beach town, up the road a bit from Carmel. At the end of each month, the block of thrift stores in the Barnyard Shopping Center near Carmel Valley put their merchandise at 50% off for a day or two. Yellow Brick Road was on its second day of sale yesterday,… Continue reading Highway Dog
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 