L is for Loco (Loca)

Tonight at chorus rehearsal, an older friend asked me how my dogs were doing. I told him about Pepper, the lab mix, whom my contractor calls a sweetheart. She got a little loca the other day. The granite guys came to make templates for my counter tops, and Pepper, who is usually pretty happy to see… Continue reading L is for Loco (Loca)

F is for Frantic

I have exactly seventy-five minutes to write this post, get dressed for the wedding rehearsal dinner, kick the contractor out of my house, and get to the church on time. Isn’t the last part a song? Well, it didn’t happen.  It’s the next morning.  This blog post is now about friends, fun, fish, fighting (more… Continue reading F is for Frantic

E is for Earth

Earth is our everything — the air we breathe, the water we drink, the gravity that keeps us anchored.  We can’t live without it. Scientists have predicted that by 2030 climate change will be a runaway train . . . unless we change our ways starting right now: We stop using straws and throwaway containers.… Continue reading E is for Earth

Hold the Crunch

Jim’s job was to put the crunch in the new peanut butter, Jif. One machine chopped the peanuts into slivers, and another machine used pistons to plug the slivers into the creamy product. Jim also had to taste test peanut butter that had been sitting on a shelf for three months in 100 degree heat.… Continue reading Hold the Crunch

Dead Begonias and Other Stuff

It started with the dead begonia plant. Sis and I called our mother who lives with our younger sister ninety miles away. “How is your begonia doing?” Mom asked Sis. I looked over to the college-sized fridge. The begonia plant was gone. As Sis talked with Mom, I went down the hallway and asked the… Continue reading Dead Begonias and Other Stuff

The Contractor and the Jet Setter

It was Tom the contractor’s umpteenth date on Match.com.  The woman was from the same affluent town, was the same height as he was (he was being optimistic and not counting the two inches he’d lost by aging), and was ready to meet him at Bridges, the hot spot downtown with the best happy hour. … Continue reading The Contractor and the Jet Setter

Bad Daisy, Rescue Dog

Fifteen months into owning Daisy, the Jack Russell terrier, we had a bad event in the park just now. I taught Daisy how to fetch a ball and have been playing with her in the park next to my house every day for months. The neighbor girls, ages 5 and 7, run out to meet… Continue reading Bad Daisy, Rescue Dog

A Good Dog Neighbor

(re-run) Yesterday my son and I had lunch together at the local sandwich shop. He brought his little dog — half Chihuahua, half terrier. I fed Violet scraps of lettuce under the table while we ate. She thinks she’s a vegetarian. Afterward, we followed the usual routine and came back to my house, where Violet… Continue reading A Good Dog Neighbor