Don’t Judge a Book

(re-run) Of all the pick-up lines I’ve ever heard, the best one came yesterday at the Walnut Creek Octoberfest. “Now those are some sensible shoes.” Yes, I had on one-inch-heel black booties because I was dressed as a German beer garden maid, and they were the best shoes with white knee socks. “They’re good for… Continue reading Don’t Judge a Book

My Home-town Report

Last night at chorus rehearsal, I had to say something about my hometown, since I missed the retreat due to COVID.  He called on me last, so I had some time to figure out what I was going to say. What I said was, “I’m from Urbandale, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines.” Soprano Rebecca… Continue reading My Home-town Report

Cut Loose on a Saturday Afternoon

(re-run) “I like the way you dance,” he said to me last Saturday afternoon. Margo and I had gone to Vino Godfather, a cool little winery in an old Victorian house on Mare Island in Vallejo. The island used to be a naval base, judging from the abandoned barracks on the way to the winery.… Continue reading Cut Loose on a Saturday Afternoon

Street Dance

(re-run) After hiking six miles with the senior group called DASH, which does not dash at all, but rather hikes slowly through the woods with plenty of stops for bathroom breaks, snack breaks, or count-up-and-regroup breaks, I was too pooped to go out dancing. But my friends were going, it was close (just one town… Continue reading Street Dance

A New Chorus

(re-run) My chorus hasn’t given a performance in two whole years. We are scheduled to sing next month, with only two rehearsals left.  Tonight, we rehearsed for two and a half hours, and we were on the risers for half of it. This chorus is not like the one we had two years ago. The… Continue reading A New Chorus

Michael Jackson’s Impact

(re-run) I was a teenager when Michael Jackson became a household name. He was a stand-out in his brothers’ band, the Jackson Five. He was ten years old when he sang ABC, simple as 1 – 2- 3, Girl, I love you!  I watched MJ grow up. I bought his first solo album, Off the… Continue reading Michael Jackson’s Impact

Hold the Crunch

(re-run) Jim earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He took a job with Proctor and Gamble in Cincinnati, which had just started buying up food brands, like cake mixes and peanut butter. Jim’s job was to put the crunch in the new peanut butter, Jif. One machine chopped the peanuts into… Continue reading Hold the Crunch

Spring Cleaning in February

(re-run) It started with a koala bear.  A bunch of them.  Some musicians were having a fundraiser for Australia, the fires, and the koalas.  It was donation at the door.  Two and a half hours of music, and I knew three of the performers. We got there early and sat in the third row.  Two… Continue reading Spring Cleaning in February