A Corny Tale

(re-run) Knee -high by the 4th of July It all started with a post on Facebook, showing how your average American doesn’t know how to shuck corn. If you are from Iowa in the 60’s, then you know how. We weren’t well off. As a matter of fact, people would give us bags of food,… Continue reading A Corny Tale

FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

(re-run) You know summer has begun when you are constantly checking your email and calendar to make sure you’re not missing out on some live music that evening. Every town has its own series of music in the park. If you are willing to drive, you can hear it six evenings a week for free,… Continue reading FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

Chinese Fire Drills and Other Politically Incorrect Things from my Past

(re-run) Back in high school in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, we did whatever we could to stir up some fun and sometimes some trouble. It was a simple existence: go to school, do homework, think about and look for boys. With no cell phones or social media to organize anything, kids spent a… Continue reading Chinese Fire Drills and Other Politically Incorrect Things from my Past

Just Another Wednesday

(re-run) Twice a month the senior hiking group takes a hike at a local spot – today it was Borges Ranch in Walnut Creek. The senior group is called DASH, but we don’t dash at all. We stroll, stop, stroll some more. It takes four hours to go five miles, by the time everyone has… Continue reading Just Another Wednesday

My First Taste of California

When I was in college, the spring of my sophomore year, I saw a poster for a summer job – “Earn $3000 in just three months.” Back in 1975, that was a lot of money. I went to the evening meeting on campus and found myself in a room with a dozen other “applicants.” After… Continue reading My First Taste of California

Rescue Dog Month # 7

(re-run from 2018) Daisy’s purple collar is missing. She had it on when she got up, but an hour later it is gone, along with her license and I.D. tag with my phone number on it. Where could it be? And how did it come off? I’ve walked the entire back yard and haven’t found… Continue reading Rescue Dog Month # 7

Just Me and the Pups

(re-run) It’s New Year’s Eve and my adult children just left for a party. My eldest and her hubby flew home this morning. The house is empty except for me and three dogs. They’re calm now, but at midnight, when the fireworks go off, Daisy will dive under the bed. As I scroll on Facebook,… Continue reading Just Me and the Pups

Hitchhiking Story

(re-run) When I was 20, I sold books door to door that summer in Ohio for Southwestern Company.  The regional boss told me at our Sunday meeting to spend a day working with one of his ace sellers. The problem was, I didn’t have a car to get to the town where he worked. The… Continue reading Hitchhiking Story

Morning During a Heat Wave

(re-run) The temps will soar to 105 degrees in my town today. Yesterday was 102. Tomorrow will be 100.  I woke up in an air-conditioned house at 6:30 a.m.  No open windows. I opened one to see what was what. Cool air streamed inside. The thermostat was set at 72, and AC wasn’t running, so… Continue reading Morning During a Heat Wave