Plain Jane

My middle name is Jane. I don’t love it. There was a commercial in the 70’s for hair dye, I think. I remember the line,” Don’t be a plain Jane.” After that I disliked both my middle name and my hair color. There was another commercial in that decade that said, “Boys don’t make passes… Continue reading Plain Jane

Popsicles, Light Carpet, and Stitches

(re-run) It was Labor Day weekend. We needed to get a handle on the mess in the garage. I asked my oldest to watch my youngest while we parents worked outside. She was nine, in 4th grade already for a week, and the baby was almost two and a half. Then a series of unfortunate… Continue reading Popsicles, Light Carpet, and Stitches

Shop Till You Drop

(re-run) We had already hit two thrift stores and were heading for a third. Then I remembered that Vicky wanted to go to the ones in Carmel. I turned onto Forest Avenue and took the winding highway 68 through the Monterey pines. It would lead to the new roundabout that would send the traffic north… Continue reading Shop Till You Drop

Four Bands and Birthdays in Four Nights

I know summer is here when I’ve seen four live bands in four nights. The first band played in Moraga on Thursday, a bit of a drive with traffic at 5:00 p.m. Three Day Weekend had good harmony, interesting song choices and some mean guitar, even horns. The crowd was mellow, lots of families with… Continue reading Four Bands and Birthdays in Four Nights

D is for Dancing

Spring is here; summer is on its way. That means outdoor dancing venues with earlier performances, perfect for seniors looking to be home by ten. Gotta catch the news, you know. But there’s one more late show this weekend, an all-time favorite R & B band that plays Black soul, Black blues, Black disco, and… Continue reading D is for Dancing

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 live music. If you are willing to drive, you can hear it six evenings a week for free, from June… Continue reading FOMO, YOLO, and YOYO

Crocodile Rock

(re-run) Friday evening there was an Elton John tribute band in the plaza. Since Yellow Brick Road is one of my all-time favorite albums, I thought, why not?  My youngest, visiting from Boston, had plans to see her friends in Berkeley. It had finally cooled off a bit, and the smoke from the wildfires wasn’t… Continue reading Crocodile Rock

The Overachieving Steer, Knickers

In Australia, there is a Holstein steer that is six feet, four inches tall.  That’s one big bovine! I first heard about him on the nightly news tonight.  Then I Googled the guy to see what else I could find out about him. His name is Knickers.   He is too big to fit in the… Continue reading The Overachieving Steer, Knickers