On our early dog walk this morning, Pepper and I passed thirteen white vehicles in one block. Since it was a Sunday, all the cars for each household were there, parked in driveways and on the street. There are no basements in California, because there are no tornados? Actually, climate change has brought a few… Continue reading Thirteen White Vehicles
Category: Thanksgiving
The Six Stages of Thanksgiving
(re-run) I’m having Thanksgiving at my house today for nine or ten people. I say that because my brother-in-law may or may not show up. There is lots of football to be missed if he comes ninety minutes north to my house. It will be me, my three kids, my two sisters, my niece and… Continue reading The Six Stages of Thanksgiving
Living in Two Worlds
I have a house in suburbia, where I sing in a chorus, go dancing with friends, and shop at amazing thrift stores and then resell to the public through Facebook Marketplace. Then there’s my beach town, where life is slower, the ocean is one shade of blue, the sky another. Deer wander in front of… Continue reading Living in Two Worlds
The Holidays in October and Angry Stalker Dude
(re-run) I heard Christmas music today at Costco while I watched people putting pumpkins into their shopping carts. Ah, it must be fall. In California, the leaves don’t change into beautiful reds and oranges until November. It doesn’t get cold enough until then. We have Halloween first, then fall color, sometimes coinciding with Thanksgiving, but… Continue reading The Holidays in October and Angry Stalker Dude
Cleaning for Company and a Bleach Bottle
(re-run) Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching. I still had to clean the sewing room for my daughter, who is coming for a short visit from the East Coast. I also emptied out my office so that I could get a twin mattress in there when all three of my kids, plus one husband, are here… Continue reading Cleaning for Company and a Bleach Bottle
Where’s the Beef?
(re-run) My sister fell out of her recliner at her nursing home (board and care home, actually) and landed on her face and glasses. The glasses were badly bent, so I needed to go to Costco on the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING to see if they would bend them back into shape with their magical optical… Continue reading Where’s the Beef?
Always Wear Clean Underwear
I was getting ready to walk the dog this morning when I noticed that the toilet bowl needed a swish. Doing it later isn’t a thing with me. What If I get hit by a bus and people see my dirty toilet? Swish, swish. My youngest is coming home for Thanksgiving? Dust the cobwebs, vacuum… Continue reading Always Wear Clean Underwear
A Thanksgiving to Remember
It used to be the whole clan around the dining table, but these days, with one nephew in Texas and a daughter’s family in Boston, instead of thirteen, we are only eight this year. The table is laden with every possible combination of food, gluten filled, gluten free, spicy, not spicy, vegetarian, and meaty. The… Continue reading A Thanksgiving to Remember
The Navajo in the Room
My mother’s brother was a college professor at Shiprock College (now renamed Diné College) in New Mexico. He met and married my aunt Grace, a Navajo woman. This was exciting news in my all-white Iowa family. Uncle Jim was coming to town with his new bride. Uncle Jim was tall and slim, and had a… Continue reading The Navajo in the Room
Hospice Heroes
To Sis: “You’re bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning.” “You’re a fighter, aren’t you?” “People will miss you, but it’s okay to go.” As I watched the Hospice nurse do her job, I was amazed at how good she was at it. To Me: “Have you eaten anything today?” “You can call me at any… Continue reading Hospice Heroes
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 