Uncategorized – Page 2 – FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER!

Prayers for a Stranger

December 23, 2020December 24, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedLeave a comment

I grew up in Iowa, so it was a no-brainer to join a Facebook group called I Grew Up in Iowa. Facebook cleverly shows when my friends like a post on that page. I see my brother’s name, people I went to high school and college with, and teacher friends from my days at Lewis… Continue reading Prayers for a Stranger

Watch Out for the Green Pepper

August 17, 2020August 18, 2020 Posted in dancing, dating, dogs, food, Fred Flintstone, hiking, hospital, humor, passive aggressive, podiatrist, relationships, stitches, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I can’t eat green pepper. I can’t eat a lot of things. The older I get, the more things I need a certain way to keep me happy. When I was four years into a past relationship, I knew it was in trouble when the boyfriend started adding green pepper to everything he served me.… Continue reading Watch Out for the Green Pepper

I Wish You Would’ve Died

August 15, 2020August 15, 2020 Posted in accident, California, detention, English, ESL, highway, Hispanic, Iowa, memoir, Ramona, substitute teacher, teacher, teaching, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Imagine a white woman from Iowa teaching Spanish in a town that was one fourth Latino. Imagine coming into the classroom mid-year after a string of substitutes. On my first day, a student said, “You’re our 12th sub. How long are you going to last?” It was a brand new middle school in Ramona in… Continue reading I Wish You Would’ve Died

A Day with No Makeup

August 5, 2020 Posted in aging, Boomers, Costco, Facebook, humor, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(re-run) I spent the early part of the morning drinking my fake coffee mocha and checking Facebook. I left in plenty of time to get to my exercise class. As I was driving down the freeway I glanced into the rear view mirror and screamed. Aagh! I’d forgotten to put on my makeup! If I… Continue reading A Day with No Makeup

Interfacing with Nature

July 11, 2020 Posted in Uncategorized1 Comment

I’d have dreams that African lions were on the hill above our house, ready to pounce on my children.

Prairie Girl in the Woods

May 14, 2020May 12, 2020 Posted in aging, birdfeeder, California, Iowa, Meals on Wheels, memoir, mom, moon, mothers, prairie, redwoods, relationships, relatives, Santa Cruz, sister, sky, sunset, TV dinners, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My mother grew up in Iowa and lived there for 88 years. Then she moved in with my younger sister and her hubby in the Santa Cruz mountains in California. It’s dark in the redwood forest, especially in the winter. Mom can’t see the sky, which is hard when you’ve looked at the sky every… Continue reading Prairie Girl in the Woods

My Bad, It’s Just a Brain Fart

April 22, 2020April 22, 2020 Posted in aging, Bay Area, Bernie Madoff, brain, brain fart, Coronavirus, Covid 19, dogs, Early Alzheimer's, face masks, humor, Jeopardy, Kevin Bacon, memoir, moving, pharmacy, ponzi scheme, punctuation, Uncategorized2 Comments

I ventured out this morning to get my sis’s prescriptions and some Zyrtec for my allergies. Today is the first day that everyone in my county is required to wear some type of a face mask when out and about at the grocery store, etc.. I have one left over from the fires of 2018.… Continue reading My Bad, It’s Just a Brain Fart

A Day with No Makeup

March 11, 2020March 10, 2020 Posted in aging, Boomers, Costco, Facebook, humor, Uncategorized1 Comment

Spring Cleaning in February

February 21, 2020February 21, 2020 Posted in air purifier, antique, Australia, cleaning, fundraiser, Jack Russell terrier, koalas, memoir, music, nursing home, pollen, rain, singing, Uncategorized1 Comment

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 a 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

Airbnb Tragedy on Halloween

November 8, 2019 Posted in airbnb, California, deejay, Halloween, hoodlums, mansion, Orinda, party, relationships, Uncategorized5 Comments

Some mornings I wake up with a burning desire to vent, on paper. Today is such a morning. Eight days ago, five young black people were murdered at a Halloween party at an Airbnb rental in an upscale (mostly white) town near here called Orinda. Orinda is the last mostly-white suburb before the Caldecott tunnel… Continue reading Airbnb Tragedy on Halloween