Be Careful What You Wish For

I’ve lived in my little house for seven years and four months. The neighborhood is about 48 years old, and the trees that are here are huge. My pie-shaped lot is wide and shallow in the back.  Las Trampas Ridge is due west, beyond the freeway, but I could not see it because of the… Continue reading Be Careful What You Wish For

Cat Burglar

I was in Fremont, California. It was the summer of 1975.  I had my sample case with me. I’d worn my hot pants to stay cool. I had already rung three dozen doorbells. Selling books door to door wasn’t always a cake walk.  It was lunchtime. I had one more doorbell to ring before I’d… Continue reading Cat Burglar

The Bonus Daisy Post

Normally I write about my rescue dog on a monthly basis, on her adoption anniversary date, the 26th of October. Consider this a bonus post, since she has been making news these past two days. Every morning I get into the hot tub with my cup of black tea, and Daisy perches on the edge… Continue reading The Bonus Daisy Post

Mountain Lion

The latest mountain lion attack got me to thinking about how we humans hike, bike, and enter into mountain lion territory and should know what to do in the event that we run into one. The newspaper article today tells about the two mountain bikers in Washington this past weekend that encountered a mountain lion.… Continue reading Mountain Lion

Playing Hooky

Last night I skipped my dog’s Manners class.  I paid for it back in August after two of my children said that the rescue dog could use some manners. I went to the first class, second class, and third class. Yesterday I’d had it with my week thus far. Too many things were going wrong.… Continue reading Playing Hooky

First Date Red Flags

Okay, you said yes to the guy who asked you out two years ago and you turned him down. Now he has shown up at a dancing venue in Concord on the same day you wondered whatever happened to him. You see, he lives in San Francisco and you live in Suburbia. Then you agree… Continue reading First Date Red Flags

The Racist and the Ficus Tree

When I was young, the one black boy in my elementary school was my classmate. His name was Teddy. This was white-white-white Iowa in the 60’s.  My first grade teacher, Mrs. Van Cura, got angry at the class one day for misbehaving and said, “Whoever doesn’t behave will have to play with Teddy at recess.”… Continue reading The Racist and the Ficus Tree