Dance with Me, Young Jeremy

(re-run) Each dance bar in Omaha ended the night with its signature song. One bar closed with Last Dance by Donna Summer, another used Shout from the Blues Brothers movie (by the Isley Brothers) as its sign-off song. But my fave dance bar closed with the song New York, New York. It seemed an odd… Continue reading Dance with Me, Young Jeremy

A Chance of a Ghost

(re-run) This is not a Halloween story. No words written in blood on the hallway walls, no moaning spirits or flickering lights, or candles blowing themselves out. Just a feeling of not being alone. Ghosts, if you will, leftover energy from those who came before us. As a child I was called the sensitive one.… Continue reading A Chance of a Ghost

Mass Hysteria and the Coronavirus

Today’s aerobics teacher was telling us how Costco looked like Black Friday when she went there on Saturday.  The TV news station reported similar hysteria at a Hayward Target store. Apparently, people were buying toilet paper and paper towels this weekend, for Armageddon. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, especially if they have… Continue reading Mass Hysteria and the Coronavirus

Nature’s Prayer Moment

(re-run) Yesterday morning I stepped up to the kitchen sink to fill the tea pot and looked out my window at the flowers exploding in my yard. I glanced over to the fountain where I saw dozens of identical birds taking drinks in a clumped up circle around the top of my round fountain. Their… Continue reading Nature’s Prayer Moment

The Weird World We Live In

(re-run) I read the paper each day and watch the news most nights to stay informed. It’s amazing how many people don’t have a clue about what’s going on around them. Like the local nineteen year old woman who bit a female jogger on her arm because the jogger pepper-sprayed her loose dogs. In a… Continue reading The Weird World We Live In

Ah Choo! It’s Allergy Season

My friends post photos of themselves gallivanting through our green hills dotted with wildflowers. It’s California, we are having the driest February in 160 years, and the pollen is exploding everywhere. My nose itches just looking at the photos of the greenery. I bought an air purifier. I dug out my Flonase. I drive with… Continue reading Ah Choo! It’s Allergy Season

Making Time to Write

(re-run) I used to write every day. That was back when I had sleeping babies and pre-schoolers that went to school on a regular schedule. Now that I’m an empty nester I think I am going to write every day, but then stuff happens. Like exercise classes and long hikes. Dog walks. Contractors. A sister… Continue reading Making Time to Write

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

Desperado

Another first date during my time in Omaha, Nebraska, was with a tall, thin but attractive man who was a few years older and reminded me of James Taylor. Kevin took me to the standard dinner and a movie and then wanted to show me his house. It was a summer night, and after the… Continue reading Desperado