Being from the Midwest means I grew up with Iowa talk and Midwestern lingo. Some of it applies across the country, but none of it seems to have made it to California. Like the pioneers who had to discard their prized possessions alongside the trail as their tired oxen could no longer take the weight,… Continue reading Not One Iota of Truth!
Father’s Day Hike
(re-run) Several years ago on Father’s Day, my three kids went with to their dad’s for a bbq, and I went on a late-day hike with my (now ex) boyfriend. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t believe in rules and always thinks his way is the best way. We took a hike on the… Continue reading Father’s Day Hike
Father’s Day Hike
(re-run) Several years ago on Father’s Day, my three kids went with to their dad’s for a bbq, and I went on a late-day hike with my (now ex) boyfriend. He’s one of those guys who doesn’t believe in rules and always thinks his way is the only way. We took a hike on the… Continue reading Father’s Day Hike
The Two Perks of Social Media
I remember my birthdays during my childhood. School was already out, kids were on trips (the lake, the cabins in the woods, the Ozarks — not Hawaii, Paris, or Greece). My birthdays were lonely except for my siblings and one or two close friends. The Iowa weather could also be a bit iffy in mid-June.… Continue reading The Two Perks of Social Media
Rattlesnake Season
It’s rattlesnake season here in the West. Snakes are cold-blooded and love warm surfaces like rocks or sunny trails when they are cold, and dark and shady places when they are hot. At night they curl up in the strangest locales – in coiled-up garden hoses, under the edge of pool covers, and now according… Continue reading Rattlesnake Season
The Story of Dr. Seuss
I just finished a 430-page biography about Theodor Geisel. You might know him better as Dr. Seuss (his mother’s maiden name). When I chose the book to review, I expected a children’s biography, not an in-depth tome that chronicled his life year by year, from birth to death at age 87. He had two wives,… Continue reading The Story of Dr. Seuss
Grizzly Bear!
(re-run) An Amazon robot punctured a can of Bear Mace, sending 80 employees to the hospital before Christmas. It reminded me of this true account told to me at a holiday party. In 2008 you take your wife, Liza, and your teen-aged kids to Alaska. You stay near the Princess Lodge in a fishing cabin… Continue reading Grizzly Bear!
On a Hot Day
On a hot day, I had two choices: go to dinner with two girlfriends at the Mexican restaurant, or drive north to meet a friend for First Wednesdays, a block party in another town. I t was hot, but I knew I couldn’t eat Mexican food, so I went to the street dance. One block… Continue reading On a Hot Day
Bringing a Friend on a First Worst
Frankie put an ad in the singles’ section of her town newspaper. Burt answered the ad. They talked on the phone several times, once for with three hours. He told Frankie that he made plastic limbs as movie props. They were both in their late 20’s. When Burt told her he lived with his mom,… Continue reading Bringing a Friend on a First Worst
The Land of No Internet
In the land of no internet, you have time to do things that normally get sucked up by the time you spend on Facebook. Weeding by hand Reading a book Watching a DVD or two Sorting a drawer Visiting with relatives Having a phone call with your youngest The land of no internet has neighbors… Continue reading The Land of No Internet
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 