Snowy Sierras and the Donner Party

Last night I heard on the news that this year Lake Tahoe had the third highest amount of snow ever recorded. Yes, It snowed again this week, in the middle of May. When was the last time Tahoe has seen twenty-five feet of snow in the month of February? I am not a meteorologist, but… Continue reading Snowy Sierras and the Donner Party

A Rainy Day Blog Post

First of all, heavy rain in California in mid-May is highly unusual. Yes, we’ve had rain and some Memorial Day parties dampened, but this rain is heavy, and that’s just weird. The dogs aren’t tired. They got no walk. Sorry, girls.  It’s a good night to read a book, or watch the final episode of… Continue reading A Rainy Day Blog Post

Obsolete Things from the Past

When you reach a certain age, you realize that some of the things from your past are so obsolete that you haven’t thought about them in decades. Here is a list. Feel free to add to it: Candy cigarettes The Crayola crayon color called flesh Suntan pantyhose Playing cowboys and Indians Toy guns that shoot… Continue reading Obsolete Things from the Past

A Different Kind of Flip

Eight years ago I bought my little house due to a divorce. I downsized and lost 3000 square feet, an angry husband, and many beloved pieces of furniture – a wing chair, an antique trunk, some beds, a dresser, and an antique dresser and mirror that I refinished by hand after buying it in a… Continue reading A Different Kind of Flip

The Flying Hammer and the Cleaning Lady

Many moons ago, when I was the mother of three young children, my husband (now ex) said, “Let’s remodel the kitchen. I stupidly agreed, not realizing that I would be the one to suffer through six weeks of no kitchen sink and six weeks of feeding my family with no way to cook anything except… Continue reading The Flying Hammer and the Cleaning Lady

The $6000 Sub-zero, for Free

The contractor was coming to the end of my kitchen remodel. He spent two days fine-tuning cabinet doors, trim pieces, switch-plate covers, and paint touch-up. But the old sub-zero refrigerator freezer that he had rolled into a corner in front of my sliding glass door three months before, still sat there, empty. “I need to… Continue reading The $6000 Sub-zero, for Free

Pavlov’s Perfume

My girlfriend, who shall remain nameless, lest someone recognize her on this page, has a three-time rescue dog like me. Hers also started out as a voluntary surrender puppy after his owner first lost a home in the Redding fire. Or possibly he was at the Redding shelter and got shipped out to make room… Continue reading Pavlov’s Perfume

The Grass is Always Greener

I had a meeting tonight with two girlfriends in solid hard-core relationships. One is married, the other is living with her guy. My relationship is with two roommates who fight a lot over squeaky toys and over who gets to go out the door first. They are roommates of the furry kind. So imagine my… Continue reading The Grass is Always Greener