Say What in Santa Cruz

Posted in California, college, dating, friends, helpful strangers, high school, marriage proposal, relationships, Santa Cruz, siblings, vacationLeave a comment

Jennifer met Brad at San Leandro High school. She wasn’t allowed to date, but she was allowed to go to junior prom. The next year Brad asked Jennifer to Senior Ball. It was in San Francisco, and afterward, they went to Pier 39 with everyone else in their limo. Brad had gotten blue contacts for… Continue reading Say What in Santa Cruz

Wonderful White Elephant Sale

Posted in best, books, California, gardening, humor, memoir, relationships, thrift storeLeave a comment

The biggest, most organized sale I’ve ever seen is the Oakland Museum’s white elephant sale . The Oakland Museum’s Women’s Board hosts the sale in a warehouse off Fruitvale that they own outright. Parking is tough, but once you’ve found your spot, get ready to shop till you drop. The Sunday preview sale is a… Continue reading Wonderful White Elephant Sale

Dive Bar Dancing

Posted in best, California, caregiver, cell phone, dancing, friends, guns, high school, humor, memoir, music, relationships, school shooting, texting, worstLeave a comment

I never imagined that I’d still be dancing in bars at this age. But hey, a girl’s got to dance, and in the winter the live music in in the bars. So here I sit, waiting for my girl friend, who is dumping her grumpy guy tonight to come dance with me. She’s got a… Continue reading Dive Bar Dancing

Best Dog, Worst Dog

Posted in animal adoption, children, dog training, dogs, humor, Iowa, marriage, memoir, Midwestern, Nebraska, party, puppy love, relationships, worst1 Comment

She was under a rusted-out Ford pick-up truck that looked as though it had been parked there for decades. Her sister was an ugly black and white Australian blue heeler/Brittany spaniel mix. She wasn’t much prettier. “Are you sure you want that one?” my future husband asked. I looked at the black spot on top… Continue reading Best Dog, Worst Dog

Blind Date in a Castle

Posted in alcohol abuse, college, dancing, dating, firsts, friends, military, relationships, Sweden, travel, worstLeave a comment

Lynne was studying abroad at a university in Sweden. One of her friends convinced her plus another young woman to be blind dates. His school was hosting a fancy dinner and ball at a castle in Stockholm. The Swedish school was inviting guys from Denmark and Norway for the event, and they needed dates. The… Continue reading Blind Date in a Castle

The Robin and the Chrome Bowl

Posted in birds, brain, California, caregiver, dogs, humor, nature, peace, relationshipsLeave a comment

Every morning, as I sit at my kitchen table putting up my blog post and sipping on strong tea, a robin comes near the back porch to meet its reflection in an upside-down chrome dog bowl. The robin does a little dance in front of the bowl. The reflection does a dance back to the… Continue reading The Robin and the Chrome Bowl

Lady Doritos

Posted in California, food cravings, gender roles, humor, losers, memoir, relationships, retail, snack food, worst4 Comments

PepsiCo, have you been paying attention? This is the year of #metoo, #timesup and the second year of the Women’s March. This is the worst time to be introducing girly snacks , when the whole point of the aforementioned movements is to treat women THE SAME as men are treated. Men don’t get raped (well,… Continue reading Lady Doritos

A Good Dog Neighbor

Posted in animal rescue, California, caregiver, dog training, helpful strangers, humor, memoir, neighbors, relationships, sonLeave a comment

Yesterday my son and I had lunch together at the local sandwich shop. He brought his little dog, half Chihuahua, half terrier. I fed Violet scraps of lettuce under the table while we ate. She thinks she’s a vegetarian. Afterward, we followed the usual routine and came back to my house, where Violet could run… Continue reading A Good Dog Neighbor