(re-run) Fifteen years ago, my second cousin died an untimely death. She left me all of her dolls that had passed down on two sides of the family until they ended with her. She had no children, no one to pass the dolls to. I’ve been dragging around my childhood dolls for half a century.… Continue reading Antique Dolls Get a Bad Rap
Watch Out for the Green Pepper
I can’t eat green pepper. I can’t eat a lot of things. The older I get, the more things I need a certain way to keep me happy. When I was four years into a past relationship, I knew it was in trouble when the boyfriend started adding green pepper to everything he served me.… Continue reading Watch Out for the Green Pepper
Earthquake, Tsunami, Six Vehicle Accident Day
When I drive to the beach house from my regular house, it takes exactly two hours if there are no accidents, roadwork or bad weather. Today was not a two-hour-drive day. I pulled out of the driveway at 10:02, thinking I’d be there by noon. The dogs were in the back seat, Daisy on her… Continue reading Earthquake, Tsunami, Six Vehicle Accident Day
The Loss of Simple Courtesy
If a person mails a box to the wrong address (I did) and the people at that address don’t return it to the post office or leave it out for the mailman, that is a shame. It’s also illegal, but the world doesn’t seem to care. I get mail in my mailbox from time to… Continue reading The Loss of Simple Courtesy
The Spiritual Post
A friend lost his younger sister to cancer last week. I lost my older sister in December to a myriad of health issues. Grieving is a process. It doesn’t end all at once. It comes and goes. At least I’m not crying anymore. When a hummingbird gets in my face or flies close to me… Continue reading The Spiritual Post
A Thanksgiving to Remember
It used to be the whole clan around the dining table, but these days, with one nephew in Texas and a daughter’s family in Boston, instead of thirteen, we are only eight this year. The table is laden with every possible combination of food, gluten filled, gluten free, spicy, not spicy, vegetarian, and meaty. The… Continue reading A Thanksgiving to Remember
No Christmas Tree for Me
(re-run from 2018) Eight Christmases in this house and only two trees. Both were living, and both got planted in my yard. Guess what? My yard is full. That’s what happens when you get rid of your grass, fire your gardener, and watch volunteer trees grow on their own, self-planting trees with a little help… Continue reading No Christmas Tree for Me
Orphan Thanksgiving and the Babe Mobile
Bruce was a lieutenant in the navy, and he lived with four bachelor roommates. They’d been out to sea for six months and were back for six months. A guy could save up a lot of money in six months, so Bruce was able to buy a silver Jaguar xke convertible. He nicknamed it his… Continue reading Orphan Thanksgiving and the Babe Mobile
Best Album Ever, Rubber Soul
Twice a month I drive two hours to my beach town to do house maintenance, see the waves, and take a break from the day-in, day-out of retirement. Half the fun is the drive, the music, the scenery along 101, surrounded by fields and hills, trees and sky. My old car still has a CD… Continue reading Best Album Ever, Rubber Soul
Things That Go Flash in the Night
I was so tired from all the yardwork that I didn’t sleep well. I had tried to heat up the cold beach house, first by opening the windows and letting in the warmer air, and then in the evening, by turning on the heat. The thermostat wasn’t working and indicated I needed to replace the… Continue reading Things That Go Flash in the Night
