It can turn your life upside down. We sleep in a California King-sized bed. As I write that it seems weird. Why is it called that? California is not a bed – nor does it have a king! For some reason it must have something to do with its size. At any rate, that is […]
Mouse, my eleven-year- old Shih Tzu, had a bad morning yesterday. She has been diagnosed as having several tiny tumors in her brain that can cause balance problems. The treatment is a dose of phenobarbital morning and evening. Yesterday , as I delved into morning chores, I noticed Mouse listing to one side. She was […]
Another Christmas fast approaches, prompting delightful memories of Christmas long past. Oh, the wonderful traditions that filled our days come December 1st! I was one of two girls, older than my sister, and “full of vinegar!” My memories are numerous. Those days it always snowed! Every Christmas was white. We lived in Northeast Portland on […]
What a year! So little rain – so many little pond “people.” I have spent the entire late Spring and all Summer in a state of Pond Hysteria. This is a rare condition. I seem to be the only not–so–innocent victim of this weirdness! We have a 40’ x 70’ natural pond on our property. […]
What my children remember about me as they were growing up absolutely enthralls me. It is a never-ending treasure trove of what I was like – and still am! First, let me say that I considered them “partners in crime.” I will always think that I somehow managed to clone myself twice. We moved an […]
Every day we are subjected to media. Media is rarely positive. Positive does not sell air time or magazines. Disaster does. Disaster also sells drugs to make us “feel better” and try to function in a more productive way. Society has always had its easy ways out. My theory is this: the more one can […]
The human psyche is a delicate matter. I took psychology classes from an expert professor. One story she used to tell was about being on a train with a young woman and her baby. The woman had just said goodbye to her husband. He was leaving to rejoin armed forces overseas. She boarded the train […]
A few mornings ago, I went out on the deck to water “not as pretty as last year” flower boxes. You can’t win ‘em all! I looked down and saw a tiny sort of face trying to come up between the slats of the deck. I squatted down to get a closer look. At first, […]
In my mid-forties, we lived in Milwaukie, Oregon. There was a great group of women in the surrounding neighborhood – Helen, Carmen, and Elizabeth. I was fond of walking up a dirt road alongside Helen’s house. I went up this road because at the top was a resident flock of Stellar Jays – the tradition […]
Those of us having in our households one or more pets would probably acknowledge that the love received far outweighs the care and attention required by our pets. And, that is why we have them. They give us love, unconditionally. They make us laugh. They console us and lick away our tears. They sit on […]