Instructions for Satchel’s Fill-In, June 4, 2007 – Email correspondence regarding my grandson at age four; Brooke is my daughter-in-law, his mother: From me: Hi Brooke, I’m leaving today for Carmel, and then Southern California, and returning this weekend, so I won't be here to... Continue
Rude Awakenings
Dead People: “Oma, there’s dead people under those rocks, you know.” I glance over my shoulder to see what Satchel is talking about. My four-year-old grandson is commenting from his car seat about the small cemetery to our left on East Napa Street. “I know,... Continue
On their way to the Sierra for a camping weekend, Matt's yellow lab was in a terrible accident. The decision whether or not to put Sam down weighed on my son, and he decided to try and save her. A month passes before I see... Continue
My grandson is three and this is my second time to have him for an extended period at night. His parents are in San Francisco, returning around 11p.m. We spend the afternoon and evening cooking, eating and reading the books I read to his father... Continue
An Ancient Being ~ It was the day after his birth that I held my grandson for the first time. I remember having this tiny creature cradled in my arm, peering into his dark eyes, thinking he looked nothing like a baby, but more like... Continue
First sleepover (age 3) 2006 "Oma, do you wear jammies?" "Not always, but for you, I'll wear jammies." As we get tucked into bed, I give him a goodnight peck on the cheek. He side-eyes the leopard print pajamas my friend Kay Grether gave me... Continue
I never had any intention of becoming a writer, to externalize and expose myself on paper. But as life would have it, I had a meltdown in a course I was taking, and out of that emotional quagmire I wrote a short piece called, “Queen... Continue
Most of us have too much stuff, and it continually creeps into our space. By the looks of the hourly Amazon and FedEx deliveries on my street, online retail is also alive and well. I seldom shop online. When I do, it’s for things I... Continue
I’m hard-wired for formal prayer. I recite the Our Father when an earthquake hits and sometimes at night as I fall asleep. Then a Hail Mary arises, a woman about whom I hold equally wobbly beliefs. I surrender and move on to bless my family,... Continue
NEWS FLASH: I pulled the lever and moved my Real Estate Broker's license from my downtown business office to my home. I'm officially and happily retired. No more getting lost showing property, writing contracts, and holding open houses. No more attending endless meetings, conferences, and... Continue