Press "Enter" to skip to content

Rude Awakenings

Unleashing the flying monkeys

I imagine it’s no coincidence that my writing began when I was 53, the same age my mother was when she called it a day. Nor that it took me five years to write our chronicles, the same amount of time I lived with her... Continue

Unleashing the flying monkeys

I imagine it’s no coincidence that my writing began when I was 53, the same age my mother was when she called it a day. Nor that it took me five years to write our chronicles, the same amount of time I lived with her... Continue

Conversations with my granddaughter

Char Girl -- I had my four-year-old granddaughter on Saturday. We’re making cookies and she begs to take over mixing the butter and flour. “I do it, I do it! Let me, let me!” After cleaning up, as there was now batter everywhere, we put a... Continue

Conversations with my grandson

Dead People and Sparkle Fairies ~ “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... Continue

I want what I want, when I want it

I am self-made, self-sufficient, and self-supporting, along with being self-reliant, self-confident and self-motivated. I am also self-righteous, self-serving, self-critical, self-centered, and perhaps just a wee bit self-absorbed. I reek of responsibility and good reputation. I hold dear my anxiety, all the while remaining tethered to my... Continue

The Queen Bee

I am the Queen Bee. You know how I know? My friends tell me, and I also have a pair of blue bikini panties with a queen bee on them that proves it. I have been known as the Carrot Juice Queen, the Dance Floor... Continue

Opening doors

It doesn’t matter that I’ve lived here since 1973, nor does it matter that Sonoma Valley is a relatively small area. I’ve been practicing real estate here since 1982 and I still get lost. A lot. That's why I'm not crazy about showing property to... Continue

Wait! What?

May was a big month. My check-off list: ✓ Found driver’s license that had disappeared three months ago ✓ Blue auto registration tag came, stuck atop the eight others ✓ New passport arrived, not that I plan to wander away ✓ Renewed driver’s license: test, photo, 15 pounds wider... Continue

Cosmic patience

I hadn’t said a word the first three days; I’d nothing to add and was seeing plenty about myself simply sitting on the floor and listening—how I still need to control my environment so I’m not too hot, too cold, or too tired—and how hard it... Continue

Soul musings

What cares for my soul? Lavender fields. Weeping willows. Soft blankets of bright orange poppies. The full wolf moon as it hangs full saffron over the valley. What else nourishes me? The ice cream parlor, the chocolate shop, and our beautiful old theater. The General’s... Continue