Why write? It’s complicated. I had no intention of becoming a writer, to externalize my life and expose it on paper. But I found that every story matters, and if I can find meaning for myself, perhaps it will help others find a shaft of... Continue
Rude Awakenings
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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