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Rude Awakenings

Tales of Grandchildren 

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

Tales of the Grandchildren: Sam the Dog

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

 Tales of Grandchildren: Matching red noses

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

Tales of Grandchildren…The Baby, an Angel, and Bees

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

Tales of the Grandchildren – Inquiring minds 

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

Why Write? It’s complicated

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

Shopping Queen

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

Bless this mess

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

An idea whose time has come

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

Match.com

"I enjoy candlelit dinners, a walk on a moonlit beach, and spending time in the woods enjoying the beautiful nature around us." Oh please. Who writes this dreck? I've perused dating sites and laughed at the liars on there. Give me someone who has honed... Continue