It was Christmas of 1954 and my Uncle Jack, who is nine years older than I, gave me my first real book, “Little Women.” The cover is pretty worn, and the pages a little brown around the edges, but I still have it, and the inscription reads: “Jean – Happy hours reading this. Uncle Jack Christmas 1954” There is more writing on the first, inside blank page written in the slightly wriggly cursive of an 11-year-old: “1954 – Property of Gloria Jean Acosta – 829 East “E” St. Ontario, Calif.” I wrote again when I was fourteen. Why? Perhaps something … Continue reading First Favorite Book

The Camping Life I was a Brownie and then a Girl Scout from 1952 to 1956. That last year I was too embarrassed to let anyone outside my family know that I was a Girl Scout. It was not cool in the seventh grade. I had read that Debbie Reynolds proudly walked through the halls of Burbank High wearing her Girl Scout uniform all four years. I admired her chutzpah, but I couldn’t even bring myself to wear that uniform in 7th grade. I remember selling the famous cookies one Saturday in 7th grade, and we had to wear our … Continue reading The Camping Life

  When I was a kid between the ages of eight and twelve, most Saturdays I accompanied my father, Frank, to the winery where he was foreman — The Cucamonga Valley Wine Company. It was located on the El Camino Real in Ontario, California. It even had one of those bells out front that dotted, and still dot, Highway 101, but that’s the romantic version. To us, it was plain, old “A” Street, and we lived in a two-bedroom house on “E” Street. My younger siblings, sister Karen and brother Frank, often went, too, and we usually rode to the … Continue reading The Winery

If you could see me now, you’d be surprised to learn than I once trained for and completed a marathon — The 2000 Los Angeles Marathon. The year was 1999. I was 57 — most would think too old to begin running in marathons, but years before that I had had a very vivid dream in which I did run in a marathon. I saw myself stopping for water and food and running up hills. When I woke up I was exhausted. Okay, that part is just my sense of humor, but it really was a dream, and I tucked … Continue reading My Marathon Dream

We all (brothers, sister, parents) decided to spend Christmas together at the home of my brother, Frank, in Redding and my sister, Karen, in Susanville. We would split our time between both homes and have ourselves a beautiful, northern California Christmas with snow and the whole package. Good-bye warm Phoenix; Hello chilly Northern California. Two days before Christmas, my husband and I, along with our two, teen-aged daughters, Janet and Katie, headed to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. So far, so good, but when we landed in San Jose, it was pouring rain. As we boarded the plane I could … Continue reading THE GIFT OF THE CHRISTMAS CAT

Source: CALL JEAN, EXTENSION 4244 Continue reading CALL JEAN, EXTENSION 4244

A.M. I have often looked around at my classmates at the gym where I take a Silver Sneakers class, a gift of Medicare and old age. Do I fit in with these people? Surely they are all older than I am. We all walk into the gym past the fit and cheerful people at the front desk and the hard bodies along our path lifting and dropping the gigantic weights until we reach our classroom. We usually wait outside for the younger class ahead of us to finish their much more difficult and higher impact class. Many of us are … Continue reading MY DAY AT THE GYM(S)

Source: Bittersweet Reunion Continue reading Bittersweet Reunion

An attractive young woman at a kiosk in the mall catches my attention. Oh, how did I let this happen?  I avoid these people at all costs, and I’ve already dodged about a dozen of them with food for me to taste, with phones to sell me, sunglasses, massages, vitamins, fragrances and myriad other items.  What are they doing in the mall?  I can’t go anywhere without someone wanting to sell me something or sign something. Damn!  We made eye contact, the hook is in, and she’s reeling it in. “Will you sit here for just a moment?  I’m only asking for … Continue reading Aging at the Mall

I Remember…. Continue reading I Remember…