There can be no other title for this story, because they are the perpetrators.  I could use some expletives.  You can guess what they are, but I decided to keep it clean. I was afraid to write this until I was SURE my Sears Home Warranty Contract was actually canceled.  I don’t trust this formerly most trust-worthy company any more.  I’ve been watching my checking account, and at last I don’t see that monthly automatic charge, which they insisted on when they repaired my refrigerator, so I think I’m safe. If you are a certain age, you remember Sears in the old days – … Continue reading S E A R S

Yes, that’s what we call ourselves.  We number twelve and range in age from late sixties to late seventies, and many of us have been playing together, once a month, on a Monday night for twenty-five years.  I’m a late-comer to the group.  When I returned to California after almost twenty years in Arizona, I first subbed and then joined them in the late nineties. – invited by my (almost) lifetime friend, Jo. The core group had been part of a mother/daughter group for seven years in National Charity League that met on Monday nights.  After an NCL traditional Presentation in l996 (complete … Continue reading Bunco Babes

After almost three months of traveling through Europe, my last stop was the small town of Bejar in the province of Salamanca, Spain  – about 300 miles northwest of Madrid.  I couldn’t wait to see Bejar and meet that part of our family that never emigrated – primarily my Grandmother Estefania’s brother, Andres Martin, his family and some of my Grandfather Isaac Izquierdo’s (Grandma’s husband) family, too. After two weeks of staying with Andres, his wife, Luisa, and their daughter Luisi, it was time to go home to California.  I was, by this time counting the days.  My Spanish was limited; their English, … Continue reading Spain, TWA, and Anniballi

My birthday was March 30. I became seventy-eight years old. I could be depressed.  After all, I found a couple of new spots and/or bumps, and I think I got a couple of new pains.  Or, it could be that same pain that randomly moves around my body, settling in new spots, as if it’s trying out a new home. “Oh, let’s try her knee today, even though she replaced it.  Ha-ha.  Fooled her.” They never get bored with my back.  They set up camp until I get an epidural, and then they go on hiatus for about three months. This year, as in many … Continue reading Happy Birthday to Me

My auntie, Rosie Relph, turned 93! on March 20, the first day of Spring. Her body sometimes betrays her, but her looks and brain are fantastic.  She has lovely skin and such a quick mind. She lives in an assisted living facility, and whenever I call her, she always says she’s okay, and we usually end up laughing a bit.  She had COVID 19, but no symptoms.  She didn’t seem fazed, just surprised she had it considering all the quarantining and good habits she was practicing. She’s fourth in line of five sisters.  My mom, Gori, was the oldest, then came Rose, Petra, … Continue reading Rosie

In the spirit of my new tradition – writing a story about my loved ones on their birthdays, I’m saluting my brother, Craig, who turns SIXTY! today. It was the Fall of 1960.  I got home after school, walked in to the house and found three of  my mother’s four sisters, in our kitchen. Somewhat surprising at that time of day, but nevertheless, my family got together ALL THE TIME for the slightest of reasons. I could soon tell something was up.  Was it the fact that they were all staring at me, waiting expectantly?  I think it was Aunt Marie who spoke … Continue reading Happy Birthday Craig!

From a Writing Prompt* I am wearing a red bathrobe.  I can’t be more than three or four because my sister, Karen, had not yet arrived on the scene. We lived in a small house on West Ralston in Ontario, California.  I think we were on the wrong side of the tracks, but what did I know? I decided to go for a walk.  I made it about a block or two before I saw my father coming for me.   “Where are you going?” “I’m going shopping.” Now do I remember this because I heard the story so many times?  Or do I really … Continue reading Earliest memory.

As children, my siblings and I didn’t get to go to the movies that often, which in retrospect made it more of a special occasion, I suppose, but when we did, I waited on pins and needles all day until it was time to go, fearing our mother would cancel for some infraction committed by one of us.  We did our chores without grousing or griping.  We never called them “chores,” by the way.  We just did what we were supposed to without a monetary allowance. It seemed to me that our mother – an excellent cook — fixed my … Continue reading Not About the Pandemic or Politics – Except for One Tiny Reference to UNOHOO.

(Written last week and having a hard time with this.  Just going to post because I’ve got to do something.) This morning I watched, as I usually do, CBS Sunday Morning. There is always a good mix of headline news, humor, and in-depth interviews, but today it was ALL BAD NEWS, the only exception being a story about Pete Davidson from Saturday Night Live and his new movie.  It was a welcome respite. One of the stories was about the bombing of Hiroshima during World War II.  The 75TH anniversary of that bombing is coming up in August. As a … Continue reading CBS SUNDAY MORNING – JUNE 7, 2020