Over the past week the unbearably smoky air has cleared, at least temporarily, and it’s beginning to feel like fall. On Monday, James drove home to Merced to help Nonna, Auntie Erin, and Uncle Brett move Papa into his new place. It’s an indescribably hard transition surrounded by, understandably, many emotions. James described…
Last night we’re driving home and Jacob points out the Christian’s Mattress Xpress. “I don’t understand. How can they be family-owned and operated since 1992 and they have like, five stores? How many people do they have in their family?” I love that you analyze these things.
Nate’s the kind of kid that doesn’t appear to be listening that intently, and yet, he is in fact soaking it all in. His teacher, Maestra Iron, noticed in kindergarten that she couldn’t tell if he was engaged, and yet he’d surprise her with his accurate responses to her questions…
My dearest JJ, I started writing this letter on Coronavirus Day 74, which was 11 weeks after your birthday, only to succumb to the pit of time quicksand that is quarantine. It’s Day 185 and here I am, finishing my favorite letter of the year– your birthday letter. Or shall I…
There’s something about lockdown that makes you desperate to treat yourself. It must be the endless withholding of normalcy that makes one inclined to declare, “Strap on your masks, we’re headed down to the Woodstone Market for mint chip It’s-Its, stat. Let’s do this.” Meanwhile, we’ve just finished two riveting seasons…
Somehow we’ve cobbled together three extracurricular activities a week. Mondays are safe Soccer Academy with our British buddies. And Tuesdays and Thursdays are evening recess at Pacheco with our All Star mates. On Monday I noticed the Academy attracted the likes of Modric, Pusilic, Ronaldo and De Bruyne. It’s a…
People are saying we’re not working from home– we’re living at work. Yesterday I came out of the front door of the barn… straight into a flock of six wild turkeys. Living at work is that special combination of herding cats and chasing turkeys.
Years ago, Alesia taught me about food menu trigger words. She described them as words on a menu that immediately jump out as something you’d order. One of her triggers is artichoke. My trigger words are descriptions that include lemon, apricot, cherry, pear, blue cheese and candied nuts. And fresh…
There’s nothing like moving back to the college town of your youth to make you feel old. Last week my fitness teacher put me through so many jumps that my legs literally buckled. I kind of keeled over on my knees as I reached for my non-existent life alert necklace. She’s…
James is always heckling me when I read my news feed in the evening. He believes it to be a source of endless chaos and negative emotions. I’m sure he’s right. But, I protest, “I’m a princess on a mountaintop! I must know what is happening out in the world!”…