Thursday, October 22, 2026

     My 80 year old father talks to four of us siblings during a birthday visit many years ago. He says he is proud of us. You each have your own special talents. The youngest is a medical scientist, the next a historian scholar, and the third an artist.   What about me I ask. Well, you are the practical one who gets things done. For years I ponder that unsatisfactory label.  I want to be a distinguished expert like my siblings.

     All day we waited for the rain that never comes.  Clouds, small gusts of wind. Late in the afternoon I turn on the heater. I am tired of being cold. The oak trees look desperate for rain.

     My roommate is busy all day out of the house, and gives out more baskets of tomatoes to friends. I hang out at home, doing chores, reading and taking a nap.

     In the evening, I search through different TV lists and hit upon a documentary about the comedian, Marc Moran, ARE WE GOOD. We watch the whole show, laugh some, mostly interesting. I am now reading Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel, EXIT PARTY. I love her work. All the news seems to be focused on predicting who is going to win the election.  Meanwhile the wars continue and inflation rises. The world is falling apart.

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

     I take my roommate for her medical appointment and again am asked for safety reasons, to park in the dark garage to pick her up.  No lights there but some openings to let it some spots of natural light. My anger flares as I argue with the staff person. It is too dark for me to manage. I watch other cars whip in and out.  I can see in dark spaces as long as I have time to adjust. I hope I will figure it out.

     The rain is coming today and I will see if the repair on the skylight will hold. The beginning of rainy season is always a challenge. My roommate gives neighbors baskets of her garden tomatoes. CVS Caremark corrects the problem I point out to them, so all is good with my prescriptions.

     I put my two fluffy chickens back on the living room table.  I have more to put out. They have lived in a pile in the corner and now want to join us in the living room.

     We watch the last episodes of THE DIPLOMAT and SLOW HORSES, each with a dramatic cliff hanger.  Next year we will learn what happens next. I like REGIME CHANGE book but it is too upsetting to read at night time. So I spend the late evening polishing my skill at computer solitaire. I am slowly learning how to win more games.  The more I learn about the deceitful president the more dangerous the world seems.

 

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

     A regular prescription medication has not shown up in my mailbox yet. I use CVS Caremark mail order service for my medications. Today I have to track down why their portal has the wrong information. Sigh. I dread trying to straighten this out on line. I want to talk to someone in person and I assume that will not happen.

     Perfect weather now, sun but not too hot. Some drifting clouds.  Migrating birds in the bushes. Another bird flies into the house and has difficulty finding her way out.

     I give backyard tomatoes to the Monday MOW volunteer. For several years she has been friendly and a pleasure to visit with. And we have a lot of tomatoes. My roommate buys more Ad Astra bread at the Pacific Grove farmer’s market. I will slice and freeze bread for toast later.  

     We watch two more frenetic episodes of THE DIPLOMAT, Only one more episode to finish. I start reading REGIME CHANGE, Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. A great overview of what is happening in the White House. And so discouraging. How could such a flawed corrupt group of people take over our government.