Saturday, April 30, 2011


Theree is a small oak tree that has died in front of my house. Stands about 8 ft tall. It is actually on city property so I don't have to do anything about it.

It is beautiful. All the oak leaves have turned tan and do not seem to be falling. the shape of the trunk and limbs are interesting. I keep looking at it to see when the leaves will actually fall. Maybe it is not really dead.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Did all my exercises this morning including going to the
Sport Center. It takes a whole morning to do it right. Oh well, I am better.

Now I am reading a book called TIME WILL DARKEN IT by William Maxwell. At first it felt slow and old fashioned but now I love it. I think I will read more of his books.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

The wind is really blowing today. The kids and I went to our little veggie garden to water. We all got wet in the wind. I wish I had done more to prepare the soil, need compost and manure. Next year I will start earlier. Little plants are coming up in the dry crusty soil.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

This morning I saw a four legged creature walk down the street. I was sitting in my bedroom looking out the window. The creature was hairy or furry. A bear? a dog? I couldn't tell. There was no one walking him. He was by himself. Maybe tomorrow in the paper I will find out if he was a bear.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

An unexpected balmy day today. The plein Air writing group met at the Moss Landing Marine Lab for a wonderful morning of being in the sun in a beautiful place and writing and reading to each other. It was magic.

Next month we are going to Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove. We are so lucky.

Monday, April 25, 2011

I drove to Santa Cruz this morning to have lunch with two old friends, Since I have a handicap placard I could park right in front of the restaurant. The other two parked blocks away and hobbled to the restaurant.

I tried to convince them they should apply for their own placards. One was interested and one was reluctant. I love my handicap placard.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

It was raining this morning, this Easter morning. Still I went to meet my friend to write for a couple of hours before going to the family Easter lunch at my son's house.

We had a long leisurely lunch and conversation with cousins who came from the bay area.

They went for a walk and I went to the couch for a nap. A very good day.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

I started to read THE PARIS REVIEW INTERVIEWS Vol. 2. I had forgotten how interesting these interviews are. Now I want to read the authors being interviewed. I know there is a bunch of volumes published. There is always more to read. I will never catch up.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Wearing my winter jacket I trudged down the wharf. On the beach kids were squealing as they played at the water's edge.

And in the harbor were two people standing on surf boards oaring through the water. Sitting in front of each was a large dog.

I was concerned for the dogs. it didn't look very secure. They were too far from shore to swim to the beach. I watched and nothing happened in spite of my worrying.

The kids kept playing and I got back into my car to warm up.

Thursday, April 21, 2011


This morning was one of those days where I just didn't want to do anything. The list was long and I successfully avoided any accomplishment by lying on the couch and reading. I can always catch up tomorrow or the next day or next week.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Just watched the fifth and last episode of Mildred Pierce n HBO. What a bummer. No one is happy, no one escapes from their wretched fate.

I am ready for a happier film.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011


A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD by Jennifer Egan. I was in the middle of reading it when I heard this book won the Pulitzer prize. And it is a wonderful book, quirky and intensely interesting.

I recommend it. I got it at the Monterey Library and will be returning it tomorrow so it will be available to someone else to read.

Monday, April 18, 2011

My Physical Therapist said I was doing so well I might not have to keep coming back. I have been going for the last eight months and I am not ready to stop. I am walking and going up and down stairs but I am not perfect yet...

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I am getting the new york times delivered to my house every day. It is very expensive. I find that the Sunday paper is too big for me and I put off starting to read it. So still at the end of Sunday it sits by my chair waiting to be read.

First I will read the magazine section and then the book reviews. later this week I will read the rest.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Warm evening. Windows open to cool down the house. House is quiets. Can hear some sea lions in the distance, crickets chirping. Water the newly planted tomatoes this morning. Put in some giant sun flower seeds. I keep waiting for things to grow.

Friday, April 15, 2011

A friend and I went to Ocean Sushi for dinner after the early movie. We saw CERTIFIED COPY at the Osio in the worst of the six theaters. My friend fell asleep and I was left to watch this boring movie by myself. It's the story of a relationship that isn't going so well. It was confusing and tedious.

Dinner was great. We didn't talk about the movie since I was the only one awake for it.

Thursday, April 14, 2011


A friend was showing me this box of cell phone accessories that she was trying to give away. She had just bought an I-phone and now no longer needs her cell phones. We all have these boxes of stuff that we no longer need and probably nobody wants.

What if we had to live with everything we acquired. Our lives would be nightmares. Too much stuff. And yet I still can be seduced by wanting something new. Sometimes I just want to spend money on something, anything. It is pretty hopeless.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011


I am looking for Ivy geranium plants for my front yard. I have a trellis for them to climb. The two stores I go to don't have them. I am not sure if it is too early or they are too passe. I have to get them in the ground now. This is my obsession now that I am stuck at home recovering from my cold. Now!!!!

Maybe this weekend I will go Carmel Valley to some nice nurseries instead of the cut rate ones that I use.

What is wrong with them. Ivy geraniums, please, in many colors and hues.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The boats are now being moored in the outer harbor, commercial fishing boats, recreational boats. The storm danger is over. It is time to start watering the garden. The weeds and grasses are turning brown. The ids are out on the street after the dinner hour. It is still light outside when I watch the newshour. Feels criminal to watch tv when it is still daylight but I can't bear to miss the ongoing narrative of our lives in the 21st century.

Monday, April 11, 2011


This is the bosu at the Sports Center. I am tortured by the bosu. In this picture the woman is gracefully exercising while standing on the bosu. When I am on it I can barely keep my balance. I stand with both feet for 60 seconds and then on a single foot for 30 seconds. All with a hand on a balance bar so I don't tip over. Some day I may look like this picture but now no.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Time goes very slow when I am feeling sick. And then I am better and become inpatient to get back to my life, my activities. As if hanging around the house is not my life, as if I have fallen into someone's else's life.

I sat in the sun in the afternoon warming my body and then took a long nap. I am getting better.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

For months I have been congratulating myself on staying well as my friends have suffered debilitating colds. Now it is my turn, runny nose, fever, racking cough, burning eyes. Even though I suspect I will get over it now it feels like ti will last forever.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

This is an exercise free day, I have designated Thursdays and Sundays to be days when I don't think about my physical therapy exercises.

So I kept remembering I didn't have to go to the Sport's Center today. I couldn't stop thinking about.

I should have just gone and stopped thinking about it.

My mind is my biggest enemy

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Huge wind today whipping up the waves along the Pacific Grove Coast. I stopped and watched for awhile in my car.

Then I went to the 4:45 movie SOURCE CODE. Just me and some teenage boys and a couple of couples.

I guess other people are working on a Wednesday afternoon. Good movie.

My stomach is a bit queasy after the box of buttered popcorn.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Spent the morning writing with Roxane on the front patio of the Moss Landing Marine Labs. We were trying out the place for a plein air class at the end of the month. It is perfect. Peaceful, full of birds, native plants, ocean and sky. we saw very few people there. Maybe they were hiding out in their Labs.

Monday, April 4, 2011

I drove down Hawthorne street in New Monterey today. Lots of pot holes on Hawthorne Street. Lots of empty stores downtown Monterey.Sometimes I worry about how our town is unraveling right in front of us and none of us know what to do. The fruit trees keep blooming and producing apricots and apples. So all is not lost.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

At book group we talked about the book we read, THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LUCKS. Six of us really liked it and two didn't. I wanted to convince the two hold outs that they were wrong. I wanted everyone to like it. What is this need I have to have everyone agree with me. I need to back off.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Went to see Lincoln Lawyer tonight at the Pacific Grove theater. A good mystery story with surprises. I did enjoy it. the theater had quite a few people in attendance at the 5pm show. I do love movies.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Another warm day, doors and windows wide open to cool the house. Time to go to hte nursery to pick up someplants. The apricots are getting bigger on the tree. The wet rug from the basement room is spread out to dry in the back. I think we will still have to throw it out. Slowly the downstairs i being emptied of stuff.