Thursday, January 1, 2026

     Morning walk on the deck, a pause in the rain, a bit of blue sky. Sea gulls squawking and cars racing, in the distance. I trudge on the wet deck, back and forth, tipping chairs to release their puddles. The blue sky is temporary as the clouds cluster back together.

     Nine folks for New Years Eve dinner and then a movie. Nine is the limit for my table. We need more comfortable chairs in the living room. A fire in the fire place. We watch a funny spoof, whose name now escapes me. I go to my room after the movie freeing up one comfortable chair. And life continues in the living room. The five comfortable chairs are taken.

     I am glad to spend time with the family and still I am easily overwhelmed by their dynamic personalities. I join the group and then retreat back to my room. Have I always been this way, don’t remember. I do spend time each morning in the kitchen washing various dishes and putting away stuff. I am the morning kitchen person.

     I am now sitting in my room as I write. Bathroom sounds in the distance, voices come through. TV sounds for the New York inauguration. The wind is picking up.  The heater is working. The plumbing still works. Maybe there is a problem with electricity. Three small leaks in my bathroom skylight. My car runs.  I have no complaints at all.

 

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

     There are 7 of us in the house this week and two bathrooms.  My bathroom and the other bathroom for the six of them. Not fair.  They can use mine but it is set up for my bladder issues and is awkward. In emergencies they will risk it. We only have one shower and 7 people who want to shower. No solution here. We have our favorite living room chairs and blankets. We move up to more comfortable chairs as people leave the room. I have the most comfortable chair.

     I stay at home while the others go to the annual extended family lunch in San Juan Bautista. I am not sick, just a bit fatigued and weak. I am damaged rather than ill from the six surgeries and many treatments. Maybe next year I can attend.

     In the late afternoon we watch WARRIORS, a weird, funny thriller. Very intense and the images stay with me through the night. Later I watch a Rachel Maddow special in Los Angeles. The others slowly leave the living room for other parts of the house.

     I start reading the new book by Louise Penny, THE BLACK WOLF.  Now I have started three books. I can’t finish what I start. The books are piling up again.

 

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

     Cold cloudy morning.  The rain is returning later today. The furnace is doing its job of blowing out heat into this cold house. Blankets on the chairs for extra warmth. It is still winter. It is too cold to spend much time walking on the deck.

     We are now watching movies on TV. Last night it was HAMMET. I had read the book which is complicated and lively. The movie is well done. But still I prefer the book.

     I am caught up in the book CALIFORNIA AGAINST THE SEA, by Rosanna Xia. So much of what she writes about is familiar to me.  I better understand the California Coastal Commission and the current problems with sea walls and beaches. No solutions and now I can follow the arguments. 

     The relatives are energetic and busy. Yesterday they spent the day in Big Sur. The house is quiet and I am rejuvenated.