Monday, July 27, 2026

     Another cool foggy morning.  I must have written this a hundred times this year. This tiny area of California Central Coast is holding out against the summer heat waves. I don’t want to complain because the weather is perfect.  But perfection is boring after awhile.

    I am slowly becoming agoraphobic.  I still walk on the deck and check out the progress of the sunflower plants.  Two sunflowers blossoms today. The rest of the day I am in the house, doing household chores, reading books, taking napes. I have two long conversations on the phone with friends.

   I talk to my roommate about buying a new better recliner for the living room.  Something even more comfortable than the one I have. She agrees to help and then, I realize that I don’t need one, I need to get outside of the house. She is so patient with me.

     I start to read Lena Dunham’s memoir FAMESICK. I don’t recognize the names of the many people she talks about. but the story of being a young confused adult is compelling. I want to watch GIRLS again. In the evening, I watch an episode of THE LAST SHIP and FOR ALL MANKIND. I almost like them.  My roommate is out to a fancy diner, so I can’t watch our favorite shows.

 

Sunday, July 26, 2026

     It’s 9:30 in the evening.  I am sitting in my bedroom reading.  And the dogs are barking.  I am not sure which neighbor has these dogs. They bark frequently. Is there is a danger someplace or maybe a neighbor needs help. There is nothing I can do. An airplane slowly flies over the town. I turn back to my book to continue reading. And the barking stops. And then the barking starts up again.

     The sun and the fog are playing with each other this morning I am wearing my puffer jacket. I complain to my roommate that I am just not going outside enough. She offers to help me make the outside more comfortable.  I respond no, I need to make the inside less comfortable. It’s the stairs that are the obstacle. I can climb them but with some difficulty.

     Still only one sunflower near the fence. The others are still growing. I see clusters of flowers scattered through out the garden. The roommate spends hours each day watering and planting.

     We start watching a new thriller, THE CAPTIVE, recommended by my Santa Fe writing friend. And then we watch two episodes of the silly funny TRYING, an antidote to the thrillers and detective stories. Our community is slowly preparing for the ICE invasion into the California Central Coast. It is the courts slowing this demented president down some.  Maybe the dogs are warning me.

 

Saturday, July 25, 2026

     The first tall sunflower plant now has a bright flower leaning over the top of the six foot tall fence. My whole back yard is alive with flowers, gigantic plants, and ripening tomatoes, Italian squash, artichokes.  Soon we will have potatoes and onions.  After 54 years of neglect the yard is alive and beautiful, thanks to the work and vision of my roommate.

     I stay with reading JOHN OF JOHN and now love it.  The first third was difficult and then it all came together. While I am in my comfortable chair reading, my roommate is battling gophers, rabbits and maybe possums.

     In Friday’s New York Times, I read through the hundreds of world weather reports. Monterey is the second coldest place listed. Quito in Ecuador is one degree colder. Yep, I thought so. Most places are too hot for me.

     In the evening, we watch a episode of SUGAR, our favorite alien detective, and then episode three of the Burning Man documentary, THE MAN MUST BURN, a slick colorful promotional story. I never attended, so I am not sure how accurate it is.