Sunday, May 24, 2026

      I drive to Carmel Saturday morning taking a friend back to her car. She went to an evening concert and caught a ride back with a friend.  She can’t drive at night. But that is not the experience I want to share.

     I haven’t driven to Carmel in years. Crowded with people and cars downtown. I am stunned to see the highway over Carmel Hill filled with cars inching their way south toward Big Sur coast.  Memorial holiday weekend. Who are these people and why are they here on this foggy cold morning. Later I read reports of huge traffic problems on the coast road. 

     I am obviously getting stronger and able to drive my car.  Later in the afternoon the fog dissipates and the wind comes up.  My roommate spends the afternoon watering the dry plants. The friendly baker arrives with her newly baked Focaccia bread and stimulating conversation. She too talked about the traffic jams.

     In the evening, I watch the new Netflix series, THE BOROUGHS. My kind of show. I end the evening with another of the endless episodes of THE CLOSER. Amazingly there are at least 100 episodes. I am so excited that my roommate agrees that I have the same hair style as Paul McCartney. And also more winkles.

 

 Saturday, May 23, 2026

     The image on the iPhone screen surprises me.  Yep my face is reflected back to me as I hold the phone. so many winkles. I shouldn’t be dismayed. Not surprising for a 85 year old woman. I don’t know what to do with this new information.

     It’s not that I don’t like to travel. Traveling means giving up some local activity, activities I am committed to at home. So, I make a choice to not travel. There are many interesting places for a day trip here at home.

     Watching Paul McCartney talk and sing with Stephen Colbert I notice his hair style, longish thin grey hair hanging around his neck. We are in our 80’s, so why shouldn’t we have the same hair style. I definitely have more winkles.

     Another book by the Irish woman, Anne Enright, ATTENTION, Writing on Life, Art and the World. A collection of entertaining essays, many about Irish authors. Well written essays are the best. My TV life is centered around MS NOW news and detective shows.  I am ready for something new and funny and well written. A friend recommended the movie, BELFAST, good movie.

 

Friday, May 22, 2026

     Foggy cold morning, of course I live near the ocean in Central California. I grew up here wearing warm clothes all summer.  I was surprised when I attended the University of California at Berkeley to learn about the summer heat.

     So few birds this year. I wonder why our neighborhood is not attracting the flocks of birds now. A solitary black crow and a young blue jay come and go. I did see one humming bird last week. We do have squirrels and deer showing up. But flocks of song birds, no.

     Next to the stack of library books the packages are piling up on the dining room table waiting to be opened.  No surprises here, mostly restocking food I eat regularly, almonds, sun flower seeds, licorice, dried fruit, and of course incontinent supplies and mail order medicines.

     In stead of the news this week I watch the last of the Colbert shows. I am discouraged he is forced to leave his show. And it’s the fault of the cowardice of CBS in responding to the old president’s inability to take a joke. So many public political events to be sad about lately.