Tuesday, May 26, 2026

     A short shower at dawn, damp cold weather. Dogs barking up the street. Sirens move around the town. A new day is starting. My hands are really cold this morning.

     While waiting in the car I listen to a podcast writer, Ezra Klein and Pema Chödrön. Both well known to me. I have read all of Pema Chodron’s books.  Her voice is so different, so unexpected. She sounds unexotic, so American. And the conversation is wonderful. Maybe Pope Leo sounds like a down home man from Chicago rather than an exotic pope.

     I meet a friend for lunch at Sweet Elena’s in Sand City. I avoid the holiday traffic by driving lesser known roads. We talk and eat slowly.  It has been years since I have been able to just go for lunch with a friend.

     I find the evening television not so interesting now that I have visited with a live human. I am starting a book by a favorite author, Miriam Toews, SWING LOW, a memoir of her father’s struggle with depression. I have hopes for it.

 

Monday, May 25, 2026

     Everybody should read this book, HOW IT FEELS TO BE ALIVE, ENCOUNTERS WITH ART AND OURSELVES. By Megan O’Grady. This book is by an art critic who uses works of art as a way to look at her life as a woman. Just amazing. Wait, maybe everyone has already read it and I am the last one.

     I put the heavy bag of library books in my car. Too heavy for me to bring into the house. But maybe not, maybe I just have to try harder. I take out half the books, leaving the other half for today. It is a mystery to me why I bring home so many books.

    My personal librarian is back now and is helping me with the books. The underlying fear is that I will miss out on something everyone else knows. An early childhood fear.

     The visiting dog loves to chew on small milk cartons. She gets so excited when she finds one and violently attacks it until it is in shreds. We humans are delighted with her energy and focus in destroying the carton. The tall man and the dog lover pick up the pieces and put them back in the trash. The visiting dog was better than any TV last night.

 

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.