the tea report

looking out at the rain (note hanging tea cups above)

looking in at yet more tea type details 

Last Wednesday the book club met at Lovejoy's, a tea shoppe near my
home. All six of us attended, which is rare. I'm not a fan of tea spots but this
one has improved since my last visit a few years ago. Now they even serve
coffee, but I forced myself to stay with tea and I must say that the scones
were the best I've ever had. We had a good discussion about the Scottish
memoir and Connie selected next month's book. I'm on it already.

the pond in the rain

The Monet exhibit officially opens tomorrow, but Marsha and I reserved
for the preview and it was all quite wonderful and one never tires of
this artist in his later years in his garden. (Monet hired someone to dust off
his water lilies everyday.) Then I spent some happy hours walking in
Golden Gate Park ~ the rain can be tiresome, but everything is so lush
and green and clean. A really fine day for this blogger who is learning
how to be a single woman. Ups and downs, but marriage was like that too...

there was love, lots of love

I've been cleaning out my office as well as Bill's. Tossing important old
mortgage and insurance papers and keeping all these notes. Bill never
bought a greeting card but I would find the love note and often a cassette
tape on the kitchen table for Valentine's Day and other holidays. I'm so
glad I saved all of these but just seeing his really bad handwriting and
"art" still hurts a lot. Now I will practice gratitude as I get ready for
my day. I wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and please know that
I am fine, getting stronger.

more Kleenex, please

I came home from grief group last night and watched Beautiful
Boy which is a true, sad story about a very special young man
with a horrible drug problem. Fabulous acting and highly
recommended, but rough/rough/rough. Netflix rocks...

faraway friends

Linda and Tom are permanently in Albuquerque and loving it

Carlini is in Philadelphia for three months and not quite loving it

making us proud

Now it begins. Our new Governor Newsom is going to do battle with
Trump by pulling most of the National Guard from the Mexican border
to save them for "real threats" and I applaud this. He used to be our
customer at the Big Box Borders store when he was our Mayor and
he was always so very pleasant and respectful to all of us. You go, Guv!

writing workshops rock

Five students and one excellent teacher named Steve who was just rejected
by the New Yorker for a short story he wrote. But he is a real writer and
it just felt so good to be back with a group of writers in this small, warm
space as the rain came pounding down right outside. The all-day class:
Write What You Don't Know: A Fiction Workshop to Stretch your
Imagination. Yes on parking and yes on stretching ~ all in all a very
fine time was had by all. More, please...