a sign of hope for 2018

We have never really had Meyer lemons from this little tree which is in
the perfect and only sunny spot in our garden. But look at us now...

friends & neighbors

10am yesterday our next door nabe Giovanni presented us with two
fish right off the boats at Pier 47 where fishermen can now sell to
individuals ~ luscious red snapper which we baked last night.

Then at noon Barb arranged a hair appointment for me with a much
needed shampoo and braids to last for awhile. Honestly my damn
hair is probably the most annoying part of this one armed situation.

Today Carlini will lace up my shoes and take me walking. Gratitude.

not ONLY tv

I am catching up on New Yorker magazines and learning how to
sit still at an advanced age. Manhattan Beach is a fabulous novel ~
the well-researched story of a young woman who works during
the war at the Brooklyn Naval Yard where women do men's jobs.
Lots of overlapping stories and characters. Excellence.

season four

Peaky Blinders ~ back for more. So named because the gang has razor
blades inside those cap bills. Adrian Brody is an antagonist this go-round.
On the Fiix® of course. More Typhoo and tv as I heal...and I do.

another good one

Only four episodes now but more to come. The Indian Detective on the
Flix® is great fun and we recommend it highly for shut-ins and normies.

so pleasant

the Dubs won

the Steins won

A lazy, lovely xmas for two people who still love and appreciate each
other ~ most of the time (ahem). Dinner was turkey left overs from
my Half Moon Bay holiday and all in all, a memorable day.

merry christmas eve

finally meeting George

the festive family table

Your one armed blogger traveled to Half Moon Bay yesterday thanks to
the Blogmaid and her family. So nice to be out and about and walking,
talking to others and eating too much delicious food. More gratitude.

tea and intrigue (binge)

Tea from Dancing Jen's trip to Ireland ~ yes! And great appreciation also
to Suits which started back in 2011 and includes princess-to-be Meghan
Markle. Good wit and NYC setting and just numb me out for 4 - 6 episodes
a day. I am not proud of this, but hey...

friends & flowers

Richard and Bob brought dinner last night and the Blogmaid sent gorgeous
flowers to cheer me. We had Jewish deli food and Italian dessert and ate
too much. Keeping calm and carrying on...

when I had two hands

Rauschenberg on 4

Soundtracks on 7

On Tuesday I met Marsha at SF Moma to see the huge Rauschenberg exhibit
on the 4th floor ~ I don't know much about his art, but I did fall in love with
a few pieces and one is pictured above. Then we hit the 7th floor for the
Soundtracks show and that is amazing. These are floating porcelain bowls
that sound like soft chimes when they come together. There were quite a
few other acoustic pieces and well worth seeing/hearing.

one right hand

I fell and broke my left wrist yesterday and of course I am left handed.
Small victories this morning like making coffee and lighting the fireplace.
Wonderful husband and generous friends pitching in as I learn to ask for
help once again and it always arrives.
Also great care at Kaiser.
Hooray for Tylenol PM (and AM too).
Hated to miss the Tiapos xmas party last night.
Feeling immense gratitude.

back to the Blu

the blue inside

the blue outside 

On Saturday Husbando and I scampered over to Tiburon for lunch at
Luna Blu where I had been with Marsha. Lovely ~ hardly any traffic and
again we sat on the back deck, in the sun and gobbled up calamari and
crab pasta with a lemon mousse and latte for dessert. Delightful.

the funeral

We watched the funeral for Mayor Ed Lee yesterday afternoon on TV. I
had thought about going to City Hall to show respect, but it was easier to see
and hear from the comfort of our own home. It was beautiful and touching
and of course I cried. I especially liked when Mayor Willie Brown said
that Ed Lee would do all the work and Willie would take all the credit.
The two daughters were as impressive as Governor Brown, Gavin
Newsom, Diane Feinstien, Nancy Pelosi and London Breed. Lovely
letters from Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton  ~ Mayor Lee was loved.

mice, according to Eric

The prompt: Etiology
My writing partner this week: Eric (aka Spotty West)
The result: too wonderful

It was once thought that mice were spontaneously generated by old rags.

Now we think we have a pretty good idea about where mice come from. 

(It’s strange that people thought mice might be generated from old rags 

but that they knew where human babies came from. Why wouldn’t they 

extrapolate that mice came from their mothers?)

     You see, I’m not a good person to go around etiologizing. I tend to 

jump to conclusions too easily. Someone like me is probably who decided 

that mice came from old rags. 

     “Every time you see baby mice they are in a bunch of old rags, so it 

is obvious—any fool could see that that is where they come from. What 

is the matter with you people. Don’t you have eyes. Mice come from rags.”

more art, please

Here's a not very great photo inside the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts on
25th Street in Dogpatch.  I met Frances for lunch at Philz (my least favorite
coffee spot) and then we enjoyed this exhibit entitled "the mother the sea"
and featuring Thiebaud, Diebenkorn and a few other artists whom I really
enjoy. I will be taking Husbando here soon because it closes in January.

this I can understand

But, there will be a lot of legal battles ahead. What next?

ah, December

When we become adults it doesn't take long to realize that the holidays
make pain deeper and that normally little affronts or rudenesses can
explode into full blown sorrows and depression. The wise amongst us
prepare for this by reading positive things and watching the glorious
CROWN on Netflix. What we didn't expect this year was a Victory in
the Alabama Senate race and how happy Doug Jones makes us. Forever
goodbye to the sniveling little Roy Moore who makes Christians and
cowboys look bad.  Congratulations to all who worked so hard for this!

she's a firebrand

London Breed ~ out new Acting Mayor. New permanent one, I hope.
Last year I saw her and heard her speak at a women's rally. I immediately
came home, sat right down and wrote her a note about how impressed
I was and to let me know when she needs my support in the future. I'd
say that time is now. She grew up in the projects right here in SF and
even though she and Mayor Lee would argue about policy, you could
tell how much they respected each other. Mayor Breed, sounds right.

deep sorrow

Mayor Ed Lee died early this morning at age 65 of a sudden heart attack.
He was a good man ~ no drama, no scandal, no money laundering, no
self-serving stuff like we see in Washington, DC. A caring man who
fought for the little guy all his life. Mayor Lee loved this city and we
loved him back. RIP, Mr. Mayor and thank you.

holiday glow

Union Square

John's Grill

It was a fine Sunday downtown ~ not too crazy yet but lots of happy people
ice skating and shopping. Dancing Jen treated me to lunch and we had
a lovely time catching up on everyone and everything.

sweet Sunday poem

Conservatory

My father disappeared at summer's end,
but after we developed the last film,
I found him staring back from February
safe inside the breezeway's row of windows.
Returning from her walk, my mother stopped
in snow to consider something ordinary,
her husband lost in thought behind the scrim
of potted plants, their out-of-season green
a tropic growing there. She shot the scene
and now he lives in that bright room, cold frame
of memory, where asterisk points of palms
refute the lie that what blooms must also die.
I hold him in my hands, a trick of time
and light to see him still beside geraniums
as he looks past his wife in their front yard
and sees winter's work erasing all of his:
the one long mile of road he'd always scraped
and stark fact of sky that promised more.

JENNIFER KEY

The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review 
Fall 2017

season two ~ rejoice!

The Crown is back and we have decided that one episode a night is
sufficient. There is just so much going on and we need time to digest
all the history and regal goings-on.  I am overwhelmed by the costumes
and some of the characters test my memory and my google skills.

the holiday meow

Yesterday I generously gave my two hours to the SPCA, standing outside
the windows at Macy's.  One puppy and mostly orange cats on display.
Orange cats are THE BEST. The humans weren't quite as generous as
in years past, but I understand that ~ the world is a scary place now. Then
I went for a bowl of roasted duck soup at the Thai Noodle place. Things
fell back into place after that.

the holiday bark

The Blogmaid introduced me to Peppermint Bark a few years ago. It is
addictive and I even found it in ice cream form. I took a box to Tiapos
last night at Suzy's and we enjoyed many bites along with coffee and
when-writers-meet kind of conversations. That covers EVERYTHING ~
deep and happily shallow this-and-thats and you what?

make mine Marin

Bette and Joe

The Falkirk Cultural Center in downtown San Rafael

Yesterday Joe and I drove over to San Rafael to meet Bette and have lunch
and then check out the print exhibit because Joe has two pieces there.
I had never even heard of the Falkirk Cultural Center but it is quite
wonderful. It used to be the home of the Dollar family ~ he of the Dollar
Steamship Company, he born in Falkirk, Scotland. Now it is used for
cultural events, weddings, meetings, parties, etc. The art gallery is upstairs
in three well lighted rooms. You can see that it was a beautiful, clear
and happy day. We three worked together in the museum stores and we
had LOTS to talk about. Chisme.

cold morning

                        With light and warmth and sweet memories.

It's starting

John Adams and his Girls

I love living in a city with an opera house, even if we no longer go to many
extravaganzas. In fact it has probably been years and years ~ decades?
But last night Carlini and I went to the world premiere of Girls of the
Golden West and we had a glorious time. First dinner in the downstairs
cafe and then to our overpriced balcony seats. We paid way too much for
the tickets (I learned a lesson here ~ go to the ticket window) and the
buffet dinner was $45, imagine. But as we all learn as we chug through
life, sometimes it is just more than acceptable to splurge.

This new opera had a bad review, by the way, but we both enjoyed all
the drama and since it was in English, we pretty much knew what was
going on. Beautiful voices, no memorable tunes. A huge cast. Oh,
first act was 78 minutes, 25 minute intermission, 93 minute second
act and that is a l-o-n-g time to sit in tiny seats. Home late.

Funniest scene: all of us out in front with our phones after the opera. Is
that my Lyft? It's a silver Nissan. No that's a Toyota. Driver calls to
say he is blinking his lights, all drivers are blinking their lights. Poor
security guard trying to help. Modern life after the glamour of the
old and posh opera house.

Observation ~ lots of young people at the opera! Hooray. Also people
still dress with care. I only saw one or two jean-clad opera goers, but
lots of long dresses and sparkle. Men in ties. What? Well, then I think,
at these prices...

from A to Z...

My friend with the fevered brain (Susan, currently in Mexico) recommended
this book which I am reading nervously. It is a WWII novel taking place
inside The Alphabet House and you will be impressed. Breathless.

off to Oakland

I know, I know ~ we have so damn many museums here in SF and yet I
still rank the Oakland Museum as one of my favorites. I went here
Wednesday to have lunch with Ken (the person, not the car) who used
to work with me way back in the day at Barnes and Noble. Good
food at the museum cafe and so much to see. I love their contemporary
California artists upstairs and this one by Nathan Oliviera is special.
Lots of Joan Brown too and we all know how much I love her work.
(I wasn't wild about the exhibit of changing lights and blow-ups, it
reminded me of those horrid xmas front lawn santas and snow men.)

binge away with us

That's Jeff Daniels pictured, but the women are really the stars in Godless.
It's violent and rough, but that's the Wild West for you. Some beautiful
photography, especially of horses. From the Flix®.

Then last night we watched two episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
on Amazon Prime. The 50's in NYC ~ great fun. It's a comedy and I
feel free recommending this to everyone. Enjoy.

all a-jumble

Nap time for twelve puppies at the SPCA. One mother doing double duty
for her six and then the other six pups whose mom could not be found.
Soon the pups will be eating and mom can rest and go to the spa. She
deserves it. It is amazing to watch them sleep like this. Each one already
has a name because the vets need to check them out and administer meds
if needed.

yup, it's here

Fresh Dungeness crab ~ hooray. This is the first year in ages that there
hasn't been some reason to delay the bounty. The crab fishers will strike
or there is a suspected ailment or buyers and sellers can't decide on a
price. But this year it is on time, not expensive (this whole beauty for
$9.95 cleaned and cooked) and simply luscious. Reason enough to live
in the Bay Area as far as we are concerned. Don't forget the fresh
sour dough bread and say "Yummmmm!" every three minutes.

rainy day movie

Ah, the gentle rain outside, the fireplace inside and two people charmed
by "The Big Sick" from Amazon Prime. This is a love story and so
much more ~ don't miss it!

down at the Jewel

So nice to see the Blogmaid yesterday and we walked around the Canal
after lattes at the Bux. We were both enamored of these sweaters at
the Giants gift shop and you can see why. Does Santa read my blog?

and more birthday!

Yesterday in Tiburon with Marsha and her two dogs. Delicious Sicilian
seafood at the Luna Blu. It's a tiny treasure of a restaurant and perfect
in every way. Yes, I will be back.

happy and thankful

RR's 14th birthday!

Our lovely dinner

It was a special day ~ Ceci cooked the Cornish, cauliflower, mashers and
Husbando and I did the dishes and napped after she left. Then we started
on "Godless" on the Flix® and that gets our seal of approval, so far.
(A cooking note here with a nod to Chef Sarah ~ we soaked the mini
turkeys in buttermilk the night before, then a dollop of duck fat so
they browned beautifully and seemed extra tender.)