we did not tip toe

 Yesterday Ginger and I visited the glorious tulips down at Queen Wilhelmina's windmill and tulip garden in Golden Gate Park. Good thing we arrived early because it was crowded with people, kids and cameras by the time we left. SF did not let our parks disintegrate during the pandemic, everything is beautiful and just what we shut-ins need then and now. 

Fern and friends

 

Last night I watched Nomadland on Hulu. The wonderful Frances McDormand in her van ~ doing odd jobs around the country and joining other mostly senior citizens as they solo travel, help each other and live this unusual life. Beautiful, sometimes sad, certainly worth watching. 

the wild urban landscape

 Here are a few lovely photos from yesterday's walk. Hundreds of people are out and about walking and enjoying the closed-off streets, parkletts, outdoor dining, open stores and all the things we used to take for granted. San Francisco is still a city of promise, especially on a sunny Spring day.

I coudn't resist

 I bought this fat guy from "Marsha's Estate" yesterday ~ I think she would want me to have him and Easter is next week. My car is packed again with Marsha's possessions to take to the Salvation Army and I vow once again to keep shedding a lot of my own stuff this year. Wonderful article on this subject in the March 1st New Yorker by Ann Patchett. Check it out...

my smile zone

 What a long and tedious process this has been. ONE tooth and way too much time and money. But yesterday the new tooth was finally implanted. It's been a year but I guess I was lucky because I could hide behind a mask the whole time. Talk about luck. Hahahahaha. 

birthday and time travel

 Here is Dancing Jen in October, 2014, when we were in (duh) Paris. Today is her Happy Birthday and of course I wish her many, many more years of joy and travel and I send beaucoup love and gratitude. 

a slow return to normal

 Downtown is still Ghostown, but here is the view as I enjoyed a latte outdoors in Union Square yesterday. More people, more traffic. Way too many closed-forever stores, of course, but there is hope in the air as more and more smart and aware folk get their vaccinations. And then the tourists will return and I will curse them, but restaurants and retailers will applaud and welcome the invaders.

coffee at crissy

 A gorgeous day at Crissy Field and the public bathrooms are open again. Now that is a big deal. I bring a small thermos and two china espresso cups and we sit at a table and look out at the city we love so much. That is our view, top photo. Then we walk and walk, getting in our 10,000 steps and breathing the clean air. No pesky tourists yet, but lots of happy dogs. 

March, six years ago

 Here is RR in a dress that her grandmother made for the Blogmaid. I had such a positive response to my blog time travel that I will now do this whenever I want to. Thanks, Redundant. And please do not miss the head of Sabine here, sweet little dog. Now I will jump back into 2021, with a curtsy.

what we leave behind

 I spent yesterday afternoon packing up Marsha's clothes for the Salvation Army. The two bags with cat are just a few that will go out today. My car and garage smell nicely of my friend. Luckey insisted that I keep the plate and I am happy to do so as Marsha recently sold the whole set and was so proud of that. I do not mind the chip, but the buyers did. Here you see Marsha's bedroom, she was not planning to leave us and was always hoping for "one more trip to Turkey" ~ an amazing woman who lived well surrounded by art and beauty. 

March, five years ago

 I don't spend too much time in the past, but my friend Redundant suggested that I could go back five or ten years since I write everyday in da blog. And so I did. Bill had been in hospital with scary heart stuff and Anna was in town that March of 2016. We had lunch at Calibri and went to the theater. Lots more, of course, but the two best things were Husbando coming home to heal and seeing Anna from New York again. Have we seen each other since then? 

back to St. Pat's (as promised)

 

grief and gratitude

 Marsha died and I wept most of yesterday even though she had battled cancer for years. Last night I had a little memorial for her because I have learned that these grief gestures all help. We met at the museum as retail workers and art lovers. She would bring me little art treasures sometimes, seen on the table here. Marsha and I had some great times: Sonoma, art galleries, Bolinas, the symphony, roof garden tours, lunch in Tiburon and North Beach, coffee in Bernal Heights, my dining room table. Her most recent goal was to get strong enough to join us for Easter here. Duca and Rosa, Marsha's beloved dogs, are with the breeder now ~ all arranged before she died. They stayed with Marsha when she passed away in her tiny art-filled apartment in the heart of North Beach. She added so much to my life, thank you dear friend. 

a two table Wednesday

 Details and more photos tomorrow. I'm not used to the social ramble anymore. First was our book club at Patty's home and then St. Patrick's Dinner over at Neti's. My sweet friend insisted that I decorate the table and this made me very happy. A full non-pandemic kind of day. Whooosh.

in the pink (and yellow)

 Ginger came over to help me garden yesterday ~ she loves getting her hands in the dirt and I love serving her coffee and chocolate. First we stopped by Doug and Barb's for these exquisite pink blossoms that he buys at the Farmers' Market. Then a light lunch and and heavy work for my friend. A very good day.

BART to San Leandro (and back)

 Guapito was waiting for me to admire him yesterday and so I did. Who wouldn't? I had not seen Meriel for over a year and then we met her friend Howard for lunch at Sparky's. Howard's wife Barbara died seven months ago so we had a mini-memorial with photos and tears (mine). I wish he could benefit from grief group the way I did, but he will get through this pain as we all do. We all grieve differently and I was one of the messy ones. But that's okay.

Spring sprung forward

 I LOVE daylight savings time, but of course many people do not. It does take a day or two to get used to the time change. Perhaps what I appreciated most yesterday was that Annabelle did not start bugging me for her dinner at 4:20pm. She had the good grace to wait until 5:20. 

life is slowly returning

 Chinatown and North Beach without huge tourist buses. Yesterday I met Jen and Jon for a walk up Grant Avenue which is partially closed for street music and restaurant activity. Lovely. The BEST lasagna in the world is at Casaro's and we sat outside there and talked about the present, past and future. Delightful!

three women in Kentfield

 Lucy, Pamela and I met at the Half Day Cafe in Kentfield. A beautiful sunny day and lots to talk about. Lucy was here from Oregon and of course none of us had seen each other for a long time. Still no traffic going over the Golden Gate Bridge, that is such a blessing on a Friday. Life begins again...

free on Amazon Prime

 East Side Sushi was recommended yesterday by Doug and Barb. A lovely little movie about a young Mexican woman who wants to be a sushi chef. Filmed across the Bay in Oakland! We actually had lunch INSIDE yesterday for the first time in over a year. Thursdays are still special, but warmer now. I do however, miss my friends' garden.

beginning a new book

 So far, so good. Who is Maud Dixon had some great reviews and I sampled it on my LindaKindle4 and now I have invested the $14.99 and will find some sit-by-the-fire time to devour this novel. I also am able to read while I bike away in my garage, but the fireside is really a lot more fun for Annabelle and me.

one fine Ferris Wheel

 Yesterday Ginger and I rode the HUGE (and controversial, of course everything in SF is controversial) Ferris Wheel in Golden Gate Park. It was totally delightful and I recommend this whole heartedly. You can buy tickets online and we lucked out on the weather because clouds and rain started later in the day.

feet treat

 Not my toes, nor flowers, but I did enjoy a professional mani/pedi yesterday after months of doing these things myself. Of course I overtipped because the manicurists have suffered greatly this past year. As have so many. And lord knows I have not spent $$$ on posh restaurants or exotic travel. Life returns.

Dancing Jen and John's Grill

 We had a lovely pre-birthday lunch at John's Grill (outside) yesterday. Lots of catch-up and always so great to see Dancing Jen and to hear about her never dull life. And of course we all know how much I love to be downtown. Today is International Women's Day ~ we all celebrate!

Slow Streets Sanchez mural

 Here is Amos Goldbaum, local artist, celebrating his Sanchez Street line drawing. The project was funded by the Friends of Slow Sanchez and I will get over there ASAP to take my own iPhone photos. Adam is a resident of Noe Valley and we see his work all over. But this? Wow, what a project. Oh, and it is only a block or two from Doug and Barb's home on the now-famous Slow Sanchez Street. 

to Paris with JOY

 I started watching this hilarious show and then stopped for some reason. Holidays? Covid? Cat? I returned this week and now am loving Call My Agent all over again. Such fun, so French. Thank you Netflix for this creative journey with all these me/me/me actors and agents. 

to the big Botanical Garden

 The rhododendrons are starting to fall now, but it was still an excellent and beautfiul walk on Wednesday, when I met Terri for some catch-up out at Golden Gate Park in the Botanical Garden. This is such an amazing place and FREE for SF residents. I will return, and soon.

an amazing woman

RIP dear Jennie Politis. An amazing woman who will never be forgotten. I wish we could sit at your little kitchen table one more time and have some tea. A long, good life. I am glad you spoke your parents native Greek when you were dying. I am so glad I knew you. 

who let the dogs in?

 Yesterday Ginger and I went to play at the brand new dog run in Golden Gate Park. Posh. As it should be. We parked easily at 36th and Fulton and did some serious dog watching before heading south to North Lake and walking there. That is a wild overgrown lake, completely different than pristine Stowe Lake. A delight ~ filled with wild flowers and little animals. Then coffee and home grown coffee cake sitting in the sun (you can barely see the lake, but it is there) at the one picnic table. Excellence.

private public transportation

 Except for the dentist, I had a delightful downtown SF yesterday. Took the #27 Bryant (top photo) and BART (third) for the home trip. Sparkling clean. I am such a huge fan of public transit. It's been a year and yes, I was very happy. Did a little sightseeing and stopped for lunch outside on my walk home from BART. I do feel that life is starting to return to what some might call normal.