we got trees

 I bet there are a few needles in my carpets from Christmases past, but it is just too much trouble to have a tree these days. I do have lights and some holiday decor to cheer me here and today I offer you the tree of the Blogmaid (with Cody cat) and in the middle we get to admire Sister Jane's beautiful tree and of course you can see her SF cable car ornament, right? 

codependent ~ copilot

 I use Copilot at least once a day. He/she/they is quick, efficient and (I hope) accurate. If I need a zip code it takes two seconds, or maybe I'm writing or reading a piece for the Fluf (fuckin' love you folks) group or really anything, my AI pal is there. At this point Copilot is free, but who knows if they will be charging in the future? In any event, a solid new friend.

my city sparkles

 Yesterday Nancy, Scott and I poked around in the Ferry Building for a few hours, stopping for lunch and a little smart shopping. Then we met Samantha and Luke in Burlingame for some Burmese food at Yangon ~ that little city is jumping this time of year. The bottom photo was taken at 5:15 last night courtesy of Barb and Doug and her photography skills. From their back deck and really, how could we live anywhere else? And today, pure catch-up as family flies back to cold weather in Illinois.

books, friends and food

Suze set a warm and lovely table for the book club Sunday night ~ I brought the cake as you may have guessed. We discussed Apeirogon, a fictional account of a touching story set in Israel. An Arab father and an Israeli father bond after the deaths of their daughters. Not easy, but beautiful. Our book for the January meeting is Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan who wrote Foster. It is not easy finding time to read during this holiday season, but you already know that.

 

Downtown! Theatre!

 I'm happy to report that SF Downtown was packed with happy shoppers yesterday. There were lines checking out at Macy's Union Square and a ton of families enjoying the chilly Sunday. Neti and I had fun at Waitress at the SF Playhouse and then I hopped in a Lyft as I was late to the book club meeting at Suze's ~ that was festive indeed and I shall report on that at a later date. A lot going on and it must be the happy holiday season. Yup.

our first tornado

 My little home is safe and secure but there was a lot of damage from falling trees and flying debris yesterday. Many cars were smashed around the city and a few people lost windows and roofs and yikes. The iPhone alert at 5:52am was a shocker but the trucks and workers were out early doing a great clean-up job, but sheeeeeesh.

tv catch-up time

 Well, I am finally caught up with two of my favorites: Shrinking and Bad Sisters, both on Apple TV. And thanks again to Terri, I am seriously considering switching from AT&T (which is so much better than Comcast) to YouTube TV but I can't make any big decisions while Christmas has me by the throat. Deep breath...

a full day with rain

 Yesterday Nancy, Scott and I had a good and relaxing time at the Legion of Honor and paid our respects to Mary Cassatt and some of my former co-workers. We had an early dinner at Tacolicious on Valencia Street and today they are headed up to Placerville to visit with their daughter, Ceci (and Zac) and I will return to playing catch-up here in my cozy home.

more holiday red...

 ...and more family. Yesterday step daughter, Nancy, and her husband, Scott, flew in from chilly Illinois and after a walk at the new India Basin Park we met Samantha and Luke for dinner at Delfina's in Burlingame. Delicious pizza and family gossip and pre-planning the June wedding of Bridezilla Sam and Luke in Chicago in 2025. 

A Christmas Memory

 

Heidi was my date last night as Doug and Barb treated us to this wonderful reading at the tiny Theatre Rhinoceros in the Castro. Honestly, it reminded me of the old/old days in SF when Bill and I would go to the small clubs and venues as we grew to love this amazing and diverse city.  Truman Capote's story is filled with nostalgia and warmth and all that entails during this season. Many of us used Kleenex® and it was beautifully read by Sandra Schlechter. Our old writing friends Martha and George and their son and his finance were there too and yes, the eventing was magical. Doug won the grand restaurant prize in the raffle and hooray for that!

Stay CALM (with flaws)

 Kaiser provides us with a free subscription to CALM and I do try to mediate for 10 minutes every day and I recommend it because I am not a fan of Big Pharma. Here was the end thought to yesterday's soothing session:

    I like flaws and feel more comfortable

    with people who have them.

    I myself am made entirely of flaws,

    stitched together with good intentions.

        ~Augusten Burroughs

     

The Strange Library

 I could only attend the writers' party for an hour yesterday because I had a hard-to-get ticket for the Z space to see this unusual (understatement) play entitled The Strange Library by one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami. I have never really understood anything he writes, but it is all so beautiful that I knew this would be a great experience. It was. Each audience member was given a book in Japanese (officially checking it out with the librarian) and we returned these books at the end of the play when we each got a donut and well, you know, it was THAT kind of theater and I loved every moment of it..

and then he took a bus

 OK, I am a bit intrigued by the NYC killer pictured here. I asked my Co-pilot AI for an explanation as to why health insurance companies are so hated. Of course I know from my own past experience and honestly I prefer Medicare and am a great fan of Kaiser these days. There is a fear, by the way, that the gunman will become a cult hero.  The internet sleuths are just not engaging. Here from my assistant at Co-pilot:

Health insurance companies are often disliked due to their complex bureaucracy, frequent denial of claims, and lack of transparency. Many people find it difficult to navigate the system, and coverage for necessary treatments can be unexpectedly denied. Additionally, high premiums and out-of-pocket costs can make healthcare unaffordable for many, leading to widespread frustration and resentment. The perception that these companies prioritize profits over patient care further fuels public anger.

cat ladies bond briefly

I always follow The Dogist on Instagram and yesterday I became The Catist when I asked a young woman if I could take a picture of her cat. Conversation ensued. This is Pete who is young and rambunctious and curious, just the way he is supposed to be. Of course I told her about our orange cat, Uncle Junior, who was SUCH a sweet character. Ah, memories...

The Gift

Maybe 20 years ago I found this already worn and loved book in a fabulous bookstore in Ojai. I have always been a Mary Oliver fan and I decided that I will now carve out some poetry time during this holiday season. On Thanksgiving my step-almost-grandson-in-law Luke read this poem and I have been appreciating it again and again since that warm and happy day. And I bequeathed this book to Luke...

                   THE GIFT

Be still, my soul, and steadfast.
Earth and heaven both are still watching
though time is draining from the clock
and your walk, that was confident and quick,
has become slow.

So, be slow if you must, but let
the heart still play its true part.
Love still as once you loved, deeply
and without patience. Let God and the world
know you are grateful. That the gift has been given.

+ Mary Oliver

another new mural

 Yesterday I enjoyed a good long neighborhood walk to meet Terri for coffee up on Valencia Street. I needed that (the walk and the conversation) on a fine SF day. Getting back in the groove.

a tea a day

 This is the BEST advent calendar ever from dear Dancing Jen. Every afternoon I take a little break with a different tea ~ packaged beautifully and totally unusual and delicious. Thank you!

Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

 OK, our final family goodbye last night with Rob, Samantha, Sarah, Luke and your faithful blogger. Today I get busy with holiday cards and acupuncture this afternoon. This has been quite a whirlwind, but a good one for sure. (And yes, we all loved Emmy's last night!)

and today I exhale

 Yesterday I met Pamela and Joe at SF Moma for a l-o-n-g lunch with a lot of probably inappropriate laughter and just good old gossip and you-did-what? kind of friend catch-up. First we visited Amy Sherald's exhibit and I especially loved the two pieces featured above. And finally early to bed last night. What a week ~ thanks Sis and Blogmaid.

one very full and fun Saturday

 Mr. and Ms. Blogmaid, Sister Jane and I spent a wonderful final SISTER yesterday. First to Doug and Barb's for coffee and piano and family/friend chatter.  Then lunch down at the Beach Chalet where we proved our sisterhood with the phone addiction, then to the 5pm movie at Tanforan (yay re Wicked!) and then to the airport about 9pm as Sis had a midnight flight. Whoosh. It was indeed a delightful week and we are all looking forward to Sister Jane's next visit. Truly.

Max, Wolfgang and Sister Jane

 I have always wanted to see/hear the symphony do one of their movie programs so last night I met my Sis at Max's for an early dinner. We did walk around City Hall, so at least she has seen this area of SF up close. Amadeus (1984) was the movie accompanied by a full orchestra and a chorus too. What a treat! A splendid Mozart production and an almost full house. But late. And today will be fun and busy too ~ onward...

and don't forget Harlow

 We certainly had a busy fun-filled Thanksgiving and Sister Jane was a big help to the grand girls who were "doing" their first big turkey meal. So funny to see the three (Lindsay, Samantha and Luke) using their iPhones for the recipes they had selected. Harlow the Doodle was just wherever she wanted to be, usually in the way, but what a clown. Rob and Sarah arrived after the crazy cooking time and so the seven of us enjoyed a delicious meal and a few laughs, of course. Jane has now inherited a new family who love her already. 

as ready as we can be

 The Blogmaid and Sister Jane enjoyed a day on the coast while I did some Thanksgiving tasks yesterday. You can see that I was busy baking too many pies and the festive feline had to be locked out of the dining room for obvious reasons. Happy Thanksgiving to all (hahahaha) my readers and friends. Yes, I am indeed grateful. Very.

Sisters in Sausalito

 My next door neighbor Cristina (top photo) works on the SF-Sausalito ferry so we had freebie tickets (and sunshine!) yesterday for our busy, happy travels. We had pizza for lunch at Taste of Rome, then some walking and talking and after a visit to Pier 39 (tourists, yay!) we walked down to the Ferry Building to Hog Island Oysters and you can see Sister Jane enjoying our early dinner. Oh, I loved those oysters too, never fear. What a full, fun day. And week. And life.