very bad timing

 Poor merchants, symphony, ballet, theater, restaurants, tourists. This time we are fine here in Bernal Heights but much of my city still suffers this morning. It started yesterday about 3:30 pm and what a mess. All the Waymos were confused and called home (wherever that is) and a few BART stations were closed. Some sort of fire in a PG&E substation. Drat.

fame and sorrow

 I watched Jay Kelly on the Flix® last night. Certainly not the best movie ever made, but I am glad that I saw it and it surely beats all those xmas specials for sure.

shopping and lunch

 Yesterday I walked to/fro on fun Fillmore Street and finished my holiday shopping before joining Pat, Neti and Jeanine for lunch at Eliza's on California Street. Basic Chinese, but we were all in sunny moods as we prepare for some rain that will be arriving later today and staying for awhile. 

my third visit and still impressed

 My neighbors and friends walked down with me to Precita Social last night for our holiday celebration and we were not disappointed. The restaurant was busy and festive and the food was excellent. Rob and Heidi are so good to me and they fly back east next week to be with family so we enjoyed our yummy steak, pasta, etc. and talked of many things. 

a good walk, then tea

 Heidi and I met for tea at Gini's yesterday. First I walked to/fro on Sacramento Street which is nice and flat (no hills) and features expensive stores and restaurants.  Their tree is beautiful and the tea was most welcome. I love their ancestor wall ~ always very interesting with a new baby addition this year.

we all mourn

 This horrible Reiner family tragedy. I have no words for this unspeakable horror. Heartbreaking sorrow.

a comic break, please

 I will never know why there is so much tragedy this time of year. It is easy to fall into a gloomy mood when reading all the news. Having a mean imbecile for our President helps nothing. I do recommend the latest Knives Out (#3) on Netflix. The best so far, in my opinion. Fun stuff.

when writers party

 We met at Doug and Barb's yesterday and yes, a perfectly wonderful day with laughter and tears and lots more food than the photo above featuring KFC from Eric. An old tradition. Doug played the piano and Will his cello (Ravel's Dead Princess) and that was a delightful duet. Will is the tallest and always puts the starfish on the tree top. We laughed, we cried, we ate too much ~ my tribe. Bless them all.

meeting at the Chit Chat Cafe

 Thanks to the Blogmaid for the photos and for meeting me for coffee/bagel yesterday in Pathetica. I do love the fisher woman top shot ~ we sometimes forget that our pier down there is used daily for basic human food needs, not just because it is adds so much to the visual beauty of the often stormy ocean.

holiday touches

 I went to Costco yesterday for some peppermint bark and a lot more sugar which I do NOT need. I saw the ugly Grinch there but actually the other shoppers and staff were all friendly and nice. We love that Costco is suing the Trump administration, of course. 

like a bird on a wire

 I snapped this photo yesterday before sunset because the crows were all lined up there on the right. This city has magical light this time of year, in my opinion, and that is one of the reasons artists flock (get it?) here. This Leonard Cohen song from 1969 has always appealed to me:

Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Like a worm on a hook
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee

there is work to do

 I need to get busy watching these nominations, which I was going to print out and drop in here for you, but I do not have time this morning, so you will need to do your own research. In the meantime, the fun ceremony will be on Sunday, January 11th, 5pm, and this is already in my 2026 calendar. 

we love the aroma

 I bought some overpriced green sprigs (technically probably little branches) to bring the smell of the holidays into our home since I don't DO the tree anymore. Annabelle was a bit too appreciative and I keep an eye on her after watching all the fun videos of cats and xmas trees on Instagram.

my writing life

 Sis gave me this delightful book which I am loving so much. I have been writing on an almost daily basis now for 25 plus years. This past week I wrote with Chef Sarah up in Napa. We can and do write freely with one another and I treasure her friendship. She said I could use her paragraph here and I do so because it expresses my feelings so perfectly. (Tiapos is the name of our writing group, as you may remember: This is a piece of shit.) Sarah's writing is definitely not, while mine often is. Here from Sarah Scott:

All this made me appreciate all the years with Jane and Tiapos up to the present and the format of reading with an emphasis on positive feedback and never telling someone what to do or how to do it. The generosity of fellow writers listening, considering with care, commenting with finesse, wisdom and mostly kindness is a precious gift. It provides a safe space to share imperfect, intimate, newborn writing. 

 

 

animal world

 I did some dog sitting for Jen and Stacie's two rascals (Charli and Birdie) yesterday afternoon and that worked out well as a delicious tuna sandwich was included in the deal. Then last night Lynn next door (who is visiting from Puerto Rico) brought me yummy miso soup. Annabelle adores Lynn and managed to knock her coat to the floor and snuggle there which is unusual behavior for my cat, but sweet for sure.

catch this documentary

 Mariska Hargitay has always been a favorite actor of mine, mostly from all her work on Law & Order. My Mom Jayne is very well done, in my opinion. The interviews with her brothers and sisters tell us so much and of course the shocking death of her glamorous and talented mother, Jayne Mansfield. This is on HBO Max and I think it will win awards in 2026. Ah, family.

books are back downtown

t

 Ah, nice. The Best Bookstore has opened at 226 Powell Street in Union Square. Small, warm and friendly and already busy. I had a chat with the owner and I certainly wish him well. The shelf labels were all still hand written and he was still stocking, but everyone, please support all bookstores everywhere.

across the famous bridge

 Yesterday I met four friends for lunch over in Mill Valley at The Redwoods Community Senior Center. I drove because Waymo doesn't do the bridge and Lyft is rather expensive. Everything worked out perfectly and we all enjoyed ourselves. This is a well run facility, but you know I was happy to get back to my little home in Bernal Heights.

preparing for September, 2026

 Yesterday I spent an hour or two selecting my seats for next year in Ashland. Prices have gone up, no surprise there. My friend John is already talking "which restaurants?" and you know I'm on board there. If everything works out, the daughter of a friend will be in the cast and that will be extra wonderful.

a thousand year old poem

‘Tis a fearful thing

to love what death can touch.

A fearful thing

to love, to hope, to dream, to be –

to be,

And oh, to lose.

A thing for fools, this,

And a holy thing,

a holy thing

to love.

For your life has lived in me,

your laugh once lifted me,

your word was gift to me.

To remember this brings painful joy.

‘Tis a human thing, love,

a holy thing, to love

what death has touched.

— Yehuda Halevi
(With thanks to Ginger's sister, Amy, for sending this beautiful poem. So true. )