one lovely movie

 Sentimental Value was on my Oscar must-see list and yesterday I rented it on Prime for a very rewarding afternoon with popcorn and complete absorption. I do recommend this film featuring Stellan Skarsgard and Renate Rinse ~ it's in Norwegian, Swedish and English, but with subtitles it is easy to follow. I loved the story line and and sister dynamics. Sweet.

out! at night!

 I met John and Mary (of Ashland fame) down on The Embarcadero for a lively presentation at The Commonwealth Club featuring Dan Hoyle, a local performer and story teller. Then dinner at Perry's and lots of good catch-up conversation. They took the ferry to/fro Oakland and we admired the Bay Bridge which is being re-lit this month. So beautiful! One forgets how nice it is to be out after dark...

and some grand noodles

 Samantha and Harlow dropped by yesterday afternoon and she taught me how to make Cup Noodles which are really quite tasty. Oh, she brought some of her homemade sour dough bread too and that is really excellent. Harlow was pooped after a beach run. Sam and Luke will be moving to Florida after he graduates this summer and I am trying to be a good sport and accept this. Tampa to be exact, we looked at a map ~ it is very far away. Sigh.

a grand dinner

 Granddaughter Samantha, her husband Luke and I had a fine dinner down at Precita Social last night. Luke graduates from Stanford Law School this summer and his career will be taking off. A very exciting time for these two wonderful people. Such good fortune that they landed here for three happy years.

the return of the manicurist

 Our next door neighbor, Cristina, was in Italy for two months and we depend on her to clip the nails of Annabelle. Yesterday they relaxed in the warm (!) sunshine and we were all relieved to have short cat nails again. Yes indeed, we love our neighborhood.

a cult favorite

 Whatever that means. I stumbled across Search Party on Netflix last night and yes, I like it so far. NYC young people looking for a college acquaintance who has gone missing. Rosie Perez appeared for a few seasons in the first episode and that was a treat. I really like Alia Shawkat who plays Dory, the main character who is hell bent on finding her friend. 

how does my garden grow?

 So many weeds for such a small space. All thanks to a good rainy season and my neglect. Top photo is before Handy Jan came over to weed and chop this week. She then piled everything into her truck and I still have lemons and a bit of garden pride once again. And gratitude, always...

"the shorts"

 I so wish these little gems were available to way more people. Yesterday Amy and I spent the afternoon at Opera Plaza watching six animated films and five live action short films. My favorites: The Singers, Friend of Dorothy and Jane Austen's Period Drama. And the clever animated films; The Three Sisters, Retirement Plan and The Girl Who Cried Pearls. March 15th for the Awards Ceremony. Yay!

friends, magnolias and some rain

 I met Bette for lunch at Pacific Catch yesterday for another lunch of steak tacos and lots of catch-up talk because she still works full time at the museums. Then I took a lovely solo walk in the Botanical Gardens where I used to take my lunch often when I worked at the deYoung. The Magnolias are almost gone this year but it is always such a pleasure just to BE there and to get some deep breaths and appreciation. We are getting some more rain but not gulley washers this go-round.

more air fryer talk

 Behold my new GE microwave which includes an air fryer. (Not frier, except in the UK.) My previous microwave was old/tired and so I splurged on this new model that does everything. The so-called manual is a joke and I spend a lot of time pushing buttons and wiping down my mistakes. But I'm learning and yes, this was a good decision. I also bought a toaster for $20 and that I can handle. Best Buy with free delivery. Yay!

walking solves everything

 Also Motion is Lotion. I like solo walks and also love going out with Jen and the Two pictured here. Charli is wearing (and hating) the blue donut thing after surgery and Birdie is free to do her thing. We are having a break before the next rain storm so the air is clear and the skies a bright, bright blue. And today I wish Sister Jane a Happy Birthday ~ how lucky we are to have her in our lives!

future tripping and travel

 Sister Jane has visited the Blogmaid and me and my crazy family three times and now we are considering a trip back to Sharpsburg, Maryland, in the early Fall. It was the Blogmaid's idea and I am starting to plan and get excited. I have more biological family back there. Yesterday I took an online tour of Sharpsburg, and it is filled with all sorts of Civil War history that I have conveniently forgotten over the decades. In case you forgot (and how could you?) I was born in Towson, Maryland, and transported as an infant by train to my new family in Pasadena, California where I grew up. All families = complicated. Right?

such a joyful performance

 Local girl makes good! Thanks to the Blogmaid for introducing me to Alysa Liu and the other skaters during the Olympics this week. I applaud Ms. Liu who yesterday won the first U.S. singles gold since 2002. Alysa is a native of Richmond (across the Bay) and trains here in SF. If you missed Alysa on tv you can watch her on YouTube. She is something to behold. Goosebumps.

back to my museum life

 

Several friends have recommended this book. All the Beauty in the World is the memoir of a man who was a guard for ten years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I tried a sample on my LindaKindle 4 and then downloaded the entire book a few minutes later. Patrick Bringley is the author.

steak tacos at Pacific Catch

 From the left: Neti, Jeanine, Pat and your blogger in the often seen red vest. We celebrated Pat's birthday at Pacific Catch on 9th Avenue yesterday and that was a great choice as it was not too busy and we all enjoyed the good food and reasonable (truly!) prices. It was a bright spot in a very rainy day. 

It's Lunar New Year today

 This is a good one ~ the Year of the Fire Horse. This is the year that pushes us forward with bold movement rather than hesitation. In the Chinese Horoscope the Horse is admired for its resilience, independence and power.  Gun hay fat choy.

a poem for President's Day

 (no reason for this long poem, it just speaks to me. So there. Here.)

Woof, This Heat

Kate Partridge

The dentist is now the same age as me, which is troubling, mostly because of what I have and have not done with my life, emphasized overhead by the pop star our age whose music keeps time as the dentist shakes his head and laments the incredible heat. “Woof,” he says, “this heat,” and I remember that while I hate dentists generally, as a profession (I’m sorry), I love this one, and want to keep him close for observation, the way it’s possible to love and hate at once birds or old country songs—like the one my daughter and I listened to one morning on the drive to school, five minutes, which affected her so deeply that her teacher asked the trouble before she even crossed the threshold, and the child, pointing at me, revealed: “I didn’t like her music.” What a wonder that among the worst things that has ever happened in her life is Loretta Lynn. The other day a boy down the street carried over for an introduction one of the ducks he keeps (I like that phrase, like they have somewhere else they need to go). He ferried the duck through the air on his forearms and presented her, announcing, as the duck entered, her given name: Bikini. (Sometimes, he added, called Keen.) Keen indeed was this bird, who held so perfectly still to receive the little child’s rough pets. Not like me, in the corner at a party, all flapping and fluttering hands—this bird so calm, unbothered by the indignity of taking bodily form at all. These three, a portrait of grace: one with a beak, thinking nothing of it; another, grants his finest treasure for display. The third, in stripes and patterns both, reaches open-palmed toward the strange being directly before her, a vision of how, without worry, one can be.

Valentine's Day 2026

 

A sweet Saturday at home featuring tulips, popcorn, tea, a devoted cat and a really fine movie. Hamnet tells the story of William and Agnes Shakespeare as they grapple with grief in olde England. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are terrific and then what a nice surprise to see Emily Watson again. And yes, I do recommend this film. 

trying to get hooked!

 Everyone loves Industry on HBO and I am trying, but a slow beginning for me. How to get to Heaven from Belfast is new on the Flix® and it is pretty good so far. Today I will be a good little Valentine and watch Hamnet, the movie. 

What is BIGFACE?

 Yesterday I met Terri for a latte ($9 and delicious!) at Jimmy Butler's pop-up coffee shop at Valencia and 22nd Street. We have no idea why it is called BIGFACE, but it is a fun and friendly place. Jimmy plays for the Warriors and is currently on crutches but fans keep coming in to soak up the atmosphere. The best part for me, of course, was catching up with Terri and I enjoyed my nice long walk in the lovely sunshine.

happy Heist brunch

 What a cheery little restaurant on Post Street! But best of all was catching up with Dancing Jen over my delicious French toast and latte. The rains came down but I made it to Macy's for some smart shopping, a very good Wednesday indeed.

Oscar prep

 Yesterday I watched The Secret Agent on Prime on Samsung. Today I will do a little research about Brazil in the 1970's. I did like this movie and Wagner Moura is quite wonderful ~ we loved him as Escobar in Narcos, remember? Next up is Hamnet and I will skip F1 and maybe Bugonia? I need to stock up on microwave popcorn as there is rain in the forecast. Rain = movies.

today a salute to they/them

 Give Us Your Pronouns

They say,

give us

your pronouns.

So proud

of themselves

for asking.

Give us your

pro nouns.

Tell us how

you would like us

to refer to you,

your pronouns

your for nouns

for people

for places

for things

the proper noun

for you is

your pronoun

which you should

give to us. Give

us your

pronouns. Please

help us

refer to you

correctly.

We don’t

want to make

any mistakes

with your pronouns

which are yours

and you have them so

give us your pronouns

give us

this day

our daily

bread

give us time

give us

a bloodhound

with no sense

of smell.

Your pronouns

your canine

lost

in the woods.

~ Stacey Waite

“Give Us Your Pronouns” from A REAL MAN WOULD HAVE A GUN: by Stacey Waite.
Published by University of New Mexico Press on February 18, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 by Stacey Waite.
All rights reserved.
Reproduced by Poetry Daily with permission.

Super Bowl Bunny

 Well, Bad Bunny was the highlight yesterday. OK, that and the bratwurst at Heidi and Rob's. We were glad that the Seahawks won and the kicker guy deserves a raise. Ozzie the cat had his back to the tv as I made nonsensical and uneducated comments about "the pocket" and the red zone. Now, let us focus on baseball again, right?

some great tv

 Riot Women is such a glorious and fun (and sad) experience from British Television. I get this on Prime but don't ask me how that works. And yes, there will be a Season Two. Hooray! Check it out...

home, hearth, cat and memories

 It was warm and beautiful in Santa Barbara and Ginger Two took good care of me, as always. So, from the top:

.Lunch at Elwood in Goleta after I deplane

.Orange tree in Ginger's back yard

.Beach walk with Skylar and Ginger 

.Gorgeous sunset at the beach

.Lunch at Summerland Beach Cafe

We also had a lovely time with G's friend Betsy and we three actually went clothes shopping (me!) at Natasha's in downtown Santa Barbara. 

And a special thanks to Mr. and Ms. Blogmaid for picking me up at SFO yesterday. No easy task.

see you Saturday

 I'm traveling without MsBook Air this trip. I look forward to seeing Ginger Two and Betsy and Santa Barbara and yay, lots of sunshine down there too.  The flight this morning from SFO to SBA is just a little over an hour and always full, or so it seems. Easy Peasy...

the grand visit

 Granddaughter Samantha baked sour dough bread and brought me a sample yesterday afternoon. She is always such a breath of fresh air. Before this I did my Turbo Tax thing and am relieved to have that done. It is good to lead the simple life in so many respects.