down to the sea

Ginger and I walked down at Land's End yesterday and then had our coffee overlooking the ocean and how lovely is this? There is nothing like fresh sea air to revitalize the spirit. The tourists are returning and traffic is getting difficult again. Morning fog, then sun ~ it could be worse.

let's talk tea

 I was invited for tea over at Heidi's yesterday afternoon. Lots to talk about because three of the four women are planning vacation trips and all are a bit anxious about airports, airplanes, etc. Luscious snacks so I wasn't exactly hungry when I got home for supper. That's OK.

been here, done this

 Ah yes, the great water shortage. Even Bill, who loved all forms of creature comfort, was eager to save water and so I'm back with the bucket in the shower and plastic bottles to take out to the garden. On my last water bill I was down 9 gallons a day and I patted myself on the back. We are a wasteful society.

a good old girl

 I wore my horse shirt yesterday to honor Coco, the sweet horse belonging to the Blogmaid family. Here from this morning's lovely email:

Coco had a pretty good day, for a last day. I doubled up on her pain medicine in the morning, so she was better able to walk around a few hours later. I had been preventing her from doing her favorite rounds of the ranch, because we were trying to help her leg heal, but today she was allowed to go wherever she wanted.

Tender Day

 My widow friend Pat calls it that ~ the anniverary of the death of a loved one. Three years yesterday. I plan ahead. I use Bill's coffee mug, walk to Smashburger for lunch and appreciate the flowers sent by Carlini. I think about the friends who helped us so much. I am thankful. I wanted to be all alone for Tender Day. Today I need other people again. I think that is how it is supposed to work. Who knows?

good people, good food ~ outdoors!

 

The Book Club met in The Presdio at the Social Club under sunshine and many umbrellas. A lot of important (and not so) book talk and suddenly it seems that we are all busy again, so we will not meet in July, but in August. Then last night Doug and Barb picked me up and we had a glorious Italian dinner at Bacco on 24th Street. That is my rigatoni and Doug's risotto pictured here. A huge yet comfy patio was a surprise to me and by bedtime I was almost too full from wonderful food and conversation.

new family member!

 The Blogmaid and family adopted Pito yesterday from the SPCA. He has already become best friends with Sabine, the sweet girl dog being held here by RR. Today he will probably get to know the three cats and already he loves the fresh sea air and the family walk at sunset. This boy will have a GREAT life.

six Stowe ducklings

 I know you can barely see the six little ones in the bottom photo, but they came right up to rest by our table yesterday. Mama was guarding them and trying to get a nap. There was some early morning fog as Ginger and I walked ~ most welcome after the heat last week. 

boondocking

 A friend in our writing group is taking a solo trip in his small van to visit the places where he was raised. He is currently in Denton, Texas. He emails us almost every day. Fascinating details. I had to google the boondocking term, but this is a big deal and pretty much how my grand daughter travels from SF to Chicago. Free camping. Walmart parking lots, some parks in some cities, behind apartment complexes and  in motel parking lots unless they are too crowded. He is making tea in the above photo. This is an emotional journey for him because so much changes and our memories are not exactly trustworthy. But, wow, I feel privileged to read his emails and he is so open about his thoughts, activities and fears.

out of the graveyard

 Step daughter Nancy sent me an Amaryllis bulb for Christmas and it did nothing for months and I tucked it under the stairs on the back deck and forgot about it. Suddenly, about a month ago, way out of season, it started growing quickly and wowza, here we have this glorious winter-blooming beauty. 

Cutch 22

I'm showing you my back. Cutch used to be a Giant but now he plays for Philly and he/they won yesterday but it was still a great time with my friend Pat. The Jewel is filling up again with fans, but there was still a lot of room and sunshine (and hot dogs) for a wonderful day. Gratitude.
 

Cookie

 This adorable little creature "works" in my dentist's office where I visit waaaaay too often. My friend Barb suggested that perhaps I could just go in, pet Cookie, and get the hell out of there. If only...

#1 on NYTimes bestseller list

 I just started The Last Thing He Told Me on my LindaKindle4 and am liking it a lot so far. Of all things the couple lives on a houseboat in Sausalito. What is known as a "beach read" I think...

the liver loving widows

 How rare to find three friends who love bacon, onion and liver! Neti cooked for Pat and myself last night and we had a delightful time and the dinner was scrumptious. Our three husbands were not fans of liver so we didn't enjoy it as often as we would have liked to in the days of yore. 

dogs, surfers, sun

 It was a gorgeous day at Crissy Field yesterday with Ginger. We had never seen so many dogs and that was quite wonderful. Still not many tourists, thankfully. 

June 15th ~ Cally reopens

 Roaring back might be a bit too strong, but today is the official End of Covid here and yes, I will still be taking my mask and probably wearing it indoors. What a year plus this has been. I have learned a lot about myself and others and am in no hurry for inside dining or go to a crowded theater yet. I am very curious to see what will happen to all the expensive downtown office space, now almost vacant. 

we dawdled with this one

 I don't know why Annabelle and I didn't really love this jigsaw, maybe because I got the frame all wrong from day one. But we have a very cool one awaiting us from the U.S. Postal Service. GREETINGS from all 50 states in postage stamp form. More will be revealed...

98th birthday today

I miss Jennie and am so happy to have the top photo from 1959 that used to greet me when I visited her little apartment up on Market Street. She was the only woman executive in the phone company San Rafael District and she was justifyably proud of being there front and center. A very special woman.

 

such a relief

 How wonderful not to feel that Trump Shame when our current President meets world leaders in England this week. And Dr. Biden is a wonderful partner to Joe as we try to get back to USA Normal.

a new old poet

 Andrea from my writing group sent me this treasure by Virginia Hamilton Adair, Ants on the Melon. She was 83 when she published her poetry. I read two poems every morning, a delectable treat. I had never heard of Ms. Adair before and now she is already a favorite. Grateful.

Poem for the Day - Midstairs by Virginia Hamilton Adair

Poem for the Day
A very powerful, personal poem, full of intimacy and a real outpouring of grief written shortly after her husband committed suicide. 

Praying, thy will be done,
How will I know, I also pray,
What is this will for me, for mine?
Shall I find windows full of sun
Or walls of darkness all the way?

And here on this turning of the stair
Between passion and doubt,
I pause and say a double prayer,
One for you, and one for you;
And so they cancel out.

And now I come to the creaking tread,
Not my way, Lord, but thine.
The steps of grief have bowed my head,
Though it is not a long climb
To the lonely bed.

Midstairs
Virginia Hamilton Adair

flowers, despite the drought

 This outrageous Bougainvillea is in the patio of a seedy little coffee shop in the Mission. I am usually out there alone with what Picture This identifies as a Great Brazillian Bougainvillea. The photo does not do it justice, but trust me, it is huge. Then the Lavender Cotton grows wild in a little patch close to home where I often notice a kind woman weeding and tending to these happy surprises. 

coffee in Japantown

 Ginger lives about 1.5 blocks from the very peaceful Japan Center on Post Street and yesterday we just sat in the sun and talked. I had brought the thermos, of course, filled with the best coffee this side of Peet''s. She had walked earlier and I would walk later in the day so we enjoyed our quiet time as we caught up on our lives. Japantown is suffering now after the pandemic, I hope that most of the stores and restaurants survive. Everything here in SF and California to open June 15th. 

avocado pickers

 Here we have Cristina (pink hair) and Lynn climbing around gathering avocados for me on my back deck. It is their lush tree and the avocados are delicious. I gave them to Doug and Barb, saving a couple for myself. In return I give my neighbors lemons from Doug's trees. It all works. 

sun, friendship, ocean and Chit Chat

 The Blogmaid and I met at the Chit Chat Cafe yesterday and covered all the important world events like why her white jacket was a bit smudgy and where did my scarf come from. Even though we email every day, it was perfectly wonderful being with her yesterday. We were surprised to see the Pride flag in Pacifica (aka Pathetica) and no need to ask how far or long we walked. That would be rude.

Anna, the sheep farmer

 Perhaps you remember that I met Anna a little over ten years ago when her cousin Michael (Seahorse) died. She is here from New York because her father (who lived in Santa Rosa) died last week and she is okay, but exhausted, of course. We walked over to Doug and Barb's and then to dinner at Regent Thai. Anna is now a hugely popular and talented member of our writing group. She leaves for home on Tuesday where almost 200 new lambs await her on their farm. Wonderful seeing dear Anna again!

we need a poem

 Thank you,  Mary Oliver.

MORNING 

Salt shining behind its glass cylinder.

Milk in a blue bowl. The yellow linoleum.

The cat stretching her black body from the pillow.

The way she makes her curvaceous response to the small, kind gesture.

Then laps the bowl clean.

Then wants to go out into the world

where she leaps lightly for no apparent reason across the lawn,

then sits perfectly still in the grass.

I watch her a little while thinking;

what more could I do with wild words?

I stand in the cold kitchen, bowing down to her.

I stand in the cold kitchen, everything wonderful around me.

~ Mary Oliver

yes, he is VERY strange

 So I am out of Jerusalem and am now in Antwerp, Brussels.  Professor T solves all sorts of murders and mysteries way before anyone else but he is a bit coo coo and that's OK. Amazon Prime.

listen, it's June

 Libby at the Library sent me The Honey Bus to listen to while I work a jigsaw or two. This is the book club selection for this month. I haven't started it yet, but maybe today?

we got us some PRIDE

 Our Giants are the first (and maybe only?) MLB team to wear the LGBTQ rainbow colors this June, National Pride Month. Needless to say, this makes me happy. 

sun, wind and BBQ

 Not your traditional family gathering (do I hear applause?) but I was happy to be part of the BBQ celebration next door. Adrian is from Argentina, Cristina from Italy, Lynn is Puerto Rican and Jamara, the young mixed race woman in the top photo, is off to acting school in NYC. We discussed theater and I asked to take her photo because one day she will be a STAR. A lively and wonderful gathering.