It has been twenty-six days since John and I, as vaccinated Californians, shed our masks for the most part, began socializing in larger groups, started shopped without distancing, and rejoiced at seeing smiles that included lips. We even gathered up our courage and flew to Spokane to visit friends for a short visit. We also […]
Read MoreLast night I went to my first in-person, without-masks meeting. It was lovely gathering together, enjoying our combined energy and face-to-face camaraderie. Then one person asked me how our dogs were. Rather than reel off a list of some of our current challenges, I said, “They have been very naughty,” and laughed. A lot of […]
Read MoreWell, it seems I just cannot stay away from you people. Last week, we went to the central coast for a few days, and I kept saying to myself, I have to share this on my blog. So this will be a short one with mostly photos and some thoughts about vacationing post-vaccination. The biggest surprise was […]
Read MoreThere is a lot of “turning corners” when you have puppies in your life. We have turned so many that we have been around the block several times. In a few days, the pups will be one year old, and looking back on our mutual path—a path that has at times seemed both rocky and […]
Read MoreI’m looking at what I call my “James orchid,” a plant given to us when James passed. I think it is somewhat of an anomaly. After the original blossoms faded, the stems that held them did not die off but remained healthy. A few months later, I noticed a shoot growing off one of the […]
Read MoreLast evening, my son Chris said to me, “You were just like me when I was vaccinated. I was all in. No hesitancy. Wanted to get out there right away. You know, some people are hesitant, but I wasn’t. Not at all.” He is right; I was not hesitant. I was so eager to see […]
Read MoreThis week two things happened that changed my life significantly. First, it has been two weeks since I received my second COVID-19 vaccine. That means that the vaccine is now working optimally in my body. I remember just a few months ago how I thought this day would never arrive. Second, Ventura County moved from […]
Read MoreAs we neared the two-week mark after our second vaccine, I wondered, Now what? So it was with great interest that John and I listened to Dr. Walensky from the CDC outline just what being fully vaccinated means. An expanded, albeit cautious, social life would be possible. And that meant a change in our lifestyle. […]
Read MoreWhile incubating in my house, I’ve been thinking about what life will be like when my chrysalis is shed and I will be set free to go out the door again, fluttering from one activity to the next in my expanded world—when I won’t have to wear a mask or two, social distance, and wash […]
Read MoreA dear friend said to me the other day, “Why can’t life be uncomplicated?” The sympathetic comment was prompted by a situation in my life. Sadie, our black-and-tan miniature dachshund, was spayed last Wednesday and recovering rapidly. So you can imagine our surprise when we awakened Sunday and our beautiful, svelte little girl was whimpering […]
Read More