Suprise Me

I learned a lot while working at the Sears Customer Service Counter in El Monte, California, in the early sixties while I was attending (what was then called) Cal State LA. Interacting with complaining customers was actually a kind of acting school because we were told always to be positive and sympathetic. True situation: “Oh,… Read More

”And that’s the way it is.” I’ve written about my family dinners as we listened to Lowell Thomas reading the day’s news on our Emerson radio,  and how to my childish sensibility it seemed he was speaking directly to us in the intimacy of our kitchen.   (See Kitchen Radio) Years later on my parents’ black… Read More

Among the many heroes who emerged from the ashes of the Oklahoma City bombing in April, 1995, were three Golden Retrievers from Miami, Florida, with the unlikely names of Aspen, Maggie, and Brandee. The dogs all belonged to the Metro Dade County Fire Department and were also a part of the FEMA Task Force 1… Read More

She captioned the needlepoint "Hobby Time" because when I was asked what my hobbies were, I generally said "sleeping." Read More

Things that have made me laugh over the years: phony phone calls, Firesign Theatre, Dave Barry, cat filters on Zoom, and my son. Read More

I was going to call this story Ticket To Ride, but I used that for my Woodstock story. My thanks to Duke Ellington for this title. Read More

My mother was the one who taught me that girls CAN do that. Read More

I wish I had been able to be with him to tell him I loved him and hold his hand. I will always regret not being there for that final farewell. Read More

One hot summer, I built a Mount and Brungs Proportional Diluter. Read More

Can you forgive a friend? My answer is a resounding “yes.” In fact, it goes beyond something you can do to something you must do. Read More