Giggle. If only that Girl had joined us in the picture. Molly the Cat happily watched from the sidelines. She said she only works on Mondays for the blog.  Oh-oh. What can she mean? Will she not let me write or show photos of her on non Mondays? Cosa sara. As Doris Day used to sing, "Que sera, sera." Here's a close-up of the cherry tomatoes that I picked this morning. They are sweet as candy. Time for Our World Tuesday . Here's the link to check out participants from around the world, and maybe to join up yourself. Thanks, Our World Tuesday hosts!

Ciao, Sono Molly la Gatta. Molly the Cat, I am, to the rest of you. Missus Lady said if I wanted to write Monday posts, have at it. Quindi eccomi qui. So here I be. For as long as I want, I shall be Monday's guest blogger on The View from the Top of the Ladder . (It's time for a new name, agree?) Meow. Or, should you prefer, miao. Have you read any Italian words so far? Sorry. Scusa. That's the Missus Lady inserting Italian words as I dictate to her.  Missus Lady is learning Italian in a very disorderly way. Does she sign up for a class or listen to tapes? No (same in Italian, by the way a proposito, lo stresso in Italiano). When she remembers she wants to learn Italian, she finds an online translator thing and keys in English phrases. Then she says the Italian version a few times,  causing Hero Man, should he be in the office, to ask, "What are you saying over there?" Hero Man is learning Italian, too, but he waits until the Missus Lady tells him w

I haven't had breakfast yet and I'm already thinking nap time. Molly the Cat and I woke up early today. Soon after sunrise. And, it felt cool. That's a good thing. It's been hot, I tell you. Maybe not as hot as where you are, but scorchers for us. It got comfortable yesterday evening. You should've seen Molly. She scampered around the house, jumped on couches, sniffed in corners, and swished around our legs to see what we were doing. Her appetite came back. It was nice to see, after days of her lying like a rag on the floor next to an open window. This morning, she popped upstairs and jumped on the bed. I pretended to be asleep so I could watch her try to sleep, or maybe stay awake. Whenever she seemed to nod off, she opened her eyes and looked around her. A couple times I closed my eyes only to open them moments later to see her looking at me. Ah, restlessness! We didn't even have to tiptoe away from the happily heavily snoring Husband. Downstairs, Molly and

Was it last year that I painted the first of these wall plaques that the Mama had, but did not display, for over 40 years? A couple weeks ago, I finished painting the last of them. I don't know if painting is the exact term. Maybe it's coloring with paints. Anyway, now what shall I do with them?

I don't recall what got me thinking this morning about jobs that I sought for which I was underqualified. Not having a necessary skill or two or sufficient work experience didn't stop me from trying. You never know was my motto back then. Someone may be willing to give me a chance. After all, back then, the first few weeks or months on a job was as a probationary employee.  In the late 1970s, I applied for a secretarial position for which I had the work experience and all the skills but one. Shorthand. I thought I could get by with my ability to take notes quickly, along with having a strong memory. Cocky young me. I had no idea I needed to take a shorthand test. Did I give up and walk away? Of course not. I'd driven all that way to apply for the job. If anything I would experience what a shorthand test entailed, and that's what I got. About five years later, after having earned a teaching credential in secondary education and a few years working with at-risk youth

I'm imagining that's me sitting in the ocean right now. The temperature hovers around 94 degrees in our part of town. I'm very thankful that it's not hotter. Oooh, I just heard a bit of noisy wind outside. It reminds me of times when the Mama, the Husband, and I sat around the kitchen table and suddenly heard and saw wind whirl the tree and plants around furiously in the front yard. Mama always remarked, "That's Jesus Christ." The Husband and I didn't know whether she was kidding us or not.

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California The Cozy Cup Cafe is one of several cute and charming restaurants that serves delicious breakfasts and lunches in Hollister , our county seat. It's an old-time haunt (nearly 30 years) of locals run by the ever friendly longtime owners, Frank and Wendy. The cafe serves a generous portion of its delicious choices that sometimes the Husband and I share an order. When we opt to order individually, I often go home with leftovers. Yay! Currently, my favorite dish is its special chile verde omelet. Mmmmm. Some mornings the Husband and I get a yen for a mocha, which, until recently, meant driving to Vertigo Coffee Roasters in San Juan Bautista, the second biggest city (population, about 1975) in the county to get our fix. Not any more.    Evan, a former Vertigo barista, recently opened Calavera in Hollister. The young entrepreneur is also a latte artist. Like Frank of Cozy Cup Cafe

Whoo-hooo! Yesterday the Husband and I ran away to the beach for our 23rd of the month date. The sand was soooo soft. It felt almost as smooth as Molly the Cat's fur after she has licked her coat. If I had brought a change of clothing, I would've dived into the water which was delightfully and surprisingly warmish. Next time, I'll know better. At least, I got my feet wet. Even the Husband took his shoes off. The Husband asked if the seaweed on the beach was edible, after he licked an end of a plant. He also said he tasted the ocean. I love the Husband. My knees had no problem walking on sand. I suppose it's all that give. The knees don't feel the worse today. We plopped down on the sand and sat for a long while, taking in the waves, the horizon, the fog, the humidity, the humanity, the few birds, and the quite-a-few dogs. As the tide went out, we thought we saw a whale in the near distance. But the black shape took a long time moving from that one

The garage hasn't seen a car inside it in nearly 15 years. I doubt it ever will. There are fewer boxes and stuff in it. I can see across the garage to the door now. Everything just needs to be squished up against each other so that we can finally move the stuff from the rental locker into the garage. But, before that can happen the Husband and I need to look into all these boxes and figure what to do with the stuff in them. Shudder. But, that task is not for today. Sometime this week, we'll tackle it. Yes, sometime. I'll even write it on our TO-Do board in the kitchen. Yes, I will. Today the Husband and I have bigger plans: We're running away to the beach. 

Here's a treat for you and me: Back in 1970, 16-year-old me wrote a piece about summer for the school newspaper. Today I'm linking up with All Seasons , a weekly meme hosted by Jesh at Artworks from Jesh St.G . Click here to check out Jesh. For the participants list, click here . Thanks, Jesh!

Joy!

This spot in the front yard revealed itself to be the perfect place for geranium ivy to grow wildly upon that structure of strung branches. Originally I built the structure to be a trellis for bougainvillea in the backyard, but it didn't want to stand up straight. If I was building a raft, because I happened to be stranded on a deserted island, it would've made a perfect base for a sail. It was back in the Spring when I built the trellis/sail. Yesterday I cut the branches so that the structure collapsed into a v-shape. The Husband thought it looked like the frame for a canoe. (Guess what I want to eventually create with tree branches.) This morning, I set the now geranium trellis into its spot over a young geranium ivy plant that's slowly growing. I also planted cuttings from geranium vines that the Mama planted years ago.  We shall see. Previously sitting on this spot was another bunch of branches that I painted and tied together at the beginning of the year. I mo

Cherry tomatoes. Red and orange fruit from the volunteers that are growing out back. Whooo-hooo! I've been picking one, two, or three tomatoes at a time for the past week or so. Tuesday morning, I harvested that lot which you see in the photo. They all went into an onion and zucchini egg scramble I made yesterday. Yummmmm.

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California The mascot for San Benito High School, also known as Hollister High School, is the Baler. The mascot is not the machine that turns loose hay into compacted bales. Uh uh. It's the farmer who once upon a time cultivated hay by hand. When I was in school, nearly 50 years ago, we were formally known as the Haybalers. I have no idea when the name was shortened to Baler. What I do know is this: Once a Baler, always a Baler. 2010 San Benito Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo Parade To check out ABC Wednesday , click here . For this week's participants, click here for the list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

On our outing with the Young Old Fogeys last Saturday, we checked out the Carriage Room Museum , which once housed carriages for the family who established Folgers Coffee. The museum was small but had a lot of interesting tidbits about the once-upon-a-time Folger estate as well as local history of Woodside, California. An item called "Cut Nails" caught my eye. According to the exhibit's label, iron nails were made by hand until the late 1700s. A tradesman, called a slater, cut specific sizes of nails from iron, after which another tradesman, called the nailer, formed the nail heads and points on his anvil. Look at how skinny these nails are and how tiny their heads are! Today I'm hooking up with Our World Tuesday . Here's the link for you to check out participants from around the world, and maybe to join up yourself. Thanks, Our World Tuesday hosts!

Warning, warning, Will Robinson. I'm musing about the state of our union today. Don't read any further than this paragraph, if that stuff gives you the hiccups.  For you, I have instead the above crazy photo that I painted with Photoshop art filters.  Can you find the face in the tree trunk? Onward. . . Craziness is in the air. A lot of it today, if we are to believe the old-fashioned press, not subjective media (left or right).  And, I do believe the honest reporting that is out there. What do you think: The guy who is supposed to be the President of the United States, a Putin puppet? Did it bug you that trump believes Putin didn't fiddle with the 2016 presidential election because Putin said he didn't? What about all the contrary findings in Robert Mueller's investigation? Is trump a Traitor? Also, do you still have faith that the Republican leaders in Congress are for us little guys? Do you ever think that trump's MAGA is really Make America

Have I already told you that I'm starting to think maybe going on 65 is as fun as going on 5? Oh, my, just think how I shall feel when I turn 65 at the end of the year. Hello Medicare! Thank you, yes, I will take that senior discount honoring those of us who made it to 65 years old and over. And, that's not even talking about the joyful feeling of letting go of yet another unnecessary responsibility. Ahhh. Yesterday, the Husband and I enjoyed a lovely summer day hanging out with friends under redwood trees. Not only did we breathe in fresh filtered air (thank you, Redwood trees!) but also floated in the warmth and love of long-time friendships. Our friends are an amazing simpatico blend of the Husband's and my friends from our college and work days and their spouses and friends. We come from all points of the regions. At least once a year we plan some kind of adventure, usually a walk then lunch, and who ever can come, comes.  Whenever we get together, everyone g

"Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace." ~ Dalai Lama

  Two prized finds among the Mama's stuff were the Daddy's eyeglasses and my middle school eyeglasses, which I hung on the hallway wall with a couple of old sunglasses. Because I lost a screw on my red Hollywood sunglasses, I was checking those on the wall. They didn't work. Oh, well. For the fun of it, I tried on my middle school eyeglasses. What do you know? I can read with them! Waaaaay better than the reading part of my new progressive lenses.  I haven't tried my middle school eyeglasses with reading paperback tiny print, but they are so far so good with magazines and newspapers, as well as with books that have 12-point type or the illusion of 12-point type. The Mama held onto things because, she said, you never know when you may need them. With these certain eyeglasses, it only took 52 years, more or less.

It took the itchy flea bites to finally get me to the sewing machine.  For me, a good summer means insect bites, in particular, flea ones. The other day, I came home with seven flea bites on my left leg, from ankle to hip. A few years ago I discovered if I apply heat to an itchy bite, the itch goes away almost instantly, which means I don't end up with scars because I didn't scratch as much, giving the swollen bite sites a chance to heal properly. So, this morning, after I opened the blinds and curtains, I headed to the sewing machine, which has been waiting to be used since the start of the year. The scissors I bought in May finally came out of its package. A box of fabric on the sewing table was already open. Snip, snip. A rectangular shape was cut out of a fabric scrap. The rectangle was folded in half for double strength.  On went the sewing machine. One side, two sides sewn. Rip went the rice package and rice poured into the pouch. The ends of the last open side w

Today starts a new round of the alphabet at ABC Wednesday . My theme for #23 is nothing ambitious as the last round , so I think. Signs and Such that I happen to see as I wander around San Benito County, California, my home, is this round's theme. I came across this sign for alterations on a window of a long-time laundry service on main street in Hollister, the county seat. Today, fewer people have basic sewing skills, or, for that matter, the time to do mending, unless a person is willing to do it while stuck in traffic. To learn more ABCW , click here . For this week's participants, click here for the list of participants. See you next week for the letter A. Thank you, ABCW Team!

Go ahead, Missus Lady. Work on the computer. Don't mind me. Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you look like Jerry Garcia?" So asked two ladies of the Husband at an event that we attended last Saturday. When his hair and beard gets long and full, he gets that question often. I like it when someone is reminded of ZZ Top. Then the Husband's beard is much, much longer. A month ago, we were at a nursery with good friends Missus & Mister H. Someone asked Missus H where she found the plant she was holding. She said, "See that hairy guy? Look over there." The Husband told me later that he thought, "Hey!" when he overheard her. Myself. I like to call the Husband, with his current look, The Wild Man of Borneo. I like the above photo of the Husband.  You can't tell from it that he was striking a sarcastic pose. I cropped it because I liked the way the lighting played on him. Below is the full photo of him standing in front of a historic settler's cabin. I think he was pretending to be Kit Carson, Jim

Molly the Cat walked out of the office just now. My taking photos of her while sleeping annoyed her. The camera has a loud beep when it turns on. That's how she knew. The Girl got me up a few minutes after sunrise. I knew this because I'd stumbled back to bed after a visit to the bathroom. The morning already felt hot so there was no instant getting back to snoozeville. I almost got there when Molly gave out a roar downstairs. I chose to ignore it as well as her next roar. Silence. Crash! Then a tinkle of something broken. Sigh. The Husband of course was oblivious to Molly's noises. I found the something broken in the kitchen sink. It was the yellow porcelain crocus that sat in a cup on the kitchen window ledge. Two of its petals broke off. I stuck the crocus back into the cup and placed the petals on the saucer. Still looks good. Molly probably was tracking a squirrel running along the fence. Does she know what she would do if she ever caught one? I still

Need I say more.  Cheers to one and all! I'm linking up with the monthly photography meme Wandering Camera hosted by Soma Acharya of Whims and Fancies . Click here to learn more about the meme and to check out other participants.

"Peek-a-boo," says Molly the Cat.  Click .  This morning. It was. :-) I'm linking up with the monthly photography meme Wandering Camera hosted by Soma Acharya of Whims and Fancies . Click here to learn more about the meme and to check out other participants.