1. It's a gorgeous day. What mischief can I do today? 2. The lower end of the front yard is looking like a meadow. The first poppy showed itself yesterday.   3. The tree is an ornamental pear. About 20 years old, more or less, it is. It sheds leaves like crazy throughout the year. The last two weeks it has been snowing white blossoms. 4. I'm 10 days into a detox diet for eczema. The regiment is not so bad. No dairy, no gluten, no sugar, no caffeine, no no Nanette. I look forward to adding foods back.  5. A few days ago I decided to stop using the immunosuppressant ointment a dermatologist prescribed couple years ago. I had used it sparingly so hopefully the withdrawal symptoms won't be terrible. You should've seen how horrible my face looked when I stopped topical steroids.  6. Molly the pinky-nosed (wilde) Cat came home to live with us nine years ago.  The girl loves to stop and smell the flowers. 7. A load of laundry is in the dryer.  The Husband just came back from

Soon the view won't be so fair from this part of Fairview Road. Over 800 houses are in the process of being built there.  We've got developments growing all around our town. The not-so-affordable houses replace the orchards and truck farms. My stomach turns every time I drive by a development.

In good years, meaning non-drought ones, our hills are richly green. Hopefully, rain will come again before the month is up.

  "Toothbrush." I sat patiently for the Husband to open the package.  "Very hot water." I held up a metal bowl filled with cold water. "You'll have to throw that water out first." I must've looked quite vacant as I sat debating myself where to do that when the Husband offered me two options. I stood up. "Baking soda." The Husband poured the powder. "More, don't be stingy."  "Vinegar."   The task was done. We sounded like play surgeons. Just for the heck of it, I asked the Husband to pour baking soda into the two openings of the u-shaped pipe that was full of vinegar. Sizzzzzzzle. "Like a volcano," said the Husband.  This morning the Husband had to unscrew the pipe from the bathroom sink because the brush part of a paintbrush dropped into the drain while I was washing it. Oops.  It turned out the brush was still stuck in the drain, but with some pushing and pulling, it easily slid out. What became a bigger

Mama and her friend Yuki posed for a photo on our front yard one fine sunny afternoon. They're wearing short sleeves so it may have been late Spring or early summer. From the size of me, I'm either going on three years old, or several months into being three.  Look at those solid legs. I wonder if they already showed signs of crookedness. I love this photo. All you see is my back, my dress isn't completely buttoned, and Mama is watching me be intrigued about something. I don't seem to notice a picture is being taken nor does the photographer seem to mind that I'm in the shot. 

The other day I was thinking about how there are quite a few songs about specific women, such as Michelle, Louise, and Clementine. That got me to wondering what songs do I know that are about particular men. It wasn't easy. I didn't want to Google the answer, so the Husband ( My Guy ) kindly helped me come up with this list. Johnny Angel The Boy from Ipanema Johnny B. Goode Wedding Bell Blues (Remember Bill?)  When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again Go Down Moses  Hit the Road Jack Rocky Raccoon Louie Louie Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Frere Jacques Shaft John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt  There sure are a lot of songs about particular John's. What's that all about? If I look up Shaft, will I find out his real name is John. To check out other bloggers with lists of 13, head to Thursday 13 . P.S. John Shaft, by golly!

 ". . . A million tomorrows shall all pass away, 'ere I forget all the joy that is mine, today. . . ."  That's from John Denver's Today .

I pulled out the camera today. Mama's flowers are still going strong near the front door.

In 1982, February 15 also fell on a Monday. That was the first day of my new job as an assistant editor at  a small special education publishing house, the start of a new era for me. Because it was a paid federal holiday for the company, I didn't start until the next day. Nine years ago, I wrote a post about this first job that started me on my writing career. Please click here if you interested. This being President's Day, I chose to find a quote by President James A Garfield. In doing so, I learned that he was a progressive man for his times, including the Republican Party to which he belonged. It was unfortunate that the 20th U.S. president only served six months in office, of which the last two months, he tried to recover from a bullet in his abdomen. President Garfield was assassinated by a mad man in July 1881. Some experts say that his death could have been avoided if his doctors had sterilized their hands and instruments before treating him. Here's a quote from &qu

Once, long ago, the First Husband and I stood in a long line at the gate to reach the inter island Hawaiian flights. We were getting quite close to being late for our flight so I was feeling plenty nervous, which meant I probably looked harried and was being short to the First Husband.  We were nearly at the front of the line when a man and woman and two kids ran up beside the line and cut to the front, shoving each other through. The gatekeeper said to the man, "Slow down, Brother. Easy to get hurt." The man said,"Our plane is about to leave!"  The man ran after the others. The gatekeeper, turning to the next person, said, "There's always the next plane." I decompressed.  So simple. So easy. We were already in warm, sweet smelling Hawaii after all. Have a wonderful weekend, One and All!

1. I hear rain beneath the jazz channel playing on the TV downstairs.  2. The ornamental pear tree is dancing with white flowers.  3. I had to give in this afternoon and change from shorts to long pants.   4. Jamie Raskin!  5. I'm verily impressed with the House Impeachment Managers. They delivered their points, facts, and proof succinctly, comprehensively, and in easy to understand terms. How well will Trump's lawyers convince us Trump's alternative facts are true?  6. Our doctor's office, a provider of the COVID-19 vaccine in our county, called an hour ago to say our age group is now up for the shots. The Husband and I have an appointment for next week.  7.  This morning, I drove around town with four huge bags of potting soil sitting in Eliza Does-a-lot's back seat. There used to be five, but the other day I asked the Husband to pull out a bag so I could plant the potatoes. We bought the soil on Monday.  8. I made broccoli and pine nuts mac & cheese for today

   I want to create things that make me feel like I'm lying on a bed of vibrantly colored flowers. That's what came to mind when I saw an illustration from the animated film Story of Flowers. It also inspired the haiku. Please, take a look at the short animation . It may inspire you, too.

  The other day a friend asked me what was healing like after the hysterectomy I had a few years back. I was surprised that I couldn't recall anything other than what the doctors and the Husband told me. The Husband said that Dr. Gyn-Oncologist & Dr. Gynecologist marched into the waiting room with big smiles and triumph on their faces when all was said and done.  I do remember how anxious I got the next day of the surgery; if I didn't pee a certain amount by mid-afternoon, I was stuck in the hospital for another night. (Fortunately I met the deadline.) I also remember the day after I got home, a good friend brought me delicious homemade brownies, and a few days later I told another friend to leave because his negative beliefs about the world was bringing me down.  I recall now that the Husband and I slept downstairs in L Studio for about two months. I had to laugh that I couldn't remember my recovery period. Details may pop up later. Or not. Does it even matter

This mosaic is a set of photos I took around the house in November. The photos with the orange persimmon leaves were done around sunset. For mosaics by other bloggers, check out Monday Mosaic.  

I was wondering why I like answering questions about myself and my thoughts and opinions. The analytical self answered that the questionnaires (fun or serious) help me clarify my beliefs, as well as reinforce my sense of being and my history. And, I sometimes remember cool, and the not so neat, things I'd forgotten. That said, here's a bunch of random questions from today's Sunday Stealing . 1. Can you eat with chopsticks? Yes. Sometimes when I want to slow my eating pace, I use chopsticks. Most times it works.  2. Could you tell real money from counterfeit? I can definitely tell the difference between real money and play money. 3. What do you think about school uniforms? I may have liked them when I was a kid because I wouldn't have to think about what to wear to school. Today, no opinion. 4. What ancient civilization would you most like to visit? I'd like to check out the ancient civilization of the Philippines, where most of my ancestors lived. 5. What would m

Hurrah! I got my blood pressure down sufficiently that the doc said he'll see me in three months. And, I went home without having to be prescribed medication. Another hurrah!  I know I'm not in the clear. I'm simply happy that my top number is back to borderline rather than over it. It does help to count potato chips and to eat a banana more often, so I think.  Have a wonderful weekend, One and All!

These are forever stuck in my brain. Fortunate me for having seen them. :-) The first sight of Venice, all full of light, wonder, and history, as I walked out of the train station. Snorkeling among the fish off Maui. The sunrise splattering unto good friend Jennifer and me. The sunsets at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The red rose in bloom on our balcony as the First Husband was dying. The sparkle-sparkle pink notebook I received in an office Christmas gift exchange. Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park on the Big Island of Hawaii where in ancient times warriors made their way to the Honaunau Bay shores to seek refuge from battles they lost. Thunderstorms in the Southwest. Oh my! The Grand Canyon. Driving through a granite walled mountain pass. Anytime. Driving over the Mississippi River. Newborn babies. Tiny fingers, tiny feet, unconditional love. It's Thursday 13 . Come check out other bloggers' 13  with me.  Update: I'm also linking up with I Like Thursday , hoste

Three weeks ago, I wrote a list of projects I wouldn't mind completing this year. So far, I've pruned two fruit trees, sowed some wildflower seeds in the backyard, and have begun organizing photos to scan. I like to think that I've brought my blood pressure down. We'll see what the doc says on Friday.  I've added another item to my list: finish painting all the electrical wall plates in the house. At the moment, I'm working on the wall plates in the kitchen. So fun!  

  Plop, plop, plop, plop, plop . . . . "It's raining." I said to the Husband. "It is? It is! The streets are wet." A few minutes later, no more plop sound. That was a couple of hours ago. It's still raining. Simply more gently. I don't even think it's raining until I happen to glance out a window. Last week we had our first winter storm. Have I said that before? By the second morning, the little red wagon was overflowing with water. Amazing! I heard a weather guy say that we made up to 40-something percent of the normal annual average just in that first storm. A few more storms like that and we may not have a drought year. Hoping for the best.

"Let's make valentines for our friends," I said. "Okay," he said. Have we started? No. #1 Am I becoming Mama? As I pulled out the pit from the avocado, I noticed that it had sprouted. It gave out vibes like it wanted to grow, to become a tree.  Our avocado tree began bearing fruit about 10 years ago, more or less. Mama planted seeds throughout the backyard and many (if not all!) of them sprouted. After Mama's Spirit soared into the Universe, I pulled out over 20 avocado plants in the yard, including a couple growing among the roses. Ouch! Yeah, I saved the avocado pit. It's nesting on top of a potted plant on the kitchen counter. If it grows, it grows. It's time for Mosaic Monday , a weekly meme hosted by Angela of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf . It's a cool meme and blog to visit.