coffee.   This morning the Husband and I shared a chocolate old-fashioned doughnut to enjoy with our cups of black coffee. Happy smiles all around. Cable.  I want us to get rid of our cable subscription. The Husband agrees it's too expensive for the few channels we watch. Will we? you ask. We will, I'm sure we will. The bigger question: When will we? Procrastinators are us. ceramics.  When I was 19, my big dream was to own a bookstore with a ceramics workshop in the back.  Cute.  The Husband says I'm cute. I tell him it's because he loves me. He says, "It's because you are cute." chicken.  There are times when I think our representatives at the local, state, or national level of government are too chicken to make a stand one way or the other. Bwak, bwak cooking.   I do that once a day, at least, most days. I like when it's a some day. Coast-co.  "We're going to Costco," I would say to Mama. "Where?" she w

In Ilocano (the parents' primary language), balasang is the word for a young woman who has reached the marriageable age, which in my parents' day would've been 15 or 16. A balasang presents herself to the world well-groomed, well-dressed, and well-mannered. Graceful and radiant, with no sassy mouth nor a defiant bone in her. Alas, that was not me.  Mama did her best to polish me up with the stylish, stiff, and sophisticated outfits that she bought for me. I felt uncomfortable, awkward, and fake in them, preferring, and still do, the bohemian style. In my early 20s, when I worked in the San Francisco Financial District as a clerk typist, I wore a Mama outfit when everything else was in the laundry hamper. To break the monotony of the outfit, I'd wear something silly with it. Once I wore wool knee-high socks and clogs with a pink polyester dress that had an attached two-toned bolero-type jacket.  I looked as atrocious as it sounds. Still, in the early evening, whil

I don't recall whether Apo Dios refers to God or to the sun. Maybe I didn't ever know. Ilocano was the parents primary language. I understood Ilocano but couldn't wrap my Americanized tongue around Ilocano words to speak it. So, yeah, we were one of those families in which immigrant parents talked to their American-born children in their native language and the children responded in English. Think of interpreters translating in real time. The term Apo Dios is a combination of two languages. Apo in Ilocano means father or grandfather. So, I've always thought. An online Ilocano-English dictionary says otherwise. It says Apo means God. Dios is a Spanish word that means God. Spain colonized the Philippines for over 300 years so of course Spanish is going to seep into the native languages there. That same Ilocano-English dictionary defines Apo Dios as God. Usually, my parents addressed Dios when life was going fine, such as "Hi, God, how are you doing? We'

At yesterday's white elephant Christmas exchange, I scored the gorgeous green, multipurpose ballpoint pen that you see in the photo.  Its tip acts as a stylus. Unscrew the stylus cap to reveal a flat screwdriver head, which you can pull from its housing. . .voila, the other end is a Phillips head. Wait, there is more. Along one side of the pen is a ruler that can measure up to seven inches and the equivalent metric units. In the middle of another side, oh my gosh, is a level! Whenever we sit at a crooked table in a restaurant, I can whip out this pen so that we can wedge the right amount of napkin under the table's leg. Ooooooh. Over the last three months, I have come into possession of—count them in the photo along with me—uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque penne! All free. Heee, heee. Beneath the multi-purpose green pen is a fountain pen that I discovered in one of the Husband's parents' boxes. Technically, it belongs to the Husband but he doesn't seem to mind

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California In January 2013, the Pinnacles National Monument was redesignated a national park becoming California's ninth national park. And, lucky us, the Pinnacles National Park is in our county. The park has two entrances. To get to the eastern entry, you drive right by Hollister. So, of course, both city and county jumped to take advantage of the potential increased tourism coming into our area. One thing the local politicians tried was to rename California Highway 25, which is pretty much contained in our county, to reflect as being the true gateway to the park. Cool idea, right? Residents and ranchers in the southern part of the county didn't agree. Someone told me many didn't like having to notify everyone about their new address as well as dig into their pockets to buy new stationery. Story short: Only the Highway 25 Bypass (about six miles), which skirts to the east of Holli

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California Tuesday, November 6, 2018 is General Election Day, but the early voting period is already in progress. In our county, if we don't want to wait to vote at our polling place on Election Day, we can mail in our filled-in ballots. We can also stop by the County Registrar of Voters office to vote, which may be open on the weekends. Or, if we prefer, we can place our completed ballots in the official ballot drop box over in Winn Alley, between the library and the old courthouse in Hollister. So, there we go. With all these options, there's no reason for us not to vote in San Benito County. Well, we do need to be registered. The last day to register in California is Monday October 22, 2018. It can be done online . How convenient is that? O is the featured letter today on ABC Wednesday . Click here to read about this weekly meme, and click here for this week's list of parti

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California For its Chicken Festival in September, San Juan Bautista posted temporary NO PARKING signs on part of its main thoroughfare. Vendor booths and entertainment spots lined the closed-off streets for all to enjoy. Bwak, bwak. N is the featured letter today on ABC Wednesday . Click here to read about this weekly meme, and click here for this week's list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California Luck Museum. Doesn't that sound wondrous? Imagine the paintings, sculptures, displays, and exhibits interpreting luck. That's something. This is a real sign in San Juan Bautista, the town next door. The Luck Museum, run by the San Juan Bautista Historical Society , was once a gas station owned by Mr. Carl Martin Luck, who immigrated from Germany in 1890. More than 80 years later, Mr. Luck's daughter donated the building and grounds to the city, which today, in addition to the museum, includes a city park and the city library.  That was good fortune. M is the featured letter today on ABC Wednesday . Click here to read about this weekly meme, and click here for this week's list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California Lifelong learning. Seriously, how can we not expand our skills and general knowledge as we go through life? These days, for example, I'm learning about flower gardening and succulents, and mixing paint colors and repurposing stuff into garden art. Without even trying, I've been learning about the rise of Nazis due to reading several novels that were set in England between WWI and WWII. It's just as well that King Edward VIII quit the throne for Mrs. Simpson. The two were suspected of being Nazi sympathizers. Speaking about books, do you have any Little Free Library stands in your community? They're part of a world-wide effort for people to exchange books for free. Take a book, leave a book. The Husband and I would like to put one in our front yard one of these days. The Little Free Library in the photo stands in front of Vertigo Coffee in San Juan Bautista. L

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California If we were all mindful of what's common sense and common decency, we wouldn't need signs like this one. For that matter, also many of the regulations and laws that ensure people, animals, and the environment are not being used by greedy bullies and then spitted out when done. But we do need those laws, regulations, and signs. We certainly do. How else do we keep thugs, ruffians,  money-grubbers, self-servers, oppressors, tyrants, and the like in check? After all, they've lost their goodness of being kind. So I think. Okay, off the soap box I jump. Thanks for listening. Maybe tomorrow I'll be in a lighter, kinder mood. K is the featured letter today on ABC Wednesday . Click here to read about this weekly meme, and click here for this week's list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California We all like to go back to a restaurant that makes us drool when we think about the food we had there. Don't you agree? In my county, J.J.'s Burgers in San Juan Bautista is that kind of place for me when it comes to a burger. Garlic fries, too. Drooooooool. J is the featured letter today on ABC Wednesday . Click here to read about this weekly meme, and click here for this week's list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California Yesterday afternoon, at Bertuccio's , a produce market in Hollister, I remembered I had yet to photograph a sign or such that began with the letter I. Twice, I combed that store in search of the letter I.  Amazingly, no vegetable, fruit, or food product began with I. Aha! The vintage weigh scale on display had something: IN TRADE . The complete phrase was NOT LEGAL FOR USE IN TRADE . I have no idea what that means. To check out ABC Wednesday , click here . For this week's participants, click here for the list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California In my hometown of Hollister, downtown parking is free for three hours, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.  It used to be two hours, but some people complained they couldn't get their business done within that time, and, no way were they going to park in the city garage where it's free all the time. That's too far of a hike. Downtown Hollister is five blocks long. We are spoiled.   To check out ABC Wednesday , click here . For this week's participants, click here for the list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California The Masonic Lodge of San Benito County was established 147 years ago ago, three years before San Benito became a separate county from Monterey County. Its home is the familiar brick building with the infamous clock tower at the corner of San Benito and Fourth Streets. The Masonic symbol of a G in the middle of a square and compass is on the outside wall above the lodge's entrance. The G stands for Great Architect of the Universe, as well as for Geometry. If you're interested in learning more, check out this page at the Masonic Lodge of Education web site. To check out ABC Wednesday , click here . For this week's participants, click here for the list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California About two months ago, The Husband and I came across this bulletin board at the old courthouse, currently home to various county offices.    To check out ABC Wednesday , click here . For this week's participants, click here for the list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California Perhaps after drinking several beers, I may be enlightened to see window reflections with my eyes closed.  But, I'll stick to sipping one glass. :-) To check out ABC Wednesday , click here . For this week's participants, click here for the list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

My theme for #23 Round of ABC Wednesday: Signs & Such of San Benito County, California This warning sign hangs in the window of one of the tattoo and piercing shops in town. To check out ABC Wednesday , click here . For this week's participants, click here for the list of participants.  Thank you, ABCW Team!

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

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!

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!