These are some of the things that I find frightful these days: 1. ignorance 2. misinformation 3. sheep mentality 4. bitterness 5. stupidity 6. greed 7. anonymous threats 8. mean spiritedness 9. “alternative facts” 10. complacency 11. narcissism  12. evangelism 13. fascism Our primary election in California is in March, less than two months away!  It astounds and disgusts me that a lot of people believe the current top GOP presidential candidate represents who they are. Shudder.  May humanity prevail. Being Thursday, I’m linking up with Thursday 13 . Come check out other bloggers with me. 

Here are some of the highlights of my 69th adventure around Apo Init, aka El Sol, aka The Sun. For the wanna-knows, the first language in that sentence is Ilocano, the second, in Spanish, and the last, English, the  three languages with which I’m familiar (Spanish, a little bit, and Ilocano in memory). Without further distractions. . . . 1. Knee-haw! Sing, my left knee joint, was renewed with titanium and plastic parts. The 14th of December will mark the prosthesis’ first anniversary. The first step I took after surgery told me I made the right decision to trust Dr. G to open up my leg, saw off the bad parts, insert a new prosthesis, and close up the incision. Did I have to get so graphic?  2. For sale. Good friend L and I held two yard sales to sell our mothers’ collections of stuff. I’m already thinking about what to do differently for our next yard sale. This last one, which was on Saturday, for example, I got artsy-fartsy with the signs, one of which someone either stole...

Like being 70 is any different than being 69. Of course it is! A new adventure around El Sol! A revolution in the making, yes sireee.  Isn’t that a darling angel in the photo? She used to be all beige. And, check out her green sparkly friend. It’s fun to do something new and different. In this case, it was playing with glitter and not making too much of a mess. Simple things. The Husband and I have a rating system for driving mountain roads. Gulp, double gulp, sweaty palms, and, the worse, double gulp and sweaty palms. If this past year was a mountain road, I’d rate the drive so far as a bunch of gulps and an occasional double gulp. Fortunate, am I. 

What’s that up there? A portal to other worlds, perhaps.

I am grateful for being able to open the door and walk out into our backyard at any time of the day and night. I am grateful for being able to pluck a persimmon off our tree, wipe it on my sweater, and munch on it as I wander around the backyard looking for forgotten things that put together will become something else.  I am grateful for the Husband being the main dishwasher and coffee maker. I am grateful that we are able to afford the utility bill so we can turn on the heater during the chilly season. I am grateful that Daddy took the risk to sign a work contract with the Hawaiian sugar plantations and then decided to stay in Hawaii for a bit more (about 18 years) after his contract was over. I am grateful that Daddy chose to become a U.S. citizen when the government offered it to him and many other Filipinos who were serving in the U.S. military during WWII. I am grateful that Mama said “yes” to Daddy’s proposal of marriage and said “yes” to moving to the United State...

This year I’m planting cover crop plants to help build up the soil. To make it easy- peasy, I’ve mixed different types of seeds into a bowl—buckwheat, red clover, lupine, chia, calendula, black-eye Susan, poppy, coreopsis, dill, and mustard—which I’ll toss around the backyard tomorrow. Yep, that is my plan. Should all the flowers bloom? Imagine….Wow! Today I sowed carrots, parsnips, and wintermelon radish seeds directly into the ground. A few days ago, lettuce, red mustard, and Chinese broccoli (methinks) seeds were planted. Just in time for the rain that ought to start tomorrow.  We’ll be getting four days worth of rain, so say the weather experts. We have a local news station that likes to call their meteorologists the weather authorities. I suppose. Our local news stations feature the weather three times during the 30 minutes of news. The meteorologists come on within the first five minutes of news to give a teaser about the weather. Then ten minutes or so later, they are back ...

Yesterday was the anniversary of Mama’s Spirit freeing herself to soar into the Universe.  Six years ago it was.  There being things I wanted to be distracted from, I gathered flowers from the yard and took them to the cemetery.  Calendula, freesias, lavender, and pineapple sage. Some for Mama and Daddy, some for the two baby sisters, and some for Uncle Frank, Daddy’s younger brother.  When I set the tin can of flowers on Mama’s and Daddy’s gravesite, I noticed that all the flowers were ones I’ve been growing the past six years. That’s a feat I had no idea I would’ve or could’ve been part of my story.  I like to think Mama noticed, too. About the flowers, that is. 

Hi ya! Yes, today is Friday. Before I could publish this post yesterday afternoon, the Internet server went down. As was the cable, it turned out. Nothing until this morning. Without the iPad and TV, the Husband and I had a wonderful time reading, talking, and not falling asleep on the couch. Old-time doings, to do more often.  So, on with yesterday’s post. See ya. . . . This week, LeeAnna, hostess of I Like Thursday , asked participants if and how they make lists. Yep, I certainly do, especially when I have a bunch of things to remember or I need to seriously keep myself focused on task. Lately, except for writing things we need at the supermarket, I’ve an aversion to list making. Not much gets done when that happens.  So, today, I’m encouraging myself with a list of thirteen things to tell myself when I hesitate to try, start, do, and finish stuff. You can do it! Keep on keeping on. Onward and upward. Take one step. Take another. Now another. Breathe.  Center of the Ear...

Dive bomb!  I wonder what the blue jay saw on the decomposing leaf covered ground, and what was he eating in the leafless persimmon tree.  The sun is out. The sky is a clear blue with fluffy white clouds streaming by. The clarity after the storm.  This winter we certainly are having our share of storms with floods, landslides, broken levees, fallen trees, and evacuations. Three weeks worth, so far. Fortunately, the Husband and I haven’t had to experience any of that, knock on wood.  With all this rain and reports of oversaturated ground, some people probably believe our drought is over.  No more need to conserve. We can go crazy with lush lawns, landscaping, and vegetable gardens once again. Nope! Uh-uh.  No, siree, Bob, and Nancy.  Parts of California, including our area, may be good for water this year, if that, but the drought is far from over. We need it to rain throughout the winter and early spring, gently and kindly, alternating with dry days. M...

Bunnies dancing through fields of wildflowers towards the sea. This week I’ve been participating in The Happy New Year Challenge, hosted by Artist Karen Abend , a free five-day event with prompts from Artist Gaia Marfurt . The drawings on this post are from days two, three, and four. You can see day one’s piece here .  The challenge has been fun. And, self-revealing of sorts.  Hearts Born While doing this challenge, I’ve learned that prompts tend to freeze me up rather than free me to create. That’s bothersome. Maybe my deeper self is reminded of art time in grammar school when I felt discouraged and timid to draw, paint, paste, and craft my creations because they didn’t look like the ones the teachers favored. House and Fly flying high and loose in the cerebellum. Another aspect of the challenge that reared up my young insecure self was sharing my work at the challenge’s Facebook page. I got one, two, once three, likes for my work while others got double digit and triple digi...

It would take a lifetime for me to count the things for which I’m thankful, so I’m grateful that  Thursday 13 falls on Thanksgiving Day. What a sweet cop-out.  🙃  So, here I go with 13 wonderful things that I appreciate about my parents. (1) Daddy fell in love with Mama at first sight. (2) Mama said yes when he proposed. (3) They willingly left their homeland for America where they believed they had a chance for a better life for themselves and their children. (4) They gave my brother and me a safe and comfortable life when we were growing up, in spite of their low paying jobs. (5) They showed me, not just tell me, how to be an honest, hardworking, fair-minded, mindful, kind, and helpful person. (6) Mama taught me my numbers and ABCs before I started school. (6) Daddy taught me how to check the oil in my car and fix a flat tire. (7) Daddy breathed calmness with a delightful sense of humor.  (8) Mama steadfastly continued onward and forward with much fortitude and h...

Here I am,   sixty-eight. You still ask. Not what my name is, not whether I am from here, nor even how I know those you also know.  No. What matters, what gives you satisfaction is letting me know that you know what I am.  “Are you Chumash?” No, Lady. Deduct a point from your score. Peace and love.  -30- Sharing with Friday Writings  hosted by Poets and Storytellers United.

This week, Sunday Stealing features “what if” questions. Those are always fun. Thanks, Bev.   1. If you were to be granted one wish, what would it be? This is leading off with a hard question. Shall I be selfish or simply ask for world peace?  2.  If you could spend one night alone with anyone in the world who is currently alive, whom would you select? What are we doing? If it’s being  intimate, then the Husband. Conversing through the night? The Husband or any one of my woman friends. 3.  If you could spend one night alone with anyone in history, whom would you choose?  There’s nobody in history I want to sleep with either. To converse with, that’s a tough one. I would like to spend time with all of my grandparents, whom I never met. 4.  If you could physically transport yourself to any place in the world at this moment, where would you go? Hawaii. Any island. 5.  If you could have lived through any war in history (without actually fighting in i...

Today’s questions are from Sunday Stealing , hosted by Bev Sykes who publishes the blog  Funny the World .   1. If you could live in a house shaped like anything what would it be?  Round. When I was younger I liked the idea of living in a yurt. 2. What do you think is in outer space?  I trust what NASA and scientists say is out there.  3. Where is the most wonderful place you’ve ever been?    Here, at home, with the Husband. 4. If you were invisible for a day, what would you do?  In a way I’ve been invisible all my life.  I’m female, dark-skinned, with Asian eyes, obese, and now an old person. But if I were like the Invisible Man, I probably would spook some dishonest politicians to fly right. 5. What is the worst smell in the world?  Greed, closely followed by fear. 6. If you could, what animal would you be?    A whale who’s having a whale of a time.  7. What is the greatest thing ever invented?  The thing (a modem?)...