(1) True confessions, as opposed to false: If I don’t publish this post today, I will have two unfinished Thursday posts.   Keep on chugging along, Su-sieee! Mac.  (2) Do you have a day of the week in which you have a lot of physical and mental energy? Thursday is usually when I feel self-motivated, creative, and productive. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been the other days.  (3) This morning was quite fruitful. I pedaled my under-table bike for 10 minutes or so before breakfast, then later followed a short Qigong video. I must’ve unblocked some energy. The Husband found me dancing to golden oldies while getting ready for my physical therapy session.  (4) Today was my last prescribed PT session. Eight weeks, twice a week, 30 minutes, more or less. I don’t believe Sing 2.0 would be as sturdy and assured as she is today without a professional showing me how to stretch and strengthen her. (Sing is my left knee who got her joint replaced two months ago.) The surgeon, who I saw for a follow

“ Hay-zeus-mar-ee-yo-sup!” Mama swore when she was frustrated, disgusted, or nearly angry.     She also said it when she was spooked. “Hay-zeus-mar-ee-yo-sup!”   And, should Mama break a glass, she spat out, “ Hay-zeus-mar-ee-yo-sup!” followed by Tph . Tph. Tph. Three pretend spits to the floor. Bad luck, go away! It was years, decades before I figured out what Mama meant by “Hay-zeus-mar-ee-yo-sup!”  All those times, Mama was pleading to the Big, Mighty Three. The Holy Family.  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. -30- Prompt for  Friday Writings : The Power of  Three. 

Mama and Daddy were great believers in growing fruit trees, which, unfortunately, as a kid I didn’t like the taste of most fruit. They didn’t have much luck with the apple trees or the pear and peach trees bearing fruit. The cherry trees produced but Daddy eventually cut them down because the birds got to the fruit before us. Their persimmon and fig trees yielded tons of fruit that they gave away to friends and neighbors.  Today, I’m a big fruit eater. Still a picky one though. I prefer to buy organic fruit directly from the farmers. There’s definitely a difference in taste. These are my top 13 favorite fruits, not in any particular order. papaya mango pineapple avocado  cherry strawberry blueberry tomato orange persimmon  pear watermelon cantaloupe Sharing with Thursday 13 .

You could do no wrong  in her eyes,  so I thought. Maybe you thought the same way about me. There was no competition of who was the better.  You were always the first born, the son. Me, the daughter who lived. We were her children. She wanted for us to care for each other to look after each other without asking, without having to try. That’s all.  Where ever you are, may you be living in joy and love. And, peace.   -30- Sharing with Friday Writings , hosted by Poets and Storytellers United .

(1) This morning we walked around the block. Definitely a big deal for me who haven’t done much walking. I’ve been getting my exercise playing in the garden, hauling, digging, bending, reaching, pulling, and so forth and so on. I also got a good workout vacuuming the stairs last week.  There’s nothing like stretching my legs though. Best of all, my knees didn’t pop and cough until I took my shoes off, thank you very much. Yeah, I’m still waiting for my turn with the knee surgeon. (2) Other than in my head,  I haven’t felt much like writing. Thus, my latest absence.  (3) It took me awhile to start letting go about feeling guilty for not writing, which I’ve been doing for fun and for a living most of my life. The latter, unnecessary for the present, thankfully. I’m rambling.  (4) Once upon a time, one of my high school teachers told me I could never be a writer because I ramble too much. She, with her bra strap constantly peeking out of her sleeveless blouse. The wise one also discourage

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

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. 

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!

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

My 13 things today are books I've read that have a number in their title, except for #11. I had to refer to my Goodreads list to come up with the titles. Some of the titles are from waaaaaay back, such as the one by Thurber, which I want to re-read. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Tres Pinos—Its Colorful Past by Peter Frusetta  (Tres is Spanish for three.) Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Now We are Six by A.A. Milne Seven Dials by Anne Perry Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart Ten Little Indians (And Then There Were None) by Agatha Christie Index to Murder by Jo Dereske (This is #11 in the Miss Zukas series.) The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen The 13 Clocks by James Thurber What books have you read with numbers in their title? Check out more lists of 13 at Thursday 13 .

This week Sunday Stealing , hosted by Bev Sykes, has participants musing over questions taken from Upstream Life . 1. Name 5 people you admire and why. • Daddy. Family was important for him. He took his responsibilities seriously. He made sure his children got the opportunities for a good life. • Mama was resolute, stoical, full of love and cheeriness, but oh so sad. Also full of spirit, spit, and vinegar, Mama didn't let her misery keep her down. She had more than her share, including living through war and losing two children.  • The Husband. My gosh. I'm not an easy person to live with. • Winifred, my mentor, my writing partner, my friend. She took a chance on me (#6). Winifred was an amazing, gifted, and giving person who taught me how to develop and create educational materials that respect and teach the learners. • Kathy, a friend from grammar school days. I love her humor, her wit, her intelligence. For years, she went back and forth, several times a year to visit her pa

I was seduced. To buy each of these 13 things, that is.  It may have been by a salesperson (live or in a commercial) or by someone who was with me. More than likely, it was I who persuaded myself into thinking I certainly wanted and needed something, thus bought it. 1. A mop with disposable cleaning pads and solution that sprays from the mop at a press of the button. It was ridiculous how many cleaning pads I used in one mopping. 2. A manual mini food chopper. It did not chop, mince, or dice for me like it did for the guy in the TV commercial. 3. A red woolen shawl made in Ireland. I wasn't thinking and washed it in the washing machine. Shrunk, it did. 30 years later, the threads have begun to loosen. I may still wear it yet. 4. A food dehydrator. One Christmas I desired a food dehydrator. So Mama gifted me one, as did the Husband. I returned one of them. Drying fruits and vegetables in the oven is far easier. 5. A pair of orthopedic sandals. They were the first pair of shoes that

Earlier this month, I listed 13 of my more memorable jobs .  Today, it's a list of jobs (and, in most instances, careers) that interested me once upon a time, pretty much in this order, from teenage me to about 10-years-ago me. 1. High School English Teacher 2. Newspaper Reporter 3. Bookstore Owner 4. Street Vendor/Artist 5. Paralegal 6. California State Superintendent of Public Instruction 7. Heavy Equipment Operator 8. Gardening Service Co-Owner with Daddy 9. Mother of Five 10. Comedy Writer 11. Airport Shuttle Bus Driver 12. Background Investigator 13. Forensic Scientist Check out other bloggers with lists of 13 for Thursday 13 .

1. Apricot cutter.  My first job. I was ten and I lasted three whole days before I got sick. When I got well, Mama and Daddy said I didn't have to go back. So, I didn't. 2. Babysitter. Once, I couldn't find a kid when we played hide-and-seek because he shimmied up a tree. That seven-year-old taught me to look up. 3. Newspaper columnist. I was paid 10 cents an inch to write a weekly high school column for the hometown newspaper. Even got a byline. A friend and I started the Baling Wire in our sophomore year,  and I went solo from the last half of my junior year to high school graduation. 4. Tutor. I took both paid and volunteer positions, mostly the latter. 5. Hand Pollinator. Every summer, Mama hired teenagers to hand pollinate cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, corn, and other vegetables for her seed company. She finally hired me the year I graduated from high school. I actually liked the work. 6. Office Clerk.  I had several part-time jobs while goin

1. In December is when I was born. "The doctor said you will be born on this day. And you were." The Mama told me, now and then, not necessarily on my birthday. 2. I was born on the Roman Catholic Church's feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, also known as Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The mother of Jesus was said to appear to a peasant named Juan Diego four times at Tepeyac, Mexico in the 16th century. 3. The same day Catholics were honoring Mary, Major Charles Yeager flew the fastest speed ever back then—about 1,650 miles per hour, a mere Mach 2.44. Shazam! 4. I was born nearly three years after Older Sister died on the same day that she was born.  5. Mama was 32 years old when she gave birth to me. Daddy was 48 years old, and Older Brother was five years old. 6. On the day I was born, Frank Sinatra and Edward G. Robinson celebrated their birthday. So did Bob Barker, Connie Francis, and Dionne Warwick. Bill Nighy turned four on the day I came out of the womb.

1. Next month the U.S. Post Office will be selling forever stamps that celebrate Hip Hop. According to the USPS website, the sheet of stamps features rapping, break dancing, DJing, and graffiti art. I don't know what floors me more -- Hip Hop commemorative stamps or that the first kids into hip hop are now in their 40s and 50s? 2. Our local library has been closed since early March due to the coronavirus pandemic. This month, the librarians decided that we, patrons, can check out books online for pick up. The pick-up process today was easy-peasy, even though I forgot to bring my library card. Nine new books to entertain me. Yippieeee! 3. A few weeks ago, the Husband painted this headboard, full of delight and whimsy, perfect for the Banana Room, once known as the Shady Room. The banana plants look to be coming back, and the bamboo, gardenia, and wongo-wongo plants seem to relish their move there. I also replanted a camelia shrub by the headboard. Does that all s

"I want to be there," said the Husband. Me, too. The other day I was missing the sight of granite, miles and miles of exposed surface of batholith mountains. In particular, the Sierra Nevada mountain range. More specifically, Desolation Wilderness in the El Dorado National Forest, west of Lake Tahoe. Every year, for nine years, the Late Great First Husband and I backpacked the Sierras. At least one trip was to our favorite spot, Pyramid Lake in Desolation Wilderness, above Horsetail Falls, off of Highway 50. These photos are from my first backpacking trip up Horsetail Falls. The original prints were overexposed. Thankfully, I kept the pictures and was able to "clean" them up a bit in Photoshop. Talk about following the First Husband with complete trust while carrying 25 pounds, more or less, of food, gear, and reading material on my back. I don't know what it's like today, but back then, once you got to the base of the falls, the way

1.  Sweet Pea Song, my iMac, is 10 years old, more or less. Unfortunately for Sweet Pea Song and me there are few, if any, updates available for her system, as well as for the applications I use. 2.  She fooled her developers with their planned obsolescence. She continues to be a song of a sweet pea. 3.  Lately I've been tippy tapping on typewriters at garage sales and thrift shops. Will I buy one? 4.  Smith-Corona Coronet. That's the kind of portable blue electric typewriter on which I tippy-tapped during my 20s when I was into writing short stories. It gave out a comforting buzz that complimented the tip tip tip tap tap tip tip tap tap of the keys. 5.  I miss inserting paper into a typewriter, rolling up the paper, pushing the carriage back, hitting the space bar three times, and pressing the keys. Voila. Magic words on paper. 6.  Older Brother gave me the used typewriter in exchange for babysitting two-month-old Eldest Niece so her mom could go back to work.