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Il Lunedi di Molly la Gatta

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

Another Lazy Summer Sunday

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

Painting within the Lines, Kinda

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?

Getting a Job

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

Imagining. . .

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.

C is for Cute and Charming

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

To the Beach We Went

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