Okay, perhaps that is a silly question — of course the poem was written by Rudyard Kipling. At least I’m pretty sure. Dad would sometimes quote “Twenty Bridges from tower to Kew … twenty bridges or twenty-two … wanted to know what the river knew.” My dad was born and raised in England back at the beginning of the last century when, he would sometimes tell me, “British meant best.” Although he loved America, a part of his heart still belonged to England. So you bet I was thrilled when my second assignment in the U.S. Foreign Service was to the American Embassy in London. I remember walking along the Thames thinking of those twenty bridges … or twenty-two. Today when I was sorting through (yet another!) box of papers from decades ago in an effort to pare down the clutter, I came across the poem my dad typed out and… Read More »
You can’t kill an oleander? Bet me!
The nice lady at the nursery assured me, “it’s impossible to kill an oleander.” I almost said, “wanna bet? Come by my house.” Instead, I just said “Maybe I can’t, but something sure is.” When we moved into this house over 30 years ago, the oleander hedge between us and the neighbor was well-established and thriving. In summer it was covered with bright pink flowers; the rest of the year the leaves were dark green and glossy. It formed a pleasant demarcation. It seemed independent and content, and I was perfectly content to let it be. In fact, I never gave it a second thought and only occasionally dragged the hose across the driveway to water it. Then a couple of years ago I noticed withering leaves and bare, dead branches. Oops. “So,” I said as I plopped a couple of smallish oleander bushes on the wagon, “how long do you… Read More »
Stop Changing the Dratted Color!
” Can I help you?” the perky young woman asks. I obviously look perplexed. I’m standing in Ulta — a large cosmetics chain store — holding my favorite color of nearly-used-up lipstick. “I’m looking for this color,” I say, extending the tube. She takes my old lipstick and quickly scans the display. “It’s right here,” she said, plucking up the tube I had put back a moment before. Triumphantly she hands me the tester. “That’s not it,” I told her. She looks at the bottom of both lipsticks. “Yes, it is. It says it right here.” “No, it isn’t,” I tell her. She looks at the labels on the bottom and then shows them to me. “Shimmering Brandy,” she says holding my original lipstick, and “Shimmering Brandy” she says, extending the tester from the display. “This is it.” She doesn’t actually roll her eyes, but I can tell it’s an effort. “No,”… Read More »
Dang those Clydesdales are big!
“It’s, okay,” my dad said. “they’re big, but they’re very gentle.” It was New Year’s Day and my parents had taken me to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. It was years ago when nobody had thought to blanket the area with security guards. People like us were strolling around looking at the bands, floats and horses waiting for the parade to begin. And now I was standing close to a huge — massive — horse. A Clydesdale. The handler was standing nearby. “It’s okay,” he said, “you can pet him. This is Captain.” Pet him? How on earth was I going to pet this huge animal? I mean, even if I wanted to — he towered above me. Horses have always scared me and this one was mammoth — a super-horse. His feet were the size of a dinner plate. “Captain, say hello to the little girl,” the… Read More »
Disneyland Christmas Concert
This trip had been planned a long time in advance. My friend Shawn had invited me to go with him to Disneyland for their very special, once-a-year Christmas candlelight concert. We had the tickets, we had the rooms, the flight was booked … we were ready to go. Then I got sick. Really sick. In the hospital sick. Shawn assured me everything could be cancelled, no pressure. But I really wanted to go! I’d been out of the hospital for a week and was feeling okay, but then I did something that I normally would not do. I asked the doctor if it would be okay, and I promised myself that I would abide by his decision. “It’s a short plane flight,” I told him, “and we’re not going to be rushing around — this is going to be a leisurely, sit-on-the-bench and watch people kind of vacation.” He hesitated for… Read More »
Fun and games at the hospital
Okay — show of hands. How many of you have been in the hospital? No, not to visit, I mean, actually … oh, that many! Wow. So you already know about the not sleeping part and all that. Every two hours someone is there to give you medication or take your vitals. But … Here’s an adventure you might not have had … taking a shower. And in case, you’ve never done such a thing, (you peasant), they give you instructions. You don’t believe me? I took a picture … and in case you can’t read it all, let me help. But first this all came about because on the fourth day of my stay the CNA (nurse assistant) came in with a stack of towels, a bottle of liquid soap and a clean hospital gown just in case I would like to take a shower. Would I?? After four… Read More »
So what kind of legacy will I have?
Do you ever think about your “legacy”? No, I don’t either. That’s for presidents and kings. For the rest of us, I think we want to be remembered kindly as having lived a good life. It’s not something that one spends time dwelling on, as a rule. But … It was a couple of weeks ago and I was in trouble. My breathing was getting shallower, I was dizzy and I wasn’t terribly sure that I was going to live to see my next birthday, less than a week away. My friend Lois was on her way to take me to the hospital. So, going to the hospital … what do you take? Even though I wasn’t thinking clearly (but then do I ever?) I had the presence of mind to gather a few things: phone charger (essential in this day and age!), bedroom slippers, a mystery to pass the… Read More »
How do you spell Luxury?
How do you spell “luxury”? Some people spell it C-A-D-I-L-L-A-C. Others spell it Caribbean-Cruise. I spell it H-O-M-E. Last night I came home from the hospital after an intense battle with pneumonia. I slept in my own bed on sheets dried in the sunshine, wore my own nightgown, and was purred to sleep by my kitties. I had no IV lines or oxygen tubes. This morning I fixed my own breakfast and sat at my own table and read the morning paper. I opened birthday cards and scrolled through the birthday wishes on my phone. Blackjack jumped on my lap and shed all over me. Luxury. I sat outside on the patio and breathed fresh air. And look at that — in less than a week the leaves on the pomegranate are turning gold and the slightest breeze starts them fluttering like fairy wings. The fig leaves don’t do that… Read More »
Don’t trust that refrigerator!
The parting words of Bill, the refrigeration specialist, were: “I wouldn’t trust that refrigerator, if I were you.” Bill was a friend of my work-mate Vickie, and had kindly agreed to drop by and have a look at my ‘fridge which simply wouldn’t stop running. “So, what do you think he meant by that?” Vickie asked the next day at the office. “Dunno. How can you not trust your refrigerator? I mean, it’s not going to come murder me in my bed, is it? It’s a refrigerator, for pity sake.” “Beats me — it’s odd. But did he find out what was wrong?” “Oh, yeah. Did you know that there are air-intake vents inside your freezer and that if you block them with, say, a stack of Marie Callendar’s frozen pot pies, it can’t get air so it just runs all the time?” “Didn’t know that. It’s probably in the owner’s… Read More »
Stop me before I shop again!
Please, somebody stop me before I shop again! I am not a shopper at heart. I buy clothes when I need them, I have maybe 8 pair of shoes — 14 if you count sandals — and 4 handbags including an evening one for dress-up. There’s only one thing that makes my heart go pitty-pat. It’s dishes. Dang, I LOVE dishes! I have two sets of china and four sets of everyday dishes. I have a Beleek tea service of teapot, cups, saucers, creamer & sugar bowl stashed away and in the other cupboard the most beautiful gold and white coffee service of Royal Worcester that I never use — it’s up in a high cupboard where it won’t get bumped or broken and. One of these days, I’ll get it all down and start using it. I will. BUT, specifically, it’s wine glasses. Crystal ones. Yesterday I had some things… Read More »
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