Filling in the Gap…

Welcome to my new blog. I hope it engages you…please drop by often.

Regarding our lives since March, 2020, Bill and I have been very fortunate. Got through the quarantine surprisingly easily. Saw no one. Went nowhere. A friend put me on to a mom-and-pop organic market I’d ignored for ten years: I sent them my list online…when convenient, drove the seven minutes, our box was brought to the car. Terrific quality. I’ve continued to shop there, feeling good about supporting a small local merchant.

We had just begun as vegans (inspired by close friends), but soon decided we weren’t up to life without cheese and eggs. Switched to vegetarian and were happy about it (so was our cardiologist) until, about a month ago, I forget what happened but chicken and fish re-entered our lives. Bill said, “Let’s go back to the Mediterranean Diet,” and so we have. Still our Vegetarian Year-and-A-Half surprised me at how easy and adventurous was the cooking, how tasty the eating. We gained an appreciation of dried beans, and I wish to put in a good word for Rancho Gordo, Napa Valley’s provider of beautiful heirloom beans. I give them as presents…

As it turned out, my ninety-one-year-old husband and I regard our year of enforced togetherness as a gift. We greatly enjoyed one another’s company, rarely had a cross moment. Bill listened to books, had long phone chats with family and friends. I wrote and gardened and cooked, together we walked Uschi, watched movies. And I knitted baby blankets…we have seven great-grands, two more due. Marvelous!

And I finished a comic novel…hoping it will see the light of day.

Now Bill is teaching again—a Zoom course on The Expedition of Humphry Clinker for Osher Lifelong Learning through UCSC. His last film course for them, Fred and Ginger, was interrupted by COVID. When a group can foregather again, he’ll teach a course on Frank Capra.

Our German Shepherd, Uschi—now 3-3/4—is wonderful. Most afternoons a good friend brings over her gorgeous German Shepherd, Gracie—Gracie’s three months younger than Uschi, they’re best buds—and while we humans sip coffee or wine and chat about politics, books, movies, food, baseball, the girls chase one another, growl, tussle, chew on sticks, lie close together and pant.

Last year we did lose Cakes, beloved bichon-poodle who carried me until I met Bill. Small sweet white Cakes is now part of our venerable white rugosa rose, Blanc Double de Coubert. Nan Wollman made her a handsome oval marker of white porcelain which lies ‘neath the rose.

Oh, and after watching David Attenborough’s stunning documentary, A Life on Our Planet, we decided on solar panels. Even though we won’t be around long enough to amortize the expense, we’ll feel good about not using fossil fuels…and when the house passes to the next generation… Tesla is the installer, all is gorgeous.

Big hugs! Stay safe! Send up a flare!