MONTEREY NEWS

2009-11-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

I met my friend at Juice and Java this morning to write. First I got a hot chocolate and a bear claw. We talked and wrote the whole morning. We ended with pages of writing and a strong sense of friendship.

Juice and Java is great on a cold morning.

2009-11-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

I pick up the two kids from school. They are taunting each other, calling each other names, feeling hurt and fighting back.

Finally I tell them to just be quiet. QUIET !!! and they mumble complaints.

Somedays I just don't understand why siblings tease each other so much. I want them to be NICE.

There must be some evolutionary advantage for kids to fight. Maybe.

2009-11-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

I am patiently waiting for a friend to arrive, well not so patiently. She is hours late but she keeps calling to let me know where she is.

It's dark now and cold. I wonder if she will actually arrive.

2009-11-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

For the last class we had to read one of our writings. I thought it would be easy. Pick out one I like and stand up in front of the class and read.

But I became self conscious and I started wanting mine to be the best.

There was no contest but still I wanted mine to be best so I mumbled and read too quickly and then it was over and it wasn't the best.

Oh well, next time.

2009-11-09T16:00:00.000-08:00

Finished stuffing the envelopes this morning and took the bag of notes to the post office. Such a relief to get this job done. Hope people have the money to make contributions. The times are really hard for many folks.

Now I am sitting in the sun warmed living room as the day begins to end.

2009-11-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

I've started reading Hilary Mantel's book WOLF HALL. A historical fiction about the times of King Henry the 8th. At firs it was slow going but now I am into it and look forward to a slow evening reading.

2009-11-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

Sitting outside this afternoon to read my new book. Too cold in the shade and too hot in the sun. Can't find the best place to sit and read.

Now I am back in the house in my comfortable chair wishing my chair was outside.

2009-11-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

Turtle Bay restaurant was crowded for lunch. Sitting in the booth next to mine was two young women and their four very young children.

At first I thought it was cute and then I noticed the destruction the kids were doing to the place, smeared food, screaming, throwing. When they finally left the staff had to take apart the booth, mop and clean before the space could be used again.

I don't think the mothers had any idea the amount of work they created for staff.

2009-11-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Lying on the couch in the late afternoon. Cloudy sky, maybe rain soon. Reading a David Lodge book, a fine book.

Soon I will get up and met friends at Hula and then to a play.

Good Thursday evening, I hope.

2009-11-04T19:23:00.000-08:00

Went to an afternoon movie with the 8 and 9 year old kids. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. I really liked the movie. The kids were a bit restless.

Later the 9 year old was trying to teach me how to play on Runeworld on my computer. I just didn't get how it works. he was totally into the game.

2009-11-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

Went to Denney's for lunch. They have a senior special hamburger special for lunch. It wasn't so good. The fries were not well cooked.

The coke was cold and good. the burger was so so.

I have been romanticizing Denney for awhile.

I think I am over it except I still like their breakfast.

2009-11-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

Picked up our fundraiser cards form the printer this morning. They look great. Now I have to get the address labels on and add the stamps.

Warm sunny day again. I am waiting for the next rain so I can dig in some more plants.

2009-11-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

Early morning walk downtown. No smashed pumpkins anywhere. Are they too expensive to buy to smash. Lots of broken glass from Halloween events but no pumpkins.

By the beach dozens of pelicans were circling and diving. Sea lions and harbor seals were busy. Fishermen on the wharf kept pulling in foot long sardines. Their white buckets were filling up with restless fish.

A feeding frenzy.

The school of fish was invisible to me.

2009-10-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in my living room with cat whiskers on my nose and face waiting for the door bell to ring, for trick or treaters. A bunch came by early and now none.

Full moon outside. Sent all my flashlights with the kids so they could find their way and nto get hit by cars.

I am slowly eating all the candy.

2009-10-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

I went to a grave side funeral for a friend I have known for a long time. She was two months younger then me. She struggled with cancer for 18 months and then died.

I had difficulty believing we were really going to bury her in the ground. I wanted to knock on the coffin to see if she was alright.

The family knew and were crying. I thought it was all a mistake.

2009-10-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

The good news is another mouse was caught in the trap last night.

The bad news is that he made a mess with the table cloth before he was caught.

The good news is that my roommate is going to take him to the park to be released. I don't have to do anything except wait for him to get up.

2009-10-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

Two days of wind have scrubbed the air of all dust.

Tonight the stars are bright and close.

San has blown across the freeway.

Most of the leaves have blown off the downtown trees.

Yes it is fall.

2009-10-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

Stopped by the library this morning in time to see a bunch of mothers bringing in their toddlers for story telling.

The mothers were so fresh and healthy and good looking. I bet they don't know it.

When I look at pictures of myself as a young mother I am surprised at how good I looked.

2009-10-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

Went to Copy King to copy the November calendar. When I got into the shop I realized I brought the wrong piece of paper. I drove back home, picked up the paper and then went back to Copy King and had the copies made.

Where was my mind.

2009-10-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

It is so beautiful outside this afternoon.

I sat on a bench eating my pralines and cream cone down at the plaza watching people walk by.

so many languages on a late Sunday afternoon are in the air.

Everyone seemed happy, I wonder what is going on besides the fall sunlight. I wonder if it will happen again.

2009-10-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today I don't want to leave my house. I don't want to get dressed. Yesterday there were too many people, too much talking. The well went dry.

So today I putter around, drinking tea, napping, sitting zazen, reading and already I am better.

Tomorrow is a busy day and I will be ready.

2009-10-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

I knew what I wanted to buy at Whole Foods. Really I did.
But I got into a trance and drifted through the store looking at all the beautiful food, filling up my shopping cart, feeling so special.

At home putting the food away I knew I was nuts. Who do you think will eat all of this? I began putting some of the food in the freezer for another day.

How to stay grounded at Whole Foods?

2009-10-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

The rodent count is now three mice and 1 rat and still we hear sounds coming form the kitchen at night. So the trap is up again tonight. We take our catches to the big park near by.

I wonder if anyone worries about this.

I don't want to kill them and fantasize that they will make a cozy home near the garbage cans.

But really what we are doing is relocating them into refugee camps up at the park.

2009-10-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling restless, want to go shopping but there is nothing I need but that doesn't stop the restlessness.

Maybe tomorrow I will find something I want to buy

2009-10-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Monterey Wharf #2 report

Clear sparkly October weather.
A bit of green appearing on the hills.
Fliers on the East Village windows announcing music events.

High tide,
Piles of sea weed on beach
gigantic celebrity cruise ship anchored close to shore.
small transfer boats running between the wharf and the ship.

Several long neck grebes floating by the wharf.
Two gulls chasing loudly after a sea otter

Benches still wet with morning due.