A Little More Valentine Love

February 12, 2026

I got a delivery to school today out of the blue. My dear friend Kelly sent Valentine's care packages to Mo and me. She's pretty much the most thoughtful gift-giving friend. She's always picking up little things to give us 'just because'. It never fails to make me smile.

Moravia Winery

February 7, 2026

We had a wine tasting outing with our friends Kari and Will and with Brianna and Shelby. The weather could not have been more perfect. It was lovely!

More Old Friends

 January 3, 2026

We went to dinner tonight with Jim and Christy, whom we haven't seen for quite some time--by my estimation nearly a year and a half.  They live out of town, but they still have family here and come to visit every now and again, but we are just one of the stops on their visits home.  I know how hectic it can be to try to get everything and everyone in during a quick weekend trip, so I understand.  But oh my goodness, how lovely it was to just sit and talk and catch up.  You know the friendship is solid when what I would guess would be a two hour lunch turns into more than four hours.  The secret, I've discovered, to not letting too much time go by between get-togethers is to make a specific plan for the future, rather than the usual "let's not make it so long next time...".  I'm so excited that we decided to make a date in another three weeks when they are back in town again--definitely something to look forward to!  (Reuniting with old friends and making plans a priority seems like a good refocus for the new year!)

One of My Favorite Things

January 2, 2025

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love babies. Today I got to take dinner to a good friend who just had her third baby. Sweet Daniel was sleeping cozily in his dad's arms, but I got to see that precious boy and give his mama a hug. I can't wait to go back and cuddle that sweet boy! Just seeing that little family, in the aftermath of Christmas, just spending time with each other and focusing in on what's important while mama recovers and everyone bonds with their newest arrival made my heart happy. Oh how I wish our society valued that kind of family time together more than it values the work, work, work of every day life.

More of this Please

January 6, 2024

We spent New Year's Eve day sitting around a fire, talking and just enjoying the feeling of having no place to be and nothing pressing on our to-do lists. While we can't have that all the time- of course there will be papers to grade and laundry to be done sometimes- I'm striving to carve out more of these days in 2024 for us.

Thursday Night Social Hour

January 4, 2024

Since Bree is still on her extended stay with me, we decided we needed a social hour get-together with Mo. It is just a wonderful feeling when your daughter is old enough to become friends with your friends. Talking, laughing, eating, and drinking together with these two brings me all kinds of happiness, and I am here for anything that brings happiness to me and to others. If we aren't actively seeking that in our lives, then what are we even doing?

Life Is Better When You're Laughing

January 3, 2024

This is the perfect house-warming gift from Carrie and David, with whom I have spent many long days and late nights in love and laughter.

Dance Dance

March 15, 2022 Tonight Kelly joined Mo and me for our dance classes, which made for much mirth and merriment. We aren't great dancers, but we do know how to laugh, so it all evens out! I am so thankful to have this group of friends that has been going strong for better than 20 years. I think we need to have another reunion of all of the Old School Girls this summer. There is never a dull moment when we all get together.

Meeting Someone New, Part Two

March 12, 2022

Last night I got to meet Rafe's parents, and tonight he got to meet my best friend and her husband. Turn about's fair play! Rafe and I actually spent the afternoon looking at Oscar Nominated Short Films to watch on Youtube--unfortunately there aren't many there yet, but we did catch a few. (Obviously, I am looking forward to the upcoming Oscars. I missed the traditions of the Academy Awards during the Covid years!) Afterward, we met up with Mo and Scott and a group of friends at Sequoia Brewing to listen to Night Heat play. It was great to have Rafe and Mo meet, and match faces with names. Nicholas has also already met him, so I am looking forward to my girls and Lisa getting the chance to meet him as well.

Dancing My Way Into Tuesday

March 8, 2022 Tonight I started a new 8 week dance class. Actually, it's two different dance classes. At the behest of my good friends who all thought line dancing would be fun, I decided to sign up for that one with them. It is a testament to how much I love my friends that I am willing to subject myself to country music on purpose in order to dance with them. (Truth be told, the class actually ended up being fun.) The second class bills itself as a class that teaches swing, jazz, lindy, charleston, etc. In reality, it's just a bunch of short, repeating steps to fun music that borrows from a lot of different styles. It will be a fun class, but I don't actually think I can honestly say I have learned any specific styles from that class. That's okay, though. I still think it will be fun.

A Little Respite

 January 29, 2022

I went up into the foothills to spend some time with my good friends Brad and Jean.  They live nestled in the rolling hills near Yosemite Lakes, about 45 minutes away from where I live.  I just love the comfort and warmth of their hospitality, and the genuine love and friendship I have with these two.  We had a lovely, leisurely dinner and talked for hours, well into the night.  What a lovely respite from the hustle and bustle of every day life!

Gratitude

 January 9, 2022

There is a lot going on in the world that causes stress, anxiety, and sadness.  That's why it's important to take time frequently to think about the things for which we are grateful.  Here are five things I am grateful for today:

1.  I am grateful I am getting to spend time with Nicholas while he is staying with me, before he moves to start his new job.  Since the kids are all grown up, the extended times with them are fewer and farther between.

2.  I am grateful I get to text or talk with my kids several days each week.  I like to talk to them, and they like to talk to me!

3.  I am so grateful that although Nicholas got Covid, he is experiencing relatively mild symptoms.

4.  I am grateful for Lisa and Mo.  Man, I don't know where I'd be without those two.  They are my sounding boards, they make me laugh, and they check in on me all the time.  I do the same for them.  Having best friends makes doing life wonderful.

5.  I am grateful for a seemingly endless supply of books.  So many ideas and stories we can inhabit for a time.  It's kind of mind-blowing to think about the millions of ideas and perspectives out there that we can enjoy and learn from.  That's pretty cool!

Just Like Yesterday

January 4, 2019

Sometimes months will pass between the times some of us see each other.  For some of us, there have been years that stretched between our gatherings.  But each and every time I see any of these women--those of us who started out teaching together years and years ago, when we were baby-faced novice teachers--we reconnect like we saw each other only yesterday.  Time only brings us closer together, and that is truly a measure of a beautiful friendship.

Lean On Me

January 3, 2019

When we were young, we looked to the adults around us and on the whole, we probably thought they mostly had things figured out.  There was business to handle, and handle it they did.  There might have been notable exceptions to the adults we thought had it all figured out--the weird uncle or the slightly crazy second cousin, or even the disheveled and perpetually confused looking high school teacher--but on the whole, we believed the adults knew what was going on and how to approach any circumstance in life.

Fast forward to now. I am--we are--the adults.  And my goodness, we do NOT have it all figured out.  We constantly question each decision we make, each action we taking moving forward.  What if it's the wrong thing to do? What if my decision leads to consequences I didn't foresee?  The reality is, we simply do not know.  The secret of life?  We're all out here doing the best we can, making our best guess as to how it's all going to turn out.  The secret of life is that no one really knows the secret of life.

So what do we do?  If we're lucky, as I have been, we cultivate good, solid friendships.  We seek counsel and solace from those friends; we seek commiseration and celebration with souls who wish the best for us and, like us, are making their best guesses about how to proceed from day to day, and year to year.  When you cultivate friends like that, you can roll around ideas, test out theories, offer suggestions, learn from one another's experiences, knowing that no two experiences are alike, but might have common ground.  You offer to one another a shoulder to cry on, a fresh perspective, a belly laugh when levity is warranted or needed, a boost of confidence, or a gentle kick in the rear when one is stuck in static mode.  We offer an ear; we offer community.

I've got a few circles of friends, and within those circles, we have collectively faced many challenges and joys over the years:  marriages, children, diseases and catastrophic illnesses, accidents, births, deaths, new careers or loss of careers, infidelity, new homes, divorces, bankruptcy, mental health issues, and addiction, just to name a few.  And as fate would have it, we often take turns with our burdens, so that some of us are strong when others need buoyed.  Sometimes I am able to help carry someone else's burden, and sometimes it is I who needs a hand.  But the hands are always there--hands to hold, to reach out for a hug, and to gently touch to help us remember that though none of us has it all figured out, we aren't all on our own making guesses in the dark.  We don't have it all figured out--no one does--but we aren't alone, and sometimes, that makes all the difference.

A Well-Deserved Weekend With Friends

January 20, 2018

After my long rally week at school, I planned to take the weekend off and just enjoy some social time.  Doug and I went up to the foothills on Friday night to scope out the place Doug's band is playing in next week.  We met up with our friends Brad and Jean and had a wonderful dinner there.  Afterward, we found a little bar up the road where they had Friday night karaoke, and we stayed until closing time, singing, talking, laughing, and having a wonderful time.

The next evening we met up with our friends Scott and Mo for a little dinner at their house.  After dinner, we played a round of Would You Rather?, which provided at least a couple of full-on belly laughs.  Then we called in their kids for a game of Left-Right-Center, which was a new one for Doug and me.  Oh my goodness, it was fun!  Plus, any game that doesn't require skill (it's a dice game), works for me, as being skilled at games of any sort is not what one would call a strength of mine.

Finally, we found out Jim was in town for the evening, and we decided after we left Mo and Scott's to meet up with him at Skyline.  Jim and I had a great conversation while watching Doug play pool, and at the end of the evening Jim asked Doug if he would be his best man at his upcoming wedding.  I could tell how much it meant to him--it was so sweet!  I am so excited for Jim and Christy, and Doug and I are excited to help out in any way we can.  I can't wait until November!

On Sunday we luxuriously slept in.  Eventually we got up, and I spent the afternoon with Grandma taking care of paperwork and trying to troubleshoot her computer issue.  (Believe me, when you need a computer fixed, I'm generally not the first person on the list.  My skills are rudimentary at best.)  However, I think I was actually able to pinpoint her issue, although I couldn't solve it today.  Looks like I'll need to head back over later in the week to try to wrap it up.

Not a terribly productive weekend, but well-deserved and needed.  Making time to spend with friends is always a good investment.

Road Trip to Alameda

February 6, 2017

 We spent this last weekend with David and Carrie and Freya up in Alameda.  The kids were at Bill's house for the weekend, and since it's the calm before the storm of track season (and OhMyGoodnessIt'sSeniorYearGradFestivities season for Danielle), we took advantage of the time to take a quick road trip.  When we arrived Friday night, we spent hours just talking and catching up.  I adore how we are able to fall in and pick up with absolute ease no matter how long it is between our visits.  Saturday we took in lunch at a lovely restaurant on the water, took a scenic drive thorough several neighborhoods to check out unique houses and architecture, and then had a quiet afternoon.  Saturday evening was a magical, musical, festive one, the four of us cooking and laughing and dancing in the kitchen before dinner.  It felt like our own little version of The Big Chill (minus the funeral, of course).  I'm telling you, it was the way meals are supposed to be made and enjoyed--among friends, with love.  Sunday, naturally, we took in the Superbowl (or as I like to call it, the commercials and half-time show, enveloped by a football side show).  We stayed as late as we could, knowing that I'd have to get up early to go to work the next morning.  Too, too soon, we had to get on the road.  I hope it's not long before we get back up there again.

Oooommm

January 7, 2015

You know how some people are sheepish to try new things because they feel they'll stand out for not knowing the protocol?  For being unfamiliar with how things work?  Well, that's one of the main reasons I've never tried yoga--that and the fact that my sis and partner-in-crime lives too far away to make it practical for her to come join me for a yoga class.  (We don't mind being novices together--we have a lot of fun adventures that way.)  However, recently some of the gals from my book club decided it would be fun for us to take yoga together.  Some of them are yoga regulars, or at least were at some time in their lives, and some of us have never done it before.  But the 'we're all in it together' aspect really appeals to me, so I was all in.

I went to my first class tonight with the handful of women who were able to make it work, schedule-wise.  It was the 'Chill' yoga class, which was a lot of stretching and breathing--just what this formerly flexible body needed.  I understand that some of the other classes are a bit harder, so I'm glad I started with this one, but I don't think I'm averse to trying out those other ones either.  I have a pass for ten sessions/classes, and I'm already thinking I'll probably add more classes when I've used all of mine.  These friends of mine were just the impetus I needed to try out something new!

This Is Where I Leave You

August 20, 2014

Our book club met tonight to discuss our first book, This is Where I Leave You.  This was the first book our group has chosen--our first discussion.  Most of us are Buchanan teachers: Christine, Marci, Jen, Kristin, Tina, Allison, and me.  Let me tell you, these are some really fun, intelligent, and fascinating women!  For the record, the general consensus was that we didn't much like the book, because none of the characters, especially the protagonist, was particularly likable or sympathetic.  Our dislike, however, didn't remotely hinder our conversation, and like all good book discussions, it started out with the book and then expanded to real life connections and general philosophizing. Our book talk was funny, non-stop, and insightful. (The book was about a dysfunctional family, which most of us can relate to, although this particular family had its own special blend of every possible dysfunction concentrated in one fairly small family.)  One of the deciding factors in choosing this book was that it's been made into a movie that's coming out next month, so we had already planned to follow up with a movie night.  Even though we didn't love the book, we watched the movie trailer, which has a fantastic and funny cast, and we think this may be one of the rare cases of the movie being better than the book. We've already chosen our next book and the next meeting date, and I'm already looking forward to getting together with these fantastic ladies again!  I'm really hoping that we don't let the crazy busy-ness of the school year push off our get-togethers--I feel like this is going to be a great way to recharge our batteries if we decide to make it a priority for ourselves.

There's Got to Be a Book in Here Somewhere

February 18, 2014

For the conference I attended in San Diego this weekend, I traveled with a long-time colleague.  When we got to the conference, she ran into an old friend she hadn't seen in about ten years.  They fell back into immediate familiarity, and the three of us spent a great deal of time together over long, comfortable meals full of food, drink, and lots of conversation. As new friends often do, we shared quite a lot about our backgrounds and histories, tossing about the stories and anecdotes that shaped our particular paths in life.  Seriously, get three articulate, passionate, creative writers and storytellers together--the entertainment just keeps going.  We often think our own lives to be fairly mundane and pedestrian because we were there, of course, so it seems matter of course to us.  However, as I think back on the memories and situations that came up in the course of the conversation, I am struck once again that if seen by the objective eye, my life might not be quite so mundane as I often think it to be.
I shared stories, to name a few, about...
--the stream of illegal immigrants my parents hired as nannies when we were young in order to give them a start in their new country
--the morbid fear of knives I developed--and still have--because a babysitter (not one of the illegal ones) chased us to our neighbor's house, threatening to kill us
--the time my brother nearly blinded me as a very young girl
--the time my brother nearly blinded my sister as a slightly older young girl
--the time my brother smashed through our patio door to prove he had 'learned' karate
--the time we blindfolded and tied up my younger brother and left him, forgotten, in our attic for several hours
--the time I was homeless for a short while in junior high
--the time my parents bought a private school and we tried to make a run of it for the blink of an eye before they had to shut it down for financial reasons and we were shuttled back to public school
--the private investigator my father hired to spy on us during high school
--the time a party at my apartment (thrown by my roommate, who just happened to be my brother) very nearly ended my teaching career before it ever began
--the time I found nearly $4000 worth of drugs in my apartment
--the last time I ever saw my dad alive

We did, as I said, a LOT of talking.  My counterparts shared just as much of their own histories, which were fascinating and as foreign to me as my experiences were to them.  At the end of the weekend, we came away with two things: we all really enjoyed each others' company, and we all quite possibly have a book in us somewhere.  I mean, I could write a whole book on my brother alone!  Someday...

Full Day

January 3, 2014

We got the kids all rounded up and headed out to Cal Skate--Roller Town to us--for the afternoon.  Nicholas and Danielle weren't terribly adept, but they managed.  Lisa's girls were a little more light on their feet, but I can't say anyone was especially good at skating.  Luckily, we don't need exceptional skill to have fun.

After skating, we went to pick up Doug at Classic Billiards and ended up letting the kids stay for an hour or so to play a little pool.  Next up was a delicious dinner at Capo's, followed by a very long walk around the neighborhood while blasting tunes and singing loudly and unabashedly.

Once we got back home and settled the kids in to watch a movie, Doug and Lisa and I went to Thai Fusion for a little karaoke.  It was a pretty fun ending to an overall great day.  I love being so close to my sister and my nieces!