Although the sun hadn’t yet risen at 6:00 this morning, there was enough light for me to see the back patio through the sliding glass door. It was wet. I couldn’t detect any rain coming down, so when I stepped outside with my little dog, I was surprised to feel the soft drizzle on my … Continue reading Wet Paws and Morning Magic: Walking in the Rain
New York
The Last Train to London
Someone posted an enticing picture of London on social media the other day with the caption: “What is keeping you from visiting?” Maybe it was meant to be a gentle nudge to get you to go there. However, most of the comments expressed fear of falling prey to criminals. Others observed that they would not … Continue reading The Last Train to London
Then and Again
“Turn right on Highway 20, and go about a half mile. When you come to the Taco Bell, take a left.” My co-worker may as well have given me directions to Mars. What was she talking about? Taco Bell? Did our town have a Taco Bell? Although I had lived here for a couple of … Continue reading Then and Again
The Mandala
The temperature was forecast to rise to 104℉. I can tolerate heat better than my dog, but I have my limits too. We set out for our walk earlier than usual, while the sun was low on the horizon, and a Delta breeze was still having its cooling effect in the valley. A patch of … Continue reading The Mandala
The True Protest
Years ago, my experience as the senior designer at a theme-party production company led to a contract with an architectural firm that was developing a multimillion dollar resort for a client in Japan. It was up to me to direct a team in planning the function and decor of the interior common spaces, including everything … Continue reading The True Protest
An Obvious Choice
Back in the days when I worked at the coffee store in Berkeley (see Flying Blind), I met a German nurse. She confided that, some years earlier, her brother-in-law had been in the painful end-stage of terminal cancer and, at his request, she injected him with a lethal dose of morphine. I wasn’t sure why … Continue reading An Obvious Choice
Wishlists and Woke Roulette
Big Hollywood and Big Beer have taken heat for pushing wokeness over common sense, but the literary world seems to be flying happily under the radar. Since most publishing houses don’t accept submissions directly from fiction writers, it is necessary to go through an agent. For many good reasons, a screening process is required. During … Continue reading Wishlists and Woke Roulette
Those quiet spaces
As much as I love the energy and bustle of New York, at some point in my visits to that great city, I inevitably seek the quiet spaces. In this time of forced isolation due to the pandemic, many of us are looking for ways to safely connect with one another. Yet perhaps because so … Continue reading Those quiet spaces
Life without regret
Before my sister decided to be a candidate for the state senate, she called Dad, seeking his advice. He told her that she may or may not have regrets if she decided to run, but it was a certainty that she would always have doubts if she decided not to do so. He was right, … Continue reading Life without regret
Roxane Gilbert 