In early February, I take my annual trip to Sacramento for Government Affairs Day. This year I hope to meet with Sen. Jeff Stone or a staff member to discuss the propane issue I wrote about in this column a few weeks back. A short recap: Our propane bill for December delivery totaled more than…
You would think that having lived at 5,000-plus elevation for nearly 40 years and Jack for more than 30, ominous warnings of a major snowfall would prompt us to prepare for the worst. Well, we spent more time dealing with the business and filling in for sick employees than thinking of ourselves. We failed to…
Last week, our Dolores remained home in bed most of the week sick with a sinus infection. Several of us worked double-duty to cover the front desk, including answering many inquiries about snow from tourists. They ranged from phone calls asking if we “had snow up there” to folk landing in the Visitors Center to…
Sunday afternoon bill-paying time involved categorizing stacks into utilities, medical bills, loans and miscellaneous. I slit open the envelopes and, a little cautiously, peering inside. Sometimes I’m shocked at the amount beside the dollar sign but most of the time I know what to expect. When I unfolded the propane bill, I felt shock and…
Every day since my five-week recovery from a minor heart attack in September is one of adjusting — finding what I call gentle paths and adopting new tools to prevent another occurrence. Every day I fall back into old habits is one of regret, like Monday when I divulged in too much sweet chocolate gifted…
I feel every Tuesday like a machine takes possession of my body — gears grind through my head, torso and limbs. I almost hear the mechanisms on automatic — writing, fact-checking, editing, then printing and running from the Xerox to the proof reader, choosing photos from contact sheets and laying out the paper. That’s just…
Jack and I packed to head out on an annual trip to San Francisco for the California Press Foundation’s Winter Meeting last Wednesday. We planned to fly from Ontario and take along our oldest grandchild, a new tradition when they reach age 13. Jack finished delivering the papers just as I heard of a mass…
I hope all of you readers enjoyed Thanksgiving. We certainly did. I become quite excited weeks before, looking forward to the companionship of family and friends, especially grandchildren. I feel Thanksgiving from the moment I make out my grocery list until the last of the family leaves the house. This year, I was blessed to…
If you celebrate Thanksgiving with family and/or friends rather than commemorating the pilgrims’ feast, then you understand its true meaning. Thanksgiving is Jack’s and my favorite holiday. We have a little ritual. Wednesday night, we pull a big bucket out of a cupboard where it’s kept all year for this one occasion. We put a…
Last Tuesday, the day I went home after deadline, was my last day of feeling tired following the Sept. 25 heart attack. I woke up Wednesday feeling energized and it hasn’t stopped. In fact, I feel better than I have in years. I finally visited my new cardiologist Thursday and need to undergo some tests…
