Jules was sick. Sore throat, brief fever, coughing, congestion in her eyes, sleepy, body aches. It went on for days. She finally went to the doctor and was told she had a viral infection and there was no medication to take. I am six hours away by car. I wanted to be with her.

Always the Mommy.

I do not put my porch light on. I do not give out treats. But I want to acknowledge the two children next door. I took a paper bag and put candy in it with a package of post it notes and a pencil. I will place it on their front porch the day before with their names on the bag. Seems like balanced contents, doesn’t it?

I have learned that this is a great risk, particularly when one is older. I recall when I had a brain bleed and was hospitalized. My friend Marjie died after a fall. A close relative of a friend fell and has hospice care now. Fragile bones and hitting one’s head makes falling very dangerous. I no longer walk in the dark.

Be careful.

The annual celebration of Carrie and Erik’s birthdays will be here this Sunday. It is wonderful to have a ritual with the family. Yep, Thanksgiving here soon. Ellen and Ari are making the birthday cake.

One less ritual for me!

I welcome rain. There is always a concern about drought. I am able to turn off my sprinkler system. It makes ground fires less likely. We had two days this week.

Walking with a raincoat on.

Had an auto accident in SF. No one hurt. Car had to be towed but body shop was not open. Had it towed to Erik’s so I could get a ride home. Car now in body shop and I have a rental. All will be well when I get my car back.

Carrie is off of work because of Rosh Hashanah. She will be coming over to have lunch with me. I appreciate being asked to spend time together. Time alone with my kids is very meaningful.

Greek food for the holiday?

Isaac came over for lunch and to share his pictures from Japan with me. He was there for three weeks and experienced a variety of locations. We went through the pictures on my computer. He also brought his book where he had journaled and drawn. Some of the drawings were of places he saw and others were watercolors he did.

Talented. Kind. Insightful. Someone to look up to.

Robert Redford died. I considered him to be the sexiest man, not just because of his looks and interactions with women in film, but because of his passion for people. He was politically correct. He also directed my favorite movie, Ordinary People.

You will be missed, Robert.

A long time ago I wrote about crows that were attacking me when I walked in the morning. I learned that they were protecting their nest. I became anxious whenever I walked and heard crows. The other day I discovered a mass on my car deposited by a bird. I washed it off.

They are still after me.