Category Archives: Neighborhood

Profiles in the Yard

Posted on March 30, 2017 by sputterpub

The squirrels are the vandals in the yard. I used to think them cute, until I caught them digging holes to nowhere: no regard for shoots or seedlings. And you know I thought the cats were fine the neighbors loved … Continue reading →

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Asphalt

Posted on March 20, 2017 by sputterpub

We didn’t ask the city to repave our quiet street. Nobody made a stir. We weren’t pothole-pocked and didn’t crave improvement, didn’t lobby or demur. But sawhorse signs appeared with closure dates, and trucks with backup beeps like metronomes, and … Continue reading →

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Greg

Posted on March 15, 2017 by sputterpub

I dreamt of my neighbor Greg last week. Maybe it’s all the emails I’m getting about the fiftieth reunion. Not that I’m going. I attended two high schools. I started in a semi-settled community south of San Diego and then … Continue reading →

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Once Upon a Neighborhood

Posted on January 25, 2017 by sputterpub

I never really liked the block. Moving there in 1983 was a marital concession. I didn’t want to have it all my way; I tried give-and-take with my second spouse. He was nine years older than I, born months before … Continue reading →

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Meditation Block

Posted on January 20, 2017 by sputterpub

The route from home to BART has pleasant views, a gentle downward slope, infrequent stops – it’s sustenance for senses, walking news, but Alcatraz to Woolsey has no shops. Pedestrians like me, who people-spy, will find a house attractive but … Continue reading →

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Jerry’s Phone and Anne’s Bag

Posted on December 28, 2016 by sputterpub

I was raised by a precise man. My father was an engineer worthy of the term. His field was mechanical, but he acquired an electrical license in middle age. He understood all construction. He could repair most. Dad taught me … Continue reading →

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Dung

Posted on October 26, 2016 by sputterpub

I ran into my neighbor Anne yesterday. We hadn’t seen one another in a few days. I was out two evenings ago and she wasn’t around last night. So I hadn’t yet heard the latest. About Bertilda. The latest is … Continue reading →

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Neighborhood News

Posted on October 19, 2016 by sputterpub

We have a new neighbor and we hope we’re about to lose the old one. Jerry’s friend Jennifer moved in. We didn’t know Jerry had a significant other. We don’t know that now. He described her as a cousin when … Continue reading →

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Shock

Posted on August 31, 2016 by sputterpub

It was called Shell Shock at first. Then Battle Fatigue. Or Combat Stress Reaction, technically. It didn’t acquire the big syllables until late in the 20th century. PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Until a couple of decades ago, only soldiers … Continue reading →

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Bonafide Bitch

Posted on August 24, 2016 by sputterpub

I think I’ve always been a dog person. I remember Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. Among my early books was one called Champion Dog Prince Tom, about a runt cocker spaniel who made it big in obedience trials. When Dad … Continue reading →

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