Author Archives: Lily Loughlin

A REUNION AT SEA

Three of us gals who’ve known one another for more than seven decades, ever since the first grade, decided we should have a reunion on a short cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada last week. WE had enjoyed friendships since … Continue reading

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DIY XERISCAPING

Our front lawn was the least attractive of others on our short cul-de-sac as Bermuda grass and other weeds overtook the original fescue. WE used thousands of gallons of water to keep it looking reasonably green but it was never … Continue reading

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A BICYCLE IN A TREE

News reports via radio, TV and the daily paper inform us there is an epidemic of bikes stolen in Chico. I believe the last statistic I read was the loss of one bike each day. That may sound like a … Continue reading

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VISITING MY ALMA MATER AFTER SIX DECADES AWAY

In late July my husband and I joined a Road Scholar group that began in Denver to tour the scenic byways of western Colorado in six activity filled days. At the conclusion of the tour, we independently rented a car … Continue reading

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MY MISADVENTURE

On a recentThursday while walking with my husband across the street from the Saturday Farmers’ Market, I suddenly stumbled and in a nano second sprawled on the sidewalk face first! The sidewalk was smooth but I think at the indentation … Continue reading

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A SURFEIT OF ADDRESS LABELS

Before e-mailing became my passion, I regularly wrote personal letters to friends and a few relatives. In fact, my best friend and I corresponded weekly as she lived on the East Coast and we rarely got together for a visit, … Continue reading

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USING SURGICAL MASKS TO PREVENT SPREADING GERMS

Cold and flu season are here and epidemic in many states. WE are advised by health officials to wash our hands, use hand sanitizers, cover our coughs or cough into our sleeves. They suggest we not shake hands but bump … Continue reading

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JAPAN, THE LAND OF ‘OMIYAGE’ AND INCOMPARABLE PUBLIC RESTROOMS

With Christmas only a few days away and a frenzy of buying gifts and wrapping them harried and unwelcome  or  unnerving to some, it is different in Japan where wrapped gifts for ‘omiyage’ or gifting is an art in itself. … Continue reading

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VISITING THE LAND OF MY ANCESTORS

My parents were immigrants from Okinawa and led a hard life working in the sugar and pineapple plantations  until they struck out on their own to become truck farmers. The latter was independence from the hard-driving plantation supervisors known in … Continue reading

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REMEMBERING FDR

MThe recent Ken Burns documentary, THE ROOSEVELTS, jogged my memory about FDR as  a wartime president. During WWII I attended a rural elementary school in Oahu, and we experienced an environment on alert for military action. Behind our school  was … Continue reading

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