The good, the bad, and the learning in California
Author: kdanielsonrolles
An Afternoon at Nudie Beach, Kansas
Friends, I’m hopeful that we will survive the culture wars sabotaging this great country of ours. Despite the Republicans and Democrats, and their brethren the media circus, all hell-bent on driving our collective blood pressure into the stratosphere, I believe there’s a solution out of this mess. We already know what it is. And it…
Winter Solstice Balance at Half Moon Bay
I intended to blog about spending the Winter Solstice at Half Moon Bay, but with the other holidays and a surprise move, that post never materialized. Here is my belated essay about a place that is dear to my heart. For more info about the concepts/places mentioned, please click on the embedded links. The Winter…
An Open Letter to Our Landlord. Or, New Year = New House
New Year 2023 began with an unexpected twist—we moved houses. Here is the story of what happened. Only names have been changed. Everything else is factual.
January 14, 2023
Dear J___________,
Your wish has come true. We are out of Cardinal House. No longer do we occupy your physical space. As of 1:30 pm today, the cleaning crew mopped up any lingering crumbs. Don’t worry—we don’t intend to ever set foot back on the property.
Shooting at Half Moon Bay
Friends, I weep as I write this entry. Yesterday, a 67 year-old man shot and killed seven people in Half Moon Bay. One massacre at a plant nursery. Another in a different agricultural spot near the coast. His victims were farm workers. Children witnessed some of the killings. (New York Times article here) The shooter’s…
To the Coyote of Stanford West: an Ode to the American Song Dog
This fall, three coyotes claimed a meadow near the Stanford West housing complex as their preferred hunting ground. Their presence caused quite an uproar on social media. Some people panicked and called the police. Others preached the woes of over-development. Me, I slithered along the trail, hopeful. This is my Ode to the American Song…
Question: Is it better to live in Menlo Park, California, or Manhattan, Kansas?
As unlikely as it might seem, MPC (Menlo Park, California) and MHK (Manhattan, Kansas) have much in common. However, 5 factors create key differences.
On Ghosts, Ancestors, and Other Spooky Delights
It’s Halloween, the time of the year when children dress up in spooky costumes. Pumpkin carving. Time for ghosts. Why do we talk about ghosts now, at the end of October? What is it about this time of the year that makes ghosts seem more real? Perhaps it’s because the veil between…