Author Archives: Marge

Even though we would fly to Mexico the next day and the children were in college, we decided to put up a Christmas tree on the day before Christmas. I’m still not sure why. But my son and I went up to the attic and hauled down the artificial tree that we had left standingContinue reading “Bat Guano Almost Ruins Christmas”

Marshall Thomas Joseph Garlinger, my mother’s first cousin, was bigger than life for his generation at 6’6” tall. And he definitely was not skinny. He had worked at AT&T and then during WWII was in charge of engine repair for all army boats that came into San Francisco. This is one of our favorite MarshallContinue reading “Not a Crazy Cousin”

There are a few great trains in the world. One is the Eastern and Oriental Express that goes back and forth from Singapore to Bangkok. Nevertheless, if you are frugal like me, you can take the same trip on local trains. Of course, you miss such amenities as suites with private bathrooms, white tablecloth dining,Continue reading “Bangkok to Singapore with Roaches and Immodest Passengers”

Experimenting with Dynamite DYNAMITE! For some reason, our parents thought that my brother and I could take care of ourselves. They let us run around and do about anything that we wanted on the farm. We’d often walk over the hills to our grandparents’ home about three miles away. We wouldn’t follow any roads butContinue reading “Dangerous Childhood Adventures”

My great-grandmother knew the bandit and killer Joaquin Murrieta whose adventures actually led to the fictional story of Zorro. While many regarded Joaquin as a killer or bandit, others thought of him as a Robin Hood type person who helped the poor. My great-grandmother let him stay in a shed on our family ranch andContinue reading “My Great-grandmother’s Real-life Adventure with Zorro”

Shortly after my husband and I began dating, he came to visit my parents for the first time and stayed for supper. My mom served chicken. Now, I’ll give you his version of what happened next. Husband’s Story: When I started to chew the chicken, I bit into something that was very hard and wasContinue reading “Buckshot for Dinner”

For our celebration of my husband Marvin’s 80th birthday, all the kids and grandkids went to Yosemite. One day on the way to Glacier Point, we stopped for a fairly long hike to a point overlooking the Valley. But first, a trip for everyone to the outhouse at the trailhead. Once there, we observed quiteContinue reading “iPhone in the Outhouse”