Author: Kathleen Hall

We decide to cruise past the high school over on Walnut Street.    A one-way road system, plus road work in progress, delays us, but finally we park in front of the main building where we congregated daily back in 1954, ’55, and ’56.  The lawn seems small, but later we learn that, in fact,… Continue reading Santa Ana High School

Day One.   I step out of the airline terminal into the perfect weather of a southern California summer.  The temperature is 72 F, the humidity is low but not desert dry,   A gust of nostalgia brushes through me, remembering a youth when shorts and a t-shirt were my wardrobe, and orange blossom scented the air… Continue reading High School Reunion – Friday Morning

Day One.   I step out of the airline terminal into the perfect weather of a southern California summer.  The temperature is 72 F, the humidity is low but not desert dry,   A gust of nostalgia brushes through me, remembering a youth when shorts and a t-shirt were my wardrobe, and orange blossom scented the air… Continue reading High School Reunion – Friday Morning

Nico loves to swing. His love of it has always outweighed my patience for pushing him. Today is no different, though he seems ready to quit sooner than last time I was here. It is hotter than ever. I say, "I am so hot I could melt." Nico looks at the spotted sidewalk. "Grandma, look.… Continue reading NIco and Grandma’s Big Adventure, 2

Nico arrives this morning at 8:15, Allosaurus in hand. We are spending the day together; no pressure, no school, no little sister. The Allosaurus, however, is being chased by a Spitosaurus, or something, which he says properly, but I don’t catch. The Spitosaurus is on the tail of Allo, ripping at him with strong jaws.… Continue reading NIco and Grandma’s Big Adventure, 1

The last treatment of 14 or so days worth of acupuncture and acupressure arrives.  My knees are better, I’ve lost a few pounds, I sleep well, my infection is cured.  And I am happy this is the last session for a while, as a two hour chunk out of every day  has become onerous.  Of… Continue reading Acupuncture Again

At the second acupuncture session, I get an assistant to do my acupressure.  This is not a good idea for two reasons.  Although she is also Chinese, is a university student in economics, has been in the UK for six years, she is a bit of a lost soul. And, well, she is studying economics,… Continue reading Heavenly Hope –

I am assigned an 8:00 time slot for the angiogram.  I get up early so I can eat something before 6:00 a.m.  I haven’t slept well.  We enter the by now familiar Royal Surrey Hospital, walk past the pond with water plants in it, turn right to Cardiac Day Care.  A very blond and pleasant… Continue reading MATTERS OF THE HEART —

I undress and stretch out on crisp,  white sheets tucked into a blond wood bed frame.  The light is low, soothing,  the room sparsely decorated. Stone- ware pottery  stands on a shelf, a monotone print in grays and  whites hangs on the wall.   Dr Fei begins with my head, pressing gently, then harder,   finding places… Continue reading Out with the old —