Author Archives: Holly

About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!

A good start

Posted on 2026-02-11 by Holly

I was down to two WIPs – works in progress for those not of the stitching/craft persuasion. The first I planned as a long term projects; it is full coverage and is just not amenable to rapid progress, The other … Continue reading →

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yowling cat

Posted on 2026-02-09 by Holly

It is somewhere in the middle of the night. The cat has decided to yowl. Upstairs, downstairs, disrupting everyone’s attempt at sleeping. I am sure he doesn’t have a clue as to what is going on. But the Eldest and … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | Leave a comment

too hard to do

Posted on 2026-02-08 by Holly

I rarely watch any television. And the few times I have seen anything, it has been going into the TV/lounge area and joining George to see something in progress. As I mentioned – he is off in Taiwan for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | 1 Comment

not quite brain dead

Posted on 2026-02-07 by Holly

I had today all planned out and scheduled in my mind. Errands, including getting George to BART so that he could use public transportation to get to SFO and his flight to Taiwan, a Zoom call with friends, and a … Continue reading →

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right time, wrong day

Posted on 2026-02-06 by Holly

Yesterday I set a couple of reminders and an alarm or three. Even completed the registration for the Zoom lecture with a minute to spare. But then realized that the lecture was scheduled for the 6th…..and this was the 5th…. … Continue reading →

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Cat on the Lap

Posted on 2026-02-05 by Holly

Are you old enough to remember a song that included the following “man on the run”? And then I went searching and realized it was BAND on the run by Paul McCarthy. ” Band on the run, band on the … Continue reading →

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and quiet Wednesday

Posted on 2026-02-04 by Holly

and grateful for it. On the positive side, I managed to keep track of time well enough to watch CDC’s monthly ZOHU call. Now if I can deal with their “new & improved” documentation site, I might even be able … Continue reading →

Posted in Cross-Stitch, Home, Medicine | 1 Comment

Overloading Tuesday

Posted on 2026-02-03 by Holly

Or perhaps it is just the first Tuesday of each month. It seems to be THE date that all the local public libraries have decided are just ideal for knit/stitch etc group get togethers. Berkeley Main library has a 1530-1730 … Continue reading →

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and many thanks

Posted on 2026-02-02 by Holly

to everyone who replied yesterday. I appreciate the well wishes, sympathy, and the knowledge that words sent out occasionally find an audience. I was also appalled to know how many others have been facing significant challenges these last few months. … Continue reading →

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Starting to recover

Posted on 2026-02-01 by Holly

To review the last couple of weeks. I was in reasonably good shape other than tired and coughing when I flew home after my trans-Atlantic on the Star Seeker. That was on the 13th. By the following weekend I was … Continue reading →

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And it is once again all gone

Posted on 2026-01-21 by Holly

In case you were wondering, the subject under discussion is my hearing. Gone again, right along with restful nights. Last night I slept upstairs so that George could get sleep free from my hacking coughing and other disgusting sounds that … Continue reading →

Posted in Medical | 2 Comments

small flowers

Posted on 2026-01-20 by Holly

Yes, I am well aware that this is January and that many of you are dealing with icy rain, snow, and other winter unpleasantness. Except for those of you in Australia – my condolences on the incredible heat. Here in … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | 1 Comment

Idiots in the road

Posted on 2026-01-19 by Holly

There seems to be a new trend here; joggers in the road. Now almost the entire city of Berkeley has good sidewalks. But NO – apparently running in the road with headphones is the new best thing. Did I mention … Continue reading →

Posted in Around Berkeley | 2 Comments

Lost my chair

Posted on 2026-01-18 by Holly

I decided to indulge and made a coffee run to Peet’s. On returning home – someone had obviously and comfortably taken over my chair, which left me banished  to the couch for the rest of the day… After all, one … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | 1 Comment

Back to the “attic”

Posted on 2026-01-17 by Holly

In a book by one of my favorite authors, one of the characters keeps complaining that his uncles “locked him in the attic” until he recovered from being sick. There actually wasn’t an attic, nor was he locked in, but … Continue reading →

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pretty wiped

Posted on 2026-01-16 by Holly

I spent most of the day upstairs quietly stitching. It was one of those times where none of the audiobooks I had seemed like what I wanted to hear.  And I had planned on going to be early. But there … Continue reading →

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It took HOW long?

Posted on 2026-01-15 by Holly

I had a much better and snappier title. I even wrote it down. Looking at it down – it is incomprehensible. Any one had an idea of what “skeeod” means Anyway – I left the Eldest’s house at 0640 this … Continue reading →

Posted in Home | 1 Comment

cleaning up

Posted on 2026-01-14 by Holly

It was a typical first day home after a few weeks away. There was the suitcase to unpack. Mail to open. Things to put away. Laundry to do. And multiple rounds of dealing with the velcro cat. Apparently he actually … Continue reading →

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And home again

Posted on 2026-01-13 by Holly

I am sure that I will figure out what song it is from – but I have this line running through my mind – “and it rained on the day Iwas leaving”…. And it most certainly was in Miami. So … Continue reading →

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the “final” cruise day

Posted on 2026-01-12 by Holly

Today doesn’t officially count as a sea day as we docked in Freeport. I spent the morning again in the Yacht Club lounge in my favorite location. One of the night staff has been absolutely wonderful and turns on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cross-Stitch, Cruising, puzzles | Leave a comment