Vivian Roubal
Vivian Roubal's Latest Posts
At Home With Vivian: Road Trip
I met a father and his two daughters from Houston, Texas last weekend at the Golden Gate Recreation Area in Marin County. We were waiting together at Rodeo Beach, near the finish line of the trail runs. He waited for his daughters who were running the marathon (26.2 miles!) and I was waiting for my […]
At Home With Vivian: Chores Galore
“It’s 4:30!” I yelled at my kid sister as she lay on the couch lazily watching afternoon cartoons. Johnette looked at me with wide eyes then bolted upright, rolled off the couch, and hit the floor running. “I’ll get the garbage!” she shouted over her shoulder. She sprinted to the kitchen while I ran to […]
At Home With Vivian: 1776
“What do you remember about the 4th of July when you were growing up?” I asked my son when he called recently from Nebraska looking for a Hawaiian barbeque recipe that didn’t contain red meat or pork. With some hesitation he replied “I don’t remember much – just fireworks and maybe a barbeque in the […]
At Home With Vivian: We’re so lucky
Ola! Cheerio! Bonjour! Ciao! Yassou! Salve! Hello! Jeff and I just returned from a Mediterranean cruise. Wow. Totally awesome. Wow. What else do you say after actually seeing and doing things you only dreamed about? As my husband likes to say “We’re so lucky!” Cruising has changed dramatically during my lifetime. I remember going with […]
At Home With Vivian: School’s Out
No more pencils No more books No more teacher’s Dirty looks! It’s count down time! Just a few more hours until Martinez school hallways will be filled with shouts of glee to be free! Joy and glad tidings will ring from every classroom, office, bus, and cafeteria. Summer vacation is within view. So close. Oh, […]
At Home With Vivian: How I Met Your Father
My mother believed in fate. She’d often say, “It will happen when it’s supposed to happen but it wouldn’t hurt to help it along.” When something happened, good or bad, she’d say, “It was meant to be.” On one fateful day in 1973…. My college roommate, Katie, knew that a young man from the sixth […]
At Home With Vivian: Time for a walk
The Italian American Studies Association could not have picked a better day to go for a walk. I appreciated the beautiful spring day as we strolled through the old part of town and down to Grangers Wharf last Sunday. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. My husband Jeff and I had a […]
At Home With Vivian: Internet party
Say, hey, good lookin’ Whatcha got cookin’? How’s about cookin’ somethin’ up with me? Hey, sweet baby Don’t you think maybe We could find us a brand new recipe? Can’t you just hear Hank Williams singing that song? Got the melody stuck you your head now? Well, I do. But I’m not hearing Hank. I’m […]
At Home With Vivian: The Drowsy Chaperone
(Additional photo gallery) Live musicians! Glorious costumes! Intricate sets! Show stopping song and dance numbers! Mix in two people in love on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a distressed theater producer, a not-so-bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan, a tipsy chaperone, and a skater skating […]
At Home With Vivian: Bingo!
“How would you like to go out for dinner tonight?” my normally thrifty husband Jeff asked on Saturday afternoon. What? Jeff is actually willing to pay for dinner? You bet I’m going! Then I found out it was at St. Catherine of Sienna’s Bingo night. Three dollar hot dogs, four dollar hamburgers. I shouldn’t have […]
