Dear friends, Several of you have reached out to me over the past few weeks and asked if Ray and I are okay and whether our family is doing fine. I hadn’t realized that my taking a writing hiatus would cause concern, and I will admit I have been deeply touched to hear from old…
Wild Times at the Ventura County Fair w/ All the Grandkids
Over the past month, I have had a lovely series of visits from my grandkids, which has made me extremely happy. The most recent was a trip up to Ojai specifically to attend the Ventura County Fair, which is right next to the beach in Ventura. I took the train down to Union Station and…
Three Months to Better Health
I just received my blood tests from my doctor and learned that I am at the high end of the pre-diabetic scale. (The rest of my blood tests were excellent, by the way.) So, I have a new job to tackle over the next three months: to get my blood sugar down to a more…
Up Early at the Orange Grove
I was up at six a few days ago and caught some early morning photos of the orange grove. The light was lovely and the temperature was cool. The orange trees have three stages of growth right now: mature oranges, green oranges, and orange blossoms. The scent is heavenly. Pickers will come in a few…
Why I Have to Write A House Divided
Hannah’s voice came to me in the middle of an ordinary quick write with a student. Right in the middle of recording the mundane details of the day—the time, where I was, and which student I was writing with—a voice spoke to me and said, “My name is Hannah Price.” She went on to tell…
Ojai 4th of July Parade – Small Town America
Today, Ron, Liz, Ethan, Ray, and I attended the annual Ojai 4th of July parade. This is a big deal in this little town of 8,000, and people set up folding chairs along the parade route weeks in advance to get a prime, shady spot. For the second year in a row, we were comfortable…
Ray’s Optimistic Oak Trees
Twenty-two years ago, Ray planted 65 cork oak and California coastal oak trees around the edges and in the empty spaces of the orange grove. Now, they range from 30 to 50 feet tall and grace our property with their stately presence while providing deep shade for us in the hot summer months. Ray described…
Mud, Mops, and Sunday Morning
Last Saturday, Ray received a call that a water main had burst above our church in Hollywood, and water and mud had poured into the kitchen, bathrooms, the flower room, two main rooms of the parish hall, and the priest’s sacristy inside the main church. Outside, almost 9 inches of silty mud covered the space…
Milo’s First Giggle Caught on Video
Call me THAT grandma, but what can I do? Number 5 grandbaby, Milo Andres Pineda, just had his first giggle, and Uncle David’s girlfriend, Anne, caught it on video. Plus, our little fellow, who was born on March 17, has recently discovered his feet. What else is there to say? Joy abounds. Not to mention,…
For Father’s Day: A Pure and Constant Love
I wrote this piece a while back, but it still reflects how I feel about my father. I wanted to share it today to honor my dad’s memory. My dad was fifty when I was born. I was the lucky recipient of an adoring father who never wavered in his constant love and attention. I…
