We are 65 miles east of Amarillo heading west. We stopped in Childress at JT’s Drive-In for an excellent fried catfish dinner while we sat outside at a table with our dogs. We arrived exactly at 7:30 and they had just put out the closed sign. I asked if we could still order and she…
Month: August 2012
Similes: Trickier Than You Think
“Similes: Trickier Than You Think” isn’t exactly a title that brings most people running to read a blog post. Dear Lord, you might think, just how wacky has this poor woman gotten that she is now worrying herself silly about the difficulty of a simple figure of speech? Dear, dear, the poor thing needs a…
How to Write Regularly
How to write regularly is one of the most common obstacles aspiring writers face. Time is the number one reason most cite for why they don’t routinely sit down and compose, but there are other issues as well, such as writer’s block. This is when you have the time and inclination, but once ready to…
Flash Essay: Pasta Making Party & Recipe
Tonight we had friends over for a pasta making party. I made the pasta dough in advance so it could “rest” at least 30 minutes before our friends arrive. Plus, I had the marinara sauce, turkey and chicken sausages, broccoli and chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting all ready (our friends were bringing bread and…
Flash Essay: A Honey-Sweetened Chocolate Cake with a Secret Ingredient
A chocolate cake I like to make has a secret ingredient: mayonnaise. The recipe comes from the Cake Bible, and I’ve made it several times. It’s delicious. We don’t eat refined sugar, so I substitute one cup of honey for the one cup of sugar. Other than that, it’s the same and makes a very…
Flash Essay: Thunderstorm on a Sunday Afternoon
Thunderstorms. Texas is famous for them. This afternoon the sky grew gray off to the west, and in a short time the wind picked up and the smell of rain was in the air. I barely had time to go across the street and retrieve the dogs from their play date with our neighbors’ beagle…
Flash Essay: No Fun Tonight
Saturday night. Sick. Yuck. Woke up this morning feeling too tired after so many hours of sleep. Then intestinal woes hit me and I’ve been limping ever since. Party tonight and I’m at home with the dogs. I just didn’t feel like going. Think I’ll head back to bed. Just want to rest. My body…
Flash Essay: Lots of Driving and Another Building Project
We are now back in Texas. We left LA at 3 pm on Wednesday, drove to Flagstaff, AZ, arriving at 1:30 am, then left the next morning, arriving in Sherman at 3:30 am. this (Friday) morning. That seems like a long time and a lot of driving. And, of course, it was. We are only…
Outlaw Country, Emmylou and Hank III
When Ray and I take a long road trip we tune into the XM radio channel Outlaw Country. This features old time country music such as Merle Haggard, Carl Perkins, Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, Patsy Cline, etc. I love all kinds of music: symphonic, rock and roll, jazz, folk, big band, reggae, bluegrass, you name…
Flash Essay: Men and Women: Brain Differences
Just this morning my husband Ray said, “I don’t like Mozart. I feel as if he was just writing to get paid.” In contrast, he adores Mahler, who poured his emotions and life into his compositions while Mozart (in the same school with Beethoven) wrote some of his happiest music when he was in the…
20 Minutes a Day 