Today I am thinking of my preparation as a birth coach to my daughter, Sarah, who is officially due April 5th, but may be having her baby sooner. She is already experiencing some early signs of labor and, who knows, this baby may decide to come early and not on time or late. Whenever the…
Month: March 2013
The Joys of Teaching Writing: Online and Off
I am sitting here in my living room – night outside – and I am ready to finish up my work for today. I have been busy all day, as usual, but not crazy busy. My “Flash Fiction/Memoir” online class started on Monday through Story Circle Network, so I’ve been occupied responding to students’ comments…
Birthday Movie: Django Unchained
Ray and I went with friends today out to lunch and then to the movies for Ray’s birthday. We saw Django Unchained. We are both back home now, exhausted from the movie, but happy we went. It is grueling at times to watch, but well worth the effort. The story of slavery – if told…
Ray’s Birthday and Chai Cupcakes: Yum
Today we had Ray’s birthday celebration. It was just the family: Ray, Sarah, Gregorio, Liz, Ron, Rachael, and me. I cooked Ray’s favorite meal: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salad, homemade bread (from Sarah) and two kinds of cakes: chocolate with butter cream frosting and chai. We had lots of fun and ate and ate…
4 Star Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Monday is Ray’s birthday, but since our children are all busy on a weekday, we’ll have our family celebration tomorrow. This afternoon I am making a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting per Ray’s request and I thought I’d share the recipe. This is from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible, a book I would highly…
Mock Trial at Southwestern Law School
Today Ray and I went with Liz and her boyfriend, Ron, to Southwestern Law School near downtown where we played the role of two characters in a mock trial that they were participating in. This was the culmination of their class, and Liz and Ron were the defense team for a man played by Ray…
My Old Student and His Ambitions
Today I had a treat. My student, Shaun, came to see me for the first time in three years. He is a junior at Boston University and is home for spring break. He called me a few days ago and started his conversation with, “Len, this is Shaun. Shaun Herzig. Do you remember me?” Now…
Our Evening Out
We made it to the Beverly Hills Purim Ball tonight to honor our friend, Dr. Elisa Newman White. I did find a tailor to make the necessary alterations, and I also attended to all of those needed elements to look halfway civilized. Here is a picture of Ray and me just before we left: We…
Happy News Today
Today, one of my students who is now a junior at Boston University called out of the blue, told me he was on spring break, and made a request that brightened my heart: “Could I come over and write with you this week?” My answer: “Well, of course you can.” Shaun is a boy who…
What to Wear?
Today I have tried on my three “nice” outfits, attempting to figure out which one might be right for a “dressy chic” event on Wednesday evening. A friend of mine is being honored at her temple where she will receive the Humanitarian Award. If ever there was a person who deserved it, it is this…
20 Minutes a Day 