I am currently reading the book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. This is exploring the world of the introvert. Though quiet is not a word associated with me (I suspect), I must admit that I truly am an introvert. An introvert, by the way, is…

Ray and I headed down to Disney Hall this afternoon to hear Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op 73, “Emperor” and Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe (complete).  They were both exquisitely beautiful. Disney Hall’s Official Picture: Here are my pictures of the inside (clandestinely taken) and the Terrace: A View from behind the Orchestra…

Today Ray and I went for a hike and a picnic with friends of ours: Greg and Bronwyn Jamrok and their two adorable boys, Henry, almost 5 and Teddy, almost 2. They took us to Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area off of La Cienega Boulevard and we discovered a wonderful and huge recreational area that…

Small earthquake tonight. We were at Liz’s new apartment when we felt the floor moving and saw knickknacks wobbling. “What do we do?” I asked. Luckily by that time, the quake was over and no damage had been done. “For future reference, Mom,” Liz said, “go get next to a big piece of furniture and…

Who knew that researchers now have a name for girls not feeling confident about math skills? This is referred to as “stereotype threat,” which suggests that females underperform on mathematical and intellectual tests in part because of a concern that their performance might confirm negative stereotypes about their group. This translates to, girls under-perform on…

Over the past several weeks, a student and I have read Mastery by Robert Greene. This book tracks a whole realm of “masters” in many different fields and chronicles their life stories. The point of most of these stories is that these individuals were not remarkable at the outset, but became masters through years of…

I am sitting with Jonah. We are sitting in my living room and it is 4:40 pm on a Tuesday afternoon. I have had students for the past 2 hours and I have another student after Jonah for at least 2 hours. So, a long day for me. This morning, I took care of some…

This article is one I found for the “Scene Craft” internet course I’m teaching right now for Story Circle Network. This is filled with valuable information. For you writers – or potential writers – out there, this is very helpful.  Len 10 Tips on Writing Strong Scenes by Jordan E. Rosenfeld Any story or novel…

I am sitting with Cameron. What an impressive girl. She is here on her first morning of spring break. Thanks, Cameron, for wanting to come work on your writing before heading off on your college tour on the East Coast. This bodes well for your future, my little passionate fiction writer. Ray and I have…

Sarah learned today that she won one of eight spots in a family medicine residency program at Glendale Adventist Medical Center here in Southern California. Glendale is right between Burbank and Pasadena and is a highly sought after area to live in the LA area. The residency program is associated with Loma Linda University and…