Here are two of the products of my ceramics class. On is a coil pot and the other is from a slab of clay that I decorated before it was glazed. The coil pot: The decorated slab: I am having lots of fun. I have no expectation for myself, which makes everything just like…
Month: March 2015
A Visit to Chapman University, Fowler School of Law
Today, Rachael, Luna and I traveled to the City of Orange to visit Fowler School of Law at Chapman University. This is the school that has offered Rachael a full scholarship. Neither of us had been to Chapman before so we didn’t know what to expect. The gist: the admissions officer knew exactly who Rachael…
Mob Mind: Never the Answer
I am reflecting on the brutal beating death that occurred in India this past week, where a crowd of mostly uniformed students gathered in outrage over the rape of a young woman and several broke into the jail where the accused was being held, dragged him out to the street, stripped him naked, and beat…
Letter from Liberia
My friend, Dr. Kathryn Challoner, is currently in Liberia helping to fight the Ebola epidemic. Dr. Benedict Kolee is a Liberian physician (trained at USC under Dr. Challoner), who has been one of the key physicians on the ground during the entire epidemic. Here is the most recent letter from Kathryn and you will see…
Mahler at Disney Hall
Ray and I went to Disney Hall tonight to hear the LA Phil perform Mahler’s Sixth Symphony. This is Ray’s favorite and also a favorite of mine, so having Gustavo Dudamel conduct it without the need of a score was fairly thrilling. The LA Phil proved once again that it is filled to overflowing with…
One Poem from Billy Collins
I love Billy Collins’s poetry. Here is one of his poems below to just get you thinking about how it is possible to view other people and oneself using a different lens. I love several of these images, but most especially “the evening paper blowing down an alley” and “the moon in the trees.” See…
My Dad’s Comfort Food
When I was growing up, any time I didn’t feel well, my dad would make me milk toast. This consisted of toasted bread in a bowl covered in sugar with warm milk poured on top. This is pure comfort food for me. Safe, warm, mild. Reminders of my dad’s loving care. Tonight I arrived home…
The “High Life”
Ray and I have been finishing up work on a big estate in one of the high rises in the Wilshire Corridor near Westwood. The 24th-floor condo where we’ve been working has 3200 square feet, a view of the ocean and just sold for a little over 3 million dollars. It is located in one…
Thank You for Your Honesty
Thank you for all who responded to my post yesterday that focused on my reflections about my friend’s recent suicide, brought on by longstanding depression and anxiety. Your responses helped me to remember that if I am feeling something, others generally are, as well. Your thoughts also encourage me to write about tough subjects such…
20 Minutes a Day 