Meal time in my house when I was growing up centered on lunch, and the cook was not my mother, heaven forbid, or my father, though he could make an impressive breakfast, but rather our housekeeper, Lorene, a big-boned black woman who wore a white uniform to work, Monday – Friday, from 8:30 – 2:30….
Month: January 2016
The Simple Pleasure of An Overnight Visit
We are having the pleasure of an overnight visit from our daughter Elizabeth Beaty, who had LASIK surgery today at an outpatient facility near our home. She has a follow-up visit tomorrow morning, which makes it quite convenient to spend the night here rather than in Glendale where she lives. Our cat William is especially…
Birthday Dinner Featuring Stuffed Shells
Today we celebrated a late birthday for Liz at Sarah’s house since Sarah is not too mobile yet with a 5 day old baby, an almost three year-old and a slowly healing body after her emergency c-section. I asked Liz what she wanted for her birthday supper. She immediately responded, “Stuffed shells and banana cream…
Pure Beauty
Here is little Luna with her four-day-old little brother, Nico. My heart caught in my throat when I saw this photo. Pure beauty and sweetness. I am blessed.
Happy Birthday, Daughter Elizabeth
Today is the 30th birthday of Elizabeth, my middle daughter. She and her friends (including sister Rachael) headed off to Magic Mountain for the day. We are going to celebrate on Monday evening due to her nephew Nico’s recent birth. Liz, as someone said to me when I turned 30, welcome to the best years…
Best Birthday Wishes to My First Cousin, Lee
Happy birthday to my old friend and first cousin, Lee Leatherwood, who preceded me into this life by six days. We have known each other all of our lives, having lived only a block away from each other for our first five years, then only a few blocks away until we were eighteen. Then, we…
Nico’s Arrival: A Few Scary Moments
Ray and I had a good cry yesterday after they wheeled Sarah into the operating room for an emergency c-section after 12 hours of labor. Her blood pressure had sunk to 30/60 and baby Nico’s heart rate had dropped to 80 from 155. Suddenly, the medical team went from one nurse to a whole roomful…
5-Star Recipe for Chocolate Butter Cake w/ Buttercream Frosting
Since baking is my coping mechanism for stress, I thought I’d share another recipe. This is from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible, a book I would highly recommend if you love baking cakes. I have tried many of the recipes for cakes and buttercream frostings and they are all delicious. Since I bake with…
Still Pregnant
Hi, my friends. Yes, we are still waiting for baby Nico to decide it is time to make his appearance. We (all members of the family) are learning more about patience than anybody ever wanted to know , along with what life circumstances can and cannot be controlled. Alas, baby Nico is healthy and apparently…
Book Review: Finding Grace
I am very proud to say that I was the story consultant and first editor on Finding Grace, this very fine book by Patricia Dunn-Fierstein. This coming-of-age novel set in the Deep South during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement tells the story of Charlie, a thirteen-year-old girl, whose new friendship with a…
20 Minutes a Day 