You know how sometimes you read that if you go back to what you loved doing when you were a little kid – 4, 5, or 6 – then that will tell you what your ideal occupation should be? Well, in my case, this is exactly true since when I was a little girl, my…
Month: January 2022
Recipe for a Delicious Honey-Sweetened Blueberry Pie
Rachael and I made a honey-sweetened blueberry pie the other day. We used frozen blueberries and I was surprised it was so simple to make. The key to baking a pie with honey is that you have to precook the fruit in a skillet along with the honey and cornstarch. This prevents it from being…
The SCN 20-Minutes-a-Day January Challenge and Video on Why We Write
These past two weeks, I’ve been making 10-12 minute videos for a free January Twenty-Minutes-a-Day writing challenge offered by Story Circle Network. This is to encourage women who are interested to take the time daily to write for just 20 minutes. Making these videos is new for me and I’ll admit that I was nervous…
A Peter Bogdanovich Night at Our House
Last night, Ray and I had a Peter Bogdanovich movie night to commemorate his death on January 6th of this year. First, we watch the 2018 documentary he directed on Buster Keaton called The Great Buster, which won the Venice Film Festival, and we followed that by re-watching (maybe my fourth or fifth time) The…
To My Late Brother George on His Birthday
Today is the birthday of my beloved brother George, who occupies a special spot on the highest tier of “loves of my life.” George was three years older than me and my closest sibling in age. He and I were great friends growing up and I felt loved and seen by this dear brother. Though…
Omicron: Here, There, Everywhere
It’s Thursday and I am watching the pendulum swing back and forth on the grandfather clock in my living room. A fire blazes in the fireplace, orange flames flickering, as the clock strikes 5 pm. The sky is gray outside, there’s a chill in the air, and it will be dark in less than thirty…
Musings on the Value of Dreams
I have always been a big believer in dreams. Not the ones you have at night, though I appreciate the importance of those, but rather the ones you conjure up to get closer to your perceived ideal life. Now I use the word perceived intentionally because we all know that what we imagine might be…
A Few Examples of Flora at the Orange Grove
While it is down to 37 degrees at night this week, the temperature during the day here in Ojai has been a lovely 65. We are working here for several days so I’ve had the benefit of enjoying blue skies and the quiet and peacefulness that prevails at the orange grove. Today, I walked around…
Flash Fiction: For the Love of Amanda
Mary Lancaster saw Jim Herman standing on the front porch of his house. He had a bag of groceries in his arms and she knew that he must have just returned from Wharton’s Market since the bag had a bright green W stamped on the front. She could also see that he still had the…
A Chilly Orange Grove Evening
We are now up in Ojai at our orange grove. It’s going to be around 37 degrees tonight so we’ll be snuggled deep in our bed. Our main heater in the Airstream is on the fritz currently while we complete our massive electric upgrade; consequently, at the moment, we don’t have any extra heat besides…
20 Minutes a Day 