An Absolute Must-Hear: Natalie Merchant on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts

Natalie Merchant’s voice brings me such solace. She is a singer-songwriter par-excellence and my eyes immediately grow moist and I can feel the tension in my shoulders instantly relaxing when I hear her songs. Listen to this Tiny Desk performance. You will feel much happier even while hearing it. Natalie Merchant is charming and there’s…

Flash Fiction: Old Flames

Marion turned the knobs on the radio in search of a program that could entertain her while she cooked. She often listened on Sunday afternoons to radio shows while she chopped onions and vegetables for the various soups and casseroles she made in preparation for the upcoming work week. She prided herself on being organized,…

My Valentine’s Gift: Season Five of Outlander

One of my current guilty pleasures is the Outlander series on Netflix based on the books by Diana Gabaldon. This is a story that I would not normally be drawn to since it involves time travel and lots of romance, but, in this case, I must confess, I’m hooked. The first couple of seasons of…

The Awkwardness of Youth: A Valentine’s Day Memory

I found this story today and wanted to share it again with you. It encapsulates the awkwardness of those teenage years. Here’s to Valentine’s Day and love, whether clearly expressed or not. When I was growing up, there was a Sweetheart Banquet at the 7th and Main Baptist Church every Valentine’s Day. I never had…

Variable Conditions

Heading back to LA tonight. My hands are chapped from working outside and also because of the dry air. After only a few days of exceptionally cold weather, the sky has been blue, the temperatures mild, and the wind blowing, which I love. That’s Texas weather in a nutshell. Long Johns and wool socks one…

I Love…

I love (in no particular order and certainly not an exhaustive list): Dry toast Sunrises and sunsets Reading a good book The sound of the wind in the trees The soft baby skin of my grandkids The warm skin of my husband The smiles of my daughters The giggles of my whole family The sweetness…

Charles Bukowski: A Poet Who Knows How to Reach You

I love Charles Bukowski’s poetry because he writes in a way that makes his poems accessible. This one has a lot of depth to it, but also has a few spots that make you smile. Charles Bukowski was 73 when he died. He was a prolific writer and published 60 books of his poems and…

In Memory of My Mother

I wrote this a while back, but it contains pretty much everything I want to say about my beloved mother. I am reprinting it today to commemorate the anniversary of her death, which was January 23rd. In late January, twenty-two years, my mother, Helen Waugh Leatherwood, died.  To say I loved her would be an…

Excellent Blueberry Lemon Muffin Recipe

Blueberry Lemon Muffins These muffins are sweetened with honey and maple sugar. No one will ever know they don’t contain refined white sugar. They are simply delicious. Recipe yields 12 muffins. INGREDIENTS 1 ¾ cups plus 1 teaspoon unbleached white flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) ⅓…