Today, Sarah talked to her neighbor in South Pasadena, who described the air in their neighborhood as “sepia-colored.” Sarah checked the air quality, which was at a high danger level. So, the Pacheco-Beaty family will remain in Ojai with us for now. In Covina, where Rachael lives, everyone was encouraged to stay inside. Luna read…
Month: January 2025
A Few Updates on the Fires
Our daughter Sarah and her family decided to come to Ojai for a few days. They arrived this evening. Ash is falling all around their South Pasadena house, everyone in their neighborhood has evacuated, and the fire is as close as the Rose Bowl, a mile and a half away. They don’t believe their house…
Fire!
Dry conditions + exceptionally high winds are creating a nightmare scenario in Los Angeles County today. Pacific Palisades right on Sunset Boulevard – a route we’ve taken for years to go to the ocean – has been burning for hours, and now we’ve learned they are evacuating parts of Santa Monica. On the other side…
Meet the Main Characters of Hope in a Time of Dying
Set in 1994, during the height of the AIDS epidemic, Hope in a Time of Dying begins with Hope and Ben making the life-changing decision to leave their small Texas town for Los Angeles. The rerouting of the highway has financially damaged their antique business, leaving them with little choice but to seek a new…
Why I Wrote Hope in a Time of Dying
The journey to write Hope in a Time of Dying began a few years after my brothers, John and Jim, died of AIDS in the 1990s. I started it as a memoir to chronicle my experience when Jim offered me a job in Los Angeles, and my husband and three daughters moved from North Central Texas…
A Gift from My Kids That’s Greatly Appreciated!
Dear Friends, My kids thoughtfully gave me a gift over the holidays. They bought me an iPad with a keyboard. This gift was motivated primarily so that I could work in the lovely office that Ray built for me at the orange grove. Unfortunately, the Internet can occasionally be spotty in my office, particularly when…
Flash Fiction: Lost and Found
I wrote this a while back, but it’s one of those stories I hold close to my heart. We all feel lost sometimes but then stumble upon a reason we are here. Theresa was tired of feeling lost. She went out to the porch of her house on the lake and stared at the dark…
Welcome to 2025
Today is the beginning of a new year, and I will resist doing what I always do: make a long list of goals I hope to accomplish to make me healthier, happier, and more balanced. Instead, I have a tiny list of goals for this month, which I believe I can manage. Here it is:…
20 Minutes a Day 