I wrote this piece several years ago. Fong not only attended medical school, but is currently completing an orthopaedic surgery residency. His brother graduated from the University of California, San Diego, with a degree in computer science, and his sister is also attending UCSD, where she is studying engineering. I’m proud of these kids and…
Month: June 2025
Happy Upcoming Anniversary, Sarah and Gregorio!
This is a piece I wrote back in 2014. Sarah and Gregorio’s wedding date is approaching, 11 years later, and I thought it’d be fun to share the tension that preceded that civil ceremony before their big church wedding near Thanksgiving. Sarah and Gregorio told us several weeks ago that they were going to get…
My First Reading & Book Signing for Hope in a Time of Dying
This past Sunday, I had the privilege of giving my very first reading from Hope in a Time of Dying at St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in Hollywood. At least forty people came, and many lined up afterward to buy a copy of the book. The focus of the reading was on passages featuring…
Flash Fiction: Choice vs No Choice
“What does the phrase, “I didn’t have a choice” mean to you?” the therapist asked her client. “Didn’t have a choice? Hmmm. Yes, that’s what they all say. No choice means not taking responsibility.” Marie stared at her therapist, waiting for her reaction. “Who is ‘they’,” her therapist asked. “What?” “You said, ‘That’s what they…
Happy Anniversary, Ray!
Forty-five years. Now that does make us sound old, eh? We have had a lot of happy moments together, my dear. Our girls, our sons-in-law (we’re counting you, Andrew), our grandkids, our extended family, lots of friends, our travels in the US, Mexico, and abroad, our orange grove, our Texas life, our antique business, our…
Help! I’ve Been Misplacing My Commas for Years
I’m writing this blog for those of you who worry about punctuation as much as I do—which, admittedly, may be a small group. But if you’re a proud member of that grammar-loving club, then this one’s for you. A few days ago, I discovered I’ve been misusing commas around names for years. (Yes, years.) Naturally,…
Flash Fiction: Where the Kindness Is
I wrote this a while back, but saw it tonight and thought that we could all use the reminder to go where the kindness is. I do, at least! Also, sometimes we do just have to walk through the pain. No fun, but that’s the truth. Happy Wednesday to all. Len “I don’t know what…
At the Threshold: A Life Built on Yes
A favorite time of my life was the early years of my marriage to Ray. We barely knew each other when we tied the knot in 1980—and I mean that quite literally. We’d worked together on a psychiatric unit in Denison, Texas—me, a 24-year-old therapist; Ray, a 19-year-old orderly—when we first became friends. Then I…
Marriage, Anger, and the Art of Growth
I have a long fuse, but once it burns out—watch out. Just ask my husband. I’m calm and forgiving up to a point, and then—bam! I go straight to mad. And not just irritated, but (as we say in Texas) pure-D angry. I’m working on not being such a hothead, but it comes pretty naturally….
Soccer, Our Grandson, Nico, and This Weekend
Lucky us! For the past two days, our 9-year-old grandson, Nico, his sister, Luna, and his dad, Gregorio, have been in Ventura for a soccer tournament. Nico has joined a club team, which means that he has now moved up into “serious” soccer. He had to audition for his position as goalie and this weekend…
20 Minutes a Day 