I wish I could forget that I have felt powerless before and didn’t know how to fight Except, if I did, then I might not be as sensitive to those who have been similarly challenged. I wish I could forget that I have sometimes been insensitive and unkind Except, if I did, then I might…
Author: lenleatherwood
I am a native Texan who has lived for the past 26 years in Los Angeles. I am a published author of both short memoir and fiction, a Pushcart nominee, a nationally award-winning writing teacher, an editor, as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas. In addition, I am the mother of three grown daughters of whom I am extremely proud, a grandmother of three darling children and the wife of a man I still love after 39 years.
Prompt: If I Were in Charge of the World
If I were in charge of the world… All people would be encouraged to spend one hour outside each day strolling in a park, in the woods, by a lake, a mountain stream or the ocean All people would be encouraged to smile a lot, laugh more, and break into spontaneous song and dance All…
A Ramble on The Pros of Writing When Tired
Tonight it’s a challenge to write anything. I’ve been working with students since 2:30 this afternoon and it’s 9 pm now. I also woke up early this morning – at 5:15 am – to finish a letter for Story Circle Network, the all-women writing non-profit for which I am currently serving as president. So, please…
A Writing Prompt: Blue
I’m tired tonight and couldn’t think of a thing to write. So, I just took the word “blue” and listed everything I could think of. From there, I composed a little story. Nothing spectacular here, but at least I did my writing for today. Given how tired I am, I going to give myself a…
Helping Students with Medical Personal Statements
I am spending a lot of time right now with students who are applying to medical school and dental school. They have personal statements and lists of their activities that need tending to and right now I’m doing a lot of tending. The deadline is pressing so we’re all working very hard. The good news…
Mother’s Day and Sarah’s Birthday Celebration
We had a lovely and low-key celebration today of Mother’s Day and Sarah’s birthday. Sarah’s actual birthday is May 15th, but we’ll be celebrating the marriage of our nephew little Sam Leatherwood on that day, so we had a birthday party today instead. We had Thai food, whipped cream and fruit, presents and hang-out time….
A Brief History of My Cooking and a Great Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
I will admit that I have come late to cooking. For many years, I, like my mother before me, leaned toward a few very standard dishes that didn’t take too long to make. All you have to do is ask my children what they ate growing up and they’ll have two answers for you: spaghetti…
To Sam: My First Draft of A Song About Brother George
I suggested to my little brother Sam that we both write a song about our brother George, who died back in 2004. Sam had said he felt like George was a compass for him and I felt the same way. So, here is my first rendition of my song. First draft. Flawed. But a good…
Homecoming: A Series Worth Watching
Ray and I watched the first season of the 2018 series “Homecoming” starring Julia Roberts recently. I have to say that the producers, director, writers and actors did a superlative job at least on the first season. (That’s all we’ve watched so far.) The story is compelling, the acting excellent and the topics controversial and…
An Homage to Mani’s Bakery, Here in LA
As some of you know and many of you don’t, Ray and I do not eat white refined sugar. We haven’t since the early 1980s, with the exception of a few slip-ups on my part a few years back. (Ray never slips when it comes to white sugar, much to his credit.) We eat instead…
