“Mom, Jim’s offered me a job.” I stood with the phone up to my ear as I looked out the beveled glass window of our front door, watching our elderly neighbor as she watered her lawn across the street. Silence. “Mom?” Only in the last few months had I been telling my mother anything that…
Author: lenleatherwood
I am a native Texan who has lived for the past 30 years in Southern California. I am a published author of both short memoir and fiction, a two-time Pushcart nominee, a nationally award-winning writing coach, 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 four darling children and the wife of a man I still love after 44 years.
Chapter One Excerpt 2
After taking Rachael downstairs to play with her sisters, Ray and I returned to our bedroom to discuss the pros and cons of uprooting our family of five. “I love LA,” I said, “but we can’t do this. You know how high-strung Jim is.” “What?” Ray reached over and poked my ribs. “You’re not making…
Chapter One Excerpt
April, 1994 That day Jim called I was sorting through boxes in the upstairs foyer of our fifteen-room Victorian, trying to make sense out of the clutter in my life. My two-year-old daughter, Rachael, played beside me as I separated out the jumble of unrelated objects: an Architectural Digest, a deflated teething ring, trim pieces…
A Decision, Finally.
I have made the decision to pull my fiction manuscript out of the desk drawer where it’s been hiding for several years now and shift it back to the memoir it was originally meant to be. I have already begun the process of changing the names back to the “real” ones and removing anything that…
Night with Grandbabies
I am lying here in bed with a sleeping baby boy by my side. Luna is in the next room with grandpa and the dogs. Normally we would all just sleep in our big California King but daughter Sarah worries about babies and dogs. Apparently she has seen some worrisome things in the emergency room…
Celebration
We celebrated Sarah’s completion of her medical residency with all the family tonight st Sarah and Gregorio’s house. Sarah is officially “off” for a short bit of time before starting her new job. She and Gregorio actually went to a movie today. The first one in a very long time. We ate, laughed and just…
Today is Sarah’s Real Last Day of Residency
It’s been quite a journey, Dr. Sarah Pacheco Beaty, and now your residency is finally over. Here are a few photos of you from your White Coat ceremony to the day of the “official” ending of your residency. Plus, the first photo of you and Gregorio and one of the most recent ones of the sweet…
Yo-Yo Ma at the Hollywood Bowl
Thanks to the generosity of Deacon Walter Johnson at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood, Ray and I were able to enjoy an evening with Yo-Yo Ma at the Hollywood Bowl tonight. This virtuoso cellist was all by himself on the huge Bowl stage where he played six Bach Suites for Solo Cello from memory to…
Do Not Fall Prey to False Promises
If someone tells you that they can help you whip out a great college (or personal) essay in just a couple of hours, then beware. That is not how a powerful essay is written. In fact, it might take a bit of time to write enough, think enough, tease out meaning enough to “find” the…
A Busy Few Days
I am among the walking dead at the moment. We returned on Thursday afternoon and have been going a bit too strong since then. Tonight I feel as if I could curl up on the rug and sleep right here in the living room. Here is my schedule for the past few days: Thursday evening:…
20 Minutes a Day 