I was thinking about your death the other day. About how you had been reluctant to let me know you had lung cancer, and then pretended you were getting better just before you died. I was disappointed that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth, or was it that you just couldn’t…
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.
A Child’s View of My Adult Life
What would the child I once was think about the adult I have become? I think she would be happy with much of my life. She would love the orange grove, my children, their partners, Luna and Nico, plus she would think Ray is funny. She would be pleased that I write and that I am…
Master of Ceremonies Training at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood
Today I began my training as Master of Ceremonies (MC) at St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican/Episcopal Church in Hollywood. The MC is in charge of how everything goes during the mass and ensures that all acolytes and sacred ministers are doing what they are supposed to be doing all through the service. I arrived at…
Flash Fiction: Window
I was shocked that he did it. Threw himself out of that window and landed with a thud on the pavement below as people with dogs walked by. He was dressed to go out that night, in a suit coat and red tie, and he had his cane in his hand even as he lay…
Repost: Miss Inez English and Her Yard
Miss Inez English lived on Pine Street, right around the corner from our house on 9th in my little rural Texas town. Her one-story wooden house, white with green shutters, was set far back from the road, and was obscured by a front and back lawn covered with overgrown bushes and low-hanging trees, which cast…
Great Recipe: Date Nut Bar with Maple Syrup instead of Refined Sugar
I love Greg Patent’s cookbook, Baking in America: Traditional and Contemporary Favorites from the Past 200 Years. I made a recipe for maple date bars with lemon zest just a few days ago, but tomorrow I am going to make the recipe below. Not only does it call for the zest of a whole orange,…
Binge Watching “Deadwood”
I know that Ray and I seem to always watch television shows long after they’ve gone off the air, but with the advent of Netflix and other viewing options, it’s always good to hear of exceptionally well-done series. Deadwood falls in that category. It ran from 2004 – 2006 and is a HBO series about…
Songs I Sing to Luna and Nico
Today is baby Nico’s 8 month birthday and I was thinking of what a little joy he is. Biggest grin in the world along with the softest cheeks. Sweet disposition and totally in love with his big sister. He also responds to music just as Luna does, which involves really listening and also finding it…
Repost: Why I Write
I periodically have to remind myself why I write. Tonight is one of those occasions. It certainly is not for the money, by the way, or the fame. So, why do I write? Let me think about that question for a minute. I write because: 1) I often express myself on paper better than through…
SCN Flash Courses: One Just Ended; Another Starts Soon
I just wrapped up the Flash Nonfiction class I have been teaching this summer at Story Circle Network. The class was small, five women, and was relatively short, five weeks. Over that time they read The Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Flash Nonfiction, had optional supplementary readings and stories (which they all read) and also…
20 Minutes a Day 