I am grieving the loss of my friend, Joseph Gaudioso, who died yesterday here in Los Angeles. He was a good man with a generous heart. May light perpetual shine upon his soul. My heart goes out to his partner of 34 years, Charles Elliott, who is wrapped in my prayers tonight. On Death…
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 Reminder for Living
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 King James Version 3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time…
Oscar Night
During the broadcast, the street outside my window was deserted, but now cars are beginning to move up and down, no doubt taking party-goers to one gala or another. We live between Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard and our street ends up being a major route for limos heading into BH or Weho. We…
Discovering “Sherlock”
Ray and I started watching the series “Sherlock” last night for the first time via Roku and Netflix. This is the British series that stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson. Though we are coming to the series late – it is apparently in its 4th season – the rest of…
Bad Habits
I am attempting to go deeper with my Lenten practice this year than just giving up something I especially like, like bread, but I must admit I don’t quite know how to do it. I am aware that I have a tendency to go into a knee-jerk negative reaction to certain types of interactions and…
Learning from the HBO Series “In Treatment”
Today, I worked with one of my adult students on a paper she is writing for her graduate course in Clinical Psychology. The paper focused on the patient-therapist relationship in the HBO television series In Treatment, starring Gabriel Byrne. The assignment was to write a paper detailing what the therapist did right, what he did…
My Dad, Sweet Memories on the Eve of His Birth
Tomorrow is my father’s birthday. Here is a piece I wrote about him a while back, but that still rings true for me. This provides a window into my world with him: “Have I told you today how much I love you?” This was a question my father asked me every day I was growing…
Ojai with Family
I have spent the day with family and friends up in Ojai. The weather was around 80 degrees and it was a perfect day to follow little Luna from one end of the Orange grove to the other as she played under trees and followed Cordie and Sammie on adventures. We went into town for…
Mother Shireen Visiting at St. Thomas
Last night for the Latin Vigil Mass and today for the High Mass (read lots of bells and smells), I had the pleasure of serving with beloved Mother Shireen Baker, who is St. Thomas the Apostle’s own homegirl. She is the Assistant Rector of St. Clement’s by-the-Sea in San Clemente, but she was gracious enough…
Movie Night: A Perfect Valentine’s Day “Date”
Ray and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day by staying home, watching movies and relaxing. Heaven. We just finished watching a puzzling movie entitled “The One I Love” that stars Elizabeth Moss and Mark Duplass, who is currently starring in a TV series we both like called, “Togetherness.” The only other actor in the movie is…
20 Minutes a Day 