This afternoon, we went with family and friends to see the movie, Hope Springs starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. This is a story about a couple who has been married 32 years but who are disconnected emotionally and sexually from one another. Steve Carrell plays their marriage/sex therapist and you watch as this…
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.
The Grand Canyon & Now Back in LA
We arrived at the Grand Canyon at 9 am this morning and this is what we saw: The sky was overcast and there had been a little rain so the air smelled evergreen sweet. We passed many fields as we drove from Flagstaff that were covered in these flowers: Of course, they was exceptionally pretty….
Trip Back to CA
We are slowly making our way back to Los Angeles from North Central Texas. Today we have progressed at a relaxed rate, stopping to take pictures as we’ve made diversions off of 40 and onto Route 66. The first stop was Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo, where an art group named Ant Farm sank 10 Cadillacs…
Heading Back to CA
We are 65 miles east of Amarillo heading west. We stopped in Childress at JT’s Drive-In for an excellent fried catfish dinner while we sat outside at a table with our dogs. We arrived exactly at 7:30 and they had just put out the closed sign. I asked if we could still order and she…
Similes: Trickier Than You Think
“Similes: Trickier Than You Think” isn’t exactly a title that brings most people running to read a blog post. Dear Lord, you might think, just how wacky has this poor woman gotten that she is now worrying herself silly about the difficulty of a simple figure of speech? Dear, dear, the poor thing needs a…
How to Write Regularly
How to write regularly is one of the most common obstacles aspiring writers face. Time is the number one reason most cite for why they don’t routinely sit down and compose, but there are other issues as well, such as writer’s block. This is when you have the time and inclination, but once ready to…
Flash Essay: Pasta Making Party & Recipe
Tonight we had friends over for a pasta making party. I made the pasta dough in advance so it could “rest” at least 30 minutes before our friends arrive. Plus, I had the marinara sauce, turkey and chicken sausages, broccoli and chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting all ready (our friends were bringing bread and…
Flash Essay: A Honey-Sweetened Chocolate Cake with a Secret Ingredient
A chocolate cake I like to make has a secret ingredient: mayonnaise. The recipe comes from the Cake Bible, and I’ve made it several times. It’s delicious. We don’t eat refined sugar, so I substitute one cup of honey for the one cup of sugar. Other than that, it’s the same and makes a very…
Flash Essay: Thunderstorm on a Sunday Afternoon
Thunderstorms. Texas is famous for them. This afternoon the sky grew gray off to the west, and in a short time the wind picked up and the smell of rain was in the air. I barely had time to go across the street and retrieve the dogs from their play date with our neighbors’ beagle…
Flash Essay: No Fun Tonight
Saturday night. Sick. Yuck. Woke up this morning feeling too tired after so many hours of sleep. Then intestinal woes hit me and I’ve been limping ever since. Party tonight and I’m at home with the dogs. I just didn’t feel like going. Think I’ll head back to bed. Just want to rest. My body…
