We are now back in Texas. We left LA at 3 pm on Wednesday, drove to Flagstaff, AZ, arriving at 1:30 am, then left the next morning, arriving in Sherman at 3:30 am. this (Friday) morning. That seems like a long time and a lot of driving. And, of course, it was. We are only…
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.
Outlaw Country, Emmylou and Hank III
When Ray and I take a long road trip we tune into the XM radio channel Outlaw Country. This features old time country music such as Merle Haggard, Carl Perkins, Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, Patsy Cline, etc. I love all kinds of music: symphonic, rock and roll, jazz, folk, big band, reggae, bluegrass, you name…
Flash Essay: Men and Women: Brain Differences
Just this morning my husband Ray said, “I don’t like Mozart. I feel as if he was just writing to get paid.” In contrast, he adores Mahler, who poured his emotions and life into his compositions while Mozart (in the same school with Beethoven) wrote some of his happiest music when he was in the…
Flash Essay: The Fun of Writing Personal Essay
I just completed teaching an online course for Story Circle Network entitled, “Writing the Personal Essay.” The course was five weeks long and each week the students were assigned reading material on a different type of essay, then required to write that type of essay by the end of the week. Just so that we…
Flash Essay: Organizing before School Starts
I have spent my day doing the task I like the least: pulling everything out of my junk drawers and stow-it cabinet in preparation for the upcoming school year. I teach privately at home and I have been using the buffet that’s in the picture for papers, books, receipts, and anything else that needs a…
Flash Essay: One Small Detail…
When I was in high school, Diana Felmet was my Home Economics sewing teacher. Mine and every other girl in the school since Home Ec was a required course and boys were not allowed to take it. (Oh, how the times have changed for the better!) Anyway, I learned to pick out patterns and…
Flash Essay: Hank III at House of Blues
We went to hear Hank III tonight, son of Hank, Jr. And grandson to Hank Williams. We are big fans of III’s, mainly his original country music, but also his “hellbilly” music. He has a distinctive voice, a tight band,and songwriting talent. I struck up a conversation before the show with a guy behind me….
Flash Essay: Summer Night at the Hollywood Bowl
Ray and I are at the Hollywood Bowl getting ready to hear the LA Phil. This is the summer venue for the orchestra and tonight is exactly why. The temperatures have cooled off and we are all sitting outside with hills all around, munching on food everyone has either bought or brought from home. People…
Flash Essay: A “Dream” in the Making
Today I helped our family friend Alvaro prepare his paperwork for President Obama’s “Deferred Action” for undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children. We sorted through transcripts, pay receipts, school ID cards, plus any other indication that he’d been continuously in the country for the past 5 years, and added these to a stack…
Flash Essay: Us and the Dogs, Who Owns Who?
The dogs are barking. Why? Probably someone is walking down the street, or else William has meowed, sending two sets of canine ears on high alert. Sammie, our little foster dog, has shifted from half-dead to full of life. She is leading the charge this evening, protecting us from the dangers of the neighborhood. Tail…
