Across from me right now is a stained glass lamp that came from my grandmother, Winnie Waugh. It is a Bradley and Hubbard – a good quality arts and crafts lamp – and it is my favorite single item that we own. It has a green and red shade, bronze inlays, and a bronze stand….
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.
#52 – Something That Makes Me Happy – A Little Alone Time
I have always liked small dark places where I could hide: closets mainly, but when I was little I didn’t mind under the bed or in a cardboard box with the lid slightly shut. I even had a secret hiding place behind a long drawer in my bathroom when I was nine or ten where…
#51 – Something That Makes Me Happy – Witnessing the Birth of 7 Babies, Not Counting My Own
I have had the rare honor of being present for the births of my three nieces (daughters of brother George and sister-in-law Sandra) and also all four of my grandkids (well, not Nico since he was an emergency C-section, but I was there before and then immediately after his birth.) Today, just a few years…
#50 – Something That Makes Me Happy – “The Artful Dodger” Series on Hulu
This eight-part series takes the young pickpocket Jack Dawkins, aka “Artful Dodger,” and his unscrupulous mentor Fagin from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and puts them in Australia, “the colony,” in the mid-1850s. However, at this point “Dodger” (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) has given up thievery (almost) for surgery, having been trained by a ship’s surgeon during…
#49 – Something That Makes Me Happy – Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Photos
Here are photos from my last 27 hours. A wonderful celebration at our church and also with our family in two locations. I feel very blessed. St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood, for Midnight Mass Ron’s Mom’s House for Christmas Morning Sarah and her Crew at Church Yesterday Afternoon in South Pasadena This afternoon with Sarah’s family…
#48 – Something That Makes Me Happy – Husband Ray’s Semiannual Haircut
Don’t get me wrong. I love long flowing hair. I even love my husband Ray’s mass of curly locks around three months post-haircut. At that point, his hair has just the right combination of freewheeling curls and length. That perfect period can even stretch out to a month if there’s enough moisture in the air…
#47 – Something That Makes Me Happy – An Excellent (And Not Too Expensive) Dental Outcome After Last Night’s Accidental Fall
Last night just after the heavy rain stopped, I carried our terrier outside into our dark yard so she could do her business. Without thinking about where I was going, I tripped over our heavy iron chaise lounge and did a faceplant right into the iron armrest. Not only did I have a cut under…
#46 – Something That Makes Me Happy – Finding a Few “Perfect” Books for My Grandkids
A week or so back, I found a list of 2023 children’s books recommended by the Smithsonian Magazine. I went through the list, perused all the books, and chose a few for my 10, 7, 4, and 1-year- old grandkids. The books arrived a few days ago and I have been thrilled by the quality…
#45 – Something That Makes Me Happy – Christmas Lights
Call me overly sentimental or childish or whatever else might come to mind, but I unapologetically love Christmas lights. l love the twinkling, the colors, and the glow emitted from strands of tiny bulbs strung over trees, porches, or outlining the inside or outside of homes. I find the light cozy, comforting, and symbolic of…
#44 – Something That Makes Me Happy – Baking for the Holidays
With Christmas almost here, I plan to do some baking this week. I’ll be using some of the oranges from our trees since we always cordon off a few when the Sunkist pickers come. Though the oranges are not as pretty as they were back in October when the other trees were picked, they are…
20 Minutes a Day 