I didn’t know that I had any real inclination to be a writer until I was a freshman at the University of Texas, Austin, and I had an English class where we had to produce a 500-word essay weekly. Our first topic (and the only one I remember) was to write an essay on John…
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.
Revised Flash: A Little Bit of Magic
This story came from the prompt: a flashlight, a pair of blue shoes, and a library card. I posted a first draft of this a few days ago but have since edited it, cutting 120 words. I think it’s a tighter and cleaner version now. I will read this to my writing group and get…
Garage Sale Finds
Today, I found the three books pictured below at a garage sale and paid $2 each for them. I have spent much of the afternoon reading a bit in each and am pleased to say that all three are excellent. I will be diving further into the fiction starting with Where the Crawdads Sing, and…
Flash Fiction Prompt: A Flashlight, A Pair of Blue Shoes, and a Library Card
With my cell phone at the repair shop, I realized laying my hands on an “old-fashioned” flashlight was going to be a challenge. Especially since I had only ten minutes before I needed to rush out the door to be on time for my Spanish tutoring session at the local library. But the truth was…
Mrs. Mary Wilshire, A Sweet Memory
I took a private speech class from Mrs. Mary Wilshire for two years when I was in middle school. I walked to her house from school along Agnew Street and I remember chatting with a friend as we walked. I can’t remember who my friend was but coming from a small town with only one…
Do What Needs To Be Done
Do what needs to be done Big and small Easy and hard Tackling tasks in Whatever time they take Understanding Life has a rhythm and a pace An ebb and a flow like Waves lapping the shore My job is to Stay focused and Do what needs to be done A little every day No…
NetFlix’s “Secrets of the Blue Zones” – Highly Recommend
I watched all four episodes of this limited series recently and I highly recommend it. It covers the blue zones in the world where an inordinate number of people live to be 100 years old while remaining in good health. The focus is on food, lifestyle, family, spiritual life, and connection to others. It’s this…
Toad the Wet Sprocket at the Libbey Bowl Tonight
Ray and I went to see the 1990s band Toad the Wet Sprocket tonight and before we got there, I truly had no idea who this band was. Ray arranged to get the tickets and said that he’d really liked them in the ’90s and that was good enough for me. Not ever being very…
Once in a “Super Blue Moon”
Below is a photo I took early this morning of the “blue moon” as seen from our orange grove in Ojai. I learned tonight that a blue moon isn’t related to color but rather is when two full moons appear in one month. This is the second full moon in the month of August. Tonight’s…
A Ted-Ex Animated Video on Metaphor by Poet Jane Hirshfield
This is a delightful 5-minute video that discusses metaphor in an easy-to-understand way. Poet Jane Hirshfield, with her ten published poetry collections, knows a bit about metaphors. Please watch if you have the chance. It’s simple, clear, and lovely.
20 Minutes a Day 