Dear Girls, If Dad and I meet our maker anytime soon, here are a few things for you to keep in mind.

Dear Self,  I am writing to you because I think you could use a little advice. Here is it in no particular order from people you respect: Now, go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. That is another piece of good advice that will serve you well. Your friend, Len

Ray and I could be poster children for the impractical. Our entire married life has been a reflection of this approach to life, from buying and selling antiques early in our marriage – not the most “practical” profession – to moving to Los Angeles from our town of Sherman, Texas – not the most practical…

My parents were very different people. My dad was down to earth; my mother was an intellectual. Their imparted wisdom influences me every day of my life. Here are the primary messages I learned from them either directly through their words or indirectly through their actions. My father: 1) Care about people and they will…

Here is a recipe that is simple, nutritious, and tasty. I made these cookies using peanut butter, honey, and rolled oats. I also added the optional ingredients of vanilla, sea salt. cinnamon, and chopped nuts. No eggs. No flour. No leavening agents. Gluten-free and dairy-free. Quick and easy. Packed with protein and not too sweet….

“This isn’t the way it was supposed to be.” That’s all Adam Burlingham could say when the City of London police, acting on a directive from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, came in and shut down his brokerage firm. “Be careful, you oafs,” he shouted as two men grabbed the antique stock ticker, the one…

I am teaching an online class for Story Circle Network right now called, “Crafting Flash Writing.” One of the key components of the class is to encourage my students to outrun their inner critic by writing as fast as they can. I tell them to set a timer and let those fingers fly. No need…

One of my students, Jennifer Nham, has an interview with Stanford tomorrow. She is a young Vietnamese-American girl who is applying as a chemical engineering major. She is smart and charming, but just a little shy so, hopefully, she can overcome her natural tendency to be quiet and push herself to let the interviewer get…

I have been reading about the foods that people in the “Blue Zones” of the world eat. Blue Zones are places where there are an inordinate number of folks who live to be inordinately old. Beans, beans, and more beans are part of the diet of these old folks in all of the zones and…

I have read recently that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been removed from the list of required reading for high school students in many districts around the country. The use of the n-word and accusations of racism appear to be the main reasons, along with material that made students “uncomfortable.” Below is a piece…