Today is chilly and rainy. I have the fire going in the fireplace and am wearing my thick red sweater, jeans, and heavy wool socks. It’s one of those days when it’s nice to know that something good and hearty is cooking for lunch or supper. Something to look forward to that will taste good…
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.
Upcoming SCN Webinar: Establishing (or Reviving) a Daily Writing Habit
On Wednesday, I will be presenting a 1 1/2-hour webinar for Story Circle Network on establishing a daily writing habit. This webinar is for women only and is for writers of all levels from beginners to published authors. (Sometimes even published authors get out of the writing habit, after all.) Over the past several weeks,…
All Creatures Great and Small
I have stumbled upon All Creatures Great and Small on PBS. This Masterpiece Theater series is based on the books by James Herriot and is charming and full of good-hearted stories about a young Scottish vet who has moved to the English countryside and joined the practice of a curmudgeonly older vet. This is the…
New Year’s Eve
Ray and I are snugly settled in our Airstream up in Ojai this New Year’s Eve. Rain is drumming on the roof, a shower that has been persistent all day long and will continue until midnight. We plan to watch movies tonight and have a low-key, restful evening. I can’t think of any other place…
My Unofficial Office in Ojai: Starbucks
I am sitting in Starbucks here in Ojai. This has become my unofficial “office” for my students who I see via Zoom. Our internet at our orange grove can be spotty at times, so I am getting to know the Starbucks workers since I show up and stay for several hours at a time. We…
My Mother and Lady Macbeth
Out, damned spot! out, I say! Lady Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1 I think it’s a fair guess that most people are exposed to these words for the first time when they either read or attend Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. I, on the to hand, heard them routinely as a little kid when my mother was frustrated with…
Love, Like Fig Ivy
Love like fig ivy starts out small and vulnerable on a bare garden wall slender green stems grow tiny leaves unfold nurtured and challenged by sun wind rain holding on stretching moving forward emptiness transformed into green pulsating liveliness a testament to risk growth tenacity
Christmas and The Spiritual Gene
I wrote this a while back but decided to use it for today’s writing instead of writing my usual 20 minutes a day. I made this choice because I’ve just spent the past four hours with my students, editing their college essays. I’m thinking I have done some serious writing today and on top of…
This Winter Storm Is No Joke.
The current winter weather has clearly created havoc over this holiday season. I heard on CNN tonight that 27 people have died in the Buffalo, NY region alone. Twenty-seven people in an area that is accustomed to sub-zero temperatures. Oh, my goodness! According to the Wall Street Journal, the deaths included 14 people found outside,…
Christmas Day at the Orange Grove
Ray and I gathered with our kids, their partners, and our grandkids today at the orange grove in Ojai. We were joined by Heather, an old friend of our family’s from Texas, and Ron’s mom who lives in Los Angeles. Everyone brought food so it was not too hard on any one person and we…
20 Minutes a Day 