I am happy to report that one of my memoir pieces, My Mother’s Pain, has been accepted for the 2014 True Words Anthology. This is the story of my mother’s reaction after she learned that my oldest brother, John, had been diagnosed with AIDS. I am not sure of the protocol of sharing my work…
Category: Family
Money Relief
Today is a good day. Ray and I have made some big financial decisions and changes that will affect our future. We have secured a private loan on the house that is for sale in Texas, which means that we are taking it off the market. Instead, we will keep it and lease it out….
Great Turkey Chili Recipe
This is a wonderful turkey chili recipe offered by the Food Network. It’s easy to make and just perfect for these cool fall nights. Happy eating! Total Time: 1 hr 20 min Prep: 20 min Cook: 1 hr Yield:5 (1-cup) servings Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped sweet onions 1 tablespoon minced garlic…
Coughing, Temperatures and Pink Eye, Oh Dear.
My family has been sick for the last week or so. Ray arrived back from Texas with a ragweed cough that just goes on and on. I wish I had insisted he go to the doctor, but I didn’t. Usually his coughs get better fairly soon. This one is getting better, but just not very…
A Thought-Provoking Question
One of my online writing students posed the question, “Why do we make some of the decisions we make?” She was recounting her early years when she made the decision to go to college across the state, and then moved out-of-state for a job. Her point was that her decision had long-term ramifications in terms…
Today with Luna
Today, Ray and I got to spend a fair amount of time with our little Luna Isabella. I am happy to report that she will be 21 months old on November 4th. Grandma is very tired after reading nearly every book Luna owns to her – many – and singing with her, dancing, playing, then…
A Quick Write Ramble
I am sitting with Oona. It is almost 8 pm. She is my last student of the day, which began at 8 am. I did have a few breaks. I made vegetable soup, cornbread and cookies during one of my breaks. I love vegetable soup. There’s something very satisfying about it, particularly in the fall….
Ray and Ragweed – It Ain’t Pretty
Ray is upstairs and I can hear him coughing and hacking away. This will be a short entry since I think my husband might appreciate my presence since he doesn’t feel well. The culprit: Texas ragweed. He just returned after five days in Texas and he is highly allergic. He took Flonase the whole time…
My Postage-Stamp Garden
A few days back, I got up bright and early and headed to Anawalt’s on Robertson in West Hollywood to buy herbs and vegetables for my fall garden. I came home with Italian parsley, curly parsley, cilantro, Italian oregano, beets, lettuce, swiss chard, romaine, sweet leaf, and strawberries. These plants went in alongside several hardy kale…
20 Minutes a Day 