Here is a picture of my Utah family. We are all tired after a very full day. We got up early and went to volunteer at the homeless breakfast. That was from 6 – 10. Later, half of the group went to the Petersen Auto Museum while the other half stayed home (my group) and…
Category: Family
A Delicious Holiday Cookie Recipe
Today we made honey-sweetened orange cookies. They are cake-like with a cream cheese frosting. I highly recommend them. We made one batch and they were gone almost as soon as they came out of the oven. We have a request to make a double batch tomorrow. Of course, we used fresh oranges from our orange…
The End of a Busy, Happy Day
I’m sitting here with our guests – or at least the ones who are still awake – Liz; boyfriend, Ron; Ron’s friend, Kevin; my niece-in-law, Karri; and Ray. A Food Network show is on television and we’re all sitting around telling jokes – mostly off-color – and laughing. Our Thanksgiving dinner was a resounding success….
Last Minute Work While Awaiting Our Guests
I am sitting with my student, Madison, and we are both having trouble writing today. It is, after all, the day before Thanksgiving and there are so many more interesting pursuits that we both could be doing. Still, we only have one hour together today before the celebration begins so I’m using this time to…
Long Day of Work and Anticipation
The dogs are barking outside. It is 9:43 pm and I have no idea who or what they are responding to. I am tired. I started today at 6 am, was cooking by 6:30. Pumpkin in the oven followed by yams. It’s tough when you just have one oven. Rachael came yesterday and we cut…
Evening with Our Expanding Family
We are driving back from Arcadia where we had supper with Sarah, Gregorio, Liz and Ron. Rachael was not with us; she was on a plane returning from a trip to Texas with her roommate, Keara. As we drive back home through Pasadena and Glendale, I can see a beautiful crescent moon on the western…
My Grandmother, Winnie Waugh
My grandmother Waugh was 4’10” tall and weighed about 210 pounds. She had a cane that she welded like a weapon and a temper that made you keenly aware of that cane. Winnie Waugh was her name, Mary Winifred Blackmon Waugh, and her father had fled from Mississippi after a bar room brawl. Her father,…
Hand in Hand – A Writing Process that Works
Here are two of my daughter Rachael’s grades from the infamously difficult UCLA English department. Of course, I am a proud mother and am pleased to “crow” about them to you all, but I have a bigger point. These grades illustrate something I’ve learned over these past 13 years of working with writing students –…
Our Grandbaby’s Official Name
My little granddaughter, who is still in utero, has received her official name from her parents. Luna Isabella. Her paternal grandfather has already decided he will call her by the pet name, Bella, which means beautiful in Spanish, his first language. That’s lovely. Luna means moon and she is likely to have big round eyes…
The Power of Our Democracy
This is my husband Ray and two of our three daughters, Liz and Rachael, at 8 am on our way to the polls. Before leaving home, we pulled out our Voter Guides and went over all the propositions and measures so we could make informed decisions. Our voting location is in a garage of a…
20 Minutes a Day 