Halloween in Bonham, Texas, circa 1960. I remember well the trick or treating. Or rather, I remember the treats, particularly the homemade ones that were delicious. No fear of razor blades or glass embedded in the goodies. No indeed. The truth is the homemade treats were the ones I liked best. Take caramel apples, for…
Category: Family
Sunday Night Walk in Weho
Sunday night. 10:14 pm. The fan is whirring and Ray is clanking pans in the kitchen as he washes dishes. We have just returned from a walk with our dogs, Cordelia and Sammie, through West Hollywood and its party district, where there were many folks out in the bars and restaurants on this Sunday evening….
A Cooking Lesson with Daughter Rachael
Today my youngest daughter Rachael, age 21, asked me if I would teach her how to make her favorite meal: stuffed shells. She wanted to ask three of her girlfriends over for dinner here at home and serve them stuffed shells, salad, French bread, and homemade strawberry frozen yogurt. “I need to learn how to…
Daughter Liz and a Trip to See What Family Law is All About
Today I went with daughter Liz to one of the high-rises in Century City to talk with a family friend who is a successful divorce attorney. No, Liz is not married so that’s not the issue; she is trying to decide what area of law to pursue. Our friend showed us around his 9th floor…
A “Cool” Secret
I am sitting in an overly warm living room at my round glass table with a big fan aimed in my direction. I can see the bushes outside swaying in the breeze, but the cool ocean air appears to be only out there, not making its way through the windows and doors of our house,…
Flash Memoir: “High-Top” Memories
When I was growing up, I had a problem buying shoes. My feet were small and wide, and in my little Texas town of 7,000 it was not always easy finding shoes that fit me in the local shoe stores. This meant at the very least traveling 25 miles over to Sherman, which had a…
Hope Springs Review
This afternoon, we went with family and friends to see the movie, Hope Springs starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. This is a story about a couple who has been married 32 years but who are disconnected emotionally and sexually from one another. Steve Carrell plays their marriage/sex therapist and you watch as this…
The Grand Canyon & Now Back in LA
We arrived at the Grand Canyon at 9 am this morning and this is what we saw: The sky was overcast and there had been a little rain so the air smelled evergreen sweet. We passed many fields as we drove from Flagstaff that were covered in these flowers: Of course, they was exceptionally pretty….
Heading Back to CA
We are 65 miles east of Amarillo heading west. We stopped in Childress at JT’s Drive-In for an excellent fried catfish dinner while we sat outside at a table with our dogs. We arrived exactly at 7:30 and they had just put out the closed sign. I asked if we could still order and she…
Flash Essay: Pasta Making Party & Recipe
Tonight we had friends over for a pasta making party. I made the pasta dough in advance so it could “rest” at least 30 minutes before our friends arrive. Plus, I had the marinara sauce, turkey and chicken sausages, broccoli and chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting all ready (our friends were bringing bread and…
20 Minutes a Day 