Here are my latest efforts in my ceramics class. I will have about six pots before I finish next week. Tonight, I worked all evening on a bowl, only to scrap it in the end. I made the sides too thin so the clay dried up and began cracking. I haven’t had an iota of…
Category: Flash essay
Learning A Bit About Israel’s History
One of my UCLA students and I have been working all afternoon on a research paper which focuses on the central question, “What impact did the 1967 Six Day War have on Israel’s political, social and security policies?” My student just left after six hours. He will be returning very early in the morning to…
An Afternoon and Evening at the Getty
Ray and I joined our friend, David Bode, up at the Getty Museum today to see the Turner exhibit. (Ray and I took in a photography exhibit before David joined us.) We then had dinner together in the restaurant up there. This was to celebrate Ray’s upcoming birthday on March 18, Wednesday. What an absolutely…
FaceTime with Luna
I have officially moved into the modern age. I used FaceTime for the first time tonight to communicate with my almost two-year-old granddaughter, Luna. Well, actually, my son-in-law arranged the call and my daughter, Sarah, officiated, but Luna spent at least 20 minutes showing me all her toys and books via the telephone screen. This…
A Visit to Chapman University, Fowler School of Law
Today, Rachael, Luna and I traveled to the City of Orange to visit Fowler School of Law at Chapman University. This is the school that has offered Rachael a full scholarship. Neither of us had been to Chapman before so we didn’t know what to expect. The gist: the admissions officer knew exactly who Rachael…
Mob Mind: Never the Answer
I am reflecting on the brutal beating death that occurred in India this past week, where a crowd of mostly uniformed students gathered in outrage over the rape of a young woman and several broke into the jail where the accused was being held, dragged him out to the street, stripped him naked, and beat…
Letter from Liberia
My friend, Dr. Kathryn Challoner, is currently in Liberia helping to fight the Ebola epidemic. Dr. Benedict Kolee is a Liberian physician (trained at USC under Dr. Challoner), who has been one of the key physicians on the ground during the entire epidemic. Here is the most recent letter from Kathryn and you will see…
My Dad’s Comfort Food
When I was growing up, any time I didn’t feel well, my dad would make me milk toast. This consisted of toasted bread in a bowl covered in sugar with warm milk poured on top. This is pure comfort food for me. Safe, warm, mild. Reminders of my dad’s loving care. Tonight I arrived home…
The “High Life”
Ray and I have been finishing up work on a big estate in one of the high rises in the Wilshire Corridor near Westwood. The 24th-floor condo where we’ve been working has 3200 square feet, a view of the ocean and just sold for a little over 3 million dollars. It is located in one…
Thank You for Your Honesty
Thank you for all who responded to my post yesterday that focused on my reflections about my friend’s recent suicide, brought on by longstanding depression and anxiety. Your responses helped me to remember that if I am feeling something, others generally are, as well. Your thoughts also encourage me to write about tough subjects such…
20 Minutes a Day 