Hi all. Sorry I skipped last night. Here is why: Little Luna (age 3) and Nico (who turned 6 months yesterday!) came for an overnight visit. All went well during the evening, particularly since Auntie Rachael and Ariel came to visit, which made everybody happy. Nico even fell asleep in Auntie’s arms and was as…
Category: Flash essay
A Special Gift: To Serve in Brit and Mark’s Wedding
I had the privilege to serve today as subdeacon at the wedding of two of our beloved parishioners, Brit Bjurstrom and Mark Frazier, at St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church, Hollywood. This was my first time to perform my duties as subdeacon at a wedding and it meant that I served at the altar with…
Dallas Police Shootings Tonight
I have just come from watching the live coverage of the shooting of police officers in Dallas, which is part of my stomping ground since I grew up in North Central Texas. I know well those streets, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and Parkland Hospital. Ironically, this all took place only blocks from “the grassy knoll”…
Prompt: When Do I Feel Most Free?
When do I feel most free? Ah, I know. When I write fiction. Nothing matches the sense of freedom I feel when I settle into a comfortable chair with either my laptop or notebook and pen, and write a random sentence or fragment of dialogue with no idea where it will take me. From there, the…
The Room Where I Write
The room I am sitting in has a red Persian rug, a brown leather couch, a green brocade wing back chair (plus ottoman), a green Morris chair (plus ottoman), a cane back rocking chair, an art deco blondish coffee table and a low oak table upon which rests our television set. The curtains (which are…
Coping with Troubles
The past few days have been filled with an unexpected batch of complications in several areas of my life, ranging from severe health problems for a couple of friends to very bad news about a couple of friends to very bad relations between a couple of friends. Also, there are stressors occurring in two unexpected…
Prompt: What I’ve Always Wanted…
Here is an inconclusive list in no particular order. Still, an interesting exercise. I’ve always wanted to be fluent in Spanish and Italian. I’ve always wanted to go on trips to many countries all over the world. I’ve always wanted a simple and nicely tailored wardrobe with at least two cashmere sweaters. I’ve always wanted…
My Need for a Little Daily Solitude
I have always liked small dark places where I could hide: closets mainly, but when I was little I didn’t mind under the bed or in a cardboard box with the lid slightly shut. I even had a secret hiding place behind a long drawer in my bathroom when I was nine or ten where…
On Staring Down A Blank Page
I am sitting with a student while she writes so I have a few minutes to write my blog. (She and I will edit her writing once she is finished.) That brings me to the question of what shall I write about tonight? Finding a topic for writing is one of the toughest parts of…
Grandma Day with Luna and Nico
I have a little break in my childcare this afternoon due to two sleeping kids so I thought I’d take this time to write my blog early rather than 30 minutes before I head to bed. Normally, Ray and I take one day a week to take care of our little grandkids: Luna, age 3…
20 Minutes a Day 