Ray and I went to Disney Hall today and attended the performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19 in F Major and Bruckner’s 9th Symphony. We also attended the talk before the performance, which tells about the composers and their lives and also the music being played that day. We were pleased to see that…
Category: Flash essay
Ray’s Return from Texas
Ray is arriving in just a few minutes after driving all the way from Texas so, needless to say, this will be short. I will be glad when he is home safely. These cross-country trips with only one driver are a bit worrisome since I know that on our cross-countries, I am usually the primary…
My First Uber Experience
I tried Uber for the first time yesterday. I had to go pick up a U-Haul truck in far east Hollywood and since Ray was out of town, I realized I had to figure out a way to get there. I hitched a ride with a friend with whom I was having coffee to Santa…
With a Little Help from “TED”
I watched a Ted Talk yesterday that my daughter Rachael recommended. I realized when I was watching it that though it was entitled, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” by Simon Sinek, the information could be applied to my approach to writing my novel. The gist of Sinek’s talk is that successful companies like Apple start…
Behind the Scenes at Church Last Sunday
I woke up with a start in the middle of the night before my debut last Sunday as sub-deacon at St Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood. I had gone through a training on Saturday evening after the Vigil mass with the Master of Ceremony, Efrain Cisneros, who was kind enough to stay late to help me…
Sub-Deacon at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood
Today was the first day I made my debut as sub-deacon at St. Thomas the Apostle in Hollywood. When serving as a sub-deacon, I act as one of the sacred ministers of the church. I consider this a great honor. I have worked in almost every other position at the altar before being allowed to serve as…
Repost: A New Publication from Query Letter to Acceptance
Here was my query letter: Dear Editor, Below is an essay on the perils of self-doubt as a writer, the major writers who admit to this same doubt, and the resolve to keep going in spite of those nagging negative thoughts. I am a current Pushcart nominee for a flash fiction story published in the…
Tired, but Happy
I am very tired. We’ve been working hard for the past three days on an estate in a multi-million dollar condo in a posh Wilshire-corridor building near Westwood. The home owner association dues are $4000/month if that gives you a clearer picture. Anyway, we’ve been rushing to get all the art, antiques and collectibles packed…
A “Nice” Rejection Letter for An Odd Story
I received this last night from the editor of Thrice Publishing. Dear Helen, Thanks for sending “The Mustache: A Social Experiment”. I’m going to pass on this one Helen, but am honored by the opportunity to see work of merit. Sometimes it only comes down to the direction we’re taking at the moment, more than…
Handling Estates, the Unexpected Pleasures
We are handling an estate in the Wilshire District of Westwood for a very nice woman who has recently lost her husband. Her condo is in one of the prettiest buildings on the Wilshire corridor and has a view at night that is hard to beat. Today we worked with her, deciding which pieces of…
20 Minutes a Day 