As some of you know, I am from a family with six children (seven, except my little brother, Robert Alexander, died shortly after birth). All my older siblings: my sister, Leslie (11 years older); and my brothers, John, 9 years older; Jim, 8 years older; and George, 3 years older; have died. The only sibling…
Category: Home
Back in LA, but So Tired
I am sitting here in LA with eyelids that will barely stay open. We woke up at 3:15 am to make a 6 am flight from DFW airport, which is an hour and fifteen minutes from Sherman. We flew to Phoenix, then on to Long Beach via US Air. I had students today so that’s…
When Life Changes Without Warning
This morning, I headed across the street here in Texas to see how progress was going on our renovation for what we call the Dimmit House (that’s the family who owned the house the longest way-back-when). I noticed that my husband, Ray, was over talking to our neighbors, a young couple who moved to our…
2nd Scene of Story
Zachary watched as Sadie slipped into the back seat of his father’s Pierce Arrow alongside her grandmother. He and his mother stood on the back porch and waved as they drove down the road in the opposite direction from downtown. “Oh, my Lord,” Mary Catherine sighed. “I can’t imagine the pain our sweet Johanna is…
1st Scene of Story
It was 4 pm on a mild afternoon in May of 1930 and the small Texas town of Sherman had gone from drowsy to wild with rage in only a few hours. A colored man had reportedly raped a farmer’s wife and there was talk that he had mutilated her, as well, and that she…
Reflections on the Passing of A Friend
Ingrid, my friend of over 30 years, has died. A friend I knew very well a long time ago, but with whom I had been out of touch until January of this year when we reconnected via Facebook. In June I discovered that she was ill, and only three days ago I learned that she…
Writing Class I’m Offering In West Hollywood/Beverly Hills
This is a class I am offering in Beverly Hills. Please pass this along to any who might be interested. Much thanks, Len (Click on the image to enlarge)
Beauty, Girls and a New Measure?
A friend today wrote that her mother described her as handsome when she was growing up. This made it difficult for her to ever see herself as pretty and, in fact, she became skeptical of those who described her with that word, wondering if they didn’t perhaps have an ulterior motive. I am guessing that…
“Real” Beauty: The Truth
This morning a friend of mine sent a 3-minute YouTube video that was entitled, “Dove Real Beauty Sketches.” At the beginning of the video, we see a large loft space where there is a chair next to a curtain. A group of women have agreed to participate in the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, but…
Grandbabies, Music and Fun
I have just returned from seeing my sweet grandbaby, Luna, along with her mother and dad, plus my daughter, Liz, her boyfriend, Ron, and my husband, Ray. We went down to Heritage Park in Pasadena to the Levitt Pavillion there and had a picnic on the grass while we listened to the bluegrass and folk…
20 Minutes a Day 