I just concluded a marathon session with one of my UCLA students, which started at 5:30 and just ended at 12:15 am. I was helping him write a 12 page research paper referring to newspaper articles one month before and one month after Israel established itself as an independent state in 1948. I have learned…
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A Grandma By Any Other Name…
My little granddaughter, 20½-month-old Luna arrived today for a visit. “Hi, grandbaby!” she said as she leaned forward for me to take her in my arms. I looked at my daughter, her aunt and nanny. “Grandbaby?” “That’s what she’s calling you these days. She was chanting, “Grandbaby, grandbaby, grandbaby,” all the way over here. My…
The People in My Life
I took pictures today at the Breakfast Club, our church’s homeless breakfast program, and it occurred to me as I surveyed all the smiling faces of the volunteers just how lucky I am to be surrounded by so many good people. These fellow volunteers, with their devotion to good-hearted service, are only a few of the people…
Rain Coming Again So Soon
We have been preparing today for our second experience with rain in the past ten days. We had boxes from the estates we’ve been handling that needed to be moved to safety given that we’re not only expecting lots of rain, but also some high winds. It felt slightly odd to be scurrying about anticipating…
A Quick Note to Self
Dear Body, I promise to do better by you. I can see I need to eat more vegetables and fruits and move more. I am also aware that I could use more sleep as well as a bit more downtime. I plan to read online about foods that will help these bits of inflammation I’m…
Ray’s 5-Star Cranberry Sauce Recipe
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought you might be looking for a good cranberry sauce recipe. Well, if you are, then here it is. This is the best cranberry sauce you will EVER taste. The nice part is that it’s really simple, and it is better if you make it ahead so the…
Thanksgiving Anticipation
I am getting ready for an onslaught of visitors. I am excited about this, so “onslaught,” with any negative connotation that might accompany that term, is perhaps not the right description. Whatever word best describes the arrival of happily anticipated guests is what I’m going for here. Every year at Thanksgiving, our family from Utah…
Toddler on the Mend
I am happy to report that baby Luna is breathing much easier today, and so are all of us who love her. I realize there is much overuse of antibiotics, which is definitely not helpful; however, I am grateful we live in an age where antibiotics are readily available. Without them, this outcome might have…
Flash Fiction: When Life Gives You Lemon Sherbet
“You’re mother lied to you. That’s the truth.” Those were the first words my father said when he came to see me in the hospital. Thanks, Dad. I appreciate your sensitivity. Why was I in the hospital you might ask? I was having a delicate brain operation to remove a tumor. I had been suffering from…
Photos of My Beloved Brother, John
I recently came across my mother’s memory book of my brother, John. It contains family photos, several letters from John she received in the months prior to his death, along with condolence cards and letters after he died in 1990. He was 46 at that time. He had been diagnosed with AIDS less than 2…
20 Minutes a Day 