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…
Category: Los Angeles
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…
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…
My Very First Art Class as an Adult
I am not known for my artistic ability. I enjoy wonderful art and appreciate the skill that others bring to painting, sculpting, and pottery but producing beautiful pieces of art has never been part of my experience. That is until tonight when I attended my first art class since middle school…or maybe even elementary school…
To Elizabeth, On the Eve of Her Birthday
Tomorrow is the birthday of my beloved daughter, Elizabeth Beaty, who will be moving right up the line with the magic number 29. I happen to know that Elizabeth reads my blog, so this is the perfect spot to express my feelings without dissolving into a blubbering mess, which I would most certainly do if…
For Gayle: The Reprint of a Story Inspired by Music
Janet wasn’t sure why life seemed so complicated these days. Maybe it had to do with the way the wind was always blowing, tossing her short gray hair this way and that, and reminding her of happier times before Chet died. Chet, her husband of 35 years, who woke up one day and said he…
In Search of a Writing Structure
Tonight, I have been sitting here for over an hour perusing news stories and Calls for Submissions trying to find a topic on which to write. I don’t mind writing once I have a topic, but sometimes figuring out what to write about is a pain in the butt. Tonight is one of those times….
Back in LA
We are safely back in LA after over two weeks away. We are happy to be back. Our first stop after returning the rent car was to go visit our little granddaughter, Luna. All our kids were together at Sarah’s where we celebrated our return with a meal. I am dead-tired now and ready to…
20 Minutes a Day 