Lately, there have been a rash of burglaries in Beverly Hills. Someone comes to the front door and distracts the homeowner while accomplices sneak around back and steal valuables. In the case of our house, this wouldn’t be much of an accomplishment since the back door is always open, at least during the day when…
Category: Los Angeles
Flash Essay Prompt: Birthday
My husband’s birthday is tomorrow. I spent the evening making two lasagnas: ground turkey and spinach, plus chocolate cookies and a pie crust for a coconut meringue pie. We are having a little party with two of our three kids, their friends, and a few of our friends tomorrow evening. My husband is a good…
Revisited Prompt: Edward Weston Photo: Wrecked Model T
The car looked like a Model T, or what was left of it. It was more rightly, the carcass of a Model T with no wheels or tires, no engine, no seats. Only the body of the old car, rusted, bent, and disheveled, like an old woman with too many miles and too much booze. …
Haiku: My Husband is Back
My husband is back Back to his home and his dog Eating my brownies Half of our marriage From one state to another Coming and going Almost two decades Texas or California Yanking to and fro Country or city Big sky or azure ocean Enticing us both My husband is back Back to his wife…
Haiku: Treasures in My Living Room
My grandmother’s lamp Shines bright in our front window Shade of green and red My brother Jim’s lamp Stands between two wingback chairs Pink and green stained glass My brother John’s books Fill a Mission oak stacked case Bound in red and gold A china cabinet From my best friend Patricia Filled with memories A…
Flash Essay: Chest Cold, Students and the Oscars
I have a grand chest cold, one that causes me to seize up when I cough and rattle when I breathe. No fever, no aches and pains, just a cough that makes people instinctively step back, as if to say, “Please don’t give me whatever it is you’ve got.” Besides that, I saw students from…
Prompt: Early Saturday Morning After All Night with the TV On
My husband is still sleeping. He fell asleep watching television; I did, too, but I got up and headed to bed. He woke for a moment and said, “I’ll be there in a minute.” I knew I’d wake up at 3 am and find the television still on along with all the lights and hear…
Prompt: Haiku: Illness
Coughing punctuates The quiet LA evening My husband is sick Texas maladies Brought back to ail in LA Have him hacking hard Tomorrow may bring A trip to the Urgent Care Medicine to aid He is quiet now But only for a brief time Before the cough quakes I hope he can sleep He needs…
Flash Fiction Prompt: Hands
Sheila was surprised when the phone didn’t ring. She’d waited all day; waited into early evening. She was certain he’d call, but he didn’t. Not even after he said he would; not even after she said it was okay. She checked to make sure the battery on her phone was charged. She even went to…
Ten Things Age Has Brought Me Since I Turn 59 Today
Today is my birthday. I am 59-years-old. That’s one year from 60 for those of you with less than stellar math skills. Dear Lord in heaven, how did that happen? The 60 part, not your math skills. It’s crazy this aging thing. The part that nobody mentioned (all those OLD people like my mom and…
20 Minutes a Day 