I am sitting in the living room with Liz. She is studying for the bar exam and I am here on my computer writing my blog. In the den, Ray, Rachael and Keara (Rachael’s roommate) are watching the movie Bernie, which I have already seen twice. (I highly recommend it, by the way.) Sarah and…
Category: Memories
Ray’s Birthday and Chai Cupcakes: Yum
Today we had Ray’s birthday celebration. It was just the family: Ray, Sarah, Gregorio, Liz, Ron, Rachael, and me. I cooked Ray’s favorite meal: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salad, homemade bread (from Sarah) and two kinds of cakes: chocolate with butter cream frosting and chai. We had lots of fun and ate and ate…
Our Evening Out
We made it to the Beverly Hills Purim Ball tonight to honor our friend, Dr. Elisa Newman White. I did find a tailor to make the necessary alterations, and I also attended to all of those needed elements to look halfway civilized. Here is a picture of Ray and me just before we left: We…
Drive-ins and Being Sixteen Again
The drive-in theater in Bonham, Texas is a place I spent more than a few Friday nights in my teenage years. Yes, I was there with my boyfriend, Sam, and I would be less than honest if I said that we ever saw more than half of any movie. There was something so private –…
A Chance to Help with Luna’s Birth
I am pleased to say that I am going to get the chance to be a birth coach for my daughter, Sarah, along with Gregorio. That means I get to stay in the room when she is delivering our new little Luna, rather than being asked to step outside with the rest of the family….
Tricksters in Stories and a Few in My Life
I am sitting with one of my students, Aaron. He is taking an online class on mythic structure and today’s lesson is on the trickster archetype. According to Christopher Vogler’s book, The Writer’s Journey, a trickster “embodies the energies of mischief and desire for change.” Tom Sawyer is a trickster we all know. Who else…
The Discovery of a Mentor
I had just finished a second draft of my memoir turned novel when my friend, David, invited my husband and me to dinner one evening. He told us that he had also invited another man, Michael, who we had met once time before, and he hoped that we would finally have a chance to get…
“How?” by Abraham Sutzkever
Today I helped Rachael with a paper for a UCLA literature course and I read some poetry by Abraham Sutzkever, who is considered by many to be “the greatest poet of the Holocaust.” The poem that we read and analyzed is called “How?” It reads: How? How will you fill your goblet On the day…
Jamie Lee and Me…
Tonight, while I was gathering up my computer and trying to decide what I was going to write about, I glanced at the bookshelf in our bedroom. There is a book there entitled Tony Curtis, The Autobiography and on the book is a picture of Tony Curtis as an older man. This made me think…
A Memory Worth Sharing – Carnegie Hall
Written June, 2002 I sang last Monday night on the main stage at Carnegie Hall. Len Leatherwood from little Bonham, Texas, sang at Carnegie Hall in New York City. How did THAT happen? I am not an exceptional singer. I wish I were, but I’m not. I’m a good singer with a decent soprano voice….
20 Minutes a Day 