On Friday, Sarah and Gregorio had a small wedding. Tomorrow, Rachael graduates from UCLA. Today, I have been cooking in preparation for our celebration of these happy events tomorrow. I will write much more about all of this when I am not quite so busy. Until then, rest assured, I am happy.
Category: Texas
Preparation Fatigue
I am sitting here dead-dog tired. Preparation for graduation weekend is the culprit. We have family who arrived today from Utah and I don’t know why there is so much to do to get ready for people visiting, but there just is. Today’s list included: cleaning out the fridge, chopping up peaches from our peach…
Mother Mary, Religion and Me
I have two icons of St. Mary holding baby Jesus that are in the cabinet next to where I am sitting here in the living room. The icons are both gifts from our priest, Father Ian Elliott Davies at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood. In both, Mary is looking right at me, as if she…
Rachael: Texas Bound
We have a big transition coming up soon. Rachael Marie Beaty will graduate from UCLA on Sunday with a Bachelor of Arts in American Literature and Culture, then move to Texas on the following Thursday. We will be driving with her for that move so it’s not as if she will disappear four days after…
On Being Married 33 Years
Tomorrow is my 33rd wedding anniversary. Ray and I have somehow managed to be married longer even than my own parents, who made it to 32 years before my dad passed away. That is a strange experience for me – to be married longer than my parents who I always thought had a respectably long…
What Makes Me Dull and Uninteresting: A List
This was a writing prompt from Dinty W. Moore’s book: Crafting the Personal Essay: A Guide for Writing and Publishing Creative Nonfiction. What makes me dull and uninteresting? A list in no particular order: 1) Being too polite 2) Being self-absorbed 3) Being afraid 4) Being nervous and self-conscious 5) Not taking risks 6) Not…
Religion and Family Values Here in Beverly Hills
When I was growing up in my little Texas town, I knew one man who was a Jew. He was the father of a friend of mine and I didn’t actually know him well. He was a local dentist, Dr. Poliakoff. After I married and moved to Sherman, Texas (25 miles from my hometown of…
A Letter to Luna about Her Mom
Dear Luna, I want to tell you a few things about your mom. Tomorrow is her 31st birthday and you will be exactly 5 weeks and 6 days old. I think there are a few things you should know about this person who pushed you into this world on April 4, 2013 at 10:04 pm….
Thank You, Mom
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and I am sorry that my mother – Helen W. Leatherwood, Ph.D. – will not be present to see her granddaughter, Elizabeth, walk across the stage to receive her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School. I will feel this way again next month when Rachael receives her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA,…
A Few Glimpses of Childhood in No Particular Order
I remember: Warm pavement under my bare feet Doodle bugs tickling my arms Train whistles in the distance My father’s biscuits and gravy My mother’s typing The smell of chlorine at the pool in summer Chicken and dumplings Incense at church Freshly mown grass My dad’s old farm truck My Uncle Doc’s café My Uncle…
20 Minutes a Day 