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 –…
Category: Texas
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…
Ray is Back
Ray returned this evening from Texas. He stayed several extra days after I left last week. I picked him up at the airport tonight. Our friend and priest, Ian, went, too, and after we picked up Ray, we headed to the Virgin Atlantic terminal and picked up his parents, who were arriving from Wales. A…
Wind and the Return to LA
It is 10:33 pm Pacific time; 12:33 Central time. I am back in LA after an early morning plane flight and a long afternoon of students. This evening I worked with daughter Liz on her post-law school personal statement. Now, I have two dogs lying here in bed with me and I’m eyeing that clock,…
A Change in the Weather and A Junk Trip
Today the weather has turned cold. I am literally sitting here in a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater, and 2 thins jackets. It’s not that the house is cold; we’ve just returned from the McKinney Restore and it is cold in that big warehouse despite big hanging heaters. So, I’ve just decided to get really hot…
A Little Bit of Heaven
I hear a train whistle in the distance and the hum of the space heater in the front room. Besides that, it is quiet here. I am back in Texas for only 3 days, a whirlwind trip to keep my drawl strong and my heart in the right place. We arrived yesterday evening and I…
Honoring Those Who Have Died
At St. Thomas the Apostle, we have a book in which the names of loved ones who have died can be recorded. These people are prayed for every year on or near the anniversary of their death. This evening at the Vigil Mass, two names were called out from those I have loved: my father,…
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….
“Bored” – A Hot-Button Word for Me
The word “bored” is a loaded word for me. One of my greatest pet peeves is when I hear a child say, “I’m bored,” and then watch a parent snap to attention trying to amuse little Janey or Johnny. I want to step forward and say, “Let the little tyke be bored. He/She might discover…
Stumbling Back Upon My Voice
Tonight I was in the bathroom surrounded by tile walls and before I knew it I was singing Joan Baez’s Silver Dagger: “Don’t sing love songs, you’ll wake my mother She’s sleeping here right by my side And in her right hand, a silver dagger She’s says that I can’t be your bride. All men…
20 Minutes a Day 