I am sitting in my den. It is 7:02 on this Sunday evening. Rachael’s dachshund-mix puppy, Hazel, is curled up on the chair next to the window. The grandfather clock in our living room is tolling the last of seven chimes, clearly off by two minutes. I’ve made a vegetable and rice soup in the…
Category: Timed Writing
A Bit of a Ramble
I am just wrapping up a day that included four hours of students plus a visit to see a friend with a new baby and a morning filled with eBay work. Yikes. Tired. Oh, I forgot. My online class started today too. I am not complaining. Every part of today was easy and rewarding and…
Back to Pottery Class at the Barnsdall
We went to our pottery class today at the Barnsdall Art Center in Hollywood. Ray, Liz and I are taking this class for the second time. It lasts 10 weeks and is 3 hours every Tuesday night. The best deal in town since for a senior (62 and above) the cost is $90 + $50…
A Lovely Time Together
Back to LA after less than 24 hours in Ojai and only a couple of hours at the beach, and yet this quick trip felt as restful as a week away to anywhere else. Such is the power of the Ojai orange grove and a magical little piece of beach in Ventura called “Surfers’ Point.”…
Work, Heat, A Visit and Air Conditioning
Today we were up bright and early – beating the heat – to work on items related to our estate business. We were able to be efficient and busy in the cool before the sun rose above the 14 story building across the street. This is so far the only real advantage of having that…
Revisiting Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers – A 5-Star Recipe
This is a great recipe for a turkey burger. It comes from Cook’s Country Magazine, which is part of America’s Test Kitchen and I can guarantee this is one seriously excellent burger. The Fried Onion Burger (FOB) apparently originated during the Depression in El Reno, Oklahoma, which is 25 miles from Oklahoma City. Mashing onions…
Our Visitor Tonight: Daughter Liz
Liz came over for dinner tonight. Ron is off in Argentina with his Spanish class and that left her a little more free to make the trek over from Glendale after work. I made her one of her favorite meals: noodles with homemade tomato sauce. The fact that my children were fed this meal every…
A Letter to Myself
Dear Len, Just checking in with you. I hope you’re doing well. I can see from my vantage point that you are feeling a bit frazzled at the moment. I thought I would offer a few suggestions. 1) Remind yourself that today is the only day you have; stop living in the future or worrying…
My Father’s Advice
My father taught me a few basic truths about life. Here is a limited list of them in no order of importance: 1) Care about people and they will care about you. 2) Make friends one person at a time, which means individual relationships are more meaningful than group relationships. 3) Family is central. 4) Don’t…
20 Minutes a Day 