A whirlwind of cooking and cleaning today in anticipation of our out-of-town guests. Tomorrow I have students from early until late so Ray will have to finish up on the holiday prep. Ray is already asleep; I almost am. This isn’t going to be 20 minutes. I think it’s fairly amazing I am on here…
Category: Writing as a Discipline
Ray’s 5-Star Cranberry Sauce Recipe
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought you might be looking for a good cranberry sauce recipe. Well, if you are, then here it is. This is the best cranberry sauce you will EVER taste. The nice part is that it’s really simple, and it is better if you make it ahead so the…
Twirling, Band and Tommy Nugent
When I was a senior in high school, I decided to try out for twirler. I had been a devoted band member, starting out with a cornet in 5th grade and eventually graduating to French horn. I definitely wanted to play French horn in concert band, but it was my senior year and I thought…
Thanksgiving Anticipation
I am getting ready for an onslaught of visitors. I am excited about this, so “onslaught,” with any negative connotation that might accompany that term, is perhaps not the right description. Whatever word best describes the arrival of happily anticipated guests is what I’m going for here. Every year at Thanksgiving, our family from Utah…
Toddler on the Mend
I am happy to report that baby Luna is breathing much easier today, and so are all of us who love her. I realize there is much overuse of antibiotics, which is definitely not helpful; however, I am grateful we live in an age where antibiotics are readily available. Without them, this outcome might have…
Urgent Care for Luna Today
Our little Luna made a trip with her mom and dad to Urgent Care today. She was very congested with a rattling chest. The doctor did a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia – which she does not have – but told Sarah and Gregorio to take her to the emergency room if she starts…
Flash Fiction: When Life Gives You Lemon Sherbet
“You’re mother lied to you. That’s the truth.” Those were the first words my father said when he came to see me in the hospital. Thanks, Dad. I appreciate your sensitivity. Why was I in the hospital you might ask? I was having a delicate brain operation to remove a tumor. I had been suffering from…
Saturday Night Quotes on Writing
Here are a few of my favorite quotes on writing: “Write hard and clear about what hurts.” Ernest Hemingway “There is no denying the wild horse in us.” Virginia Woolf “Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.” William Faulkner “Mistakes are the…
Ojai Today
We have spent the day in Ojai today, arriving early this morning to talk to a solar guy about what it would entail for us to put in a few panels so we could have electricity. We learned some encouraging information – government grants and low-interest loans for agricultural lands – and are going to…
Listing eBay Items: Settling into a Rhythm
Ray and I have been listing eBay items for the past several hours. It is pleasant enough work what with Neil Young singing in the background as we research, list and photograph the various items we’ve designated for today’s work. We are putting a range of items on from the two estates we’re handling. I…
20 Minutes a Day 