It’s 10:23 pm and I am sitting in our Airstream up at the orange grove. Ray has gone back to LA for the night and I’ll be returning with Liz and Ron in the morning. They are over in their snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug little house an acre and a few hundred orange trees away. The night is…

Today, daughter Elizabeth cut my hair. No, she doesn’t know how to cut hair, but two YouTube videos gave her a few tips. I helped by urging her to make that first three inch cut. “It’s really short!” she said. “No problem,” I replied. “Anything you do will be better than this helmet I currently…

My youngest daughter Rachael has just learned that she has been accepted into the MA program in English Literature at Loyola Marymount University here in Los Angeles. LMU has an excellent English program, which means that Rachael will have the chance to work with an array of English scholars with a wide range of interests….

I started teaching a new class yesterday for Story Circle Network called, “20 Minutes a Day of Writing for 30 Days.” I have 14 students, which is more than I’ve ever had at SCN since we pride ourselves on small classes and because online teaching can be intense, especially when giving detailed critique. But this…

My dad was fifty when I was born. I was the lucky recipient of an adoring father who never wavered in his constant love and attention.  I know I am very fortunate to have had that kind of dad; one who treated me with kindness, respect, and as though I was someone special. I have…

I wrote this piece back in 2014 right after Gregorio and Sarah got married at the courthouse in June before their “real” wedding in November at St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church, Hollywood. Three kids later, I had to laugh when I read this. Nothing like a little stress on your wedding day. Sarah and…

This is a repost. However, the Jacaranda trees are in full bloom right now and I saw an episode of Huell Howser yesterday so this feels quite current. I love Huell’s ability to observe with such glee and ask just the right questions. The Jacaranda trees are blooming all over the city and I wanted…

Periodically, Ray and I visit Otto and Sons Nursery in Fillmore, CA, to look for roses for one of Ray’s clients. This charming establishment was founded in 1976 and has been thriving ever since, with Otto and his four sons at the helm. This is a lovely spot to go for a bit of rose…

Wise Voices Gene was a brown horse who lived at a farm and his legs were very thin. He was born with those thin legs and even though he could walk, he couldn’t gallop like other horses. This made Gene sad because every month there was a celebration and the horses got to run in…