To all who took the time to either give me a thumbs up or write a comment about my thoughts on restarting my blog, please accept my heartfelt thank you. I truly appreciate your support and was touched by your positive messages. Day 2 of 20 Minutes a Day: I have worked for the past…
Category: Writing
A Swift Kick in the Butt from Daughter Liz
Okay, I am going to try this again. To get back into the groove of writing and posting to my blog. This came after daughter Liz gave me a “Come to Jesus” talk yesterday, calling me a “weenie” for not recognizing that what I write has value even if it is not always political. …
My First Attempt at a Sonnet
I have never studied poetry so I decided to take an online Master Class with Billy Collins , who was the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001-2003. I like Billy’s poems because they are accessible and often about everyday things. The class is just Billy lecturing in 10-15 minute blocks, which works very…
Happy 39th Anniversary, Ray.
When Ray and I got married in 1980, I was 27 and he was 22. Here we are with the judge of Stone County, Arkansas, who was presiding over our tiny wedding. As Ray said today, “Our getting married was a good decision.” Yes, I would have to agree it was. We have had our…
A Window into Grandbaby Lyla’s Birth
Almost a month ago, I had the profound privilege of being present for the labor and delivery of Sarah and Gregorio’s third child, my third grandchild, Lyla Gabriella Pacheco Beaty. With firstborn Luna, I was the very first person to see her little face when she was born and was able to cry out, “Oh,…
Flash Fiction: Hidden Benefits
I sink the trowel into the soft ground, digging down to sever the root of the offending dandelion. I can’t help but feel half-guilty removing these vivid yellow flowers from my brown lawn right in the middle of winter. Still, I know it’s a gift to have such an unseasonably warm February weekday to garden when most people have to…
Congratulations to My Students Who Are Regional Winners in the Scholastic Artists and Writers Contest
I am very pleased to announce that I have three writing students who have won awards in the Scholastic Artists and Writers contest, the oldest and most prestigious writing contest for youth in the United States. These regional winners competed with writers from many states for this highly coveted recognition. Nationally, this contest draws around…
The Mixed Blessings of California Rain
When Ray and I first moved to Los Angeles twenty-five years ago, we made fun of the TV weather coverage of rain. A reporter, decked out in a yellow slicker and matching boots, appeared on the television screen and spoke in cataclysmic terms about the threat of 1-2 inches of precipitation. Ray and I shook…
Happy 33rd Birthday, Liz!
Elizabeth Beaty, my middle daughter, is 33 years old today, the exact age I was when I had her. She and I went to a wedding last week together and this is a photo taken of us: Liz is smart, funny and opinionated. She is also devoted and dedicated to people who are lucky enough…
Hoping to Stave Off the Flu
Ray has been sick for the past several days with a high fever, deep chest cough and general flu symptoms. He is on the mend as of today with normal temperature (at least so far) and an occasional cough that is still deep, but far from the wrenching hack that he had been experiencing. I’m…
20 Minutes a Day 