I am writing early today because we are leaving in a few minutes to drop a friend at the airport, then go to Sarah’s to spend a bit of time before I leave to serve as the thurifer at the Family Christmas mass at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood, which starts at 5 pm. (I…
Category: Writing
Evening in Downtown LA
Ray, Rachael and I went to Disney Hall tonight to hear the Soweto Gospel Choir. Not only have they been nominated for three Grammy’s, they have won two, as well as an Emmy, three SAMAS, and have been nominated for an Oscar. They have sung with U2, Peter Gabriel, Celine Dion and any number of…
Revisited: 5-Star Gingersnap Recipe
Today I modified America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe for gingersnap cookies to fit into my non-refined sugar criteria. That mean basically just substituting white sugar with maple sugar. The results were excellent. The cookies have a real snap and they are filled with freshly ground ginger for a nice little kick. I’m going out on a…
Burning the Midnight Oil
I have had a student here since 4 pm – she just left at 9. We are working through all the supplements that go with colleges she is applying to that have a January 1 deadline. Ouch. There are nine schools and they each have one to three supplements. That means many extra short essays…
Must See Television: Broadchurch
Over the past week or so, Ray and I have watched the British ITV television series Broadchurch. This is a classic whodunit that begins with a murder occurring in a small English village. Over the course of Season One and Two, the focus goes from one suspect to another, all investigated by a detective duo, a…
Congratulations to Two of the Sweetest Women I Know
Today, my beloved niece, Leslie Leatherwood, married the love of her life, Haley Broussard, in Hawaii. These two young women are loving, kind, beautiful and decent. I can not express my joy that they have found each other and have the opportunity to declare their love and commitment in an official wedding ceremony. Hallelujah. With…
Happy News
My student Oona Oglesby received the word tonight that she has been accepted to Bard College based solely on the Bard Exam. The Bard Exam consists of four scholarly essays of no less than 2500 words in science, philosophy, literature and art. Hours of work to produce four thought-provoking essays, but clearly well worth the effort….
Home Alone Reflections
I am sitting in a very quiet house with my two dogs nearby, Cordie on the floor beside me and Frankie on the stool four feet away. Ray will return home tomorrow from a work trip to Texas; he is getting the condo in Fort Worth ready to sell. It is a week before Christmas….
Rachael is Back!
Congratulations to daughter Rachael who just completed her first semester at Fowler School of Law at Chapman University. Her last exam was yesterday and today she gets to feel relief from all that academic pressure. Hooray! I was searching for pictures of Rachael to add to this post and realized that there are very few…
A 5-Star Orange Cookie Sweetened with Honey or Agave
This is a great tasting holiday cookie recipe that is tried and true. Of course, fresh orange juice from the oranges in our grove would be best, but you can use any oranges you buy in the market. These cookies are light, orangey and delicious. Happy holidays! Orange Cookies Adapted from Rodale’s Naturally Delicious Desserts…
20 Minutes a Day 