Today we had our annual Christmas Bash at the Breakfast Club, which is the homeless breakfast served the second and fourth Saturdays of each month at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood. Thanks go out to Brit Bjurstrom, Salvador Hernandez and Mark Frazier for working late and getting up early to create a holiday wonderland for…
Category: Writing
Post-Midnight Mass Christmas Party circa 1963
My parents hosted a Christmas party every year in the wee hours of Christmas morning after Midnight Mass at our tiny Holy Trinity Episcopal church in Bonham, Texas. This party was for all the church people and anyone else who happened to be awake and available for a party that began around 1 am on…
Ten-ten in Ojai
I just drove up to Ojai to join Ray who has been here all day. I was in LA working and seeing students for most of the day. I was fine during the drive until the last twenty minutes when the freeway falls away and the road become a two line highway into Ojai. It…
Snuggle Duty
My job tonight is to snuggle with Luna so she doesn’t wake up. Her mama is downstairs sleeping on the couch and her daddy is out of town. The couch is more comfortable for Sarah in late pregnancy. Here is a photo of Luna and me after decorating the Christmas tree. She had taken to…
A Celebration for Our Soon-to-Arrive Little Grandson
My little grandson who is still in utero was honored on Saturday night with a baby shower. Friends of Sarah and Gregorio’s gathered at their home for a “Sausage Fest.” Gregorio cooked lots of different types of sausages for the 40+ people who were there, most of whom were friends and coworkers. I had the…
Sick
Well, it finally caught up with me. A relentless headache joined the deep cough and sent me straight to bed. This morning Ray and I got up and got ready for church then we both started coughing. He said, “People are going to be really happy to see us.” I thought of the collective germs…
Flash Memoir Repost: Afternoons with Mr. Morgan
Mr. Morgan was a retired Episcopal priest who lived a few houses up from my family on East 9th Street in my hometown of Bonham, Texas. He and his wife, Anna, must have been in their 70’s when I was young. They both had white hair, and they walked with the stoop that comes with…
Ojai with Luna
Ray and I needed to come up to Ojai today to do some work related to our estate business. We both are still coughing, but today was 65 degrees and beautiful up here. The best part was that we got to bring granddaughter Luna with us and she is also spending the night. This is…
Milk Toast
When I was growing up my dad made me milk toast when I was sick. This consisted of two slices of toasted Mrs. Baird’s bread torn up and placed in a big bowl, then covered with warm milk sweetened with sugar. One pat of butter went on top to add a little extra richness. Milk…
From Last Night: A Tickle in My Throat
Back in LA with a giant-sized cough and a case of post-holiday fatigue. Traveling 14 hours yesterday probably didn’t help much. This cough is no doubt abetted by all the sitting going to and returning from SLC within a four-day period. Oh, or the 36 degree house when we arrived there with a malfunctioning furnace….
20 Minutes a Day 