It is 2:21 am so this will be short. Returned from Midnight Mass just a bit ago. It was beautiful! We spent the afternoon and early evening at Sarah’s and celebrated our Christmas. Here are a few pictures. A lovely day filled with lovely people. Merry Christmas to all.
Category: Writing
A Busy Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning
I have made two pans of stuffed shells for Christmas Eve dinner, which we will be eating at Sarah’s house tomorrow. Sarah is at the end of a grueling rotation in Family Medicine that has required 80 – 90 hour work weeks, so we are gathering at her house since she will be too tired…
Flash Memoir: Christmas Traditions at My House Growing Up
When I was growing up, our family tradition for Christmas was to go to Midnight Mass at Holy Trinity Episcopal church in my hometown of Bonham, Texas, then return to our house with all the church people for a big party. This meant the party started around 12:30 or 1 in the morning on Christmas…
Photos While Orange Picking in Ojai
I was in Ojai a couple of days back and took pictures from atop a tall ladder while I picked oranges. Here are the pictures below. Underneath the tree, looking up Ripe oranges along with green oranges for new harvest Orange blossom on tree with ripe and green oranges Northeastern view…
Short and Sweet Tonight
I have been to Ojai today where I picked 3 crates of oranges, to Santa Barbara to visit with the women for whom we are handling her estate, and then on to Target in Oxnard where I did some Christmas shopping. That was 14 hours ago. I am going to bed now. Sleep well, my…
Flash Fiction: Group Therapy
I am not an apricot kind of girl, all small and soft; squishy and sweet. No, if I had to choose an orange fruit to characterize myself, I would have to pick a cantaloupe: a rough exterior, but sweet once you find a way to break me open. This exercise we’re doing in group therapy…
Israel’s Independence, My Student and Me
I just concluded a marathon session with one of my UCLA students, which started at 5:30 and just ended at 12:15 am. I was helping him write a 12 page research paper referring to newspaper articles one month before and one month after Israel established itself as an independent state in 1948. I have learned…
A Grandma By Any Other Name…
My little granddaughter, 20½-month-old Luna arrived today for a visit. “Hi, grandbaby!” she said as she leaned forward for me to take her in my arms. I looked at my daughter, her aunt and nanny. “Grandbaby?” “That’s what she’s calling you these days. She was chanting, “Grandbaby, grandbaby, grandbaby,” all the way over here. My…
A Deep Sense of Satisfaction
I am sitting here tonight feeling proud. I have all my Scholastic entries in for my students – a total of 25 – and the packet is on its way to New York City as I write. It will arrive by noon tomorrow at the Scholastic offices, a full day ahead of the deadline. Wow….
Scholastic Entries for My Writing Students
I am knee-deep in submissions for my students to the Scholastic Artists and Writers contest, the oldest and most prestigious writing contest for youth in grades 7 – 12 in the U.S. It is almost 2 am and I have been steadily working for the past 6 hours. I have 10 kids with 20 submissions;…
20 Minutes a Day 