I am experimenting with a new way to get myself unstuck in reference to a novel I’ve been working on. I have imitated the beginning of a favorite novel of mine: Snow Falling on Cedars, but have substituted one of my main characters and have changed the lines to reflect my character, not Guterson’s. Also,…
Category: Writing
Tonight at the Foundation Room at House of Blues on Sunset Blvd.
Our friend, Monte Malone, invited Ray and me to come hear some of the new talent that he’s working with at A & R Worldwide. They were playing at the Foundation Room at the House of Blues. Here were the performers: This is a great venue to hear these acts. Here is a…
Full of Grace
There is a little girl at our church whose name is Grace. Her mom brings her periodically to the Breakfast Club, where we prepare a hardy and nutritious breakfast for anybody who comes through the door on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month. We usually feed anywhere between 100 to 200 people, who…
Skin and Scars
My skin is a conduit of memory. One soft touch takes me back to my sweet high school boyfriend, the first male to every caress me; one harsh squeeze reminds me of one of my college boyfriends, the only person who ever physically hurt me; one stroke on my back connects me to my mother…
Blue…
Stuck Day. Can’t think of anything to write. Instead, I’ll fulfill my 20 minutes by thinking of things that are blue. I realize this isn’t interesting. It is simply what I could come up with at this late hour after a long day. Blue jays, blue high-heeled shoes, blue crayons, blue mood, blueberries, bluebells, Bluebell…
Supermoon over the Pacific Tonight
Today, Ray and I worked in Montecito (south of Santa Barbara) on an estate that we’ll be selling for a woman there who has lots of great antiques and collectables. Tonight, we drove home via the Pacific Coast Highway and had the treat of seeing the “supermoon” as it rose above the ocean. Here are a…
Honey-Sweetened Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
Ray made homemade frozen strawberry yogurt today and it was delicious. I thought I would share the recipe. He used whole milk yogurt to make it richer and to make sure that the frozen yogurt would have a creamier texture. We have one of those electric ice cream makers and he simply put all the…
An Unexpected Faux Pas
Many of you know that I wrote recently that my friend Peter is dying. What I didn’t tell you was what happened right after I found out about this news. The gist is this: My husband Ray withheld from me for two day the news of Peter’s terminal illness. I was working long hours with several students…
Hot Here in SoCal
Ray is sound asleep on the bed beside me. The dogs are asleep on the floor. William, the cat, is outside and, no doubt, busy hunting. We are in our only air-conditioned room in CA – our bedroom – with the air conditioner on along with the fan. It has been hot here by Southern…
Reprint from 2011: Thoughts on This 20 Minutes a Day Process
(I have a sore throat tonight and an ear ache so I pulled this piece from the first week of my blog in 2011. I think it is still relevant.) I have to admit that writing for 20 minutes a day – which ends up being around 40 once I edit – and then publishing…
20 Minutes a Day 