We just came from the Peter Gabriel concert at the Hollywood Bowl. There is only one word: awesome. The music, the lights, Peter Gabriel’s voice that goes right to your heart – all of these made this a must-see event. If you have a chance to see him on tour, do it. This is the…
Category: Writing
Movie Recommendation: Perks of Being a Wall Flower
We went to the movies this evening and saw Perks of Being a Wall Flower. It covers adolescent angst without reducing teenagers to stereotypes, and it has a twist you will not see coming. Emma Watson from the Harry Potter Saga is strong in her portrayal of a high school senior and Logan Lerman as…
The Joys of Writing “Flash” and Some Reading Recommendations
I currently am teaching an online course on Flash Fiction and Flash Memoir for Story Circle Network. This subject is close to my heart since flash is one of my favorite modes of writing. For the course, I have read a lot of short-shorts both fiction and memoir and have been reminded of just how…
My Personal Organizer Winner: Wunderlist
I have spent much of today looking at organizational tools online. I checked out several lists that different friends sent me after reading my blog last night. For me, the tool couldn’t be too complicated. I wanted a pretty simple application, but I wanted color and visuals that keep me happy while getting organized. I…
Help to Move into the Computer World of Organization
I am trying to find an online personal organizer that will help establish some order in my daily life. I don’t want to spend any money on this. Free is the operative word. I basically want something that will help me keep track of my long To Do list and tie that to my calendar….
By-Gone Halloween Treats: Homemade and Delicious
Halloween in Bonham, Texas, circa 1960. I remember well the trick or treating. Or rather, I remember the treats, particularly the homemade ones that were delicious. No fear of razor blades or glass embedded in the goodies. No indeed. The truth is the homemade treats were the ones I liked best. Take caramel apples, for…
Sunday Night Walk in Weho
Sunday night. 10:14 pm. The fan is whirring and Ray is clanking pans in the kitchen as he washes dishes. We have just returned from a walk with our dogs, Cordelia and Sammie, through West Hollywood and its party district, where there were many folks out in the bars and restaurants on this Sunday evening….
A Documentary to See: Diane Vreeland – The Eye Has To Travel
I just returned from seeing a wonderful documentary on Diane Vreeland, who was the fashion editor for Harper’s Bizarre from 1937 – 1962; Vogue from 1962 – 1971; then the curator for the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York until 1984. Vreeland was responsible for transforming fashion magazines into trendsetters,…
A Cooking Lesson with Daughter Rachael
Today my youngest daughter Rachael, age 21, asked me if I would teach her how to make her favorite meal: stuffed shells. She wanted to ask three of her girlfriends over for dinner here at home and serve them stuffed shells, salad, French bread, and homemade strawberry frozen yogurt. “I need to learn how to…
The Storm
Lightening jags in the dark sky “I never meant to,” he says. Strong winds quake the nearby oaks “So long a wait,” she says. The air swirls with sweet promise “I’m sorry,” he says. Raindrops ping on the tin porch roof “At last,” she says. Thunder booms and rattles the windows “Forgive me,” he says….
20 Minutes a Day 