This week of baby anticipation, baby coaxing, and baby arrival has finally caught up with me. It’s 8:30 and I’ve been ready for bed for at least an hour. I was reading a short story in the Alaska Quarterly – a very good short story that I was really enjoying – and woke up with…

Liz and Ron are in the car in Ventura bringing baby Ethan to his new home in Ojai. It’s 8:35 pm so it’s dark here and quite chilly. I suspect there will be a quick dash from their car to their cozy little place. 2 hours later. Yes, Ethan is now with his mommy and…

Liz and Ron welcomed little Ethan into the world at 12:13 am this morning. I was lucky enough to be present for the labor and birth of my fourth grandchild. Mom and Ethan are both healthy. Liz was an absolute champ during the labor and delivery, and Ron was right there offering love and support….

When I was a little girl, my mother came every night into my room before bedtime so we could say our prayers. She would sit on the edge of my twin bed and I would be lying under the covers with my head on my pillow. “Our Father, who art in heaven,” she would start…

This afternoon, Ray and I visited Sarah, Gregorio, Luna, Nico, and Lyla in South Pasadena. We ate, talked, laughed, and decorated turkey cookies for Christmas (or should that have been for Thanksgiving?). We also discussed the imminent arrival of Luna, Nico, and Lyla’s little cousin, who is due tomorrow or Tuesday. I also played catch,…

NAAN PIZZA Tonight we are making naan pizza. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s delicious. Here’s the recipe for those of you craving quick and easy pizza. I have also included photos. INGREDIENTS INSTRUCTIONS

Today is my older brother Jim’s birthday. He died in 1995 from AIDS at a time when getting an AIDS diagnosis was a death sentence. Jim is the reason we came to Los Angeles in the first place. He loved living here and we came to visit. It wasn’t long before we felt drawn to…

I found myself with back-to back students today. An older mother working on her personal statement for graduate school; a high school girl applying to college for the first time; three community college kids each writing essays for transfers to top four- year universities; a student at one of those top universities needing help with…

I wrote this flash fiction story a while back but came across it tonight. I wanted to share it because I wrote this story using the prompt: Take three objects in the room and mention all three in a story. My prompts were a ticker tape machine, a dragonfly stained-glass lamp, and a framed picture…