“You could make a living doing that kind of thing,” Mary Jo said as she watched her sister refinish an oak coffee table in the shade of the backyard pecan tree. “I suppose I could, but I’ve never thought about it,” Louise said, running the tack rag gently over the sanded finish. “Maybe I’ll consider…
Hitting the Street Podcast: A Conversation about My Novel, Creativity, and Taking Risks
I had a wonderful conversation about my book, Hope in a Time of Dying, along with a discussion about creativity, getting unblocked, and overcoming fear with Chele Wells from the “Hitting the Streets” podcast. Here’s the link if you’d like to listen. https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/mox0nDhntWb I will be speaking at 4:30 at Austin College this Wednesday, September…
How Revision Transforms Writing (and Writers)
I have been a writing coach for over twenty years. During that time, I’ve spent countless hours working with students, editing and revising their work. As I often tell them, “We first take your rough draft and make sure it has a beginning, middle, and end. Then we go through the piece again and again,…
Children’s Hospital, Kindness, and a Successful Surgery
My grandson, Nico, is recovering from an appendectomy that took place the day before yesterday. He woke up in the middle of the night with sharp pain in the lower right side of his abdomen, and his parents rushed him to Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. After a series of tests, including a CT scan,…
Three Places Where My Heart Lives
Home is where the heart is. This aphorism is attributed to Pliny the Elder, a Roman philosopher living in A.D. 23–79. He wrote “Ubi bene, Ibi patria” in Latin, which means “where you are well is your country.” This may be even more powerful given the fact that he died during the eruption of Mount…
The View From Here: On Family, Writing, Faith, and the Peace of Enough
When I was younger, I imagined that by the time I reached this stage of life, I’d have quite the list of accomplishments. Surely, I’d be well-traveled, widely read, impressively fit, financially successful, and the proud author of at least three books—all while raising a wonderful family and enjoying a happy marriage. The reality looks…
Surrounded by Generous Hearts
Pretend you’re on a five-mile run, and at every mile marker, there is a photo of someone in your past who is cheering you on. Call out a brief thank you to them as you run by and describe how you feel as you cross the finish line. Mile 1 – My MotherThank you, Mom,…
When the Rooster Rules the Roost (and You Don’t)
I wrote this piece a while back. I’d say the rooster war is still alive and well. Today I learned how to deal with an angry rooster—literally, not metaphorically. Beau Leigh is my daughter Liz’s rooster up here in Ojai. He doesn’t take kindly to anyone but Liz’s husband, Ron, entering the pen. Granted, he’s…
From Texas to Tinseltown: My Surprising Encounter with Jamie Lee Curtis
Tonight, while I was gathering up my computer and trying to decide what I was going to write about, I glanced at one of our bookshelves. There was a book titled “Tony Curtis: The Autobiography,” featuring a picture of Tony Curtis as an older man. This made me think about one of my brushes with…
Flash Fiction: When Silence Breaks
It wasn’t that she didn’t love Jacob; he just drove her crazy. He was one of those men who never said what he was thinking, but instead turned silent and stared off into space whenever he was upset. That silence could stretch on for hours, leaving Mary to stew. Mary said to him, “Give me…
20 Minutes a Day 