Ray and I are in Mexico with Sarah, Gregorio, Luna, Nico and Lyla. We are staying at Estero Beach Resort in Ensenada. This is the most relaxed I’ve been in a very long time. A wonderful location with great beaches, scenic views of a bird-filled estuary and the beautiful Pacific ocean, plus two lovely swimming…
A $10 Lifesaver: The Cobra Mist Stand
Ray and I were up at the orange grove yesterday with daughter Liz and three dogs. (Ron was off at court, working.) As the temperature nosed up at a steady rate to the 96 degrees that was predicted, we started getting a bit worried. The problem was that Southern California Edison had sent out a…
5-Star Honey and Maple-Sweetened Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Granddaughter Luna declared these her favorite cookies of all that I have ever made. She and brother Nico scarfed down four each before I realized how many they were eating and put the plate of cookies out of their reach. That should be the only endorsement you need to make these cookies. They are really…
The Comfort of a Dark Night
We have come up to Ojai to water our trees. The temperatures are just started to get hot up here and our orange trees need a refreshing drink. Today was 96 degrees at its height, but now it’s 77, which will be the low tonight. I am sitting outside in front of our Airstream in…
For Our Beloved Deacon Johnson at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood
This evening I traveled to St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral near downtown LA to help commemorate the outstanding service of our beloved deacon, Walter Johnson. Walter is now our Deacon Emeritus since his recent retirement at the age of 81. He read the gospel at tonight’s mass and in the photo below, he is censing the…
A Poem to My Sister, Leslie
I have been thinking about my older sister Leslie lately and found this poem I wrote shortly after her death in March 2012. I rewrote it slightly and wanted to repost in her memory. GOOD-BYE TO MY SISTER I see you lying in your hospital bed Dark brown eyes half-closed Square jaw tight Can you…
Grandkids’ Evening
Ray and I headed out to Sarah and Gregorio’s in Pasadena late this afternoon in order to babysit the kids for them this evening. We are now on our way home and I know that if I don’t write now, then I certainly won’t when I get home. I am beat. Baby Lyla, who had…
To My Son-in-Law, Gregorio
Dear Gregorio, Happy birthday to you. I want you to know that I am so happy you are part of this crazy family of ours. You are a wonderful partner for Sarah, a supportive brother-in-law for Liz, Ron and Rachael and an exceptional son-in-law for Ray and me. You are there whenever anybody needs anything,…
Why I Wrote A Ghost Story or How I Was Influenced by the Amazon Prime Series “Good Omens”
“Good Omens” is about as far as you can get from something I would normally watch. It has the unlikely premise of an angel and a demon who have known each other since the Garden of Eden, working together in modern times to prevent the Antichrist, who has recently arrived on earth, from signaling the…
A Good Week in Texas
Okay, I’m writing my 20 minutes. It’s tough to do tonight because I am on a plane headed back to LA after a busy week in Texas. We not only had a garage sale, but also condensed two antique mall booths down to one, photographed and measured lots of big furniture to list on eBay…
