Over the past five years, my life has transformed in some significant ways. First, two and a half years ago, my fourth grandchild was born. This would not be such a huge event (more than the birth of my three other grandkids) but Ethan’s birth helped propel a decision that Ray and I had been…
A Dream Come True: A Book Signing at Book Soup in West Hollywood
I am pleased to announce that I will be doing a reading and book signing for my novel Hope in the Time of Dying at the iconic bookstore Book Soup on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood on Wednesday, August 20th at 7 pm. Over the thirty years we lived in Beverly Hills, I dropped…
A Wonderful Video Highlighting My Friend, Jimmy Hughes, from My Church
Jimmy Hughes is a member of my church, St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood. Last Sunday, he told he how much my book Hope in a Time of Dying meant to him, mainly since he had ministered to almost 80 AIDS patients during the height of the AIDS epidemic. He asked me if he could dictate…
The Mother Body: Stories Held in Skin, Softness, and Strength
I used to have a flat stomach. I remember having one at least. I also remember having breasts that were a normal size, not large like I have now, which seem to be the result, at least in part, of seven years of nursing three little girls. Yes, seven. Two, two and three for the…
Where Love Tastes Like Oatmeal
I find it ironic that, considering all the wonderful cakes, pies, and cookies I bake, my grandchildren have one dish that is their very favorite: oatmeal. Yes, plain old oatmeal with a swirl of honey, a splash of cream, and whatever fruits are on hand, which might include fresh or frozen mixed berries, cherries, peaches…
Rethinking the Third Age: Life After 70
When I was born in the early 1950s, the average life expectancy in the U.S. was around 68 years. That number has risen steadily over the decades—today it’s about 78 for the general population, with women living on average to 81 and men to nearly 76. The gap between men’s and women’s life spans is…
Flash Fiction: Presence: Plain and Simple
The news has been so sad about the floods in Texas. This story felt like the right piece to share tonight. Mary Theresa was tired. Tired of feeling out of control; tired of feeling lost. She went out to the porch of her house on the lake and stared at the dark night. She couldn’t…
Flash Fiction: Granny
I like to come out early, before the heat settles in and everything turns still. The porch is quiet, the air soft. Across the yard, a mourning dove coos from her nest in the old barn. The crickets have quieted, replaced by birds calling from the pecan trees overhead. Rambler, my old blue heeler, lets…
Poem: Silent Flight, Summer Sky
I saw a red-tailed hawkCircling high in the Ojai sky. Then a second appeared—Wings steady, rising—And together they drifted,Two shadows on the wind,Gliding in quiet harmony. The sunlight lit their fanned tails,Rust-red and glowing,A bold contrastAgainst the wide, blue sky. For a breath of time,The world paused—A moment of pure solaceOn a warm summer day.
Digging Deep: What College Essays—and Life Writing—Are Really About
I’ve been working with students over the past few days on their college essays—using shared Google Docs and Zoom calls. It’s always an interesting process, and this year is no different. Part of what makes these essays so meaningful is that we dig deep. Really deep. We look for those moments in life that carry…
20 Minutes a Day 