I have a little visitor tonight. Luna Pacheco Beaty is here beside me watching Peppa Pig. We have spent today together, beginning with making gingerbread houses this morning at her school. Then there was a Christmas program where Luna had quite a showing of support since she had her mom, dad, grandpa, grandma and two…

When I need comfort, I cook. There’s nothing like chopping garlic and onions and starting them to saute in a pan with olive oil to make me feel a little more grounded. Today, I added carrots, celery, green pepper, yellow squash, zucchini squash, and fresh mushrooms, then sautéed them until they were coated with the…

I have just returned from Christmas shopping – two nights in a row – and I can happily report I am finished with the buying of Secret Santa gifts, white elephants, and stocking stuffers, along with the few books, toys and clothes I picked out for my grandbabies.  We are not big Christmas spenders around…

This recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen, and even after I modified it to use agave syrup rather than refined sugar it is still awesome. The combination of homemade pudding with whipped cream, graham crackers and chocolate syrup creates such a wonderful taste blend that the only word that does it justice is delicious. This…

My parents hosted a Christmas party every year in the wee hours of Christmas morning after Midnight Mass at our tiny Holy Trinity Episcopal church in Bonham, Texas. This party was for all the church people and anyone else who happened to be awake and available for a party that began around 1 am on…

Since baking is my coping mechanism for stress, I thought I’d share another recipe. This is from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible, a book I would highly recommend if you love baking cakes. I have tried many of the recipes for cakes and buttercream frostings and they are all delicious. Since I bake with…

Don’t ask anybody anything about this movie; don’t read anything about it.  Just go see it. Don’t watch a trailer.  Zero.  Again, just go see it. Best to see it with no knowledge whatsoever.  Let it unfold before you.  Expect to feel.  Not always the way you would prefer, but it will be worth it….

Ray and I rushed this morning, finishing up all of our LA work, so we could drive up to the orange grove and enjoy an afternoon and night of rain as we nestle in the Airstream. This was definitely an excellent plan. I took a two hour nap in mid-afternoon to the pitter-patter of raindrops…

Congratulations to my writing student, Alyssa Hance, who learned today that she has been accepted into the 2017 freshman class at Loyola Marymount University here in Los Angeles. Alyssa lives in Tucson, Arizona and is a very talented writer. She was selected from over 14,000 applicants to fill one of the 1350 freshmen slots available…

I am writing this blog for those of you who worry about punctuation as much as I do, which, admittedly, might be a small group. However, if you are indeed a member of this group, here’s what I discovered a few days back in reference to commas and names. (I apparently have been getting this…