Tomorrow is my late brother John’s birthday—the Ides of March. The flash memoir piece below is something I wrote a while back, but it feels fitting to repost it now. My oldest brother was a very good friend of mine. He had a wicked sense of humor and a way of saying precisely what I…
My Many Animal Friends at the Orange Grove
I have always had a deep interest in the natural world. I have become even more engaged since moving to the orange grove, where I am often outside, surrounded by trees, birds, and animals. Since moving here, I have learned how destructive gophers are to orange trees—we lose several trees yearly to gophers chewing tree…
Five Days to Publication of “Hope in a Time of Dying!”
Next Tuesday, I will release my novel—one that sat in a desk drawer for far too long. When I pulled it out, I stripped it down to its core, cutting nearly half of the original manuscript. Now, at a lean 70,000 words, it’s finally where it needs to be. It’s time to let it go….
Greg Patent’s Oatmeal Date Bar Recipe
I love Greg Patent’s cookbook, Baking in America: Traditional and Contemporary Favorites from the Past 200 Years. I made a recipe for maple date bars with lemon zest just a while back, but I will make the recipe below tomorrow. Not only does it call for the zest of a whole orange, but the juice…
Flash Memoir: The Locked Door
When I was five, my family moved to a big two-story house with a full attic that had stairs leading up to the 3rd floor from a door in the second-floor hall. Before we had moved into the house, the man who had lived there had committed suicide, not in the attic, but in an…
Twirling, Mr. Nugent, and Lessons in Excellence
I wrote this a while back, but I’ve been thinking about Mr. Nugent today and wanted to share it again. After all these years, he still holds a special place in my heart. He moved on to other towns and bigger bands, leaving a lasting impact wherever he went. He passed away a few months…
Lessons A Texas Girl Learned by Living in Beverly Hills
I lived in Beverly Hills (or BH to the locals) for 30 years. I came to LA with my family when my brother Jim was sick and needed support during the last year and a half of his life. We moved to Beverly Hills because we needed a good school district for our kids. Who…
“Fried Onion Burger” (FOB): Worth Your Time to Try
This is a great recipe for a turkey burger. It comes from Cook’s Country Magazine, which is part of America’s Test Kitchen and I can guarantee this is one seriously excellent burger. The Fried Onion Burger (FOB) apparently originated during the Depression in El Reno, Oklahoma, 25 miles from Oklahoma City. Mashing onions into the…
It’s a Vonnegut Kind of Night
“Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the…
What I’ve Always Wanted: An Inconclusive List in No Particular Order
I’ve always wanted to be fluent in Spanish and Italian. I’ve always wanted to go on trips to many countries worldwide. I’ve always wanted a simple and nicely tailored wardrobe with at least two cashmere sweaters. I’ve always wanted to learn how to drive a motorcycle. I’ve always wanted a happy and fulfilling marriage that…
20 Minutes a Day 