My daughter Rachael occasionally asks me when I’m going to make pumpkin lasagna again. I made it several years ago and couldn’t find the recipe to repeat it even though it was very tasty. Tonight I happen to run across the recipe again and wanted to post it so I could remind myself to make it….
A Poem: If I Am Lucky
If I am lucky I will one day be very oldWrinkled, hard of hearing, slowWatching as I sitNoting the dynamics of relationships Unconcerned with what is said But focused on what I seeBodies leaning close or farFaces opened or closed I will know more then than nowUnderstand through experience Highs and lowsChallenges and painGrowth and…
Ray’s 5-Star Honey-Sweetened Cranberry Sauce Recipe
I post this recipe every year because it is so easy, the result is so good, and your guests will never know it’s made from honey. It is also beautiful on your holiday table. We will make our cranberry sauce tomorrow. It only gets better every day. Ray’s Cranberry Sauce Recipe 2 12 oz. packages…
Flash Memoir: November 22, 1963: Sadness Was Everywhere
On the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, I was ten years old and a student at Bailey Inglish Elementary School in Bonham, Texas, northeast of Dallas on the Texas-Oklahoma border. I can’t remember how we were told the news, whether over the loudspeaker or by our teacher, but once we learned what had happened…
Reflection: As I Age
I am sometimes reminded I am an “older” woman. I look down at my hands and see they bear the evidence of my age. Good hands, still strong and able, but undeniable proof that I have chosen to live a life that includes physical labor in addition to my time spent on writing and with…
Flash Fiction: Apricots, Lilacs, and Lilies
This is a flash story I wrote in 2012. I decided to edit it tonight. I have always been partial to this particular piece. It reminds me of working on a psychiatric unit right out of graduate school in Counseling. I am not an apricot kind of girl, all small and soft, squishy and sweet….
This Time of Year: Deadlines Looming
This is the time of year when I disappear daily into my office and don’t emerge until late evening. What am I doing? Working on Zoom with high school seniors who are writing their college essays, community college kids applying to their first choice universities for transfer, and college graduates applying to various post-graduate programs…
A Few Old Photos of a Post-College Adventure to Norway
Today, my friend Nick sent me a few photos of our trip to Norway in 1975. The summer right after I graduated from college, we worked on a farm there for six weeks for room and board. Here are the photos: This is a photo of Nils, who was in his 70s, and me at…
An Autumn Soup You’ll Love
As chilly weather approaches, there’s nothing better for lunch or dinner than a tasty soup that’s also good for you. Couple the soup with a green salad full of vegetables, and you’ll have a healthy and delectable meal that is easy to make and satisfying to eat. I love my Instant Pot for soups. Pressure…
20 Minutes a Day 