I made two recipes today that both used canned pineapple. That doesn’t sound all that good, but both were exceptionally tasty. One was a rice salad and the other was a maple and molasses-sweetened pineapple upside-down cake. Here are the recipes. Let me know if you try these. I think you’ll like them. California Rice…
My First Cousin: “Grandfather of the Green Berets”
This is Billy Waugh, my first cousin. He was the son of my Uncle Johnny and Aunt Lillian, my mother’s brother and sister-in-law, who lived in Mom’s hometown of Bastrop, Texas. Billy was more than twenty years my senior and was a mysterious figure in our family when I was growing up. My mother simply…
Thanks, The C.R.E.W!
Today, we took a trailer load of tree limbs we’d trimmed in our orange orchard to the C.R.E.W. drop-off spot, where workers were waiting with a chipper. It took them about twenty minutes to pull out all the limbs we’ve cut over the past few weeks. We gave them a sizable tip to acknowledge the…
A List of a Few Childhood Memories
I remember: Warm pavement under my bare feet Doodlebugs tickling my arms Train whistles in the distance My father’s biscuits and gravy My mother’s typing The smell of chlorine at the swimming pool in summer Chicken and dumplings Incense at church Freshly mown grass My dad’s old farm truck My Uncle Doc’s café My Uncle…
Happy Birthday, Gregorio!
Today is the birthday of my son-in-law, Gregorio Pacheco Ambriz. He is a fine husband, father, brother, uncle, son, son-in-law, soccer and baseball player, as well as coach. He is also passionate about anthropology and archeology and never stops learning. In addition, he is my go-to person for any bird, animal, or plant I what…
Counting My Blessings
Today, Ray received a call from our daughter Rachael. I heard his voice go low for a second, then he said, “Are you all right?” It didn’t take long to ascertain that she had been in a car accident and was calling her Dad as she cried. She was turning left at a light when…
A Great Recipe for Muffins Flavored with Orange Juice, Cranberries, and Pecans
Our orange trees up in Ojai are two weeks away from harvesting and the oranges are sweet and juicy. Here is a recipe that would highlight the deliciousness of freshly squeezed orange juice when added to the other ingredients. And, of course, nothing goes together better than orange juice, cranberries, and pecans. I love collecting…
Alice Munro: A Masterful Short Story Writer
I’ve been reading Alice Munro’s short stories from The New Yorker this afternoon. I have to say they are terrific. Clear, concise, full of characterization, and beautifully structured. I felt as if I had a real sense of the people in each of the stories I read and the endings all felt exactly right. Alice…
Flash Fiction: Where the Kindness Is
I wrote this piece today in SCN’s Writing Extravaganza, a monthly writing group where we get a prompt and then write during the class. The prompt was to write in the voice of a 14-year-old boy. The first line had to be: “I don’t know what to do.” This is a first draft piece but…
Confessions of a Neurotic Writer
I wrote this a while back but it still holds true. Self-doubt is one of the most challenging obstacles to overcome in writing or perhaps when attempting anything in life that is new or difficult. Hopefully, this will be helpful for any of you who are experiencing those same debilitating thoughts whether about writing or…
20 Minutes a Day 