Out, damned spot! out, I say! Lady Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 1 I think it’s a fair guess that most people are exposed to these words for the first time when they either read or attend Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. I, on the to hand, heard them routinely as a little kid when my mother was frustrated with…

Love like fig ivy starts out small and vulnerable on a bare garden wall slender green stems grow tiny leaves unfold nurtured and challenged by sun wind rain holding on stretching moving forward emptiness transformed into green pulsating liveliness a testament to risk growth tenacity

I wrote this a while back but decided to use it for today’s writing instead of writing my usual 20 minutes a day. I made this choice because I’ve just spent the past four hours with my students, editing their college essays. I’m thinking I have done some serious writing today and on top of…

The current winter weather has clearly created havoc over this holiday season. I heard on CNN tonight that 27 people have died in the Buffalo, NY region alone. Twenty-seven people in an area that is accustomed to sub-zero temperatures. Oh, my goodness! According to the Wall Street Journal, the deaths included 14 people found outside,…

Ray and I gathered with our kids, their partners, and our grandkids today at the orange grove in Ojai. We were joined by Heather, an old friend of our family’s from Texas, and Ron’s mom who lives in Los Angeles. Everyone brought food so it was not too hard on any one person and we…

Ray and I are back up in Ojai so we can be near Liz, Ron, and their new little son, Ethan, for Christmas. We brought Ron’s mother Cindy up with us (she lives ten minutes from our house in LA) so that she could be with the new parents and the baby as well. Tomorrow,…

On the Gold Line heading to Covina to Auntie Rachael’s and Andrew’s for Posada Lyla and her baby Gregorio, Ray, Sarah, and Rachael Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus Andrew’s Mom’s Creche Rachael, Lyla, Ray, and Baby Hazel (Rachael’s dog) Pinata Time with Luna

As we drove back to LA from Ojai this afternoon, it seemed as if the entire city was emptying out. The opposing traffic on 101 and then 405 was bumper to bumper for miles heading up the coast. Our lanes going into LA were full but moving at their usual pace for mid-afternoon. I read…

Don’t hate us here in California. I have just read that a major cold front will be assaulting much of the country over the next few days, making holiday travel perilous. We here in Southern California, on the other hand, will be experiencing low 70s temperatures with partly cloudy skies. Christmas Day is forecasted to…

This is a wonderful, foolproof recipe that is fancy enough to be served for Christmas lunch or dinner with a green salad and garlic bread. This is a favorite in our family and my kids (and now grandkids) request it for holidays and birthdays. The good news is that it can be made ahead. It…