I’ve been up since 4 o’clock this morning. My husband, Ray, and I wanted to do some work at our orange grove up in Ojai, but we both needed to get back by mid-afternoon. So, off we went at 4:30 am for the 11/2 hour drive. Luckily, there was no traffic at that hour so…
Tag: 20 Minutes a Day of writing
Religion and Family Values Here in Beverly Hills
When I was growing up in my little Texas town, I knew one man who was a Jew. He was the father of a friend of mine and I didn’t actually know him well. He was a local dentist, Dr. Poliakoff. After I married and moved to Sherman, Texas (25 miles from my hometown of…
A Time to Slow Down for Us All
I think my body is in holiday mode. All I want to do is cook or rest or eat. No desire to run out and clean more in the garage, which is on the to-do list. No, instead, I am inclined to stare at television, head off to the kitchen to whip up a honey-sweetened…
A Great Film Produced by A Few People I Know
I just returned from seeing Gatsby. I have to say that despite a reluctance on my part to go to see this film because of the lukewarm reviews, I ended up absolutely loving it. I don’t even like Leonardo DiCaprio as a rule, but he was perfectly cast as Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire played…
A Happy Visit
My nephew, Jim, is here with his two friends, John and Murray. They have just ridden their bikes from San Francisco to LA on Highway One. They arrived at mid-day looking tired, slightly sunburned, but happy. They said they had a wonderful trip, camping on some nights and staying in motels on others. They stopped…
Helping Hands
I am sitting here at my glass table in the living room. It is 9:12 pm and I have been responding to my online students’ reading comments for one class and editing a chapter of another student’s novel. Today, I wrote a proposal for another class for Story Circle Network – Healing Through Writing –…
If You Know Anybody Who Needs a Writing Coach…
Hi everyone, I would appreciate it if you would pass my contact information on to your friends and family who may need the help of a writing coach in the upcoming months. Since my own children have graduated from school, I no longer have the constant contact I previously had with the school districts. So,…
The Right Way to Say Good-bye
“This old dog won’t hunt much longer,” my father said on that Friday evening I came home from the University of Texas to see him. I knew exactly what he meant. “No, Daddy, that’s not true.” Tears flowed down my cheeks. He lay propped up by pillows in bed, the sheet drawn up to his…
A Little Bit of Heaven: Our Orange Grove in Ojai
We have made two trips to Ojai this week to our orange grove. Just a few photos to share since I am VERY tired tonight after working there today. Our Agave Plants The Fire Ring and Sitting Area Our New Orange Crop Rachael Raking Amid the Trees We went to the orange grove on Tuesday…
Why I Write…
I periodically have to remind myself why I write. Tonight is one of those occasions. It certainly is not for the money, by the way, or the fame. So, why do I write? Let me think about that question for a minute. I write because: 1) I often express myself on paper better than through…
20 Minutes a Day 