Autumn for me is connected to the school year and so I always think of new beginnings, even if my school days could be classified as “by-gone.” As per my habit, I have been turning over and over ideas for two novels that are percolating in my mind: one that I’ve been playing with for…
Tag: 20 Minutes a Day of writing
One of Those Lazy/Happy Days
I have been in my pajamas all day today, something I haven’t done in I don’t know when. Am I sick? Do I need to rest? The answer to those questions is a resounding no. I have had the pleasure of having visitors here: Sarah and Luna and we have just been having too much…
Congratulations, John Rechy
Today I went to Skylight Bookstore at 1818 North Vermont Avenue for the celebration of my writing mentor’s – John Rechy’s – 50th anniversary of the publication of his groundbreaking book, City of Night. John was interviewed for over an hour by his biographer, Charles Casillo, who was introduced by author/director/actor/activist Michael Kearns. John was…
My Day In Photos – Kaiser Permanente and the Tow Truck
Off I went today for my visit to Kaiser Permanente, which is my first foray into a HMO prompted by my $1200 monthly bills for Ray and me for a PPO offered by Blue Shield of CA with a $12,000 deductible. (Yes, you read that right.) Kaiser offered the same coverage for 1/2 the price…
A Blight on My Hometown
The First Baptist Church in my hometown of Bonham, Texas, population 7,000, has banned the Boy Scouts from meeting at their church because of the Boy Scout of America’s decision not to discriminate because of sexual orientation. My thoughts: Dear God in heaven, how can we still be dealing with this sort of blatant bigotry…
2 Excellent Recipes Using Pineapple
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…
Gravity: The Film
Well, I am not going to be among those who shower lots of praise on the film, Gravity. While I thought it was very well-acted, I can’t say that it was a great movie. I wanted more exploration of the two (only) characters so that I could care more about them and their fate. As…
Grandma and Baby Luna: Having Fun Tonight
Tonight, I babysat baby Luna while her parents went off on a date night, their first since her birth not counting the other time I babysat while they went to a party. This time, it was to the movies. The first movie they’ve seen in a theater since this baby was born. Luna was a…
The Beauty of Open Spaces
I am sitting with my student and we are doing a quick-write. I have just returned from Texas – I mean I drove in from Texas exactly two hours ago. We drove from 4 am (Central time) yesterday morning until 8 pm Pacific time (which is 10 Central time) last night, which translate into 1100…
Saddle Up the Horses, We’re Heading Out…
Tomorrow, Ray and I will wrap up loose ends here in Texas, load our dogs, Cordelia and Sammie, into our Ford van, and head back to California. This has been a whirlwind trip for me and I am still suffering from jet lag. Of course, my fatigue may have less to do with acclimatizing to…
20 Minutes a Day 