I have a strong memory of spending a lot of time when I was a little girl snuggled up in bed next to my mother, her skin warm and her smell comforting. In that memory, my mother is always reading, and her arm is around me so that I am nestled next to her. I…
Tag: family
All Abroad: The Train’s A’Coming
The anniversary of my mother’s death is tomorrow. She’s been gone 26 years. I wrote this piece a while back, but I think it expresses some of my thoughts on my mother’s passing. I loved her very much and miss her every day. A train is a means of conveyance that moves on a track…
For Nico, on His Tenth Birthday
Today, my grandson Nico turns ten years old. As his grandma, I want to say a few things about this young man, who is so special to me. I don’t quite know how to express all the love I feel and am already certain that my attempt will not measure up to what’s in my…
A Bond That Came from Keeping Vigil
I had a nice, long talk with my little brother Sam today. Sam is five years my junior, the same age as my husband, Ray, and lives in Nashville with his wife, Jaime. He and I are both busy, and sometimes it takes a while before we figure out a time to connect on the…
Cowboy Exhibit at the Reagan Library Today vs My Experience in Texas as a Kid
Today, Ray and I went with our friends Ronnie, Art, and Joseph to the Reagan Library to see the Cowboys: History and Hollywood exhibit. There, we saw photos of real cowboys, a bona fide chuck wagon, examples of guns, rifles, hats, chaps, and jeans of the cowboy era, a map showing the cattle drives, rodeo…
Yes, I Still Miss George
For my brother George, on his birthday. I wish George were here. He would be appalled by our current political situation and would be a safe person for me to talk to about all the frustration, worry, and disbelief that have characterized both times Trump has been in power. He would agree with my assessment…
Sharp Edges, Softened
This blog post was inspired by a college essay question one of my students was required to answer: Give a brief self-interview that will help us get to know you better. Reading the prompt, I realized it invited deep reflection, so I decided to answer the prompt myself. 1) You have clearly done quite a…
Update on Stormy Weather & Christmas Activities
Here is the big picture news stolen from a text written by Ray: 12 3/4 inches of rain since Tuesday night. More rain next week. Soggy here, but everything is snug and warm. Lots of giant trees falling over here and in LA. Lots of shifting soil on hillsides. Soil was still wet from a…
The Best Part of Christmas
Today, I headed over to our local Ben Franklin store here in Ojai to do Christmas shopping for my grandkids. Our family gives the kids a few group gifts that Auntie Rachael has already purchased for us, but I get $25 per child to add to their Christmas loot. Not that they get a lot,…
A Mile in Someone Else’s Shoes
When I was growing up, I took piano lessons from Miss Virginia Baird. She lived in a brown-boarded two-story house on the corner of Main and 9th Streets, and she had at least thirty cats that lived in that great big house with her. Miss Virginia loved best to talk about what was happening in…
20 Minutes a Day 