I wrote this piece a while back, but it still reflects how I feel about my father. I wanted to share it today to honor my dad’s memory. My dad was fifty when I was born. I was the lucky recipient of an adoring father who never wavered in his constant love and attention. I…
Tag: life
Who You Calling a Hoe?
A woman and her new hoe. That’s me. Yes, a hoe. Not just any hoe, however. A Husky 51″ fiberglass-handled garden hoe with a 4.5-star rating and 933 reviews on the Home Depot site. And no, I didn’t order it online. Ray and I went to Home Depot in Oxnard to purchase said hoe, along…
The Gift of Writing Together
One of the most nourishing parts of my life is the writing groups I participate in. These communities mean a great deal to me. There is some overlap between two of the four groups. Two are free-writing groups based on prompts, with twelve- to twenty-minute writing sessions; one is a critique group; and one is…
My “Baby” Bridegroom: 46 Years Ago Today
Ray and I got married 46 years ago today, when I was 27, and he was 22. Yes, call me a cradle robber if you must. The first photos are of our official wedding, performed by a county judge in Mountain View, Arkansas. We had a tiny wedding with seven people invited, and seven more…
The Comfort of Daily Routines
Another thing I find grounding and nourishing in my life is very simple: the small routines of everyday life. Yes, plain old routines. That means making my bed every morning—not because I enjoy making my bed (I don’t), but because I like how the bedroom looks when it’s made. I also love climbing into a…
The Sweetness of an Ordinary Friday
Today, Ray, Ethan, and I traveled early to our daughter Rachael, son-in-law Andrew, and baby Milo’s house in Covina, where we were later joined by Ethan’s mom and dad, our daughter Liz, and son-in-law Ron. Our original plan was to travel together to South Pasadena and spend the day at our daughter Sarah and son-in-law…
What Nourishes Me: A June Experiment
Hi all, I’ve decided that for the month of June, I’m going to try a new writing approach. I’m going to spend twenty minutes each day focusing on one thing in my life that nourishes me, steadies me, or helps me regain perspective. As a country, we have been walking through a difficult time lately,…
In Memory of a Special Man on the Anniversary of his Death
Today, my niece Kevin sent me a text message: “Visiting a special place today.” Here is the photo she sent: This is the labyrinth at Huntsman Cancer Center in Salt Lake City, which was made possible in part by donations from Kevin’s dad’s friends and family. E. Ray was a special person who had a…
Happy Belated Birthday, Mom
I was thinking about my mother today and the secret things I loved about her. For example, I loved her smell, which was a combination of Oleg Cassini perfume, vo5 hair conditioner, and CoverGirl face powder. Also, I loved her “look.” She always wore slacks, a top, and a jacket no matter if it were…
Processing the Complications of Baby Milo’s Birth
On the day of my little grandson Milo’s birth, the first child of my daughter Rachael and my son-in-law Andrew, I wrote the email below to some dear writing friends of mine. I am posting it here for a few reasons: 1) to have a record of what happened, 2) to remind myself and anyone…
20 Minutes a Day 