Here is one of my favorite pictures of my dad. He is the man holding the microphone, wearing black “Barry Goldwater” glasses. He is above the ring where livestock came in one at a time and were auctioned off to local ranchers and major meat-packing companies, like Hormel or Jimmy Dean. I don’t know the…
Tag: love
For My Late Mom, Whose Birthday is Tomorrow
The year is 1972, the month is February, and this is three days before my father would die from lung cancer. This was our last family photo, commemorating the last time I saw my dad alive since I left later that day to return to Austin, where I was a freshman at the University of…
Then and Now: 50 Memories That Still Shine
Family & Parenting Childhood & Youthful Memories Education & Career Writing & Creativity Music & Singing Faith & Service Adventures & Travel Home, Heritage & Restoration Business & Entrepreneurship Love & Marriage Life’s Challenges & Deep Connections
For My Mother, Higher Education Equaled a Golden Ticket
Whenever one of my older siblings ever said, “Maybe I’ll just stay here—in our rural Texas town—and go to college close by,” my Mom’s reaction was a frown and a quick, “No, you won’t.” This was not said teasingly or with a laugh but rather in a hard-edged tone that left no opening for discussion….
Martin Luther King, Jr’s Wisdom in Our Trouble Times
Over the past two weeks, I have talked with several people dealing with difficult losses. One person has lost his housing and is living at the LA Mission, another has lost her house due to the Altadena fire and is temporarily living in a friend’s guesthouse, another’s elderly mother-in-law unexpectedly died, another’s seemingly healthy younger…
Tribute to My Late Brother Jim on His Birthday Today
Today is my older brother Jim’s birthday. He was born in 1946 and died in 1995 from AIDS. Jim was one of those guys who loved both sailing and flying. He owned a 45-foot ocean-faring sailboat and a Bonanza Beechcraft airplane. He sailed to Hawaii in his sailboat; he flew to Texas, picked up our…
What My Childhood Self Would Think of My Adult Life
What would the child I once was think about the adult I have become? I think she would be happy with much of my life. She would love the orange grove, my children, their partners, and my grandchildren, Luna, Nico, Lyla, and Ethan. Plus, she would think Ray is funny. She would be pleased that I…
Prompt: What Lesson Have You Learned about Love?
The best lesson I’ve learned about love is that the greatest gift I can give another person is to stop whatever I’m doing, really listen to what the other person is saying, and then make the added effort to see the world through that person’s eyes. That is easier said than done, especially if the…
A Few Photos of Our Grandkids & Ron’s Mom
As Ray and I prepare to head to Sicily later this week, it was beyond a treat to have our three South Pasadena grandkids with us for an overnight stay. We also had the pleasure of having Ron’s mother, Cindy, visit at the same time, so we had a full orange grove! Cindy will also…
On Being Married 33 Years
Tomorrow is my 33rd wedding anniversary. Ray and I have somehow managed to be married longer even than my own parents, who made it to 32 years before my dad passed away. That is a strange experience for me – to be married longer than my parents who I always thought had a respectably long…
20 Minutes a Day 