Written June, 2002 I sang last Monday night on the main stage at Carnegie Hall. Len Leatherwood from little Bonham, Texas, sang at Carnegie Hall in New York City. How did THAT happen? I am not an exceptional singer. I wish I were, but I’m not. I’m a good singer with a decent soprano voice….
Tag: timed writing
For Barry: Sailing into the Sunset
An old friend of mine died today. Barry Norcross, aged 80, was a faithful parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood; a leader at the Breakfast Club, the homeless feeding program at St. Thomas; and also a seasoned sea-captain. He was over 6 feet tall, slim, with bright blue eyes, handsome features and a regal…
Stumbling Back Upon My Voice
Tonight I was in the bathroom surrounded by tile walls and before I knew it I was singing Joan Baez’s Silver Dagger: “Don’t sing love songs, you’ll wake my mother She’s sleeping here right by my side And in her right hand, a silver dagger She’s says that I can’t be your bride. All men…
The Old Lady Emergeth
Tonight, we are supposed to go out to see my friend Judy’s son perform at a dance club at 11 pm. This is to debut his new album, one which he – Alexander – has been working hard on for a while now. I want to support this boy’s hard work. I want to support…
Lessons from My “Non-Spiritual” Husband
I went to church this morning – leading morning prayer at 7:30 and then attending low mass at 8 am. Ray came with me – always a treat – and we stayed afterwards to chat at coffee hour. Ray will go to the 8 o’clock mass because, as he says, “We get all that church…
Saturday Afternoon in LA
The dogs are barking outside. It is mid-afternoon on a Saturday and the sky is blue. A helicopter just flew by and I can now hear its engine fading as it heads off to the west. Bach’s Brandenburg concerto is playing and Ray is rattling dishes in the kitchen. My fifteen-year-old student, Cameron, is here…
A Call from a Sick Friend
Ray and I were sitting here playing a second game of Scrabble tonight when my cell phone rang. It was Ian, who is our friend and also our priest. It was already 7:45 and he is a notorious early-to-bedder. I was surprised to be getting a call. “Hello,” I said. “Len?” “Hey. What’s happening?” “I’m…
The Death of a Childhood Friend as I Turn 60
I learned today that my childhood friend, Cheryl Hicks, has died of a heart attack, just three weeks before her 60th birthday. I went from first grade through twelfth with Cheryl and spent a good amount of time at her home growing up. I haven’t seen her in a long time, but she is one…
A Miracle Today at the DMV
Today, I learned there really is a God. He shone his glory down upon me the minute I walked into the DMV to renew my driver’s license. Granted I had set up an appointment online for 9:30, but I’ve done that before and still waited 2 hours. Today, I was prepared for the same. I…
A Breakfast Celebration + a Recipe for Ricotta Cheese Waffles
We had a breakfast celebration for Liz today for her birthday. We had ricotta cheese waffles with real maple syrup, turkey sausage, scrambled eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee. The table was set with a tablecloth, napkins and candles. We had a fire burning in the fireplace all at 7: 30 am. We had…
20 Minutes a Day 