Tonight I read my online students’ Week Two flash stories/memoirs and I literally was sitting at my computer crying. The class is tiny – three woman – a perfect size, really, for a class. They are sharing such deeply personal and painful stories with such grace and beauty, I might have to go upstairs and…
Tag: writing discipline
A Lazy Sunday and Rachael’s Lunch Celebration
I am sitting in the living room with Liz. She is studying for the bar exam and I am here on my computer writing my blog. In the den, Ray, Rachael and Keara (Rachael’s roommate) are watching the movie Bernie, which I have already seen twice. (I highly recommend it, by the way.) Sarah and…
Ray’s Birthday and Chai Cupcakes: Yum
Today we had Ray’s birthday celebration. It was just the family: Ray, Sarah, Gregorio, Liz, Ron, Rachael, and me. I cooked Ray’s favorite meal: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salad, homemade bread (from Sarah) and two kinds of cakes: chocolate with butter cream frosting and chai. We had lots of fun and ate and ate…
4 Star Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Monday is Ray’s birthday, but since our children are all busy on a weekday, we’ll have our family celebration tomorrow. This afternoon I am making a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting per Ray’s request and I thought I’d share the recipe. This is from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible, a book I would highly…
Mock Trial at Southwestern Law School
Today Ray and I went with Liz and her boyfriend, Ron, to Southwestern Law School near downtown where we played the role of two characters in a mock trial that they were participating in. This was the culmination of their class, and Liz and Ron were the defense team for a man played by Ray…
My Old Student and His Ambitions
Today I had a treat. My student, Shaun, came to see me for the first time in three years. He is a junior at Boston University and is home for spring break. He called me a few days ago and started his conversation with, “Len, this is Shaun. Shaun Herzig. Do you remember me?” Now…
Happy News Today
Today, one of my students who is now a junior at Boston University called out of the blue, told me he was on spring break, and made a request that brightened my heart: “Could I come over and write with you this week?” My answer: “Well, of course you can.” Shaun is a boy who…
What to Wear?
Today I have tried on my three “nice” outfits, attempting to figure out which one might be right for a “dressy chic” event on Wednesday evening. A friend of mine is being honored at her temple where she will receive the Humanitarian Award. If ever there was a person who deserved it, it is this…
LA Phil: The Gospel According to the Other Mary
We went to the LA Phil today to see the staged version of John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary. This comes just before Easter so it’s especially timely since it chronicles Jesus’s life from the raising of Lazarus to Jesus’s own death and resurrection. The music was composed by John Adams and…
Drive-ins and Being Sixteen Again
The drive-in theater in Bonham, Texas is a place I spent more than a few Friday nights in my teenage years. Yes, I was there with my boyfriend, Sam, and I would be less than honest if I said that we ever saw more than half of any movie. There was something so private –…
20 Minutes a Day 