Category Archives: Afternoons of an Author

From F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, “Afternoon of an Author.” Stories and essays, fiction or nonfiction, I created during my long, broad afternoons.

Softly Comes the Snow

December 22, 2023 — Softly comes the snow. The purity of the white is centering. Snow falling is quiet, peaceful. Snowflakes alight briefly in flurries or waltz in endless patterns bending, swirling, reaching and touching everything all the dull gray day … Read more »

Nights at the Round Table — Revisited, and why not…?

Wednesday, April 8, 2020–I just finished offering my Dementia Caregiving Journal ebooks for free for a week on Amazon–“Begins the Night Music, Volume I” (April 8-12) and “To What Green Altar, Volume II” (April 13-17). I’m also in the process … Read more »

Snow Comes Softly

December 2019—Yesterday came cold and blustery. Flurries of Christmas shoppers arrived at the store where I work, and I felt good to be out among the people and greet them. Children, their animation electrified, anticipated Santa Claus’s coming to town. … Read more »

The Scheherazade Chronicles

“… the gap between compassion and surrender is love’s darkest, deepest region.” –Orhan Pamuk, The Museum of Innocence Once upon a time in the faraway land of my childhood, my mother held me on her lap in the rocking chair … Read more »

CXXXVI. Snow Comes Softly

Monday, February 11, 2019 —Yesterday came cold and blustery. Flurries of  shoppers arrived at the store where I work, and I felt good to be out among the people and greet them. Children, their animation electrified, anticipated the coming storm. It … Read more »

The Scheherazade Chronicles

“… the gap between compassion and surrender is love’s darkest, deepest region.” –Orhan Pamuk, The Museum of Innocence Once upon a time in the faraway land of my childhood, my mother held me on her lap in the rocking chair … Read more »

No Membership, Nor Shoes and Shirt, Required

You do not have to become a member to access and read my blog.  You may have received a message in the last day or two stating The content you are trying to access is only available to members. Sorry.  … Read more »

Blog Cascade

Thank you, Susan Scott for inviting me to take up the baton in this blog cascade whereby we introduce and reveal ourselves to the wider world. I am honored to accept Susan’s invitation because of who she is, not only … Read more »

Liebster Nominations

      Thank you, T.J. Banks (http://tjbanks927.blogspot.com/) for nominating “The Scheherazade Chronicles”! I am pleased to announce that I have won an award for this blog.  After receiving the Liebster Award, my good friend and author T.J. Banks of … Read more »

A Conversation with Samantha Mozart

I catch up with author Samantha Mozart in the cupola of her blog. She is vacuuming the worn, red Persian rug spanning the center of the wood floor. Its caravansary patterns rise in humps as she pulls the vacuum and … Read more »

Blue Deer Writers Workshops

December 2013 — I will lead a weekly series of eight two-hour Blue Deer Writers Workshops in my home beginning in January 2014. Later, I will begin leading online workshops. The Blue Deer Writers Workshops are designed to free you … Read more »

THE SEBASTIAN QUARTET

SEBASTIAN’S FLIGHT Part 1 — The Folly August 18, 2013—The church bells were ringing as I entered my blog this Sunday morning. I came upon Moriarty in the back kitchen sweeping up the spam. [My “Sebastian Quartet” comes with a … Read more »

The Butterfly

Emma passed away on April 11 one year ago. With thoughts of her and wishing her a continued safe journey, I repost “The Butterfly” here. Monday, April 23, 2012 — Today the dogwood tree outside my window blossoms, a mantle of … Read more »

What If Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner…?

An 18th Century Christmas in Odessa What if Mary Randolph, her cousin Thomas Jefferson, Jane Austen and Mr. Darcy all gathered round your holiday table for a hearth cooked meal. Now there’s a romantic notion. I daresay the conversation would … Read more »

I’m New in Town

NAPLES, Fla., Winter 1995––I’m new in town and I haven’t adjusted to being here, yet. It’s hard to adjust to living anywhere else when you’ve lived in Los Angeles for any length of time, I think. I lived in L.A. … Read more »