tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-107592902012-02-16T20:41:59.247-08:00Memoirs, stories and more on house and home, motherhood, childhood, single life, married life, growing up, growing old and the whole shebang.Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.comBlogger821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-52602672862889212812011-04-20T15:18:00.000-07:002011-04-20T16:00:39.673-07:00

Every Wednesday we have caravan where we tour properties listed by our fellow realtors. The most popular properties are the ones where lunch is served or some realtors do a drawing to win cash or a gift card. It's a great way to see what's new on the market and to stay current. And it's always fun to visit with one's peers! Today I visited a new listing in the Chambord tract in Oak Park. Oak

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-18519133965346003292010-02-05T14:26:00.000-08:002010-02-05T14:39:39.720-08:00

Mum (Enid Maude Hayden) was born in 1925; a teenager in World War II. This picture was taken before she started coloring her hair. At sixteen worked as a "clippie" on the double-decker buses in London. Running up and down the bus stairs, punching tickets. She used to tell her brothers, Robin and Peter (Don was away at the war) "Whose got the best legs on the street and why have I" Running up and

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-61821009753756820862010-02-01T15:48:00.000-08:002010-02-01T15:48:47.220-08:00

Immaculate Oak Park Home with Pool - Oak Park, California 91377

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-47953838929325912312010-01-30T09:06:00.000-08:002010-01-30T09:21:26.802-08:00

This is the man that stole my mother's heart. A pretty dashing example of "the greatest generation" in his prime. My mother brought a friend along on their first date because he had a reputation for being a cad - that's "player" in today's lingo - and she was trying to put him off. Rather than being put off, my dad charmed the friend as well sealing the deal. He was always a dazzling dancer and

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-33610951097415875182010-01-29T16:12:00.001-08:002010-01-29T16:25:00.979-08:00

Judging by the short bleached blonde hair, the Mexican peasant blouse I'm wearing (I'm the one in the middle)and the lovely couch my parents and I are sitting on, I'm going to say 1974. I recognize the hair cut from a picture of me in Vegas on my 21st birthday and I turned 21 in 1974. Which makes my mum, the babe on the left 49! She was pretty, wasn't she? My dad was 10 years older. When they met

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-41304758363256052352010-01-28T23:23:00.000-08:002010-01-28T23:26:03.137-08:00

Mark went out and bought a new fax, copier, scanner, printer and i can't wait to go through some of our old family albums and post some pictures of mum. It's hard to tell if you saw her in the blogpost a few days ago, but she was a very attractive woman. So watch this space!

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-72622497642059777072010-01-25T07:43:00.000-08:002010-01-25T08:10:57.813-08:00

"Hi Enid" I said, calling her by her first name. Sometimes when I called her Mum, she would look at me with confused eyes, as if to ask, "Why are you calling ME Mum? I'm not sure I know you," she seemed to say "But if I do, it's not as a daughter. That's for sure!" Today, my softly whispered "Hi Enid" got nothing but a blank look. I tried again "Hi Mum. It's me, Sim." Her expression didn't change

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-49954209919135272092010-01-24T20:14:00.000-08:002010-01-24T21:08:56.994-08:00

I went to see my mum today. It's been awhile. There was no one in the lobby so I signed in and went down the hallway scanning the doors for her name. Lots of elderly and infirm folks wandering the hallways in wheelchairs and walkers. Plenty of nurses in their greens pushing carts and carrying clipboards. But no mum. She wasn't in her room, just the silver framed picture of my dad and another one

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1141027436313938882010-01-24T00:02:00.000-08:002010-01-24T22:30:44.996-08:00

I decided it's time to repost some of my stories.This story which I wrote after my father's death was first published in SKYLARK, Purdue University's literary journal. Last Dance Shannon squeezed some Lubriderm into her palm and took her father’s foot with its familiar high and bony arch in her other hand. She felt its weight slip into place, her fingers curling comfortably around the misshapen

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109279525390919032010-01-23T18:28:00.000-08:002010-01-24T22:27:12.212-08:00

I'm reposting this piece because it seems to resonate with people. We all have times, places and people that are gone now and I think we like to share our memories of them so, if only for the briefest moment,we can return to those sweet times and places. This memoir, BEACH MUSIC, was published in the LA Times Sunday Magazine when Alice Short was still at the helm. And to Jason, who wrote and told

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-79650458946781420122009-12-27T15:53:00.001-08:002009-12-27T15:59:23.795-08:00

Two days since Christmas and I am still in holiday mode. NO! I did not get up early on December 26th and hustle to the Oaks in Thousand Oaks even though, yep, the blouse my sister bought me was in fact too large.Got a new Flip camcorder from my husband. It's flippin fantastic and I can't wait to start shooting the family and beautiful Oak Park and more.

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1119631910266351262009-12-20T18:23:00.000-08:002010-01-24T22:32:37.974-08:00

Here's my memoir about coming of age in Niagara Falls, Canada in the 60's.It’s daunting to move into a new house and make it yours. A never before lived in house seems more than new as it stands before you, untouched, immaculate, strangely virginal. The difference between new and brand new can be an almost empty hollow feeling. No ghosts live within those walls. No child’s smudged fingerprints

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-18454228817803725452009-12-15T21:50:00.001-08:002009-12-15T21:50:33.752-08:00

"It's an eco-friendly chandelier. They call it Lawn Sprinkler. Isn't it fabulous? "Chandelier. Search for similar Chandeliers. Search for local showrooms where you can see Chandeliers. lawn sprinkler from Water Pressure Lighting [Artisan, Bauhaus, Bulbs, Cable, Contemporary, Crystal, Energy efficient, Environmentally GreeView >>

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-68024355896700575532009-12-05T11:39:00.000-08:002009-12-05T11:44:39.945-08:00

Wow! Has it ever been awhile! The last time I blogged I was totally focused on my writing - which of course, I'd love you to read - but time has changed and these days I'm proud to share the fact that I'm a realtor serving the communities of Oak Park, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and the surrounding areas. That means if you're looking to buy or sell a home in Calabasas, West Hills, Malibu,

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1111640469637124072009-10-10T18:23:00.000-07:002010-01-24T22:34:13.814-08:00

This piece is about Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga canyon, where they run a "Shakespearian" Summer Drama Camp for kids. To learn more about Theatricum Botanicum, click on the title."Registration for drama camp?" a young, black guy asks with a smile.I nod."Over the bridge to the main stage."Over the bridge is a handwritten sign taped to an old post. Camp Registration is scrawledquite imperfectly

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-36619667267071855642009-05-24T22:43:00.000-07:002010-01-24T22:46:23.029-08:00

An expanded form of this story was published in the South Bay Reader in Torrance, California almost a dozen years ago. I remember it won an Honorable Mention in some sort of writing contest the paper was running.I think I entered it as a short story but it's really memoir.When I was five years old we lived in Tripoli, Lybia just outside Wheelus Air Force Base. We weren't military, we weren't even

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1142141217855240082006-03-11T21:26:00.000-08:002006-03-11T21:28:46.463-08:00

Just had to pass this on.A. For those with no children - this is totally hysterical!B. For those who already have children past this age, this is Hilarious.C. For those who have children this age, this is not funny.D. For those who have children nearing this age, this is a warning.E. For those who have not yet had children, this is birth control.The following came from an anonymous Mother in

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1141202473661281372006-03-01T00:39:00.000-08:002006-03-01T00:41:13.660-08:00

For the record still no thank you from Ellen. Hmmm. That's all I wanted to say.

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1140553942395953062006-02-21T12:30:00.000-08:002006-02-21T12:36:56.710-08:00

You may have read on this blog that I bought Ellen a present when I went to see her show. It was before her birthday so it was more of a hostess gift. When you give Ellen a present you have to sign it in, describe it and give your name and address. I figured they inventoried everything so Ellen - or her people - could send out thank you cards. Well, I'm not counting and I still love Ellen but

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1140507008246652752006-02-20T23:23:00.000-08:002006-02-20T23:30:08.263-08:00

I've been so busy I haven't really watched Ellen lately! Also the time change with the Olympics is a bit of a problem; I'm still in writing mode. Russell is just home from school and wanting to check his emails and ims and my space and all that kid stuff. God, they love their technology! It's so funny when he's online with the i-tunes going and instant messaging 3 people at once and then

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1139207670938309042006-02-05T22:31:00.000-08:002006-02-05T22:34:30.953-08:00

If you go to see Ellen be prepared to dance. And I don't mean just for the part when she dances thru the audience. They will have you dance before she comes out and during every single commercial break for the entire time. This is supposed to keep you up and peppy but sometimes it's just hard work. You know how out of breath Ellen is after her dance? Sheesh, the audience gets crazy out of breath.

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1137552038045553972006-01-17T17:54:00.000-08:002006-01-17T18:40:38.066-08:00

If you read my last post, here's more of what happened when my friend Laura and I went to the Ellen Degeneres show. So this cute guy coming toward us turned out to be an AD (assistant director) named Andy. He wanted Laura and I to play Kazoo on the hiddent talent segment. I don't know how many people put down a hidden talent but he selected a group of 15 or so."I don't know if we can clear I AM

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1137296375868830302006-01-14T19:13:00.000-08:002006-01-14T19:39:37.043-08:00

I hope my anonymous reader sees this before she goes to the Ellen show. Here's what happened when my friend laura and I went. I picked her up at her home in Topanga at 10am knowing that would get us to NBC in Burbank in plenty of time since they specifically say on the letter they send you that YOU CAN"T LINE UP BEFORE 11AM!!!! So I turn from Alameda onto Bob Hope Drive, it's about 3 minutes to

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1136452637446348002006-01-05T01:13:00.000-08:002006-01-05T01:17:17.470-08:00

The Ellen Degeneres show is tomorrow. Get this: showtime is 3pm but we have to line up at 11am if we want to have a chance at getting in. Which means I have to leave here at 9ish to pick Laura up at 9:45 in Topanga then head down to Burbank.I ordered a present - it's a hostess gift - which I s;pent another $10 on really cool wrapping for. Tomorrow. TOmorrow. We'll see Ellen tomorrow and I can't

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1136265367837905482006-01-02T21:12:00.000-08:002006-01-02T21:16:07.853-08:00

Monday Tuesday and Wednesday and then it's time for the Ellen show!!! It's her birthday at the end of January so I thought it would be fun to get her a little present. I found a little stuffed blackbird, part of the Audubon society collection. It sort of sounds like she does when she says "Ka" "Ka" when the audience greets her. Truthfully my little stuffed blackbird sounds more like caw, caw but

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1133595549672792062005-12-02T23:36:00.000-08:002005-12-02T23:39:09.686-08:00

I've got 'em. Tickets for the EllenDeGeneres show!!!! Well, actually, I don't but at least I've been able to request them! i picked a date in January while i'm still off work for winter break. i can't wait. Now I just hope I get them.

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1114064470381108652005-09-22T18:23:00.001-07:002005-09-22T18:31:28.946-07:00

Here's my story The Boy With the Beer, formerly Octoberquest. . I'm reposting it here in its entirety.Down on the Cambridge streets the puddles were swelling in the half light of late afternoon.Even the rain sounded too depressed to pour as it splashed halfheartedly in the drainpipes and slashed drearily against the dormer window of the B&B. Kay figured it was pretty unlikely that the gray clouds

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1111211602672629372005-09-22T18:22:00.001-07:002005-09-22T18:24:36.126-07:00

An expanded form of this story was published in the South Bay Reader in Torrance, California almost a dozen years ago. I remember it won an Honorable Mention in some sort of writing contest the paper was running.I think I entered it as a short story but it's really memoir.When I was five years old we lived in Tripoli, Lybia just outside Wheelus Air Force Base. We weren't military, we weren't even

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1112765425559908462005-09-22T18:22:00.000-07:002005-09-22T18:20:33.976-07:00

After 10 postings, here is my short story How Men Are, in its entirety, from start to finish.Please let me know what you think.They carried sunshine with them; sand filtering out the bottom Of their woven bags from Guatemala, the smell of Coppertone in the air.Linda and Marissa went to the beach almost every day that summer, the summer they were seventeen. They'd walk down Wilshire in cut-offs

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1110009416701221892005-09-22T18:20:00.001-07:002006-02-26T23:59:37.773-08:00

I decided it's time to repost some of my stories.This story which I wrote after my father's death was first published in SKYLARK, Purdue University's literary journal. Last Dance Shannon squeezed some Lubriderm into her palm and took her father’s foot with its familiar high and bony arch in her other hand. She felt its weight slip into place, her fingers curling comfortably around the misshapen

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1121108950762243882005-09-22T18:20:00.000-07:002005-09-22T18:32:53.086-07:00

Sam had arrived in January, along with her parents, her brother and younger sister. They were all as white as the Canadian winter they'd left. The trees in Niagara Falls had been bathed in ice, everything was white, even the sky, as if blue had flown south for the winter.They flew south too, into the blue. When the stewardess flung open the cabin door they'd been the first down the stairway onto

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1108107346949286002005-09-22T18:19:00.001-07:002005-09-22T18:26:18.563-07:00

Originally published in Children magazine."What I like doing best," said Christopher Robin, "is doing nothing""How do you do nothing?" asked Pooh after he had wondered for a long time."Well, it's when people call out at you just as you're going off to do it, 'What are you going to do Christopher Robin?' and you say "Oh nothing' and then you go and do it""Oh, I see," said Pooh."This a nothing sort

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1108088062747328772005-09-22T18:19:00.000-07:002005-09-22T18:22:35.710-07:00

Article originally appeared in the Daily Breeze.I'm not a single mother but sometimes I feel like one.My husband works in the film business. If you're thinking screenings, A-list parties and hobnobbing with the stars, think again. Think 16 hour workdays, dinners without Dad, two minute sound bytes that have to pass for conversation and late-night, long-distance phone calls from a burned-out

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109492850106480652005-09-22T18:18:00.000-07:002005-09-22T18:27:27.880-07:00

a memoir I'm republishing this story because it's so timely this Easter season.The coleus under Bob and Helen’s front porch window are looking a little scraggly, nothing but tall leggy stems bending in their bed of dry cracked earth. I think how the gardener wouldn’t let them go like that if Bob hadn’t been so sick. If he’d been up and around those plants would be standing tall, their leaves firm

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109147295330672122005-09-22T18:17:00.000-07:002005-09-22T18:25:36.440-07:00

Can you believe that schools give report cards in kindergarten? It's sad, how much pressure we put on our little ones. This link will take you to Parentsknow.com where you can read a piece I originally wrote about the subject for Parents magazine. It's online now for a series of regional parenting mags. Wonder if I sold them the reprint rights? Note to self: email editor and see if I got paid!

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1125768766776604102005-09-03T10:20:00.000-07:002005-09-03T10:32:46.816-07:00

Like many of you, I've been glued to the screen horrified and saddened by the aftermath of Katrina. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, the pure breadth and scope of the damage, the near complete destruction of New Orleans and the area along the Gulf coast, the thousands and thousands of dislocated people. And while I watched people being airlifted out of rooftops, I couldn't figure out why the

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1124385627392413832005-08-18T09:59:00.000-07:002005-08-18T10:20:27.396-07:00

Feelin' groovy because I'm in that brief period where nothing is due, everything that's been turned in is looking good and the editor at the magazine is looking to me for future work, talking about pieces for October and November. Such a great feeling. The only cloud is that it's back to school time in 2 weeks and that means back to school for me as well. I enjoy the work but wish I could

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1123863728877452842005-08-12T09:10:00.000-07:002005-08-12T09:22:08.886-07:00

My best friend called me the night before last, telling me her client who is a lifestyle editor for a small Southern California newspaper, was short a couple of writers, was swamped and feeling totally overwhelmed. Not so overwhelmed that she didn't take her hour and a half for an acupuncture treatment with my friend however. Laura told her about me and that I was available for freelance work. I

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1123517224871388652005-08-08T08:58:00.000-07:002005-08-08T09:07:05.113-07:00

MEGA sigh of relief! My editor was out of town AND working on another story. She emailed me Sunday evening saying she loved the piece AND also that she wanted me to make an addition. The lesson is when I breathe and don't let my fears do the driving everything will be okay. Not amazing, maybe but okay. It's not like she wrote back that the piece was awesome, the most magnificent magazine article

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1123436964968470602005-08-07T10:37:00.000-07:002005-08-07T10:49:24.973-07:00

I turned in a 1500 word article requested by my editor on Friday. It wasn't actually due until today. But I've heard zilch back and am getting pretty nervous. Does she hate it? She likes my work, uses me consistently so I KNOW she feels I'm a good writer but does she hate it? It is a nerve wracking time and other considerations such as - it's the weekend, she has a life, or even if she doesn't

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1123386670585190782005-08-06T20:50:00.000-07:002005-08-06T20:51:10.590-07:00

WOW! I guess my son disliked the collar so much, he's decided he can handle his own neck problem. And, guess what, it's gone, gone, gone. I'm celebrating!

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1123131798192613592005-08-03T21:50:00.000-07:002005-08-03T22:04:13.800-07:00

I took my son to see an orthopedic specialist today. It was his idea. He told me his neck and wrists get stiff and he has to roll them to uncrook them. And that he's been doing it more and more. We went to this specialist who took exrays and after over $600 worth of whatever (our share was just under $50 - thank you, God, for insurance!) said he could find nothing wrong and that he might have

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1122827938102636522005-07-31T09:23:00.000-07:002005-07-31T09:38:58.110-07:00

I always seem to dry up after posting a long story like How to Kiss. It takes me awhile to want to come back, to think about fingertips tapping on keys. But this time it's not just my reluctance that's kept me away, it's my son hogging the computer. His is down and so we compete for keyboard time. I'm researching and writing for the magazine, plodding along in my middle aged efficient computer

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1119682606100200372005-07-10T05:50:00.000-07:002005-08-12T09:26:21.676-07:00

It really bugs me that I can't permanently list all my stories on this main page. I know there's a way to do it. I just don't know what that way is! And, besides my day to day ramblings and the current story I'm posting, I have some published memoirs and short stories which I'd love you to read. But how can you when you can't even see the titles? They're all there, buried in the archives if you

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1120939531323609532005-07-09T13:02:00.000-07:002005-07-09T13:05:31.326-07:00

And another thing... do you hate it when you go cruising along the "Next blog" button, merrily browsing blogs along the way, a little Spanish here, a little British blog there and suddenly wham, you're stopped by one of those blogs with no little "Next blog" button in the upper right corner. Usually it's accompanied by bizarre girlish singing sounds and anime drawings but there's no way to go

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1120937278588516952005-07-09T12:11:00.000-07:002005-07-09T12:27:58.596-07:00

I will not blog of Rob and TomI will not, will not, so succumbIt's cheap. It's tawdry. And do you careIf they see each other sans underwear?So what if Katie is getting 8 millFor a love life that's totally nill?Who are these people? And who are we?Gawking and talking endlessly?I will not blog of Rob and TomI will not, will not, so succumb.

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1120550494734555622005-07-09T01:00:00.000-07:002005-08-08T09:14:13.056-07:00

To read the whole thing go to Of Brasso and Brownies in the June Archives (Friday, June 24)In the eighth grade, a high school boy named Laurie moved in across the street. He was from the states which immediately heightened his appeal. The first boy in our neighborhood to wear shirts with patterns other than stripes or checks, he made Randy look like a kid. We'd talk on the corner after supper,

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1119760390338596482005-06-25T21:33:00.000-07:002005-06-26T17:20:44.710-07:00

You have to check out this guy's stuff. It's beautiful. He calls his blog Portfolio and himself romeowriter and he strikes such a sensual, romantic chord. Very lush. Click on Portfolio to check it out. Here's something I found in his Feb archives.ReunionTree on an empty sidewalk. Girl sitting on the front steps in front of a brownstone. Winter breeze and an empty sky. She squints and stares

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1119663084688425172005-06-24T17:57:00.000-07:002005-06-24T19:00:14.746-07:00

I was reminded of this piece of personal history by reading an interesting blog written by Running42K in his Musings about Middle Age blog . You can click on the title to visit his blog. Before I continue posting of Brasso and Brownies, I think my s tory bears repeating.Once up0n a time, back when I was a tour guide at Universal Studios in Hollywood, I went on a date with one of the studio tour

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1119593009170151972005-06-23T22:53:00.000-07:002005-06-24T09:58:35.640-07:00

It has been ages between postings because I was swept up with my son, Russell's acting career. At 12, he just completed his first short film, White Picket Fence. The thrill of it was that it was shot in Ojai so technically that counts as location. They put us up, took the whole cast and crew for dinner every night, did everything but pay! It was a SAG deferred short, meaning no $ but lots of

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1118813769002043452005-06-14T22:28:00.000-07:002005-06-14T22:37:03.373-07:00

My husband called me on the phone about an hour after the Michael Jackson verdict came in. His call coincided with the arrival of our 12 year old so, Russell, home from school."Hello" my husband said, his voice high and breathless, a Michael Jackson clone , "Can Russell come out and play?"At least he made me laugh. Up to then I was just sickened by it all.How bizarre to think that some of the

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1118460977766274922005-06-10T20:18:00.000-07:002005-06-10T20:36:17.783-07:00

Who isn't talking about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes? Real love? Publicity stunt? Cover for one of the star's true sexual proclivities? Apparently at the after party for War of the Worlds - or was it Batman Begins, hmmm- they were making out like mad. You know the kind of making out you do when you're young (that's young, Tom) and you're insanely hot, hot, hot for the other person. You can't stop

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1118100647033045082005-06-06T16:27:00.000-07:002005-06-06T16:30:47.040-07:00

Here's a little something between stories. Courtesy of Barbara Morse - who found it online, I'm sure! - it's a list of New Year's Resolutions for Internet Junkies. No it's not really the new year but as they say, there's no time like the present... plus, it's content, baby!Resolutions for Internet Junkies... I will try to figure out why I *really* need 9 e-mail addresses. I will stop sending

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1117997047896103202005-06-05T10:52:00.000-07:002005-06-05T11:44:10.380-07:00

If you've read my entry "The Night I met Jane Fonda" you know that my best friend's mom, Corky, served on the jury in the Daniel Ellsberg trial back in the 70's. It was a huge trial and just as thronged as the Michael Jackson case with people trying to get into the courtroom. Laura and I went down to the court in downtown Los Angeles with her mom several times hoping to get it. We made it once

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1117694428365634142005-06-02T12:02:00.000-07:002005-06-01T23:54:18.950-07:00

Seeing Jane Fonda on the Letterman showlast night, talking about her book "My Life So Far" reminded me that I met Jane Fonda on an unbelievable night back in June of 1973. It was a momentous occasion - the day that the case against Daniel Ellsberg was declared a mistrial and the charges against him were dismissed.My best friends mother had served on the jury and like all the jurors was invited to

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113976377314495552005-04-11T22:39:00.000-07:002005-06-01T23:03:39.580-07:00

I'm excited because after waiting in line for over an hour at the Robinsons-May in Thousand Oaks, I got tickets to most of the things my friend Jackie and I wanted to see at the upcoming LA TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS. What I'm really looking forward to is the panel on Creative non-fiction being led by Kit Rachlis of Los Angeles magazine. I've submitted to him in the past once or twice -

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113284309063041762005-04-11T22:36:00.000-07:002005-04-13T19:04:51.456-07:00

a continuation of my short story. You might say it's a love story. Or maybe not.Go to archives to read my other short stories and essays."Let's go in the back," he reached for her hand.He had an old mattress with a madras bedspread on the floor. Marissa wondered how many other girls had gone back there with him and if he ever washed it."I can't," Marissa said. She knew Linda-would. Likewise his

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1111467463128892092005-04-11T20:52:00.000-07:002005-06-06T08:12:28.923-07:00

1) So how come they're not on the postcard?Most of us picture palm trees when we think of L.A., but the coral tree, not the palm, is the official tree of our city. Sometimes called Tiger Claws, the coral trees found along the median strip of San Vicente Blvd in Brentwood, that stretch of the boulevard from 26th Street to Brigham Avenue where everyone on the Westside runs, are actually designated

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113320869457453262005-04-11T20:46:00.000-07:002005-04-13T19:30:03.436-07:00

A continuation of my short story - a sort of love story.It was awful to know he wasn't going to call but wishing and waiting anyway, like in that stupid BrendaVaccaro song. She went to the beach with Linda almost daily and tried to pretend she didn't care. But she did. Marissa kept her watch in her beach bag so it didn't make a tan line and whenever Linda turned away she'd steal a look at the

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113758795594199452005-04-11T10:09:00.000-07:002005-06-01T23:04:05.786-07:00

After posting my short story "How Men Are" for so many days I just had to take a break. I needed to pause and refresh and rejuvenate. And I wonder, don't you wonder?, who reads my blog and why. Not my friends. I haven't even told them I have a blog because I wanted to be free to say what I like. Plus, since I'm publishing my own short stories and essays here, which is, let's be honest, a tad

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113233014380850502005-04-11T08:21:00.000-07:002005-04-13T19:01:32.416-07:00

A continuation of my short story that I'm posting in pieces. It's a love story of sorts. Go to archives to read my other short stories and essays. "No wonder Tony hasn’t called you since you went to Denny’s” Linda snorted.“It was true Marissa hadn't heard from him in awhile. Since they'd gone out for coffee and parked down at the beach afterward. They'd sat in the van facing the water even though

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113443643988679632005-04-10T18:48:00.000-07:002005-04-13T21:31:57.333-07:00

A continuation of my short story- a love story of sorts.When Tony finally did call a week before Labor Day Marissa forced herself to wait until they got to the beach and had their towels laid out perfectly with the cigarette pack and Bic lighter ready before she told Linda."Tony called.""Really?""What, you don't believe me?""Of course I do. What did he say?""You sound surprised.""No, honestly.I

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113096496449917322005-04-09T18:26:00.000-07:002005-04-13T19:07:42.116-07:00

A continuation of my short story that I'm posting in pieces. "I met a lot of good people," he said. Just like that. He was going to school nights on the GI Bill. That semester he was taking witchcraft and jewelry making at West L.A. City College. He pulled a red plastic mold and a hunk of gold the size of her thumb out of the glove compartment. He was planning on making it into a ring.Tony said

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1114969529105704692005-04-09T10:40:00.000-07:002005-06-01T23:06:07.326-07:00

I've had an incredibly busy and frustrating week. I've taken my son on two auditions and after driving for 2 hours not auditioning because 1) was a cattle call. There were at least 25 to 30 boys ahead of him. What a waste of time - time we didn't have. We turned around and went home.2) I got lost and then lost the address so even though I knew i was in the right general area we couldn't find the

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113027967847308722005-04-08T23:25:00.000-07:002005-04-13T19:09:34.803-07:00

This is the latest installment of the short story I'm blogging in pieces. I guess you could call it a love story.Marissa consoled herself with the fact that she had Tony. Tony was cool. He was 23 and had been to Nam."I enlisted," he told her when Marissa asked how someone so cool could have ended up in the service. "All my buddies got drafted so I signed up." He shrugged, like what could you do?

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1113000463227501732005-04-08T15:47:00.000-07:002005-04-13T19:12:12.040-07:00

"Idiots. The world is full of idiots, girls.""Right on, Dad" Roger said with his stupid grin. "I was just telling the girls the very same thing. It's amazing the number of idiots there are in this world. Truly amazing. "Her father reached for the serving spoon. "So, what haute cuisine did your mother boil us up for dinner tonight?" Their poor mother didn't know she was a lousy cook any more than

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1112856560680822272005-04-07T00:47:00.000-07:002005-04-13T19:16:58.093-07:00

Their father was in the living room portion of their L-shaped living room/dining room, sitting at his desk phoning leads. He could come to the table any minute because his business calls never lasted that long. Most people said 'not interested' and hung up without even saying good-bye. Marissa hated the way he sat at that desk every day, fully dressed in a suit and tie even though he wasn't doing

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1112825996800049482005-04-06T15:18:00.000-07:002005-04-13T19:18:41.106-07:00

The girls had their own spot at the beach where the sand stretched for ages. Even in summer it was almost always empty. A few strange solitary types dotted the sand, men mostly, the kind that wore socks with brown sandals and shorts that were a tad too short. They'd come to the beach without towels and sit on their shirts like it wasn't a totally un-cool thing to do. No wonder they were alone.

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1112652338849250162005-03-21T14:55:00.000-08:002005-04-11T22:43:17.013-07:00

My interview with Jane Wells, the broadcast journalist who covers business news at MSNBC came out in the April issue of 805Living. For those of you unfamiliar with the magazine, it was just nominated for a Maggy for best overall design which is pretty nifty to say the least. It's published in Westlake Village, California for the communities of the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas. Basically,

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1110957351626295032005-03-18T23:14:00.000-08:002005-04-04T15:28:47.983-07:00

I was a copywriter at Max Factor for about five years back in the eighties. I came up with shade names, wrote package copy and created names for products too. Here, a piece inspired by that work.Maybe you’ve never heard of me but I’m the one you listen to in your heart of hearts. I’m the one who tells you how to be.I’m the cosmetic copy writer. Maybe I named your lipstick or told you exactly how

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1111181995006043952005-03-18T13:30:00.000-08:002005-03-18T13:39:55.010-08:00

I promised a few ideas to celebrate the coming of spring ... here are a few that look good to me.Hop on over to the Los Angeles Zoo for Big Bunny's Spring Fling running April 25-27th. This annual event features a slew of fun activities — pet a fuzzy bunny, plant your own carrot, have your face painted, make a be-a-bunny craft, have your photo taken with Big Bunny and enjoy children's musical

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1111127988618430952005-03-17T22:39:00.000-08:002005-03-17T22:39:48.620-08:00

It must be Spring. The leaves that fell from the tree last fall and landed on the patio have been rained on and rerained on so many times they’ve formed a rich carpet of mulch on the cement that only a shovel will be able to remove. The umbrella that was hanging from the front hall chair has been put away deep in the closet and the empty planter swinging from the shepherd’s hook just beyond our

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1110871436643622682005-03-14T23:07:00.001-08:002005-03-14T23:26:50.963-08:00

Enough about my stories. I'm sick of my writing. What I'm not sick of is the writing of Khaled Hosseini. I am only 1/4th of the way into The Kite Runner, an exquisite book by Hosseini that is part fiction and part anthropology lesson. Set in Afghanistan, a country whose name formerly conjured up not much more than a rocky barren landscape with sheeted blurs for people -- those people,now one sees

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109630008774746552005-02-25T14:24:00.000-08:002005-04-13T23:13:55.606-07:00

I've been writing up events for the April 2005 edition of 805Living magazine and I came across the fact that Santa Barbara author, T.C. Boyle, will be reading his own story Chicxulub at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara on April 18. I was even told he's one of the few writers who actually does a superb job at this. Which lead me to look the story up and give it a read. It's the kind of thing

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1108893041394700042005-02-23T22:30:00.000-08:002005-02-23T23:51:55.023-08:00

These are the thirtyfour ( I recounted and found I'd overdone it the first time)places where I’ve lived in … in order of appearance.17 cities, 7 countries, 3 continents. Maybe I'm crazy but I think that's an awful lot of places to have lived in. How about you? I'd love to hear from you about the number and names of places where you've spent a month or a year or a decade of your life too.1. 11

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109143224411333212005-02-22T23:05:00.003-08:002005-02-22T23:32:12.150-08:00

Blogging along and feeling groovy when I'm suddenly struck with a nasty case of perfectionism.Shouldn't blogging - like an old fashioned diary - be free-form, stream of conscious, loosey-goosey, yeah- that's what I'm talkin' about!? Yet I'm weighted down by some inate writer's tendency to hone and shape and craft and revise the hell out of any and all posts. Shitty first drafts, be gone! I log in

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109058778073419822005-02-21T23:46:00.000-08:002005-02-22T17:07:47.226-08:00

Speak of the devil, here's Bernard Cooper on Swinkmag.com doing what he does best, in this mini-memoir of a piece called Make It Good. Come to think of it, Bernard Cooper was doing personal essays so long, long ago...back in the day when english teachers and editors all said stay away from "I".I remember reading "Maps to Anywhere" and recognizing that I had found my personal compass rose.Click on

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109056845676652212005-02-21T23:18:00.000-08:002005-02-22T17:13:43.200-08:00

Click on the title and check out this website I just discovered. I think I love it. I know I love the name. Nice links to pieces remembering Hunter Thompson and a spunky interview with Dennis Cooper. Although Bernard Cooper is probably still my favorite gay writer.

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109301944846773752005-02-21T19:21:00.000-08:002005-03-06T22:59:12.033-08:00

I heard it on the radio ... so it must be true ... these are the top ten rock 'n roll songs. Anybody out there want to weigh in? What's your personal top ten? 10. In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel9. All I Want is You - U28. Sweet Child of Mine - Guns n Roses7. Wild Horses - Rolling Stones6. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston5. Let’s Stay Together - Al Green4. Natural Woman - Aretha Franklin3.

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109035851609025592005-02-21T17:29:00.000-08:002005-02-22T17:13:56.576-08:00

At first she would ask “What does your husband do?” over and over again. She would forget that she had three brothers but that all of them were dead. That I had to go to work and couldn’t go shopping today.Then she began to let the kettle boil dry and her bathtub overflow. When my brother installed a shutoff device in case she went to check her mail and left the water running, she cursed the very

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1108805556594969922005-02-19T01:23:00.000-08:002005-02-22T17:14:29.876-08:00

My son, who shall remain nameless - “Mom, don’t you dare write about me! That’s not fair!” came home today from a week of Outdoor Education in Malibu. Outdoor Education is a program for sixth graders who get to spend a week at Camp Bloomfield in the Santa Monica Mountains. The kids don’t just look at pictures of tide pools, they hike it down to the Pacific Ocean and get their feet wet.They don’t

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10759290.post-1109747928790963882005-02-02T22:59:00.000-08:002005-03-08T18:45:11.930-08:00

I've been skittish for a week knowing today was coming. I had an appointment to interview a journalist for 805Living magazine. We're doing a new page for the end of the book featuring local people of note, be they celebrities or interesting, influential folks who live in the Conejo Valley area. My interview was with Jane Wells, an Emmy award winning, Peabody prize winning, super successful

Simhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07069681571808073102noreply@blogger.com0