Some of my less-than-stellar parenting moments have been included in my stories for comic relief. However, I’ve chosen to omit some incidents because they might sound too contrived (even though they’d occurred in real life). In writing classes, I’ve been …

Life is Stranger than Fiction Read More »

When I was a child, I looked forward to reading the comic strips in the print newspaper that magically appeared on my front porch each morning. The Sunday edition was my favorite—it was much thicker than the weekday version. It …

Pig-Pen Read More »

When my children were in their formative years, there was a big push for a solid STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education. The focus was on hard sciences. Although I eventually became a lawyer, I’d started college at UCI as …

Arts in Education Read More »

I’m convinced stubbornness is an inherited trait. It’s in the DNA. I inherited the stubborn gene from my father and passed it down to my daughter. Many of the humorous scenes in my books are based on real life events. …

Stubbornness Gene Read More »

When my two-year-old grandson calls, he first asks for Papa. Then, he requests to see Ruby. Even though I am holding the phone, he doesn’t want to converse with me until after I’ve satisfied his requests. I am in third …

Third Place Read More »

The arrival of a new grandchild is always a momentous event. We had an even split of five grandsons and five granddaughters before the new little one arrived and broke the tie. When we decided to have four children, we …

New Grandchild! Read More »

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Arizona. We brought Ruby with us so she could play with our grandkids and their dog, Charlie, her BFF. Sometimes I think my grandchildren are more excited to see her …

Fall Break Festivities Read More »

Ruby and I share a troubling trait: high maintenance hair. I can style my hair with ample product and shellac it with a hefty dousing of hairspray, but the moment I walk out the door it springs to life and …

Canine Coiffure Read More »

I am blessed to have ten grandchildren, an even split of boys and girls. Another little guy will join our clan later this year and break the tie. Unfortunately, none of them live in San Diego. My children are where …

Grandparenting from Afar Read More »

The end of summer draws nigh, and the start of the school year looms in the horizon. One of my grandchildren entered kindergarten this year. His school follows a modified year-round schedule, and classes have already begun. The photos of …

Back to School Read More »