Writings by Diane

Each year I dread the first day of winter-- I have never been a big fan of the cold. I attribute it to being born where the weather was pretty much sunny and 74 degrees. Just like in the move LA Story , Santa Monica’s weather is sunny and breezy, the winters very mild. I seriously don’t remember having a large winter coat—a lined windbreaker was able to ward off the cold. When we moved to Las Vegas, we experienced hot and dry climate. We would replace our windshield wipers because they were so sun damaged that they would rot off! When winter came, it arrived with no warning. Around October, one day the weather was normal and the next day—WHAM! A cold snap hit the valley, dropping at least 20 degrees! A few Januarys ago, when I was a Junior at UNLV in January, classes literally stopped when it started to snow.  Granted, it only lasted a few hours and probably the technical term is a dusting, but it was the most amount of snow we had ever seen! Now living in Idaho makes me real...

Years ago when my son was an infant, nighttime feedings were really popular at our house, especially at 1 am.  It would have been enjoyable to sit and listen to the silence if I hadn't been so dead tired. The padded rocking chair was dangerously too comfortable as I sat there with my infant son feeding him his bottle. After he finished his formula, I held him against my shoulder and rubbed his small back, waiting for his contented noise (read burp) to let me know he was ready go back to blessed slumber.  However, the awaited noise came, but his bright, blue eyes stared back at me, no sign of going back to sleep.                 I figured this was a good time to sing a lullaby to him, a nice quiet song, not a toe-tapping Broadway melody. Besides, I was still in my pajamas.                 I had read many artic...