I died the summer of 1976. Thank God it didn’t stick. I blamed The Brothers. That’s what I called them. They were a collective rather than singular beings. I often tattled on them for using me for live target practice with their Daisy Red Ryder. I could have lost an eye. My stuffed polar bear … Read more
I love reading old recipes, particularly from the 1920s. It’s fascinating to see food preparation through the years change. Today, we have a surplus of food, even though recent trips to the grocery store before a snowstorm might give you a moment of doubt. When I write a historical piece, I try to find menus … Read more
I don’t know about you, but I have a monkey mind. If you’ve known me for awhile, you’ll have seen the monkey mind in action. A random thought will manifest itself into words, and I’ll leave you scratching your head thinking, “Where did that come from?” My husband tends to sigh and say, “What in … Read more
I finally started the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it even if you don’t have any bad habits you need to break or good habits you’d like to incorporate. Of course, if you have neither than you might not be human and that’s a whole different … Read more
In addition to writing, I act in online (and pre-COVID in person) mystery theater events. Each event brings a new opportunity to step into a new character’s shoes. For the month of February, I’ll play Italian opera singer Arianna Altamonte in a 1930s train mystery. I don the clothes, wig, and the voice of my … Read more
A short story for the annual NYC Midnight Short Story contest. I was assigned comedy/out-of-body experience/landscape architect. I think I ended up writing a satire which is a form of comedy, so I don’t know what the judges will think; however, I am happy with the result. A Picture Perfect Life Captain Billy eased back … Read more
I’m deep in the winter doldrums as we brace for another round of storms here in Virginia. My husband and I spent yesterday afternoon getting firewood for the woodstove in the event we lost power again. I made a mental note that any farmhouse we purchase when he retires must have a large, working fireplace … Read more
On Monday, the Fredericksburg region received a foot of heavy, wet snow. It caused trees to snap and a fifty-mile backup on I-95. People were trapped in their cars overnight in plummeting temperatures. Here on our little homestead, we didn’t have power for two days, but the dogs and cats snuggled with us and became … Read more
We laid to rest one of the world’s best storytellers, and the world is a little less bright with his passing. My father-in-law was born back in the early 1930s long before there were televisions in every room, YouTube at your fingertips, and books with digital ink. As a boy, he filled his time planting … Read more
Today is very important. On December 13, 1920, Albert Michelson uses Francis G. Pease’s interferometer to measure the diameter of a star – Betelgeuse. This is the first time a star’s diameter is measured, aside from our own Sun. Of course, the star made me think of one of my favorite movies, Beetlejuice. I’m a … Read more