Meadow Life

Meadow Life

Autumn moves through the meadow, rearranging it in muted colors. As the sun shines on tall grasses, they gleam with the silver of seed tufts. Thistles, whose purple crowns swayed in the breeze only a few weeks ago, now wear cotton thatches. Goldenrod, touched by frost, bows its bronzed blooms. The meadow mirrors passing seasons. […]

Nancy and Me

Nancy and Me

As a youngster, I learned many things from Nancy Drew that were not written on the pages of her books. I learned that Nancy was the kind of girl I would like to be.  Nancy was a magnet who attracted mysteries. To anyone else, clocks were clocks, staircases were just what they seemed; but, not […]

Spinning Words

Where do they come from, those words that mystery writers spin into stories? Do we catch them like butterflies netted as they fly through the air? Do we snatch them from conversations of friends or winnow them from long ago memories? How can these words be spun into sentences and paragraphs and a story that […]

A Conversation at the North Pole

Mrs. Claus: Are you feeling better, Dear? How about a nice, hot cup of coffee?   Santa (throwing back the quilts and rolling out of bed): Just what I need. The trip was hard this year.   Mrs. Claus: Did the reindeer behave? Was the sleigh over-loaded? Did you face a head-wind?   Santa: Yes, […]

From a Cat’s Way of Looking At It

As you know, in By the Fright of the Silvery Moon, Ned acquires a new pet–a dog. But, she already has a cat named Penny. Penny came in Moonlight Can Be Murder. Do the dog and cat get along? Amazingly well. But, what does Penny actually think about Ned’s ability to get into trouble? I […]

A Welcoming Place

A Welcoming Place

There’s a picture I found on the internet that really appeals to me. It’s a picture of a log house, a dark, unpainted log house, standing sturdy and tall with snow all around. A chimney rises from one side. I can imagine that this is a welcome refuge for those wanting to come in out […]