As you know, I really admire old houses, houses that have been lived in, that were built when builders took time to put them together well and even added artistic touches. On my mother’s birthday, I accidentally happened upon the picture of an old house in Tahlequah, built in 1906. It’s for sale and it’s lovely. […]

Bells, Four-Wheelers and Dreams
“I’ll be there with bells on,” Helen told me a few days ago, speaking about our upcoming Cozy Critique. Sure enough, she came in the door yesterday shaking a sack full of jingle bells. She was here with bells on! Let no one assume that just because we are crowned with silver, we are content […]

What Will Happen Next?
Unexpected things happen. As long as they are nice, pleasant or intriguing unexpected things, I like them fine. In cozy mysteries, when unexpected things happen, they usually are not so nice. Now, what a thing to do to Ned or Darcy or Flora! It’s good they are only fictional. When I wrote Moonlight Can Be Murder, I […]

That Special Day Long Ago
Theodore Roosevelt was President of the United States of America. The day of the week was Thursday and Easter was coming in just three days. Five days before, Mt. Vesuvius had erupted and devastated Naples, Italy. In only six days to come, the great San Francisco earthquake would hit California. In Etta Bend, Indian Territory, […]

No Matter Their Size or Shape, Grandmas Are Great
My mother had several Bibles. Some, she used basically for reference or footnotes. One, she read every day. She carried a particular one to church each Sunday until the cover literally wore out then she began taking the Scofield Bible that Matt gave her. I find interesting things in her Bible, in addition to God’s […]

A Year’s Worth of Flowers
Remember the contest that will be going on for a while. Read yesterday’s blog for all the rewards, fun, and things. http://www.blanchedaymanos.com/captivating-colorful-contest/ I love gifts that last, don’t you?Yesterday, my children gave me an early birthday gift. They bought flowers, containers, and dirt. They planted my container garden and the planters on the deck. They worked all day! Now my yard […]

