A Blessing for a Cozy Mystery Writer by Blanche Day Manos The Lord bless thy pen, that it runneth not dry, And thy curiosity and asking why. The Lord forgive thy nosiness And all thy prying may He bless. May he bless thy characters and plot, And thy sales, that they be a lot! May […]

When the Wind Chill Is Way, Way Down
I don’t know what other thermometers read this morning, but mine is down to -1 degree with a wind chill of -15 degrees. The sun is shining, so the cold is deceptive. It is not snowy or sleeety, just a deadly serious frigid temperature. I’veĀ put out the first seeds and water of the morning […]

The Night Stole Softly Down the Hills
The night stole softly down the hills and wrapped the town in darkness. Daylight fled, going with the sun as it slipped beneath the western horizon. Now, a sense of tranquility and the far away sounds of the forest blotted out the cares of the day. Down in the hollow, an owl hooted. Another answered. […]

A Lot of Questions But Where Are the Answers?
A question this morning: why is it so hard to talk to people about the really important things? Small talk is easy but how about asking someone what they believe about God or Heaven or why they vote as they do? Are we afraid of being rebuffed? Do we not want to make anyone […]

And the Fog Settled Gently All Around
As soft as a whisper, as silent as a shadow, fog sifts through starkly bare trees and shutters the town in a damp grayness. Perspective changes; familiar things become alien. Across the street, something moves. A cat shadow creeps from behind a tree and moves with focused intensity across the lawn. What mission is she […]


