Want a sure-fire, cost-free cure for the blues? Try weeding your herb garden. This spring I’ve been kept out of the garden by frequent rains (I’m thankful for them) and writing mysteries (I’m thankful for them too). Yesterday, however, I grabbed gloves, trowel, and kneeling pad and dug in the dirt. Mint, as you know, […]
May 20, 2014
The Happy Medium
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No, I’m not talking about a gleeful seer, but striking the right balance between using good rules of writing (grammatical guidelines) and presenting a well-thought out and interesting story. A writer, unless she has some patient and understanding editors and first readers, must write with a lot of things on her mind. Should I put […]
May 19, 2014
Sentinels, Tall and Strong
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A sentinel is a person who stands guard, watching over, protecting. When I think of a sentinel, I think of a soldier, straight and tall, keeping watch. To my way of thinking, the ancient pine trees that have stood at Caney Cemetery for centuries are sentinels. I’ve always admired those trees, so tall and strong. […]
May 18, 2014
Looking Back
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Many years ago, I wrote a weekly column for my hometown newspaper, The Tahlequah Daily Press, called Looking Back. In it, I included articles on Tahlequah’s historic homes, businesses that flourished in the past, and, most importantly, the people of Cherokee County. Articles on my mother’s family, Levi and Edna Latty, were the basis for […]
May 17, 2014
The Strange Tale of the Red-Rumped Rodents
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Squirrels are cute, clever, furry, and a symbol of fall.They sort of go with acorns and hickory nuts and changing seasons. However, spring is OK with them too and I have a feeling that now they are busily procreating. Squirrels flourish, no matter what the season. Squirrels are acrobatic opportunists who can be a real nuisance. For instance, they […]
May 16, 2014
Sounds That Shape Our Lives
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Does sound travel better through cold air? Are rain and fog good conductors of noise? This early in the morning, I sometimes hear far-off clangs and bangs, with a continuous underlying roar. The only explanation I can think of is the train downtown. It must be busy doing whatever trains do on those tracks, maybe hooking or unhooking […]
