Last night as I sat on my deck listening to cicadas and frogs, I thought how many generations of my ancestors had heard these same night noises. These were age-old summer sounds: the jar flies as we called them, the frogs, a whole chorus of them. I felt as if I could close my eyes and be […]

The Blotting Paper Syndrome
Long, long ago, back in the Dark Ages when I was young, we had a writing utensil known as a fountain pen. In fact, I still have one or two tucked away somewhere. The pens got the job done and worked great but they required a blotter. You see, the ink from a fountain pen had to dry or […]

Cozy Critter Time Again!
Today, we cozy critters will gather to discuss all things literary and several things that are not. I can hardly wait to hear what they have been reading and writing. We will miss Cozy Critter Judy. But, when Texas calls, Judy must answer. As I started to go to bed last night, I glanced out […]

Raintrees, Victorians, Mysteries and Acorns
Raintrees and mysteries are swirling through my mind this morning. Would you believe I’m on my third cup of Folgers already and the sun hasn’t even gotten up? The sky however, is growing lighter in the east. These beautiful December days are like a blessing, a time of reprieve, perhaps, before winter arrives in earnest. Will it […]

Kicking Up Autumn Leaves
Autumn is a funny thing, with thoughts of summer lingering. It is a time for looking back, reminiscing, tucking away those warm thoughts that must be kept for bringing out on winter’s bleakest days. I imagine in Etta Bend a hundred years ago, my mother and her sisters and little brother would be picking up walnuts […]

A Writer’s Psalm
Bless the Lord, O my writing. May all my plots and characters praise the One who put the love of writing in my heart. The earth, O Lord, contains a multitude of books. Verily, it overflows with the written word so that they bump into each other and crowd upon the shelves. Large is the competition; Great […]

