Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee

Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee

Many years ago, every day after school, I stopped by Mom’s house for a cup of coffee. I looked forward to those times and I think she did too. We’d sit at her kitchen table and talk, not about anything in particular, just this and that. We didn’t solve any of the world’s problems nor did […]

Wistful Wednesday Wanderings

How times have changed! And none more than in the way we communicate with each other. Believe me, I enjoy being able to speak to any of my family or friends through the telephone or Skype or email. It’s pretty neat to hear what each one is doing and keep up with their comings and […]

Saying Thank You

Saying Thank You

How can I write about Memorial Day and the importance of honoring those valiant young people (yes, for the most part, they were young) who stood between their beloved homes and freedom? A simple thank you to these courageous men and women seems completely inadequate. If I knew nothing at all about freedom, if I […]

The Ones Who Stayed Behind

Maybe it’s because tomorrow is Memorial Day that a word keeps recurring in my mind this morning: nobility. A dictionary definition of nobility is having high moral standards or ideals or royalty. My own definition of nobility is people who have high moral standards and bedrock beliefs in truth and the courage to stand firm for […]

Aromatherapy and Earthworms

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, […]

The Happy Medium

The Happy Medium

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 […]