Star Spangled Cat

Star Spangled Cat By Blanche Day Manos “What?” I screeched. “Go to sea? Are you crazy?” Every one of my gray and white hairs stood straight up. Reggie laughed. “You look like a bottle brush, old chap,” he said. “You’ll love the ocean!” Nay! I decidedly would not love the ocean. I hate water. I […]

Alphabetically Goofy

A little old man and a little old lady lived ‘neath a tree root where all was cool and shady. As their family grew, their home got larger too–a middle and an upper floor, their breezy tree home grew. To keep track of all their children, they gave each one a name And, even with […]

The Unfriendly Woods

This is an excerpt from the latest Ned McNeil cozy, Murder By Moonlight. Usually, Ned enjoyed a walk through autumn woods, but today something went painfully wrong. I sang as I drove, windows rolled down. Ulysses didn’t object, so I took that as a sign of approval. My mind was on the events of the […]

Day of Encouragement

This is the National Day of Encouragement. What can you say or do to encouragement someone today? Encouragement does so much more than criticism. For some odd reason, when I think of criticism, the picture of a woman springs to mind. Perhaps she is an imaginary shrew borne of reading books that had a mean, […]

A Past Day with Cozy Critters

Sometimes, it’s nice to look back and remember some particularly good times. When the Cozy Critters got together, there were good times a-plenty.  This is a remembrance of one of those times, a few years ago. Good friends, all.  When four friends meet on a fall day, bringing with them their outlooks on life, the […]

What Would You Do?

What Would You Do?

Two hours later, we were dirty, tired, and discouraged. “I’m willing to call it a day,” I said, flopping down on the floor beside Ulysses who was lying down by the door.             “Same here,” Pat said. “I need a bath.”             Jackie looked around at the ruins of the living room. “There’s too much […]