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 […]
Jan 9, 2018
That Dangerous State of Affairs, Retirement
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Retirement–that longed-for Utopian state for which I worked for decades. Lovely, unhurried mornings, peaceful, sunny days of travel, visiting coffee shops. Plenty of time for cleaning a house and keeping it sparkling, baking cookies, taking long walks. And, oh, my goodness, all that accumulated wisdom. Just a whole headful of good advice gleaned from years of […]
Jan 7, 2018
Ghost Lights and Other Mysteries
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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. – Hamlet (1.5.167-8), Hamlet to Horatio And, aren’t you glad? Shakespeare undoubtedly did not mean the Lock Ness Monster nor the ghost lights at Etta nor all the stories we’ve heard while sitting around the fire having a case […]
Jan 5, 2018
A New and Spooky Look at an Old, Old Song
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A re-print from a few years back. I hope you enjoy it, this second time around. This is Twelfth Night, the Epiphany, the impetus for the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. With my family’s help, I added words that might be appropriate for a writer of cozy mysteries. Thanks, Matt, Dawn, Sara, Nathan! A Cozy […]
Jan 3, 2018
Memories–In the Past or Always With Us?
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The morning sky is a quiet, pale blue/gray with rosy tints around the horizon. It is deceptively beautiful because it is deadly cold. I remember other January days when I was a child and the sense of excitement and adventure a new year brought. I remember bacon sizzling in the skillet, breakfast with Mom, Dad, […]
Jan 2, 2018
Resolutions Go Better with Hot, Black Coffee
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Made any New Year’s resolutions yet? I haven’t consciously made any. One reason I don’t is that it makes me feel like a failure if I break them. I guess my only resolution, actually, is to treasure each day, try to make the most of it, and live with joy. An unfailing depth of joy […]
