The Day Before

The Day Before

I woke up this morning and sprang from my bed, with thoughts of a busy day rife in my head. Now on with the coffee pot, on with my blog; fill the bird feeders and also the dog. Quick, to the kitchen I go in a hurry; from counter to stove top I scoot and […]

More Flowers

Saturday, I went flower shopping. And, sure enough, my favorite outdoor shop had a new shipment of chrysanthemums. Hard to resist those bright, beautiful flowers, so I didn’t. I bought two smallish pots to brighten the front flower bed. Then, I noticed honeybees were really buzzing around the cone flowers or echinacea. Since I have […]

No Such Thing

No Such Thing

In a book, there is no such thing as unimportant characters. They are all important and crafting them is a meticulous, fun job. In the Ned McNeil cozy mystery series, Ned, of course, is the protagonist. Then, there’s Cade, Pat, and Jackie. Another person in this series who insisted that I take care to describe […]

Three Sleuths in Rhyme

I couldn’t resist putting my three sleuths in a rhyme. They didn’t seem to mind in; in fact, I think they rather enjoyed being subjects of poetry.   Cozy Sleuths Darcy and her mom, Flora is her name, never wanted fortune and never asked for fame, But, somehow, mysteries find them, in one way or […]

The Healing Woods

The Healing Woods

  The Healing Woods by Blanche Day Manos Long, long ago in the forest, in quiet and shadowy hills, The Cherokee used roots and berries and leaves to cure their ills. There was blackberry tea for the stomach, and yellow dock for a cut toe, Sumac would soothe poison ivy, and wild rose would make […]

A Murderer Among the Mourners

A Murderer Among the Mourners

  I had no invitation to Miss Evangeline’s funeral. That wasn’t the way things were done in small-town Ednalee. Her death notice and a short obituary were in the local paper, giving the date and time for her burial. That was enough for anyone who was interested. It was such a murky day and, according […]