(Minnesota lake photo by Missy Day Albrecht) On the north side of my house is a happy tangle of ferns, hostas, violets and lily-of-the-valley. I call this my woods garden. For one thing, it grows without much help from me. For another, this pretty group of flowers remind me of taking a walk through […]

A Small Peek at Moonstruck
I had a feeling there was no use in responding to Miss Evangeline, because she was what my father used to call, “wound up.” She wanted me to listen, so that’s what I did. Without warning, she grabbed my arm. I jumped. She whispered, “Shh. What was that? Did you hear anything, Nettie?” Her grip […]

If Is a Big Word
How many times a day do we hear that word, if? Or, how many times do we say it? Only two letters, but it has a lot of meaning behind it. I could have gotten that job if…If I hadn’t changed my plans, that could have been me in the wreck. Or, I’ll be there […]

Ned and a Date with a Possible Murderer
We’ve had so much rain this month and last! And, who knows about today? Things look mighty damp out there. Reading, writing–both go much better with rain. So, I’m going to grab a second cup of Folgers and see what Ned is doing over in Ednalee this morning. Last night she was about to […]

The Rains Came Down and the Floods Came Up
Many of us have been experiencing rain, rain, and more rain. And, flooding. Flood records are being broken as creeks and rivers overflow and dams are strained to capacity. What a wet month! A few years ago, when I was writing the fourth Darcy and Flora cozy, Grave Heritage, Tahlequah experienced the wettest July […]


