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Fall Foraging: Rose Hip Tea
After the flowers are done blooming, the hips expand and billow out, much like mine at Thanksgiving. Once they turn red (not my hips, the roses), I harvest them all.
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Book Review: Starfish and Coffee: The SparkleTits Chronicles
Starfish and Coffee by Veronica R. Calisto My rating: 4 of 5 stars Bra-vo! SparkleTits is my kinda superhero. Or, maybe she’s not a superhero, but, she probably is. This uncertainty is part…
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Book Review: So I’m A Vampire’s Familiar
So I’m A Vampire’s Familiar by Shayna Grissom My rating: 3 of 5 stars So, it seems vampires are real, after all. But, expectations and reality aren’t seeing eye to eye for our…
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Book Review: The Triads of Ireland
The Triads of Ireland – An Illustrated Collection Written and Illustrated by Olivia Wylie Triads are an ancient Irish form of verse, vaguely similar to Japanese Haiku poetry. Even though these triads were…
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Slow-Motion Tomato Ketchup
It's ironic that most fast food comes with packets of ketchup. When made at home, ketchup is one of the SLOWEST foods imaginable.
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Book Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman My rating: 2 of 5 stars I’m of mixed feelings about this book, which is something I’ve never said about a Neil…
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Book Review: Words Fail Me
Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing by Patricia T. O’Conner My rating: 5 of 5 stars One of the best writing advice books around. It’s written in an…
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Book Review: Jitterbug Perfume
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ll admit right now that Jitterbug Perfume has been one of my favorite books for many decades. This was about my 5th…
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My First Poem
I want to share my first ever writing submission to be selected for publication. It also just happened to be a first place winner. *nonchalantly buffs nails*
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Book Review: The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack
With an all-star cast including many big names of the day and a wild plot that spins Burton and Swinburne round and round, this one's a page-turner and eye-popper.
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Book Review: The Engineer Wore Venetian Red
If you're looking for a summer read, this is it! The 4th installment in the Mysterious Devices series is a doozy.
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Book Review: The Clockwork’s Orange
The Clockwork’s Orange by E.P. Isaacs My rating: 4 of 5 stars Reading The Clockwork’s Orange gave me a feeling of having found a long-lost treasure in an old trunk in the attic.…
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Book Review: Aces and Eights (Aces High, Jokers Wild Book 4)
The Wildcards catch wind of the possibility that one of the seed banks established before America collapsed might have survived.
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Book Review: Bird by Bird
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott My rating: 5 of 5 stars I deliberately read Bird By Bird slowly – her ‘lessons’ are short, sometimes just a…
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Join Me at Fantasy Faire’s Literary Festival Events
This yearly event in Second Life to benefit Relay for Life opened to the public today. You can visit anytime to explore the fantastic realms, or attend special events, through May 10, 2020.
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Book Review: Call the Bluff (Aces High, Jokers Wild Book 2)
Though this is book #2 in the series, I read it last, having read #3 first and #1 second (I know, I know, it's a long story why).
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Social Distancing 101: A “Restorative” Video
Today’s Social Distancing tip is to relax and watch magic for a half hour. Christine McConnell—gothic artist, creator, restorer extraordinaire—has released a half-hour episode on YouTube in which she gives new life to…
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Social Distancing 101: Deep Dive Organizing
I have recipes. Lots of recipes. Some are aging, crumbling newspaper clippings. Some are printouts from websites. Some are PDFs on my hard drive. Some are cut out of magazines. Some are beautifully…
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Social Distancing 101: Free Online Learning
I think we all have a mental list of stuff we wish we knew how to do. As the saying goes, ‘there’s no time like the present’ and the present we are living…
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Social Distancing 101: Enjoying The Arts
If you’re able to pull up the internet on your smart TV or a good-sized monitor, you can continue to enjoy cultural experiences from home. Yesterday, CNN published a good resource article: All…
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Social Distancing 101: Free Literature
Staying home means more than trying to stretch your food so you don’t have to shop so often. Today’s advice is all about fun. Read a Book! There’s no better time than now…
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Social Distancing 101: Making Your Celery Work Harder
I’m going to start posting a daily tip on making the most of your food, since going to the grocery store right now has turned into the worst kind of contact sport. Today’s…
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Book Review: The Hands We’re Given (Aces High, Jokers Wild Book 1)
Exceptionally well-told adventure story that manages to highlight all members of a large, complicated cast, each in their own way.
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A Necklace To Fan Over
A long time ago, I moved from Seattle to New Jersey. It took a while for me to get employed and back on my feet, so I frequently shopped at (or sold things…
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Brussels Slaw
So, I invented a slaw! While I love traditional cabbage-based coleslaw, it sometimes lacks a depth of flavors. Not so with a Brussels sprouts based slaw. I’m not going to list exact measurements,…
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An Island of Books
I recently set up a book shop on Book Island, a region in Second Life that celebrates books, readers, storytellers, authors – if it’s literary, it’s here. Come visit! I have a free…
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Young Michigan Author’s Debut Novel is a Keeper
The Keeper Academy: The Legend of the Witch’s Woods is available for pre-order at Amazon, in either Kindle or paperback formats. M.E. Garrett is a talented teenage writer, and this is her debut…
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Timberrrrrr!
On Saturday, August 24, 2019, the largest tree in our yard, a Black Locust tree that might have been as old as our Eisenhower-era home, changed its stance from vertical to horizontal. Enjoy…
