Whee! It’s that time of year again, when no one seems to agree on when holiday decorations should begin to appear around town. Stores have started putting out displays earlier and earlier, and inquiring minds want to know: does the sight of holiday decorations going up right after Halloween make you want to scream? Or does it make you want to run for your favorite reindeer … Continue reading Almost The Holidays! (Or Maybe They Already Started!)

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge that writing can be very challenging. There are days when it seems extremely difficult to create something from nothing…or even downright impossible to wrangle words effectively. In such cases, the words of others who have engaged in the business of writing may be helpful, whether as commiseration or inspiration. “I think the hardest thing about writing is writing.” — Nora Ephron … Continue reading In Good Company

Pedicures: good for your feet or gateway addiction? The title of my work in progress. The title of this post, for that matter. My ability/desire to add in more vegetables today (by which I mean every day). Whether I should just go ahead and buy the thing already. Frozen yogurt: healthy alternative or devil in disguise? Which Bravo show is my favorite and it might actually … Continue reading Some Things About Which I Am Indecisive

Neighbors up and down the block put up their lights over the weekend. We did too. It’s one of our favorite holiday things, along with driving around to see everyone else’s lights and going to local sites (e.g., gardens, zoo, parades) to see even more lights. Long story short: we like lights. We don’t go overboard at home: icicle strands along the eaves, some spiral … Continue reading Time to Hang the Lights

  The day I began writing my first mystery followed the typical routine. I’d dropped the kids at school and was headed to work. But during the drive, I mused about the novel I had wanted to write forever. I had come up with the premise fifteen years earlier, but teaching and parenting seemed to take up all my time. Was I ever going to write … Continue reading Time for Sisters in Crime