Friday was May 5 – Cinco de Mayo! I don’t have any Mexican heritage that I’m aware of. But hubs and I didn’t let that prevent us from celebrating in our own quiet way. I made taco salad. We imbibed some margaritas. Viva tequila! And we watched Nacho Libre, a fun movie we’ve seen several times before. Saturday, we moved from tequila to tea, watching … Continue reading An international weekend at home
Hard to believe it’s almost Easter. Hard for me to believe I’ve reached the age where the weeks and months pass so quickly! When I was a kid my mom would say stuff like: Where did this month go? This year has just flown by. Christmas will be here before we know it! I thought she was crazy. It seemed to take forever for Spring … Continue reading The Egg and I
Some things have felt a bit overwhelming for me lately, which has led me to think a lot about perspective. The church I attended as a child had a steeple atop the chapel. After worship services had long since moved into the new auditorium, a grade-school friend and I climbed through the old baptistry and into the steeple which housed the by-then silent bells. It … Continue reading A matter of perspective
I was unexpectedly reduced to tears last week. I’m just getting over Covid, and my eyes are still watering a bit, but without emotion. Mid-January also marks the anniversary of my dad’s death, which also elicits tears – but those were not unexpected. Then Lisa Marie Presley died suddenly. I stared at the TV report and sobbed. I have cried after hearing about the death … Continue reading Lights out in Memphis
I stumbled upon a Tweet thread on Twitter this week that caused me to have a flashback. A newish author shared that she was invited to talk about her book at a book club meeting. Turns out she had a very similar experience to one I had. Spoiler: No one was the least bit interested in talking about the book. To be clear, they had … Continue reading Whine club?
It hit me over the weekend that it’s the middle of November! Many of you who run your life by a fancy planner, or you know, look at the calendar every day, may have already been aware of this fact. But what does this actually mean? It is only six weeks until Christmas. Realizing I’m already behind on the season, and having been bombarded with … Continue reading In a pickle for the holidays
Things I love about October: leaves changing color, widely available pumpkin spice options, and Halloween decorations and movies. Leaves are ablaze with color here in the Marquette area. The most spectacular fall displays in the Upper Peninsula are actually in the Keweenaw Peninsula, in case you’re planning a visit. It’s a couple of hours drive from our home to the middle of the Keweenaw. Hubs … Continue reading What’s fab about October?
You’re probably aware today is Labor Day —especially if you have the day off from work! Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 in recognition of American Labor and in conjunction with the rise of trade unions. Some lesser known “national holidays” this month include: Yesterday (Sept. 4) was National Pet Rock Day. Sorry I missed that one. I actually had a pet rock … Continue reading A perfect day for… whatever
It’s that time of year when “yard sale” and “garage sale” signs are a common sight. We drove through a neighborhood yard sale last weekend, where neighbors had decided to increase their traffic by having all their yard sales on the same weekend. One man’s junk is another’s treasure, and I’ve bought my share of both junk and treasure over the years. We all have … Continue reading Valuable (to me) junk
When I was a kid, a number of my friends and classmates said they wanted to be a nurse when the grew up. As it turns out, several of them did go on to become nurses. There were a couple of key moments growing up that confirmed for me that I probably couldn’t cut it as a nurse. I panicked at the sight of blood. … Continue reading Nursing a career
After two years of being mostly a homebody, I’m excited that we are planning a vacation this summer with my sister and her family. When I say “we,” I mean my sister is planning. We’ll mostly just pack a suitcase and show up, which is totally okay by me. My sister is a serious planner. Always has been. I’m more of a pantser, both in … Continue reading What a trip – planned or not
Vickie, here. I’m thrilled to welcome today’s Guest Chick, Molly MacRae! Molly is special to me, in that she was the very first cozy author I ever stalked! I was at O’Hare Airport in Chicago about to board the plane to attend my very first Malice Domestic conference in Bethesda, Maryland. I had just bought a coffee and was making my way to the gate … Continue reading Guest Chick: Molly MacRae
Chicks on the Case 