A Special Gift in the New Year

A little over a year ago, we lost our 17-year-old cat, Lucy. She was the most affectionate, loving cat we’d ever had and was especially attached to my husband. When we finally had to let her go because of her severe health problems, we both wept and felt her loss keenly. We decided to wait…

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“All You Need Is Love” – John Lennon

I recently spent a week visiting my younger son and his family. They live in a teeny-tiny house in Denver that makes my husband’s and my first 900 square foot house seem positively palatial. But what their home lacks in size is more than made up for by its richness in warmth and affection. I’m…

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“The Boy Who Lived”

The other night, our son Joel was sitting outside on the porch with his eldest child, our grandson Cameron. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning landed dangerously close to them. The two raced to safety inside. Cameron turned to his father and said, “You know, Dad, we’re going to have to call you ‘the boy who…

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The Good News… and Not So Good News

Writing-wise, this was a lovely week. On Tuesday, DEADLY SETUP officially came out. Author Sarah Glenn hosted me on her blog where I wrote an essay, “Beyond the External Plot: What’s Your Book Really About?” in which I talked about the difference between DEADLY SETUP’s plot and its deeper themes. I’d love for you to…

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Memories

My mom’s memorial service is happening two weeks from today. We’ve delayed celebrating her life for more than two years due to Covid. But she is never far from my mind or my heart, especially now as I help plan the service. After a dozen years of working closely with my dad as his executive…

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Still Missing My Mom on Mother’s Day

Lately, I’ve been thinking about whether you ever stop missing your mom after she’s died. My mom passed away in December of 2019, and I still miss her terribly. Even after dementia had robbed her of so much of who she was, I always wanted to call her, hear her voice, and tell her things…

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Life’s Passages

As I write this, I’m flying home from a three-day reunion with my two older sisters. My husband did not want me to go. “Why put yourself through traveling right now?” he said. “You’re in terrible shape.” Truth be told, at the moment, I’m not feeling so hot. I’m ten days away from spinal surgery…

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“Princessdom” Rudely Interrupted

For years, my family has teased me about my role as total “princess.” My amazing husband of four decades dotes on spoiling me rotten. He cooks, washes dishes, shops, runs errands, takes the garbage out, and even feeds the cat. Whenever I tell him this division of labor isn’t fair to him and I’m happy…

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