For the first time since I started this blog (this is #197), I missed the weekly posting not once, but twice. You might assume that I took a break for the holidays. Not so. I took a break to take care of Bruce.   Final Illness   Bruce Matley, my husband, the...

The winter holidays have begun. I can’t help but think of those who’ve lost someone dear to them during the year and are now facing the first Christmas or Hanukkah or Solstice or Kwanzaa or Saturnalia without them.  This can be a sad time, but it’s not all sad. Here’s...

*Catdaptation (verb): 1. Adapting your living environment to the needs, wants and desires of one or more cats 2. Adapting your life to the needs, wants and desires of one or more cats Given our four resident cats, Bruce and I have become masters of catdaptation. I’ve...

Thanksgiving Day. The pie is baked, the cranberries are jellied and I’m especially thankful for Bruce who is doing the rest of the cooking. But that was yesterday. Today, you may not have time to read this blog because you’re punishing yourself with the Black Friday...

These past few days I’ve been annoying several people with a recent “Aha!” moment. It’s a fresh perspective, inspired by Anne Lamott’s new book of essays, Almost Everything: Notes on Hope. There I encountered one of her personal beliefs: that she is a spiritual being...

Good news for brick-and-mortar bookstore owners, employees and patrons. November 10-16 is the inaugural Love Your Bookstore Week! If, like me, you are a book lover, now’s your chance to join this celebration. Visit your favorite bookstore(s), take pictures of the...