“Tonight’s December thirty-first, Something is about to burst. The clock is crouching, dark and small, Like a time bomb in the hall. Hark, it’s midnight, children dear. Duck! Here comes another year!”     — Ogden Nash Artwork by Laurel Mae

Artwork by Laurel Mae This Nutcracker has reason to weep. Historically, his job has been to protect your household from harm. Do not let his long grey hair and fierce expression fool you. He’s a lucky charm, as potent as any kitchen witch. But now, circumstances beyond his control make it impossible for him to …

My son recently recommended a documentary on Netflix, “The Social Dilemma.” After watching it, I did something I’ve considered for quite some time. I deleted my social media accounts. As of today, I’m no longer on Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, or Instagram.  P.S. They do not make it easy to delete an account permanently, but an …

Greetings, friends.  August slipped away on me, and I didn’t manage to post anything. It’s funny that even in a pandemic when the days blur with sameness, summer flies by as always.  I’ve been working on a new novel and neglecting the finishing touches on a book I completed in 2019. So I have scolded …

Hi friends, My book, f-Holes of Melancholia, did not make the finalist cut in the Whistler Independent Book Awards. It felt like failure for a few minutes. Then I had to remind myself that it’s an accomplishment to have written and published a book, let alone getting shortlisted for an award. So, I’m still thrilled …

Hi Friends, I’m over-the-top thrilled at some news I got this week and want to share it with you. My novel, “f-Holes of Melancholia,” is shortlisted for The Whistler Independent Book Awards for 2020—one of six books in the Fiction category. In mid-July, they’ll whittle that down to three finalists. They announce the winner at …

As a treat on my blog this month, my insanely talented writer friend, Elizabeth Boyd, has kindly agreed to share her brilliant short story with us. It’s an unsettling, sometimes funny, and very human tale inspired by how she and her family survived their Covid19 quarantine.  To give her a clap, post a comment on …

“‎Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.”  ― Voltaire Artwork by Laurel Mae Hislop Oh my, how events have changed since my blog post in early March. I don’t even want to bring up the pandemic, because you hear of nothing else these days, but it would be …

I love reading. The Dylan Thomas poem below is titled on the Art of Poetry, but it captures the excitement and spirit of words, and books, and the joy of escaping between the pages. Notes On The Art Of Poetry by Dylan Thomas I could never have dreamt that there were such goings-on in the …

Robbie Burns Statue in Stanley Park, Photograph by Laurel Mae Hislop I decided not to do a New Year’s piece this month, not because it’s shopworn and predictable, but because of the flu which laid me low for weeks. So, instead of turkey or ham, I’m giving a thumbs-up to haggis. Not that most of …