Melladys

I was born to my blackness. It will never leave me.I was born to softness and steel. I was born to the privilege of growing upOn an island land of gradient color and myriad shade. Now I live here, in a land where my life’s worth and that of black and brown bodies like mine must be proclaimed, shouted, and insisted upon. Where others like me beg for the right to breathe. There are days when my…

As it turns out, the 5th-grade classroom at Rowan Grove Elementary had its own ghost. It started small. The door would unlatch and creak open slowly during the first third of Morning Meeting each day, but no one ever came in. The students always made sure to close the door firmly when they came or went from the classroom, and so did the teacher, so this was very weird. Finally, when it…

Books (as always) ~ ~ Stories are my constant companions, and I do my best to end each day with some quiet, relaxed reading time before laying myself down to sleep. Lately, I have been enjoying shorter literary adventures, such as Cinder House by Freya Markse, The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang, and The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Takuya Asakura. These books are all around 200 pages…

Author’s Note: Thank you, Dear Readers, for being with me faithfully through, now, 50 glimpses into this beloved, magical world. I cannot thank you enough for all your support and encouragement! You make my heart very full. The air of the Hollow Bean was redolent (but not overpowering) with the scent of the most intoxicating of Briar’s roses. She had coaxed their vines up from unobtrusive pots…

As we linger in this bone-deep cold of early 2026, the calendar about to turn its page into February, I find I am treasuring the concept of softness and cozy more and more. I personally refuse to complain about winter being cold (it would simply be hypocritical of me), but that does not mean that I cannot appreciate my spaces of warmth and safety. I do believe, however, that I have always…

Author’s Note: Inspired by the insane December weather here in Indiana. As I stepped outside to take down the trash hoppers, amidst the biting wind and swirling snowflakes, all I could hear was Winter shrieking… “I’M BACK, BITCHES!” The shrill harpy screech that tore through the hall was accompanied by an icy breeze blasting off its owner’s pristine white fur coat as she twirled about,…

Author’s Note: Yesterday, my husband’s sermon concerned the section of Luke chapter 1 about Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth after the angel’s declaration that she was to be the mother of the Son of God. I suddenly felt inspired to try my hand at writing the whispers between the verses of Luke’s short account of this visit. What could this have been like? So please take my very human effort…

Week 3 — Light As Winterdark quickly approaches, I am, as ever, drawn to the light. Candlelight, twinkling lights, soft lamps. I want light but not harsh light. Not light that shocks the senses but, rather, I want light that warms you and invites you gently in to sit, rest, stay for a while. Light should gather you in, hold you close, and soothe the jagged, ragged edges caused by stress and…

Week 2 ~ Home As Winter breathes her cold blessing over us, showering us with snow and ice, the silvery white of it makes the dark night glow and spangles the daylight air with diamonds. As beautiful as that all may be, however, there is something that many may consider even more so: the inside of their warm domicile. As winter settles in and makes herself comfortable, we in turn snuggle deeper…

Advent 2025 Week 1 ~ Quiet December is only a week old, and Winter has arrived to wrap her frigid arms around our state. We have had a couple significant snowfalls already, with icy patches still left over from Monday night’s snow. And I am loving every moment of it! Twenty-five years ago this winter, I discovered that there is no quiet so profound as that of snowfall and a world covered with…

Hello, Dear Friends! I have absolutely fantastic news, and I’m so excited! Back in September, I received an email from Christen Hammons, the editor-in-chief of Bella Grace Magazine. “Hi, Melissa, Congratulations! I’m so pleased to share that we would like to publish this piece in the upcoming The Cozy Issue, which hits newsstands on November 1.” The piece she is referring to is “A Vision of…

Fall Romance Novels ~ I have fallen absolutely in love with Autumn-set romances and romantasies this year. Over my Fall Break week, as I healed from a wisdom-teeth surgery, Lyra Parish’s Fall I Want became everything to me. All I wanted to do was curl up in the recliner with my pumpkin blanket, a cup of coffee, and my cat Jack and read this heartwarming, sweet love story. Fall is my favorite…

As the cooling late September breeze swept down Burrow Street, it carried the most delicious aromas along its back, scattering them throughout the neighborhood. The scents crooked like fingers, calling, beckoning, inviting you to come see. It was Cook-Up Day, when neighbors showed off and shared out their chilis, soups, and stews. Red, orange, and brown-ginghamed tables lined each side of the…

Last night, my little family had our first cookout and fire of the autumn season. After hot dogs and smores were eaten, Kiddo went inside and left me and their dad to our drinks and apple pie Oreos by the firebowl. As the flames flickered and died down and the sticks within the bowl began to smoke, we just sat in contented conversation. Then, quietly and determinedly, the embers seemed to find…

I have lingered in the longering days and now I am craving again. The meterologists say that it’s our first “false Fall” of the season, with temperatures starting to dip and mellow out. They say it won’t last, but I do not care if it is “false”. Gimme! Give me cooler days and much cooler nights. Give me fall-scented candles and cozy cuddles under blankets. Give me bonfires and fireplaces,…