Humans are weird

Part of trying to provide the best blog I am capable of a year ago I purchased the business plan from Word Press. At the time I did this I was financially able to do so. However, when time came to renew, I was no longer able to continue. Bummer. So, my page looks a bit different. Yet I am still here, publishing my thoughts on humans; their weirdness, silliness, carelessness and ofttimes…

The search for my calm space is on. Most times when I read the news what is happening stuns me: Daily there are headlines of single women who let their boyfriend brutally abuse and often kill their children with the comment ‘I thought something was wrong’ or refuses to accept any fault in it. A teenager is coerced into running away with a middle age predator and it’s discovered this is not the…

I live in southern Arizona. This time of the year is the worst for people like me, humans with heat intolerance. It is also terrible for animals, the homeless, elderly and children. Cities like Tucson and Phoenix produce what is called the urban heat island effect. With more buildings and concrete in areas like the downtown absorb all the heat and this makes it harder to cool off at night. Last…

As I’ve shared before my father was in the Air Force. He was stationed at Clark Air Base in The Philippines in 1968-1969. We didn’t enjoy our time there, perhaps I’ll tell you about it sometime. Mostly it was because dad spent much of the time going between Clark Air Base and Phan Rang, Vietnam as a crew chief for a B-57 squadron. So…we spent a lot of time alone in this scary place without our…

The recent disaster the world seemed to be involved in (aside for those in Ukraine) has provoked the same thoughts I have when I hear about multi-million-dollar sports contracts. Humans who have more money than good sense and pay $250,000 to go down to the Titanic wreck site need to have a reality check. They need to spend a day with my teacher daughter and the students she works to motivate and…

It’s June in Southern Arizona. Anyone who has been following this blog knows how I feel about summer in my home state. I hate heat. We have begun a steady path up to triple digits. Mid 90’s all week with that first 100 ° by next weekend. Yuck. Let  monsoon  season  come  early!! Tucsonans keep oven gloves in their vehicles to protect against fiery steering wheels. We always use sunshades to…

I have a type of obsession about anyone publicly discovering my identity without my consent. In my desk drawer I have a permanent black marker, and a roller that disguises type. In the other room is a paper shredder. Nothing goes in my trash with my name and address clearly recorded on the item.  These are my identity disguises.  After hearing enough descriptions of identity theft methods I’ve…

I like to write. The creative process of writing compels – it is good for my brain power. Being knee deep in story construction forces my little grey cells into unfamiliar territory. I have the daily brain wake up of a podcast, fiction writing, blog research, writer block fights, all those fabulous experiences that force my hand and mind into unrevealed environments.   The opportunity to compose…

 This book has it all. Danger, mystery, comedy, Frankie the ghost gangster and plenty of pirates. You cannot go wrong there.    Verity has joined Ellis along with her sister Melody and Melody’s boyfriend Alec Duranja for a birthday party on an island for a treasure hunt. Considering their thorny relationship Verity is not pleased with Alec and Melody’s growing relationship and would rather be…

From October 2022 until now it has been a crazy several months. Between holidays, illness, visitors, and crazy weather my time has flown. The month of February has been full of rain and two days of significant snow in southern Arizona. Our snow’s three inches and two inches respectively is no way equivalent to what residents in Minnesota receive but for us our snowfall is quite remarkable.We have…

The death of a Queen to an American anglophile.

The UK certainly know how to do tradition and ceremony better than anyone. As I watched the beautifully outfitted Royal Navy sailors draw her coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster I was proud for them. As I watched those handsome red jacketed young men carried that tiny woman’s coffin into Westminster I was moved. As I watched the young people who had a part in the service I thought she…

A Haunting – A true story

Michael By Nancy Vaughn This story began when I found the grave of Michael, a little boy I used to babysit who died in a tragic car accident. I was a freshman in high school when it happened, and I was stunned at the loss. Michael was the sweetest and kindest little guy there ever was. He always seemed to need something, but I never understood what it was. There was always a sweet sadness about…

  I have been reading this book, in part because he was the ninth Doctor and I am a huge Doctor Who fan, and second because of the story of his father. The irony is that while reading, when I came to the part where he wrote of his depression and hospitalization and treatment for said depression, at the same time  the news of Naomi Judd’s suicide from mental illness. The sadness he expressed…

Right Place, Right Time

Two round trips: between Phoenix and Orlando. Sometimes it is apparent you are in the right place at the right time. We were scheduled to leave Phoenix, our departure time 5:55pm, however, to our dismay, the flight was delayed to an 8:15pm departure. This meant an arrival in Florida of 2:00am! We were not the only group of inconvenienced passengers. There were 22 who had a delayed flight from San…

I’m sitting here at my desk looking at the screen of my phone which has a picture of my two grandsons. Sometimes I cannot believe how much I love theses two boys. They both were two  months old, the first time I met them and I can say my affection was instantaneous for both. The circumstances of their appearance in our family is as follows. Charlie is seven and was a foster to adopt situation. In…

Spring Cleaning (I Live on a Dirt Road)

Yesterday I spent a sweaty day getting my house together after the short winter season in Southern Arizona. Cleaning behind, under, and in all the furniture. I wiped surfaces and straightened cluttered areas; sorting and putting things in their places. I’m very lucky because my home is in Catalina AZ which is north of Tucson, and when we came out in 1991 it felt very rural. We bought an…

I thought I had a remote job writing copy for a health and wellness magazine. A very exciting direction, and a challenge I was looking forward to, especially the prospect of research and writing. However, once the man doing the hiring understood my writing experience was with my blog and my fiction writing – well his enthusiasm for my skills waned considerably and he said they wanted someone with…