Monday. November 30. You’ve survived the madness called Thanksgiving. Black Friday is over. Tomorrow you’ll turn the calendar page and realize it’s December, the month where joy and anticipation collide with stress, indecision, and over-indulgence. Before you jump in with both feet, consider scheduling in moments of serenity, calm, and gratitude. Today’s featured image
HOW TO ORGANIZE THANKSGIVING DINNER
To aid in your Thanksgiving preparations, I have modified a schedule I first heard in home economics class shortly after the pilgrims invented this annual feast. Are you ready? T-DAY MINUS 5 and 4. The weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday, is behind us now. But this is what you should have done. Clean your kitchen.
PRIMAL SCREAM
This is how I felt on Saturday, the day after ISIS attacks in Paris left 129 dead and 352 wounded. The casualties were ordinary people enjoying a warm Friday evening. Their crime – being in target locations. A soccer stadium, a concert hall, and several cafes. The enormity of the attack, the innocence of the
The Poppies are Free
I hadn’t seen one in years. People used to wear red poppy pins near Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day to commemorate the men and women in the military who died in American service. Last week as I was going into the grocery store, an older gentleman came up to me. He was holding out a
The Writer’s Lair
Every writer has a lair. It may be in the empty space under the stair. [Sorry, I couldn’t help that one.] It might be in the garage, or the laundry room, or any place really. This is a photo of the desk area where I wrote Rama’s Labyrinth. There’s a window on the right, so
Rama’s Labyrinth
This past week has been exceptionally exciting. Rama’s Labyrinth, the book I’ve been working on for over five years, is now available on Amazon.com (some readers will find it on Amazon.co.uk). The ebook is US$2.99 and the softcover print volume is US$19.99. Rama’s Labyrinth is a biographical historical novel. We meet Rama in India when
AN AMERICAN GHOST STORY
American writer Washington Irving published The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1820. It’s a spooky tale of murky possibilities. A perfect story for Halloween. The story begins in 1790 in an area near Tarrytown, New York that is called Sleepy Hollow. The hollow had a reputation for enchantment and the appearance of unusual apparitions, the
TAJ MAHAL GARDENS & LORD CURZON
This is a story about gardens at the Taj Mahal, and the man who made them uniquely British. This photograph taken in 1874 shows something you don’t see in contemporary pictures. Very tall trees. The Taj Mahal wasn’t just a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal. It was a Mausoleum and Gardens, equally important parts of a
“HARVEST” Season
Autumn officially began with the Equinox on September 23, when the hours of darkness and light were almost equal. As we move forward in the northern hemisphere, the days become shorter and the nights, longer. It is a time of gloom and the early stages of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The word Autumn is a French
Hot Chocolate for a Rainy Day
Watching the rain from Tropical Storm Niala splattering on my windows brings the coziness of curling up with a good book and hot chocolate to my mind. Hot chocolate is more than a satisfying warm drink filled with legal antioxidants and illegal sugar. It conjures up exotic origins, leisurely indulgence, and beautiful serving utensils. The
A Story About Speed Daters
It’s time for a book review. This time the story is One Night at the Jacaranda (2013). The plot follows eight people who find themselves at the Jacaranda Bar for an evening of speed dating. The premise is simple. In author Carol Cooper’s heterosexual example, an equal number of men and women register for the event.
MUTED FLOWER LANGUAGE
Incipient autumn is an odd time to be talking about the language of flowers, so I must have been channeling seasonal changes in the southern hemisphere when my mind turned to floral communication this morning. Or, maybe it’s my reluctance to welcome cooler weather. Unless we’re bombarded by the floral industry near Valentine’s Day, most
No White After Labor Day? Who Says?
I’m old enough to remember a fashion saying that, even at the time, didn’t make much sense. “Never,” it was said, “wear white after Labor Day . . . or straw hats.” I recall there was a difference between summer clothes and fall clothes. Summer clothes were lighter, often sleeveless and generally more comfortable. Winter
The Wealth-Happiness Quandary
Last month, Jacob Davidson published an article about the ten richest people of all time. Relative incomes were extrapolated via various means to account for differences in historic and current currency valuation. The complete list is below. I’m going to focus on three American men who built enormous fortunes before turning to philanthropic endeavors. In American
A Shed by Any Other Name . . . Is Still a Shed
This is a blog about sheds. It happens to many people. It happened to me. One day the Handsome Bloke said: “I rather fancy a shed.” “But we have a storage closet.” “They’re on sale.” “We don’t need a shed. It’ll take up space.” “I’ve always wanted a shed.” The Rubbermaid shed sits across
AN AVANT-GARDE ORCHID SHOW
I went to the Hilo Orchid Society’s 63rd Annual Show yesterday, a memorable event for its sumptuous displays of orchids large and small. This year’s theme is Orchids Avant-Garde emphasizing collectors and gardeners’ never ending quest for the newest orchid variety. “The orchid world,” according to Rick Kelley as quoted in the Hawaii Tribune Herald,