Whiter than Snow

My good friend Emily responded to my Living on the Cheap blog with a recipe for laundry soap that she says needs only two tablespoons per load. Cheap, yes—plus the fun of making it. Maybe a home-school project? First, hunt for Fels Naptha soap—a household staple when...

What will I look like when I'm old?

The early version  A later model . . . With a fair amount of water over the dam in between. A person’s looks seldom improves with age. Weight goes up, value goes down, and the manufacturer’s warranty is sometimes voided. Hair changes color, wrinkles...

Living on the Cheap

I’m a genuine extremist. Yes. Anyone who knows me can attest to that. Not a perfectionist, mind you. Anyone entering our house can attest to THAT. No, I obsess over IMPORTANT things like nurturing friendships (emails, phone calls, travel); signing books with...

Getting My Ducks in Order

We had prowlers in our yard a couple of weeks ago. I saw them two days hand running—which made me nervous. Being bigger than they, I scared them off, knowing that involvement can be costly. What were my prowlers? A pair of mallard ducks, obviously checking out the...

High Spring

I call it High Spring. So does Linda, my lead character in the novel I’m currently working on. Here is part of a letter she writes but later burns, the only alternative to actually sending it—an act that would be far too costly. We have finally reached...

What is a Blog?

blog [blawg, blog] noun 1. a Web site containing the writer’s or group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinion, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites. verb (used without object) 2. to maintain or add new entries to a blog....