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...

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 resemble...

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 very...

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...

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...