Gratitude
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Sunday Snippet: The A Little Like Baking Edition
It’s fall and that is when I really get in the mood to bake. I love to bake. I love knowing that if I mix together butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and other sundry ingredients, I will get a basic cookie dough. If I add chocolate chips or nuts or oatmeal or raisins, I’ll have a special tasty treat. Baking is relaxation for me in a way that nothing else is—not even reading or swimming or walking or biking. I think that is because there is a creative element involved in making a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or an apple pie or a pan of sinful dark chocolate brownies…
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Sunday Snippet: The Autumn Bittersweet of It All Edition
We have giveaway winners this morning! Kathy Anderson and Ginni Selby, you will both receive an ARC ebook of The Rancher’s Christmas Wife. Thanks for coming by! I love hearing from all of you! This week, Husband and I have been working on putting our lovely gardens to bed for the winter. Yesterday, Grandboy came over to help out. There’s nothing better than working in the gardens with a willing and strong 14-year-old. “What’s next, Nanny?” The three of us worked for a couple of hours, and although there’s more to do, we ran out of room in the bin that goes to the curb on Tuesday, so we’ll collect…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Been a Tough Week Edition
I know that y’all are accustomed to happy, cheerful Nan here on the blog, and let me just say upfront, I’m okay. But it’s been a really hard week and I am blaming wicked cancer and getting old. My bestie’s husband passed last Saturday after an incredibly aggressive cancer took over his body. It was so fast, we barely had a moment to breathe after his diagnosis before he was home on hospice and then gone. His memorial gathering was on Thursday and what a glorious tribute it was to a good, good man–a husband, father, grandpa, musician, and very recently, a great-grandpa. So many folks came to pay their…
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Sunday, Whoops, Monday Snippet: The Author on the Road Edition
Yeah, I missed posting the snippet yesterday, but I have a valid excuse–I was on the road. Pal Mo and I were driving to Wisconsin for a writing retreat. It’s bittersweet being here because this was supposed to be the fall writing retreat with Liz. However, Liz was unable to do this retreat with me, and since sis had gotten the condo in the Dells for us, I figured I’d ask someone else to join me. Confession to Mo, I did ask Husband if he wanted to join me in Wisconsin. He very kindly declined. I think the idea that he would simply be doing the same thing up here…
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Sunday Snippet: The Begin Again and Keep Writing Edition
Good Sunday morning, mes amies. It’s kinda cloudy here in the city and the forecast is calling for rain and cooler temperatures for the coming week, which is okay. We need the rain and we could sure use the cooler temps. So garden cleanup and writing and then more writing will be the order of the week. There will be mowing for Husband and we have a few chores around this house that need to be done before we head to the lake again. Two houses can be hard sometimes and that is not, I repeat not a complaint. Merely an observation. We remind our kids, who also have two…
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Sunday Snippet: The It’s Harvest Fest Day Edition!
Yup, today is Harvest Fest in our little town of Fishers, Indiana, and I will be there with bells on! Okay, maybe no bells, but definitely with books and a smile. I’m looking forward to meeting new readers and greeting friends, signing books, and sharing some Author Booth time with my fellow local authors, including one of my very favorite mystery authors, J.C. Kenney. Harvest Fest is not just books and authors–there are dozens of artists, artisans, creators, and musicians as well as food trucks a beer garden, and soft drinks. It will be a great way to spend the afternoon and help out some fabulous Fishers-area non-profits. Go here…
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Sunday Snippet: The August 2026 Memos Edition
I do these every so often–these memos. I’d like to tell you it’s all about catching up, taking a breath, landing somewhere for a few minutes. I suppose it is all those things, but mostly, it’s because I can’t think of anything to blog about except what’s happening in our country and I need to not think about that right now. I don’t want this blog to be political–you all know my politics and I know most of yours. All we can do in that regard is keep staying alert and vote, vote, vote. So we’re going to do the August memos today. Dear Weather, Ummmm… could you pick a…
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Sunday Snippet: The I Got Nothin’, So Fast Facts Instead Edition
Liz and I often talk about how hard it can be to write a weekly column. It isn’t that we don’t enjoy the writing, we certainly do because, you know, writing. It’s just that sometimes topics can be elusive. We are both fascinating women, but even as interesting as we are, we don’t always have something brilliant to say. With that in mind, today, I’m giving you five fast facts about me–things you might not already know (although that will surprise me, I’ve been around for quite a while) and then I’m going to ask you to give me five fast facts about yourself in the comments? Sound fun? Good……
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Sunday Snippet: The Dog Days of Summer Edition
I think we are currently in the dog days—the hot, sultry days of late summer. I looked up why we called them the dog days, and the reason is kinda interesting. Per Google: “The dog days of summer refer to the hottest, most sultry weeks of the summer, usually running from early July to mid-August. People call them this because the ancient Romans blamed this hot weather on the star Sirius, known as the “Dog Star,” which rises and sets with the sun during this time.” Whatever you call these mid-to-late days of August, it has certainly been sultry and hot here in the Midwest. The windows on our house…
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Sunday Snippet: The Nan and Min’s Big Day Edition
Yup, yesterday was a big day. I participated in the Indy Author Event for the first time. It was quite a day of meeting new authors and new readers, and catching up with long-time friends who are authors and readers. As a participating author, I had two tickets to give away, so way back last fall, I’d gifted them to a couple of readers at a book club. I was delighted when Marcia and Sue appeared at my table to say hello, grab a quick hug, and buy books. I had my booth babe, Min, with me and she kept me organized and on track, restocking book stacks, taking…