I spoke to the lady who sits on a park bench in out graveyard today.  She was walking along in my direction, a red t-shirt that was making its way slowly up her torso, a pair of trousers, a red jacket or cardie slung over one arm and her habitual carrier bag, Waitrose today.  In…

  “In April of 1999, I felt the call of Jesus Christ upon my life. It was both subtle and blatant, like the peace inside the eye of a hurricane. I could in no way resist and I in no way understood what would become of my life.” Rosaria, by the standards of many, was…

  Last Night I Sang to the Monster was chosen as one of the Top Ten YA Books of Fiction in 2010. Zach is eighteen, bright, and articulate. He’s also an alcoholic, in rehab instead of high school, but he doesn’t remember how he got there. What’s up with that?

  It is Winter Carnival in Quebec City, bitterly cold and surpassingly beautiful. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has come not to join the revels but to recover from an investigation gone hauntingly wrong. But violent death is inescapable, even in the apparent sanctuary of the Literary and Historical Society–where an obsessive historian’s quest for the…

A lady came and looked around our flat today. She was downsizing; she wanted something that felt spacious without being big;  she was describing our home. Hurrah! I prefer an agent to do the showing but we haven’t had any lookers for weeks so were happy with the interest.  I was doubting the existence of…

I use my Yoga class in the mornings as part of my devotions.  I keep a beautiful icon of Christ on my desk, within easy sight of wherever I am sinking into a pose.  I say my mantra prayers as much as I think of them, sometimes the poses get too intense and everything leaves…

My oldest son called me this morning.  He was on his way home from work.  It was 2 in the morning, central time. Where does he work you may wonder?  A bar or a club?  No!  He is one of the editors for the new TV show coming up in the Spring, Dallas! Yes!  I…

  Today I joined Linkedin and just thought I’d have to click an “accept” button. But no! I hastily ran through the steps typing in short and sweet answers. I was in the middle of preparing for my show which always takes more hours than I think because I research so much not wanting to…

At Christmas we always had dates on the coffee table.  In an oval balsa wood box with tooth picks inside.  They would sit under their sticky plastic film looking like shiny beetles waiting to be enjoyed. This Christmas Malia was taken aback when my brother presented her with a box.  A joint memory from our…

This morning you would have thought the house was going to blow over and thank goodness we’re not in a house; the remains of the willow tree took a beating though.  For once the forecasters were correct and gale force winds had London in their clutches.  By noon it was dark and the rain was…