Like everyone else, I have been marooned at home for months. I realize I have no reason to complain, since that would make me sound like a spoiled brat.

With a fridge filled with chocolate and wine you’d think I’d be a happy girl.

I have a lovely house, fabulous food cooked by my sweetie pie, a well-stocked wine rack and some spirits socked away just in case the Zombie Apocalypse rears its messy head. Then there’s the chocolate drawer in the fridge, where regular people probably keep fruits and vegetables. But, after recovering from an overweight childhood where I was yelled at every time that ancient refrigerator door latch gave me away, I keep all that sweet stuff available just because I can. My house! My fridge! My rules!

I also have my trusty Kindle on which to read, daily newspapers delivered to my front door, and Netflix, Amazon…

Friday Features’

Guest talks about

Pollution Solutions – Let’s Detox

by

Leigh Goff

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash

“Sip a glass of cool, clear water as you read this, and you may think water pollution is a problem somewhere else. But while most Americans have access to safe drinking water, potentially harmful contaminants — from arsenic to copper to lead — have been found in the tap water of every single state in the nation.”(1)

When we think about detoxing, we think about our health. However, our rivers, lakes, and oceans are in trouble just as the lake and bayou in KOUSH HOLLOW (my soon to release novel) and none of us, including my fictional characters, can be healthy without clean water.

Water pollution comes from things like pesticides, farm waste, oil spills, and industrial and radioactive waste. Radioactive disasters like what happened at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power…

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing.

Today’s writer/gardener guest is H. Carpenter, who will be talking about the wonders and healing powers of gardens. Welcome!

The Wonders of Gardens

by H. Carpenter

Gardens are amazing places. They can be big, small, formal or informal. Have different sizes and shapes, and a variety of names that you’re probably familiar with like butterfly garden, water garden, xeriscape garden, Zen garden – the list is endless.

My garden is none of the above. It’s just a simple hodgepodge of plants, trees and shrubs. Over the years, working in this rambly garden has made me happy, sad and surprised.

Inage source H. Carpenter

Happyis azaleas hugging the fence line.

Inage source H. Carpenter

Poinsettias turning their flowery faces toward…

I always try to learn from the bad things that happen to me and boy-o-boy did I learn a valuable lesson yesterday.

Yesterday, on a beautiful, hot and sunny Sunday, while I was attempting to edit my upcoming Christmas book, my email account was hacked.

Hacked.

What a horrible word that is.

I had no idea and would never have known had my daughter not texted me that she received a weird email from me about needing help. She sent me a screen shot of the email. This is it:

She texted me immediately saying “YOU GOT HACKED.” How did she know? Anyone who is close to me knows that, 1. I would never ask for a favor in an email, and, 2. I would never sign off like that: Awaiting your response. It just doesn’t sound like me at all. 3. My email return name was wrong.

Wednesday Special Spotlight

Shines On

A Yorkshire pudding recipe from Carol Browne today!

These Yorkshire puddings are easy to make and taste great even if you aren’t a vegan. Leftovers are wonderful when reheated in the oven at 200ᵒ C (400ᵒ F) for a few minutes. Don’t use a microwave as that makes the puddings soggy and chewy. This recipe serves 6.

Image by Shutterbug 75 from Pixabay

Vegan Yorkshire Puddings

360ml (1½ cups) vegetable oil
190g (1¼ cups ) self-raising flour
¾ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. baking powder
270ml (1¼ cups) soya or almond milk

Preheat oven Gas Mark 7 (215ᵒ C) (420ᵒ F).

Pour 2 tablespoons oil into each cup hole of a 12 cup muffin tray. Put tray in the oven at least 15 minutes so oil becomes really hot.

Sieve flour, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Gradually add plant milk, whisking constantly.

Here’s wishing all my American friends and readers a Happy July 4th!

Corresponding with students via snail mail is a good way for teachers to foster trust anytime—but especially when everyone is physically distanced.

With remote teaching likely continuing into the next academic year, we’ll need low-tech ways to establish relationships with students whom we can’t reach digitally. An ongoing letter communication through the mail is just that—and is also an empowering way to build relational trust with students. That trust, explains Zaretta Hammond, is the foundation on which culturally responsive teaching can change learning trajectories for even our most vulnerable students.

My first year in the classroom, I saw one of my more disengaged students pass a note to a friend. I thought about confiscating it, as my teachers had done. Instead, I wrote her my own note the next day. She wrote back, and we continued writing through the year, her engagement in class strengthening alongside our relationship. Letter…

I’ve been M.I.A. for a few weeks because….life. But today’s topic got me back in the blogging challenge saddle.

My “go to” book or movie for a pick-me-up. Easy peasy and I’m gonna do both!

Book first:

I’ve mentioned this book dozens of times on this blog – and others – but whenever I can’t find something new and intriguing to read, I pull out my copy of NEW YORK TO DALLAS by J.D. Robb from my book case. It is without a doubt my favorite Robb addition of the In Death Series to date, even though they are all excellent reads. This one, though, is so packed with emotion, suspense, and love, plus the way Robb really gets to the meaning of marriage, that it’s worth a re-read every now and again. The last three pages are my absolute favorite in the book and even though I’ve read the…