During the Dark Days, a Bittersweet Smile Will Do

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It’s rough out there, folks. At least, I think it is. With the exception of snatched “retail window” moments (post office, library window, grocery checkout), I rarely interact with any non-spouse humans. But I see it in my Inbox and on social media and podcasts—many of us are just hanging on to the non-committed side of the mental health line by the skin of our skinless teeth. [Random digression: I did not know skin of my teeth is a phrase of Biblical origin. Random Digression P.S.: how many of you thought I was going to rant about about pathetic mental Read more…


panorama blurred bookshelf Many old books in a book shop or library

Virtual Travel in the Quarantine Times: Retro Books Edition

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Hey, Reader Peeps! What’s the current travel situation in your neck of the woods? International advisories change daily, but Americans are pretty much stuck hanging out with fellow Americans. Since we’re leading the world in coronavirus cases right now, you can’t really blame our global neighbors for not taking our calls. Or rather, our passports. 😜 Restrictions also change daily within the US, state by state, county by county, and city and city. Here in Hawaii, we’ve been under a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all airport arrivals (tourists and traveling residents alike) for several months. That had kept Covid cases Read more…


Emergency Preparedness, Gastropod Style

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As I confessed to folks in my Newsletter—which was sent a day late—this has been one of those sluggish weeks for me. (Gastropod folks, please forgive the conflation of snail pics and slug metaphors.) I am far too lethargic to saddle my words with extraneous letters (colour? really?), but the Brits have many other quirks of verbal expression worth adopting. The word treacle comes to mind. This has been a week of wading through treacle to get anything done. (Doesn’t that sound so much nastier than warm and fuzzy molasses? Except—for the record—molasses will mold, i.e. get gray and fuzzy, Read more…


Stories I Love: Shetland

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The United States and I are both Cancers. That’s not an existential or political statement; we were both born in early July. If they weren’t so dog-traumatizing, I’d pretend the incessant fireworks were celebrating my arrival. (The little 4.6 earthquake we had last week was probably not in my honor either, even if it was on my birthday.) I’m sharing this not to guilt you into belated well wishes, but because a birthday gift prompted this post. Thanks to the wonderful hubby, we are currently re-watching Seasons 1 and 2 of Shetland, an ITV adaptation of the Ann Cleeves books. Read more…


Seriously, June Already? (For Five More Minutes)

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So last night, standing at my computer, I had one of those moments. You know the ones, where you suddenly have no clue what you’re supposed to be doing. Not in an existential, meaning of life sense. In a where did I put my keys? sense. I often have those moments passing from one room to the next, but I couldn’t blame an evil, brain-robbing threshold this time. Maybe I could blame the moth I’d just chased around the room, at length and unsuccessfully. (Though it disappeared behind the couch, one of my ears remained attuned for thump-thump-thumps to resume Read more…