My Blog
Sharing my thoughts and providing real life stories for my readers to think about.
Treasures of Ancient Egypt
During the summer of 1978, I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to view the exhibit, Treasures of Tutankhamun at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “Tut Fever” had been sweeping the country since the King Tut tour began on November 17, 1976, at...
New Beginnings
January. The first month of the year takes its name from Janus, the ancient Roman god of beginnings, endings, transitions, doorways, gates, and time. A unique deity, his head is distinctively depicted with two faces, each staring in opposite directions. One face...
So Long 2025
This past year brought forth a rollercoaster of emotions for me. I celebrated a few joyous occasions, like planning my retirement in 2026, while lamenting some personal losses, such as losing dear friends to illness. I shed a lot of tears, both in gratitude and...
The White Picket Fence
Life rarely turns out the way we planned or hoped it would. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re of a certain age, you likely grew up with the stereotypical mid-20th Century American Dream symbolized by the “white picket fence.” This ideal life was...
Birthday Month
October is my favorite month not only because it’s the month of my birth but also because it personifies fall. Cooler weather, pumpkins, and vibrant coastal sunsets are a few of the things I love about October. For the past couple of years, I gleefully and...
ChatGPT to the Rescue
A friend recently revealed her frustration in trying to re-connect with one of her adult daughters who had chosen to cut ties with the family. Having tried various unsuccessful methods, such as enlisting the help of another daughter, my friend was at a loss for what...
Cycle of Life
A clear sign of having wisdom is knowing how little control we humans have over most things in our lives. Take death as an example. No one has control of determining how long he or she will live or when he or she will die. As much as the health and beauty industries...
Minding My Own Business
Last month I relayed my overall malaise, which was specifically tied to two unrelated, yet completely annoying experiences. My “new” dentist who used a sleight of hand to treat me and a candidate who blew her interview. This month, by contrast, I have been troubled by...
Monday, Monday
All last week I was feeling a bit out of sorts. I was cranky and snippy and taking it out on the wrong people. It wasn’t anything one person did to me, but a combination of two disparate events that took place last Monday. Ironically, both events happened at the...
My Interesting Life
Twenty-plus years ago, after I’d self-published Guilty as Sin and before I started to pen the Persona Non Grata trilogy, I was talking to a casual friend at the gym, telling him about wanting to write another novel. Curious and intrigued by my avocation, he asked me...
Writing Inspiration 2.0
I’m never surprised where my writing inspiration comes from. And often it arises from the most unlikely places. Last month I received a resume from a candidate named Christina in response to a healthcare related ad I had posted on one of the popular job boards. The...
Thriving on the Unpredictable
I have eclectic tastes in books and movies though my default is to typically choose crime stories and/or thrillers. I attribute my tastes to the detective spirit in me wanting to solve mysteries. Or I think I thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Interestingly,...