Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday: GOOD EVENING, MRS CRAVEN: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes

 Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday: GOOD EVENING, MRS CRAVEN: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes

Lesa's Book Critiques: Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known by Scott Simon

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known by Scott Simon

SleuthSayers: Using Real Life in Fiction

SleuthSayers: Using Real Life in Fiction: As writers, we often mine our lives for bits and pieces we can incorporate into our stories, from setting them in places where we have lived...

A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: Carolyn Smith 1940-2026

This huts hard. Caroline was a great friend. I met here when I was invited to join the local writers group, Ravens Mavens, many years ago. She was a huge supporter of my writing efforts and told me many times to keep going. Especially after Sandi passed and I was drowning in the grief sea. The idea that she is now also gone is brutal.

A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: Carolyn Smith 1940-2026: Lilburn and Carolyn Smith On the evening of Wednesday, April 29th, Carolyn Smith, who wrote 92 romances as Caroline Clemmons, went into resp...

CozyMystery.Com: Kathleen Marple Kalb Interview

 CozyMystery.Com: Kathleen Marple Kalb Interview

Lesa's Book Critiques: The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson

 Lesa's Book Critiques: The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson

Lesa's Book Critiques: Star of the Show by Dolly Parton with Tom Roland

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Star of the Show by Dolly Parton with Tom Roland

SleuthSayers: Farewell to San Sebastiano

SleuthSayers: Farewell to San Sebastiano:   I learned recently that James Powell died last year. He was one of those friends I knew for years through the grace of the Internet, but  ...

The Rap Sheet: Thomas Perry Is No More

 The Rap Sheet: Thomas Perry Is No More

SleuthSayers: Petty and Peevish

SleuthSayers: Petty and Peevish: No, I'm not referring to the names of Beavis and Butt-Head's new girlfriends. I'm referring to the way I feel when I'm expos...

Mystery Fanfare: MARTIN CRUZ SMITH: R.I.P.

Mystery Fanfare: MARTIN CRUZ SMITH: R.I.P.: Sad news. Award winning mystery author Martin Cruz Smith passed away yesterday. I was privileged to meet him on several occasions. He was a...

Our Anniversary

 

40 years ago today I married my New England girl. She was and always will be my everything. Being here without her is brutally hard every day. Some days are way harder. It has not gotten any easier as the years pass. At this point, I don’t think it ever will, as it just gets harder every year. 

Patricia Abbott: FFB MORNINGSTAR: GROWING UP WITH BOOKS, Ann Hood

 Patricia Abbott: FFB MORNINGSTAR: GROWING UP WITH BOOKS, Ann Hood

The Stiletto Gang: A Conversation with Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski

 The Stiletto Gang: A Conversation with Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski

Lesa's Book Critiques: Class Clown by Dave Barry

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Class Clown by Dave Barry

Things Are Not Good

As we all know, the cost of living is going up each week. I am rapidly running out of what little I inherited as a dollar just does not stretch much at all. Scott is actively looking for a job and not having any luck whatsoever. He can't even get an interview. He has also noticed that places like LinkedIn, Indeed, etc., have far fewer listings now than a month ago. Which ties into the hiring signs no longer in store front windows around us here in NE Dallas. Companies are definitely pulling back as things evolve.

So, if you know of something job related, please pass it on. He has a Masters in Criminology, and is looking primarily for some sort of customer service oriented job. Though, he is pretty much open to anything and everything. He just wants to work. 

After Sandi passed, I never thought I would still be here now. I figured I had a year or two, tops, between the grief and my own health and that would be it. I fully expected my own cancer diagnosis, as not only does cancer run hard in my family, but I saw many spouses go through the death of their loved one only to fight their own terminal cancer diagnosis. So, I fully expected to be dead long before facing the possibility of being homeless.

Surprise!

Seven plus years later, I'm not there yet, but I can see it from my porch. So, if you want to help out, and can afford to do so, please use the PayPal widget over on the left side of the blog. 

Any amount truly helps.

Thank you. 

Still Alive

After getting a couple of emails of concern regarding the lack of blog activity and presence on social media, I thought I should say something. I'm alive. Just feeling really sick. 

Scott had a doc deal with his ENT Tuesday morning. It went okay. They don't plan any further follow-ups. 

I always feel bad after running an errand or three, so I knew Tuesday would be rough. It was. But Wednesday and today have been way worse. Nothing new really, just me being way worse than my normal bad. 

I'm hoping this does not mean I have stepped down again on my baseline. I know the time chnage has done a number on me as it always does. But, just walking outside to the car, as I did today, to go to the library (which we absolutely had to do as we had stuff that had to go back or fines would start) was almost too much. As it was, I sat in the car a few minutes to get myself together, before we rolled out. 

I stayed in the car, something I have been doing more and more, while he went inside and took care of things. 

Anyway, things are not good. Scott still can't find a job, and things are getting more and more expensive as what little I have in the bank runs out. I'm so very tired of missing Sandi, watching my health get worse, and all the rest of it. 

Lesa's Book Critiques: Tomato Sandwiches are Eaten Over the Sink by Sean Dietrich

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Tomato Sandwiches are Eaten Over the Sink by Sean Dietrich

It Helps

 

Life

 As some horrible new problem has begun in my left eye in the last 48 hours, this hits home really hard tonight...