Today is Mom’s birthday

Today is Mom’s birthday. She would have been 97 (and would have killed me for telling you that). Happy birthday, Mom!

I got a nosebleed – not a big deal, right? Wrong

Image courtesy of The Blue Diamond Gallery by way of a Creative Commons license.

I got a nosebleed last night. No big deal, right? Well, not exactly. I’ve had nosebleeds my entire life. When I was a kid my bloody nose frightened my parents into taking me to the hospital at Keesler Air Force… READ MORE

Another kick in the teeth from the Florida Legislature

Image courtesy of Laura Joyce Stone.

The Florida Legislature continues to ensure Florida remains unaffordable to anybody who isn’t independently wealthy. The Legislature recently approved a measure, Senate Bill 2-A, which among other things requires people who insure their homes through the state pool, Citizens Property… READ MORE

Let there be light, and there I was – wobble

Image courtesy of Luke with Pixnio by way of a Creative Commons license. https://pixnio.com/objects/electronics-devices/electric-lights-pictures/fluorescent-lights

This morning I became angry. For TWO YEARS I have tolerated relative darkness in my kitchen, all because the overhead flourescents had grown dim. They needed changing. The replacement lights had been sitting on a cabinet in the dining room…. READ MORE

Just got back from my first real vacation in 24 years

All images courtesy of Del Stone Jr.

It was my first real vacation in 24 years. I’d sneaked in weekends here and there – three days in backwoods Louisiana, where the kudzu is thicker than the Cajun accents, or a weekend of schmoozing at a writers’ convention… READ MORE

It really is OK for men to cry

Image courtesy of Thoroughly Reviewed at https://thoroughlyreviewed.com/

I’ve become a cry baby in my old age. I cry at movies – moments where the couple meet and finally – FINALLY – realize they love each other, and as the music swells, their lips come together … and… READ MORE

An excerpt from my novel ‘Black Tide’

Image courtesy of Wallpaper Flare.

This is a scene from my novel “Black Tide,” which I hope to begin shopping to an agent later this year or next. In this scene, Fred, Heather and Scotty are trapped on a spoil island in Santa Rosa Sound… READ MORE