Breakfast with Blanche

Breakfast with Blanche

Apple, cinnamon, raisin baked oatmeal is in the oven. The coffee is hot and strong. Come on over for breakfast! And, although the weatherman denies it, my old weather eye notices the clouds this morning and I think it looks like coming snow. I’m probably wrong, but I’ve seen the sky look like this in […]

Confession is Good for the Soul

Confession is Good for the Soul

It depends to whom you are confessing, and what you are confessing, and maybe even when, but, unburdening yourself of a heavy emotional load is certainly healthy. Personally, I confess my sins to God. I confess my faults, not only to Him but to my friends. Confession does leave a person feeling freer, lighter, happier. […]

Into the Darkness of the Cave

Into the Darkness of the Cave

I mentioned a few days ago that my mother had written a personal account of exploring a cave near the Illinois River. People going out to fish on the Illinois may not realize it was once a free-running river, with no dam to block its progress. They may not know that caves lie hidden on […]

An Inner Core of Firm Resolve

An Inner Core of Firm Resolve

https://www.amazon.com/Blanche-Day-Manos/e/B0090018EI/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 We’ve all heard, “Growing old is not for sissies.” Let me enlarge on that: “Writing is not for sissies.” Or, just about anything we want with our whole heart and have to work hard to get is not for the faint-hearted. We must have an inner core of firm resolve. Sort of like the […]

The Silver Moon Knew the Old Mansion’s Secret

The Silver Moon Knew the Old Mansion’s Secret

The full, silver moon had looked down on some nefarious goings on at Granger Mansion, things that nobody else knew about…well, yes, maybe two other people knew and the dead man might have known, but he could never tell. Now, forty years later, someone is threatening the murderer. The secret should have been secure; but sometimes […]

This Thing Called Loneliness

This Thing Called Loneliness

Writing is an alone kind of business. It can’t be done while chatting with someone. However, a warm, friendly pup and several cups of hot coffee don’t hurt a thing. Some writers get away from it all by going to a cabin or the seashore while writing or to a different country while researching. I understand […]