I can’t think of anything more self-defeating than feeling sorry for oneself. And yet we all have days when we want to curl into a little ball and let the world pass by. I call this Sow Bug Syndrome. Sow Bugs are tiny gray creatures. When threatened, they curl into a tight little ball the … Read more

I recently had a minor outpatient surgical procedure which I won’t go into (okay…it was a colonoscopy and we ALL should get one every seven years). Enough said. While half-naked on the gurney, waiting for the anesthesiologist to arrive, two nurses propped me with pillows, and chattered away. One asked me what I did for … Read more

Ever been awakened in the middle of the night by a sound you can’t identify? You lie still, wanting to hear it again, wondering if it was your imagination, hoping it isn’t anything you don’t want to encounter. Years ago, while serving as the interim city manager of San Juan Capistrano, I was allowed to … Read more

I love a good plot, one with twists and turns and heart-pounding suspense. I love it when a book keeps drawing me back, enticing me to give up my cherished sleep to read into the night. I consider it a bonus when a book has all these elements and is also an historical. Alas, these … Read more

First off is scorpions. We now live in the desert and those little devils are around. Last spring two dared to creep along the wall, near the ceiling. Capt. Mark stood on a stepladder and dispatched them. He’s still fearsome with a shoe, even in his incapacitated state. He found one on his shirt last … Read more