I remember where I was when I ate my first Krispy Kreme donut. My teenage son brought a box home from the new bakery on 86th Street in Indianapolis and put them on the kitchen counter. They were warm. Fresh out of the oven, he said. I was skeptical until…
Let’s Stop With The ‘Full Stop’
Full stop may be the English language’s most annoying term these days. For centuries, a period at the end of the sentence or the dropping of one’s voice has signaled the same thing: the thought ends here. It’s over. But today, many seem inclined to toss in the term “full…
Hurtful Words Linger
It’s the little things that people say to you that linger. Sometimes forever. Recently, I found my man in the closet staring at a row of long-sleeve shirts as though he wasn’t sure what to wear. “Got a problem?” I asked. “I haven’t worn that blue and white shirt for…
The Re-Birth of the Orchid
My prized orchid plant bloomed for the first time in over a year today. It was a tribute to overcoming adversity—mostly man-made and some spawned by nature. The story of the orchid, which is not award-winning but special to me, dates back to last spring. On a whim, I spent…
My Lilly Stock Is Fattening Up
I called my financial advisor to ask if I should diversify my portfolio. Translation: Should I sell some of my Eli Lilly stock, which I’ve had for at least twenty years and is now a big chunk of my holdings? Nope, she said. Lilly is doing great, thanks in part…
The Polite Rejections
Amy Cloughly, Warren Frazier, and Dan Lazar are literary agents that I don’t know and have never met. But I respect them and here’s why. I sent them a query letter about representing my new book Under the Sand. They responded and said no thanks but nice of you to…
My Hero Colleen Hoover
I was recently attending a Zoom meeting about book publishing when the speaker announced that the author with 8.5 percent of all books sales in the U. S. last year was Colleen Hoover. Who? I thought I had misunderstood. Surely, the speaker meant that the top book sales in the…
The Print’s Too Fine
Being a reader isn’t easy. I was trying to work my way through the latest mystery for my Sleuth Book Club meeting later this month when I gave up. The book, Descent by Tim Johnston, is well-written and riveting. The darn print is too small. I feel like Amazon should…
My United Healthcare Debacle
To Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare. Sir, your company needs to get its act together! For years I have been on the Medicare Advantage plan and have had no issues. When I moved to Sarasota in December, I decided to “upgrade” my Medicare supplemental plan. Advantage has been…
A Fateful Day in Sherwin-Williams
Alex, the paint store manager, and I shared a moment today. I was returning from a visit to our new home in Sarasota when I decided, on impulse, to stop at the Sherwin-Williams store nearby instead of driving to my usual paint shop, now 90 minutes away. We are getting…