A Rose By Any Other Name–Robin, Rachel, Ruth, Rita?
What’s in a name? If you’ve ever named a child, or even a pet, you know the answer. We don’t take this lightly, do we? “Oh, we’ll call the new puppy Rover, that’s easy. We’ll call the new baby Jane or Mary because they’re easy to pronounce and spell.” Rover, Jane, Mary? All perfectly good…
Read MoreStrange Holidays and New Traditions
I’m embarrassed to admit I have almost every Christmas tree ornament that’s ever come my way. My husband, who just cleaned our attic, knows this is true since we have too many boxes filled with sagging salt dough drummer boys and flaking gilded walnuts. I saved every ornament my children made or bought for our tree, planning…
Read MoreMy Special Key to Happiness
I believe in dreams. Dreaming and working hard can help us realize our heart’s desires. On the other hand I’ve seen many hard-working dreamers who never reach all their goals and consequently feel they’ve failed. As a mother I urged my children to choose work they loved. That way, the work, itself, would be a dream fulfilled, and whatever…
Read MoreAnd Crown Thy Good With Brotherhood
Living in Northern Virginia comes with fabulous perks. One of them is the proximity of Washington DC’s amazing and free museums. Living in Nothern Virginia comes with problems, as well. We are an ambitious lot, working far more than the so-called normal 40 hours a week, and using cars as weapons so that we can be…
Read MoreCommercial Breaks and CatchUp
Are you in a book club? So am I, and this week I wrote about mine for the Reading Group Guides blog. You can read my entry right here. Enjoy. If you’re in a book club, I’d love to know what you’re reading this month, so please leave a comment if you’d like to share. …
Read MorePostcards from the Blue Ridge
I want you to enjoy what I’m enjoying right now. Happy autumn wherever you are.
Read MoreWhat Makes YOU Happy? An Unscientific Look at Happiness Blog Comments
When I decided it would be fun to use my blog as a contest venue this past year, I had no idea how rewarding it would be. Not only did many of your participate, I had the good fortune to read all your entries, as did my assistant, the Marvelous Marna, who collated all the…
Read MoreWhat Makes Emilie Happy, and the Giveaway Winners who are Happy, too.
For the past six months I’ve had the distinct pleasure of blogging about happiness, and more important, reading your comments on my “happiness” blogs. Next week I’ll share with you the unscientific survey that my assistant Marna and I did of your wonderful and evocative contributions. We saw patterns, but that was no surprise. Looking…
Read MoreHaunting Mysteries: The Fascinating Career of Casey Daniels
In plenty of time for the spookiest holiday of the year, Casey Daniels, whose Pepper Martin mysteries are a must read for anyone who loves paranormal mysteries, is visiting Southern Exposure today. I first met Casey when I was part of a writer’s group in Cleveland, Ohio. We’ve stayed friends through the years and are still brainstorming buddies. This time of…
Read MoreRecipes–or what do books and bread have in common?
It’s been quiet at Southern Exposure. I arrived home from Europe all set to do the final read through and editing of Fortunate Harbor, next summer’s Mira and the sequel to Happiness Key, which is at your bookstore now. Since my husband went on to Greece, I had a quiet house, and nothing on my…
Read More