This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. So, Nov. 5 came and went. Even though I am writing this the evening of the election, I expected that not all states will have certified results by the morning after, just as it happened in 2020. I know that delayed news is better to me than outright … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Fall is almost here, but nature is having a last hurrah. In Maryland and the states nearby, farmstands are loaded with corn and tomatoes. Peaches are ripe and a second harvest of raspberries looms. For me, the fruit that’s calling out the loudest is the simple brown fig. … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. When life is stressful, resting my eyes on clear surfaces and straight lines helps me take a deep breath. Getting through the last pages of an edit is always a tough time—I’m housebound and frustrated. So during one of my stomps around the house, I caught sight of … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. It’s entirely possible to buy tomatoes in many parts of the world without being able to speak the language. In Spanish and German, it’s called a tomate. In Hindi, they say tamaatar, and in Gujarati, tamota. In Turkish, domades. There seems to be one theme emerging, but there’s … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I consider myself tolerant of heat. Yet over the last few days, I’ll admit that the air in Baltimore, Maryland, has felt like a poison gas sauna. And it’s not just me. Even Daisy, my energetic Yorkshire terrier, refuses to take a walk. At the same time, the … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Jamshedi Navroz Mubarak! According to the old Persian calendar, March 20 or 21 is the day that the new year named Navroze, Navroz, Nawrooz, and various other spellings is welcomed. This observance mostly celebrated by Zoroastrians—the group inside known as Parsi; Bahai worshippers; and Sunni Muslims with roots … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Throughout December, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans are always in my shopping cart. I first wrote about this peculiar passion three years ago, yet I couldn’t resist returning to the topic this year. And the nuts made me contemplate whether traditions can shift a bit and still feel comforting. This … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. A little more than a week ago, I was lying in a darkened bedroom at 4 PM on a Friday afternoon—wracked with fatigue, weakness and thirst. The day had started splendidly. I’d driven about 40 miles to the Washington suburbs to visit with my new author friend Shauna … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. A few weeks into the pandemic, a big bang broke this stillness of a stay-at-home Saturday afternoon. An electric fuse had blown, which meant the third floor had no lights, and the wi-fi was down as well. When I say a fuse was blown, I don’t mean a … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Scents that jolt our memories are important because we rarely smell them anymore. Think about that for a moment. I can still summon the soothing aroma of the Nivea lotion I used during my sixteenth summer. And the piquantly fruity smell of Haribo Gummi Bears, my favorite snack … Read more