This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. We are emerging from a strange winter in North America. Recent snowfalls have shocked California and Arizona, while there was no virtually no snowfall in Maryland. The temperatures here in Baltimore were so mild that the ground could be dug in early January for the planting of trees. … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. The songs are playing day and night. Some of them are tentative, while others blow the dust off the steep wooden staircase. My son is home from college for the winter holidays and nestled in his third floor bedroom with all his electric guitars—and the amplifiers. The improvisations … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I got a three-month writing retreat with every comfort needed! I scrawled the grand statement, which sounds like a cheesy advertisement, and taped it next to the guest room desk back in March. I was upset about the pandemic, and I was trying to reframe what I could … 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. On a recent day that I was missing fresh greens, I walked into the garden. It was long before I’d planted my first seeds for lettuce. Not much was there. And yet… I appraised the dandelions. Their gay golden faces are dotted all over the lawn and garden … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. The skies are blue, the clouds dense, and it’s quiet enough that you can hear the birds. Our two dogs have never had more attention. And with a lack of places to go, I am in my garden. The leading picture for this blogpost is a raised bed … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. For too long, I’ve been lost in the LED-lit, indoor world of writing. Over the last month, I was intent on doing nothing else except finish a book. It also happened that late November turned out to be the only time to plant a garden. Fall planting is easier on … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I came to the Mid-Atlantic at age 18, so I cannot claim to be a Mid-Atlantic native. I didn’t marry a local man, either—I married someone from the Deep South. Yet I’d like to think Tony and I have thoroughly embraced this area for raising our family, building … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. I was home for a short week between book tour traveling, and the main thing I realized was how delicious it felt to be home for spring. The more common wish in America is to be “home for Christmas.” But Maryland’s shining moment is spring. It is a … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. These days, pink is everywhere. Millennial Pink is the official name of the soft hue that now colors chairs from Target, rose-gold phones from Apple, and yes, pink clothing for both genders. Why this soft shade now? Is it because treatment of people has become so hard? Pink … Read more