May 17, 2026

Savoring moments amid the struggle

I’ve been struggling lately - like so many of you. Finances, health, housekeeping, the writing job - it can all seem like too much sometimes, and then you add the chaos of the world? Yeah, it can be difficult to handle.

When it gets to be too much, I take a breath and step back. I find something small in every day to appreciate. The warmth of a dog curled at my feet. The gratitude that I still have coffee to brew, that gives a wonderful aroma to my kitchen. The beauty of my blooming roses and healing yard. Simple things.

Yesterday, I sat on my porch with a cup of coffee and my e-reader, the dogs sprawled around me, and simply enjoyed it all. Sure, I’ve got a list as long as my arm of stuff that needs to get done, but as I reminded a friend the other day - rest is a verb. To rest is to be doing something.

Porch view May 2026

Here are some books to take with you when you find a moment to rest and read. I hope you find something good - something that takes you on a trip through a story with characters that captivate and moments of heart-pounding excitement.

Thanks for being a part of this journey with me.

Norrit and Hale, Patron Saints of Grandparents, enjoy their hard-earned vacation at a little rented cabin in the forest town of Vataroma, where nobody knows them. Time to take a break, kick back, and enjoy jig-saw puzzles and painting in a private yard near the woods.
Perfect and peaceful.
Until a boy detective races into their yard, chasing a cat named Fish and hot in pursuit of clues for his latest case.
Now, Norrit and Hale face a much different afternoon than what they expected. Definitely a more exciting one.