Monday Musings

Dear blog readers, I am an author and prolific reader. As such, it is fitting that I recognize  National Reading Month . March celebrates reading in honor of Dr. Suess’s birthday. The noted writer was not a doctor like myself; he was an illustrator and writer of popular children’s books. This month is chock full of book-themed holidays. A few days ago, on March 21, the topic was  World Poetry Da y, a favorite of mine as a published poet. An entire month is dedicated to poetry in April,  National Poetry Month . William Shakespeare gets an entire week, March 21–27 . It’s time to break out those annotated Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet copies. Many writers currently compose using electronic means, but for those who prefer handwriting in journals or on reams of paper with ink or lead, March 30 will commemorate  National Pencil Day . I could go on and on, but I will refer you to this link, updated for 2025:  2025 List of Literary and Book-Themed Holidays . It includes ev...

‘Tis the season. Receipts, documents, and file folders cover my dining room tabletop. All year, the slips of this and that have been deposited in a basket. They must be gathered into appropriate piles and compiled into data charts. My tax preparer does E-filing. A month ago, I received the dreaded email: it’s time to fill in your Tax Organizer. Gone is the day of carrying said basket to the accountant. Once the papers have been sorted, key items must be scanned and saved in computer folders/subfolders. If I compile tables of information, I only have to  maintain the records  rather than send the massive pile to their office. For example, I make a document of all income (personal and business) and other pages for itemized deductions: expenses (business and medical). As we age, the  medical deductible section  grows yearly. And since we live in a rural area, we must travel thousands of miles per year for our health care. Sometimes, we even have to do short hotel stays:...

Announcing a new family member: we have adopted a rescue Shih Tzu. His official kennel name is Benji Blue Fox, but that’s a big name for a 19-pound boy, so he is Benji to us. We met him at our dog groomer a week before we left for Key West. A foster dog mom brought him in because he was too much for her home circumstances. The moment we saw him, we fell in love. He looks like the reincarnation of our former Shih Tzu, Haiku. In only 10 months, this poor boy has had a horrible set of circumstances. His original owner fell on him, injured his leg, and left him crying all night. When he finally got to the veterinarian, he was diagnosed with a broken leg. Benji sports a left rear leg cast. He has been in three foster homes since that event. He has now found his forever home. We took him to our vet this week. His leg is healing nicely, but he needs to wear the cast for two more weeks. Despite the immobilizing device he runs and plays, and goes up and down steps without difficulty. Benji is h...

  We have returned safe and sound after a brief respite from the winter chill in balmy Key West. The flight was gratefully uneventful, but the drive down Route One from Miami was marred by an almost two-hour delay due to construction. It was a grey, drizzly introduction to paradise. An educational point: large, shiny, dark red-brown barked trees punctuated the overland sea road. Online research revealed they were the  gumbo-limbo tree , a hardy species that withstands hurricanes. The trunks are used to make carousel horses. Our resort was well-appointed with numerous amenities. A sign board advertised multiple daily activities; text reminders ensured we were aware. We eschewed most of the organized events, and instead, entertained ourselves. We stumbled upon a mermaid and learned a wish was our reward. The first morning, we treated ourselves to an oceanside couples cabana massage with the background music of rhythmic waves, the salty sea scent, and a gentle breeze. Fabulous cu...

  Heading out for a brief getaway. My regular blog will resume next week. You can follow the Author on her  Website  or  X .

  Since prehistoric times, cherries have been consumed across their range of origin: Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. In 72 BCE, a Roman general, Lucius Licinius Lucullus, brought the fruit to Rome from Anatolia (Asia Minor/Turkey). According to legend, they were accidentally spread across the Roman Empire as soldiers discarded the pits. Henry VIII ordered this sweet fruit to be introduced to England. Subsequently, in 1606, they arrived in North America with the New France colony of Port Royal, which today is in Nova Scotia. US cherry growing began in 1852. Peter Dougherty planted sweet cherry  Prunus avium  trees on Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan. The climate was ideal;  Traverse City, Michigan , is now the unofficial “Cherry Capital of the World.” Today, tart/sour cherries  Prunus cerasus  are widely grown in this region. The famous Washington, DC cherry trees were gifted from Japan in 1912. They are ornamental cultivars grown for the beauty of th...