Pen, Spoon & Dagger

This was my first introduction to Kate Ross' Regency-era Julian Kestrel -- a charming dandy hiding a mysterious past and a complex personality. Ross has created a character with a number of extraordinary attributes which she reveals slowly, layer by layer, drawing the reader into a red herring-laced plot.    Kestrel is a typical Regency-type (think Georgette Heyer) figure, but with more intuition, brains and depth of character. He receives an invitation to be best man at the wedding of the future Sir Hugh Fontclair and commoner Maud Craddock. This is odd since he only met Fontclair once previously, when he helped him out of trouble at a gambling house. He has no idea why a virtual stranger would ask him to stand as best man, but welcoming any excuse to escape boredom, he accepts the invitation. The tension between the soon-to-be in-laws is impossible to miss. It's no secret that Mr. Craddock, Maud's father  and a former Fontclair employee,  is holding somethi...

Since Seniors are texting and tweeting, there appears to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). I wish I could take credit for the ingenious codes below, but I can't --they were forwarded to me by my much older brother. I personally find texting a challenge - my thumbs have a mind of their own - but I try. And some of these sound pretty handy. ATD: At The Doctor's BFF: Best Friend Fainted BTW: Bring The Wheelchair BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth CBM: Covered By Medicare CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center DWI: Driving While Incontinent FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers FWIW: Forgot Where I Was FYI: Found Your Insulin GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low! GHA: Got Heartburn Again HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On? LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out LOL: Living On Lipitor LWO: Lawrence Welk's On OMMR: On My Massage Recliner OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas. ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can't Get Up SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go...

New Year's Day -- the time we make that long list of resolutions most of us will never keep despite our best intentions.  This year I've resolved not to resolve. Rather than a long list of empty good intentions, this year I'm writing down my blessings.  Scratch exercise every day from the list, add completed water-proofing leaky basement -- and it worked . This year's list is diverse: a year of good health for the entire family celebrating my mother's 90th birthday the safe rescue of all 33 trapped Chilean miners attending Seascape, Mystery 203, and Crime Bake an improving economy seeing my "foster" puppy go to his wonderful "forever" home a friend's first published book - hope for the rest of us . renewing an old friendship after 15 years much needed house repairs complete the Gulf oil spill clean up the slow, but steady recovery of an ill friend (no more dialysis! Yeah!) finishing 50K words of my WIP the safe return of ma...