We’re having some work done in our house today and I needed a quiet place where I could conduct a phone interview for a story. I sought out some solitude on our back deck and got to sit in the sun for a full 30 minutes while running down my list of questions and learning [...]

Every so often, a potential project comes along that just isn’t the right fit. As a freelancer, it is always hard to turn down work. But I’ve found that it is even worse to take on a project that I can’t commit to 100 percent or that doesn’t tap into the expertise I can bring [...]

Have you ever had one of those days when you just need a pick me up? The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotations can get me laughing every time. It is hilarious. The concept is simple…the author posts pictures and funny commentary of signs with misplaced quotation marks. Whenever I look at it I end up with [...]

If you’re going to be sending a Valentine to a journalist this year, check out the great options at 10,000 Words–Part I from 2009 and Part II from this year. 

In anticipation of Jodi Picoult’s next book, House Rules, that will hit book stores on March 2, I thought we could ‘Pick a Picoult Book’ for the next virtual book club.  

There are 18 to choose from, so pick one that sounds good and let’s circle back and share our thoughts on March 9. Who knows, [...]

What can I say? I loved this book. I hadn’t read it before selecting it for book club, which can sometimes be a risky maneuver. Luckily, it worked out. 
Walls calls the book a true-life novel that tells the story of her grandmother. It recounts Lily’s experiences growing up on a cattle ranch where [...]

I have to hand it to the meteorologists here in the D.C. area. They’re accurate. It started snowing at 9:30 a.m. on Friday and didn’t stop until 6:00 Saturday evening, leaving us with the predicted 25+ inches of snow. The sun on Sunday lured us out to do some shoveling, play a little and snap [...]