When we lose someone, we long to have a connection with them. The natural reaction is to ask for signs. One of the last things I said to Rich was, “Text me when you get there.” He smiled and squeezed my hand. Between our clasped hands was a small, carved, wooden cross. Rich had been holding it for the last few days. We held it there until he passed. Now it’s on my nightstand. Rich was a deeply spiritual man who was open to mysteries we cannot comprehend. He listened to my “woo woo” beliefs with acceptance, never judging, never Read More
Blog
Sometimes It’s a Burnt Sweet Potato Day
First, I want to thank so many of you who reached out to me via my blog, newsletter, and social media, sending your love and caring thoughts as I navigate my new reality without Rich. I am so grateful for all your messages of support and encouragement. Next, I thought I’d give you an update on my One Little Word: Healing. This post is about the yin and yang of my journey. Specifically, in the area of cooking, which has been a metaphor for my healing process. AKA “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” Read More
My One Little Word for 2026: Healing
Finding my One Little Word for 2026 was not difficult. My heart is broken as I write this. My beloved Rich passed away on November 28. His courageous battle with chronic myelomonocytic cancer (CMML) worsened to acute in the fall. Because he was unable to make or keep platelets, his body weakened. When he contracted Influenza B, which caused pneumonia, he could no longer fight. The day after Thanksgiving, with our family surrounding his bed, he passed peacefully. Twice he told us, “I’m ready.” This year, 2026, will be a year of grieving, but also a year of healing for Read More
The Ghost of Isabella
As promised, here is another ghost story I have encountered. This one appeared just as I began writing The Cavanaugh House. Rich and I went to a wine tasting at Belhurst Castle on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Rich told the woman serving us that I had just started writing a mystery novel. She replied, “Set it here. Belhurst Castle is haunted.” “Haunted?” I leaned toward her. “Tell me more.” She showed me the book the winery carried called The Belhurst Story, written by David Sakmyster. I left the wine tasting with a new Read More
How a Ghostly Tale Breathed Life into My Writing
Ghostly tales I heard growing up and experienced during my travels have influenced the Finger Lakes Mysteries. I will share a couple over the next two weeks in October because, after all, Halloween. Every hometown seems to have its favorite ghostly myth. In my hometown, it was the legend of The White Lady. The Legend In the 1800s, Eelissa and her daughter lived in a castle near the shore of Lake Ontario in Rochester, NY. One evening, her daughter walked down to the lake and never came home. Eelissa went out searching for her. Some say the daughter ran away with Read More