The last Saturday of every April has become a bookish holiday of sorts. Independent bookstores all over the country will be having special events, parties, sales, celebrations. We’ve lost many independent bookstores over the last few years, but I’m happy to say that there are many, many out there that are hanging tough. …Read More
It’s spring and new books are popping up all over the place! Meet Kimberly Conn, the author of the touching, popular novel, BUYING THE FARM. Her latest novel, AUDREY ANONYMOUS, is out now. I asked her to drop by the Handbasket to tell us all about it! Please tell us all about your latest book, AUDREY …Read More
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a bit silly for Valentine’s Day. Discovering that someone has sent me a Valentine makes me feel as excited as an eight-year-old with a decorated paper bag taped to the back of her classroom chair. Valentine’s Day used to be a day of intense pressure …Read More
Happy 2018, my dears! I hope your holidays were cozy and full of all the things and people you love. In the past couple weeks we’ve layered on the sweaters and spent lots of time refilling bird feeders, but happily so. I’ve been making plans for the year, and they’re relatively simple: more time with …Read More
This painting by Matthias Stom (Dutch, 1600-1652+) is so vibrant and full of life that it speaks loudly of joy. Stom was Dutch, but he did most of his painting in Italy, closely following the style of Caravaggio. I love this painting’s warm, humid temperature, its Mediteranean feel. It’s a refreshing change from the …Read More
Some quick reads for a busy weekend. I don’t know about you, but with all I have to do I haven’t had a lot of time for online reading. Here’s a list you can tackle in about 15-20 minutes. Bits and Bobs Either the coolest grandparents ever–or the dumbest. And older …Read More
Happy Thursday! All my concentration is gone and I only have room in my brain for wrapping, recipes, decorating, hanging out with my family, and the ending of Advent. Last night I went through the non-tree decorations–the ones that should’ve gone up before the tree–and put up about half. Not because I’m feeling minimalist, but …Read More
It’s always a pleasure to get original poems from friends. This is one of my favorites (2009) of the many we’ve received over the years. I’ll post their latest closer to Christmas. Every year our wonderful poet friends John and Llewellyn McKernan (formerly) of West Virginia send out a Christmas poem. This summer, when …Read More
I’ve been waiting for weeks to start sharing my new author photos with you! They arrived only today, so I wanted to post one right away. In the end, I chose four different ones. Each has a different mood, though not a single one is particularly serious or grim. This is Mischievous Laura. It’s the …Read More
Happy Monday! This week before Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Our girl comes home today, and (nearly) all my work is done so I can decorate and bake and decide if I want to build a big LEGO project or do a puzzle over the holiday. Oh, and I have …Read More