The Mysterious Garden Muse

Prior to today's post, I'd gone over a year without updating this blog. We did have a LOT going on this year, but still, I'll try to do better. I just noticed I also haven't updated the introduction at the top of the blog, which currently reads: " I moderated the Mystery Book Club at Barnes and Noble.com and wrote their Garden Variety blog. B&N discontinued the boards and forums in May 2014. I'm also part of the Romance University team. I'm a multi-published garden writer/author and a struggling fiction writer, a member of Sisters in Crime, the Ohio Valley RWA and Chicago North RWA as well as an RWA-PRO. I'm the author of six non-fiction books, one co-authored with my daughter. I became a grandma in 2012." At least I did change the tenses when Barnes & Noble archived the garden blog and all the forums. I really miss the Mystery Forum. There is a group on Facebook called B&N Mystery Forum Refugees, which keeps the spirit of the orig...

I'm going to break a lot of literary rules and give you the backstory first. You'll see why. July, 1993. Marty and I had just moved to Cincinnati, OH and the first item on our agenda was getting our kids registered for school, which was due to start in a week or two. We were filling out paperwork at Summerside Elementary while the principal, Pat Stockman, and the school secretary, Pauline Sachs, looked up what teachers Jessica and Jonathan would have. The only other people in the office were a woman and her little girl, who looked about three. She told us her name was Elisabeth, and she seemed right at home. The girl's mom said, "Oh, you're new here? You're going to love it! You should join the PTO - it's a great way to meet people. Jessica, come with me. Your teacher, Tabetha Adams, is here right now, decorating her classroom. I'll introduce you." Kip (left) and me So began a 25 year friendship with Kip Iannelli. In those days, Jessica...