,Purple Feathers (and a Hat)A friend of mine had a birthday party last weekend, and it was Hollywood themed. She encouraged us to dress up, and people really went all out! I dug an old costume out of my closet. (And by “old,” I mean I first bought it...

,Raise a Glass (or a Coffee Cup) to 2023!It’s time to say “Cheers” to a new year … with a latte instead of champagne!If you’ve been around a while, you know I like to dabble in latte art. I recently got a couple of new cups and a new milk-frothing/po...

,Beautiful (and Scared) Apple PiesWe had a wonderful Christmas! For Thanksgiving, we went out to dinner, so we decided to stay home and do a big, homemade Christmas dinner this year. It was delicious!I made apple pie. First, I made the crust (love th...

,Rediscovering the LibraryI used to visit the public library regularly. When my kids were younger, they’d check out whole bags full of books.But then life got busy. We started buying more books instead of borrowing. It became really easy for me to ju...

,Oops! In my email today, I sent a link to a free book, Star Rider Emerges—and it was the wrong link!Here’s the right link for your free download of Star Rider Emerges. Happy reading!Beth

,A Creepy Sight to BeholdI was driving the other day and saw someone leaning out of a window. Then I realized it was actually some sort of mannequin.I have no idea what the story is behind this—I bet someone could write a good one! It was creepy, but...

,Mrs. Cratchitt’s ShoesI’m in a production of A Christmas Carol that opens Saturday. Most of us play multiple roles, but my most important role is Mrs. Cratchitt. And as much as I love this Dickens tale … I wish Victorian women hadn’t worn heeled boo...

,Thanksgiving RecapLast Thursday was Thanksgiving in the U.S. It was bittersweet for me. My husband, our two kids, and I had a lovely dinner out at a restaurant that’s known for their great Thanksgiving food. We enjoyed a wonderful conversation—much...

,My Dog is AshamedWe finally got some cold weather in Austin this week—cold enough that when I took my dog, Ollie, on a walk a few days ago, I knew he needed a sweater.I’m pretty sure “first day of the season when a sweater is required” is my dog’s L...

,One Day Past Voting DayYesterday was voting day—I’m sure many of you who are also in the U.S. either voted yesterday or voted early. I usually wait until the day of the election to vote, so yesterday, I drove to the high school right by my house to...