How a friend tended my spirit as she taught me about gardening. — I say I’m a self-taught gardener, but that is incorrect. I first fell in love with gardening when visiting a neighbor’s garden. My friend Glennis gave me my first gardening lessons. Seemingly a strong independent person, the truth is I was an injured bird, not raised but grown up in…

The Doll Maker #4 — The stairs creaked. Approaching the trunk, I sat on the floor. In the trunk, I found some bedding and throw pillows in gold. That smell! What is it? Grabbing more books and papers from the chest, I dug deeper. And deeper. A thick wool blanket Neatly ironed pillowcases Silk sheets And… A little basket of apples, a stuffed dog, and a doll dressed in red satin. But she was cracked. Her eyes looked like she had seen something horrible.

Autumn has arrived and with her the promise of Halloween stories and all things spooky! — The Witching Hour is not upon us, but across the writers' world, I find chilling promises of things to come. I’m eagerly awaiting the season I call Octoberfest. I always made Halloween fun for my kids and the neighbor kids. After I became an old lady — how about crone…

A special edition of The Daily Cuppa Walkabout sorting out the differences in our beloved plant brews. — There’s much confusion about what to call these lovely beverages created from plant materials. Even in my garden. I often say, “Stop by for some tea and a chat.” …