26 June 2026 I do not want to be a Johnny Come Lately with the 250th anniversary of the Birth of America, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the Greatest Show On Earth (in the States). I’d initially thought: “I want to have a nice, quiet 4th of July. Now that I’m a Westerner, my eyes really won’t be on D.C. I left there long ago. I’m grateful and glad that city is finally getting cleaned up, fumigated, re-introduced to Law and Order.” The 4th of July

22 January 2026 Among my New Year’s projects has been the reclaiming of my Mud Room/Laundry Room from Jolene, Jolene Du Pré, to be specific. This room became the Pup Room when she entered my life (my world) in early September 2023, and she’s immensely enjoyed having full run of the space. She doesn’t spend as much time in there, now that she has full run of the entire house and the acreage surrounding it. I therefore thought that I could set up this interior real-estate

All Saints’ Day 2025 True Love by Cole Porter I give to you and you give to me True love, True love So on and on, It will always be True love, True love For you and I have a guardian angel On high With nothing to do But to give to you and to give to me Love forever true. Yes, you and I have a guardian angel On high With nothing to do But to give to you and to give to me Love forever true Love Forever true.

Mid-September 2025 My Melancholy Baby Music by Ernie Burnett, with lyrics by George A. Norton Come, sweetheart mine, Don't you sit and...

4 July 2025 Dona Dona Dona by Teddi Schwartz, Sholom Secunda, Arthur S. Kevess, and Aaron Zeitlin On a wagon bound for market There’s a...

14 June 2025 There’ll Be Bluebirds Over Music by Walter Kent to lyrics by Nat Burton Chorus: There will be bluebirds over the white...

Christmas 2024 You’re All I Want for Christmas by Seger Ellis and Glen T. Moore; French translation by Debra Milligan You’re all I want...

Mid-November 2024 When A Man Loves A Woman Written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright When a man loves a woman, He can’t keep his mind on...

Maundy Thursday 2024 This past week, I oversaw the building of a low rock wall in the front of my abode, Larkhaven. I’d requested of Marc...

Epiphany 2024 Wouldn’t It Be Loverly Composed by Frederick Loewe, with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner All I want is a room somewhere Far away...

21 December 2023 Twas the Week of Christmas By Debra Milligan Twas the week of Christmas and all through the house every creature was...

December 2024 The Christmas Song Written by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at your nose...

6 October 2023 Jolene, the Jumping Queen, is a Wednesday wanderer no more. Even though Dear Husband spends 90 percent of his time...

7 September 2023 The past 24 hours have been a whir of excitement. Jolene came to me, in the arms of Dear Husband who flew to Salt Lake...

Noël 2022 Gifts from This Writer Twas the night before Christmas and I will not deny I was editing scenes of a novel on the sly. I’d been...

Mid-April 2022 This Wednesday, I decided on a quick trip to the local nursery for some spring fling-flower purchases. I also decided to...

12 December 2021 This morning, the storm door officially opened in northern California — in ALL of California. The portal flung open...

Halloween 2020 There are times during these tumultuous times when I feel, and re-experience, the horrid days of my life, my very young...

11 October 2020 No, I am not leaving California. This essay addresses the many many people who have left California. I have known more than my share of them over the course of having lived in this state for forty years. I arrived here as a very young adult, and I, a native Northeasterner, was not welcomed by many of what would be known today as Native Californians. The atmosphere that I encountered was one of hostility and narrow-minded snootiness. I was stunned, and offended

November 2020 Moving into my Dream House has occurred in phases. During the initial phase of unpacking the first phase (of many) of the first allotment (of many) of all of the Stored Stuff that has been in Mini-Storage for almost three years . . . . I came across my little Lane cedar chest souvenir box. The small treasure trove of personal mementoes was a delight for me to re-discover. I’d been trying to remember some of the more laughable info that was stored in it. One welc