My Boys and their Toys (and their hobby square dance calling)
This is us Stephen, Paul, Gail, Tom I love cars! A convertible has always been on my bucket list. If you know anything about cars, this one is a dream, an Audi S5, super-duper hot rod, shiny blue and it drives itself. Just what any car affection ado would want. Oh...
Metadata for Miss Baldwin and Ms. Ingis
*Gilded Age Heiresses: The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin (She lives across from Central Park, spends lots of time there and that's where she and Captyn are in the photo.) Opposites attract in this historical romance when a young suffragette foregoes the obedience of...
Second round of edits!
Gilded Age Heiresses: The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin. My book is in its second round of edits. This blog is to let you know how close I am to production. It looks like a September launch is a possibility. In the meantime, my book cover is here for your perusal and...
The Headscarf
I wish she would turn around with the wrap around head scarf Gail Ingis is wearing flat head scarf saving her hair from the damp weather Headscarves are fashionable. Especially on a bad hair day. I’ve been practicing wearing them. With my long hair, a bad hair day can...
Tennis for everyone
Teaching kids with learning disabilities. Roll the ball into the center. All did it! In 2017, the USTA (United State Tennis Association) invited the USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association), a tennis teaching organization in Houston, to join them in being...
Are your beauty products laden with harsh chemicals?
Triclosan In case you missed this one, this blog is a repeat of the third in a series about skin care products. I believe that beautycounter (one word,) a young progressive company, has made a difference in waking up an unregulated industry. I am pleased to represent...
Beautycounter mission: Clean skin care for everyone
Beautycounter story Like many of you, I'm a wife and mom—and, like many of you, I didn't know what I didn't know. As I applied sunscreen, lotion, and any number of beauty products on myself and my kids, I never thought for a second they might not be safe: After all, I...
It wasn’t always a museum!
Unlike the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this building wasn't always a museum, it was the country home, first for the Lockwood's, then the Mathew's. Lockwood–Mathews Mansion is a Second Empire style country house, now a museum, at 295 West Avenue in Norwalk,...
Celebration!
Come now Christmas morning, white snow falling, the star in the night sky gone, but the King remains, always in our hearts. The celebration of love, forgiveness, and hope resounded at the Black Rock Church in the songs of this special time of year. Everyone sings and...
In the 19th Century… Women’s Suffrage
It began around 1840 here in the USA. Women's suffrage. That's the same year of Ireland's potato famine. Women had their own famine, lack of freedom, poor job situations, lack of education for children who had to work to help their families. Working conditions...
THE BILTMORE HOUSE
A couple of years ago, my husband, Tom Claus and I spent three fantastic days in Asheville, NC, home to the Biltmore House. The place is awesome. It is the largest privately-owned home in the United States. The 250-room mansion features 33 family and guest bedrooms,...
Recent Ride to Raleigh
The day before Thanksgiving, on our ride to Raleigh, this wasn't the only incident causing a mega traffic mess. There were other accidents, and thousands of cars and trucks going south. We were in the middle, our muddle, should have left before sunup. Our kids, coming...
Writers & Painters Unite!
The letters of artist Robert Genn have been coming to my email inbox for about twenty years. When Robert passed, his daughter Sara took over, and is doing fabulously. She often posts his letters as well as hers. Below is one of the Genn letters. They are always...
Flowers, Books, and NANOWRIMO
November is an exciting month for writers and authors. NANOWRIMO. Every November - newbie writers and multi-published authors from all over the world make a commitment to write a 50,000-word novel. The GOAL is to write 50k words for the month. Essentially a first...
Beating Heart of the City
New York City Hall, a beauty in classicism with its touch of Palladio! I studied interior design and architecture many moons ago, but my passion has not wained. New York City Hall is featured prominently in my upcoming book The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin. The...
Fast and Furious Flash Floods
The emergency notice came loud and clear on my cell phone, Flash Flood WARNING. I didn't have too far to go from the building where I had been at a meeting. My car was innocently waiting for me under the torrents of rain, so I held my so-called raincoat tight, pulled...
Flash Floods
The emergency notice came loud and clear on my cell phone, Flash Flood warning. I didn't have too far to go from the building where I had been at a meeting. My car was innocently waiting for me under the torrents of rain, so I held my so-called raincoat tight, pulled...
Beating Heart of the City
New York City Hall, a beauty in classicism with its touch of Palladio! I studied interior design and architecture many moons ago, but my passion has not wained. New York City Hall is featured prominently in my upcoming book The Unforgettable Miss Baldwin. The...