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When a son chooses no contact, it can feel like a sudden, painful silence in a mother’s life. The absence is not just physical but emotional, leaving questions and wounds that seem impossible to heal. Yet, this difficult season can also become a powerful turning point. It is a moment when a mother can decide: I am worthy — and claim this as my season of growth and self-discovery. This post explores how mothers of adult sons who have chosen no contact can navigate their feel

Time travel stories have fascinated readers for decades. They offer a unique way to explore history, imagine futures, and challenge the limits of reality. Writing a good time travel or time slip story requires more than just moving characters through different eras. It demands careful thought about the rules of time, the impact of change, and the characters' emotional journey. This guide will help you create engaging science fiction adventures that capture readers' imaginatio

We all love a good Victorian romance. We imagine the sweeping gowns, the brooding dukes, and the tension of a stolen glance in a candlelit ballroom. But let’s be honest: those novels are heavily filtered. While we imagine our protagonists smelling like lavender and living in pristine marble halls, the actual Victorian era was a lot messier, smellier, and frankly, more hazardous than fiction suggests. If you’re ready to ruin the magic just a little bit, here are the top ten un

My husband kidnapped me from my bad day! You have to admit, a man who does that while his wife is breathing fire, crying sideways, and throwing full Southern hissy fits because her dish ate her plate (still can't find it), she has writer's block, and her teenager sassed her. To do so, a man must be brave, stupid, or deeply committed to marriage. Probably all three. So, what do you do when your wife has officially lost it? You feed her chocolate and Mountain Dew like she’s a r

Bartholomew "Barty" Butterfield adjusted his phone, trying to get the perfect angle for his profile picture. His reflection in the cracked screen showed a man-child with a perpetual deer-in-headlights expression, clutching a slightly deflated inflatable flamingo. "Needs more… enigma tic allure," he muttered, tilting his head. "Like I'm deep, but also ready for a spontaneous pool party. With... this flamingo." His bio, carefully crafted after an hour of intense self-reflection

“ERROR ERROR” BASED ON A TRUE STORY! It was warm weather in 1976, and I was being my usual mischievous self, or as to quote my MeeMaw, “Fanny is being bad (again).” My mother cleaned me up for the third time that morning. Hair in pigtails with green bows, she put me down with a pop on the tush to stay put. My brother, Robert, who is two years older, snickered. The minute she left the room; I showed him what my front teeth could do. “Mom, Fanny bit me… AGAIN!” he cried, biting

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton holds a special place in the hearts of many, especially today as we honor her feast day. As America’s first native-born saint, her story is one of faith, resilience, and dedication to education and charity. This blog explores her remarkable life, her contributions to the Catholic Church in the United States, and the lasting impact she has made as a patron saint. Early Life and Conversion Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in 1774 in New York City into a w

My newest story, a novelette that will be online soon, focuses on the relationship of two amazing men during the early twentieth century: Lovecraft and Howard! #Lovecraft #RobertEHoward #Fantasy #WeirdStories In the golden age of the pulp magazines, two of the most influential minds in speculative fiction built a bridge across the American landscape, spanning the distance between the ancient, cobblestoned streets of Providence and the rugged, dusty plains of Cross Plains, Tex

For the last twelve months, the new year was a distant silhouette on the horizon. Throughout 2025, I lived in a state of becoming. I returned to Ole Miss, diving deep into the evolution of the library learning commons and the modern nuances of special education. I took a rigorous professional inventory of more than twenty years in the classroom, dusting off old skills and replacing them with the fresh trends of today’s public education. I spent a year studying, preparing, and

As the final hours of 2025 slip away, many focus on fireworks, celebrations, and resolutions. Yet, the Church invites us to begin the new year differently—by turning our attention to Mary, the Mother of God. January 1 holds a special place in the liturgical calendar as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God , a day that connects the joy of Christmas with the promise of a fresh start. This feast offers more than tradition; it provides a spiritual foundation for the year ahead. B

Every year, millions of people set New Year's resolutions with high hopes of transforming their lives. Yet, by February, many have abandoned these promises. The tradition of making sweeping resolutions often leads to frustration and disappointment. The real key to meaningful change lies in setting a few clear, achievable goals—both short-term and long-term—that challenge you and support growth in all areas of life: mental, spiritual, financial, and physical . A journal with h

2026 arrives with a brand-new light, To set my creative path just right. No longer bound by a tiny space, I’ll find a much more rhythmic pace. A short story ends just as it starts, Leaving no room for beating hearts. But novelettes let the vision grow, With enough time for the plot to flow. A novel is a mountain steep and tall, Where many weary writers start to fall. The middle ground is where I’ll truly shine, With "just enough" words to make it mine. In twenty-six, the sto

The General’s Gamble: "Boy" Browning and the Road to Arnhem While his wife, Daphne du Maurier, was busy crafting some of the greatest psychological thrillers in English literature, Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick "Boy" Browning was living a drama far more dangerous. Known as the "Father of the British Airborne Forces," Browning’s legacy is defined by a single, daring, and ultimately tragic operation in the fields of Holland. The Man Behind the Maroon Beret Frederick Browning

Christmas Poem To Ian/by Anne Hendricks The lights are bright, the carols play, As Christmas finds us miles apart. Though silence fills our second year, You hold your place within my heart. I send my love on winter’s breath, And lift a prayer to skies above, That you are safe, and warm, and held Within the circle of His love. No matter where your path may lead, Or how the seasons drift away, You’re cherished more than words can tell, This holy, quiet Christmas Day. #ianbrowni

For Margaret Anne, in memory of your many New York City Christmases. I miss you. _____________________________________________________________ The sky over Manhattan had the bruised, purple weight of fruit left too long in the cold. Snow threatened, and there was no coal to answer it. December 1931 settled into the body. At the excavation that would one day be Rockefeller Center, the ground lay torn open and frozen, mud locked tight around slabs of stone. Men stood along the

My heart keeps its vigil in the white silence of winter, measuring the miles between us with the steady beat of hope. I still hear the ghost of your laughter— it catches my tears before they fall. I am waiting for the thaw, for the day the distance dissolves I can finally hold you close again. #nocontact #love #poems

As the sun dips low and the Arctic winds pick up, a unique phenomenon begins to take hold of Iceland. It isn’t a storm of snow, but a storm of stories. Locally, it’s called Jólabókaflóð—the "Christmas Book Flood"—and it might just be the most wonderful holiday tradition you’ve never heard of. While the rest of the world might be rushing for last-minute gadgets, Icelanders are settling in with something much older and arguably much better: a brand-new book. Book Flood? The tra

The holiday season is often painted with broad strokes of vibrant red and green, sparkling lights, and the joyous clamor of celebration. But for many, December also ushers in a different kind of quiet – a reflective blue and grey, illuminated by a flickering, solitary flame. This is the world Otto Hesselbom invites us into with his profoundly moving 1896 masterpiece, Christmas Eve at the Grave ( Julafton vid graven ). You might not know Hesselbom by name, but his work, deepl

The lights are far too bright this year, A neon hum that grates the bone. The table has a hollow chair, A silence where a voice was known. One man is gone, his stories stilled, The other—lost in rooms of mind— A mother with a cup unfilled, Forgetting all she leaves behind. And then the phone that doesn't ring, The son who chose a different shore. The sharpest salt the season brings Is waiting by an open door. To feel it all would be to drown, To let the tidal wave break throu

Dedication: I dedicate this blog to my best friend, Gwenna White Maddox. She and I had the challenging and painful experience of burying a parent on the same day in 2023. For both of us, we navigated the waters of caring for two elderly parents. I am still caregiving for Mama, now in year 12 of her dementia journey. Gwenna, I love you , and I took some of the best things we learned on our journey as caregivers, and I hope this blog helps someone. I love you, Bestie. Holidays