Nora could've written this script... wait... 😉

Claremont took out his notepad and set the rhythm. 
"You said you and Margaret Bowers dated."

"No, I didn't. I said we went out a couple of times."

"That's generally interpreted as dating."

"I didn't interpret it that way. I interpreted it as we went out a couple of times."

"You were supposed to have dinner with her on the night she died."

"Yeah." There'd be no expression and no condemnation in Claremont's voice. 
But it still stung.

The Villa

_______________________

By che - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=889848

Ashton Kutcher 'freaked out' after date found killed, Los Angeles court told

Actor testifies at trial of ‘Hollywood Ripper’, who is charged with murder of 
Ashley Ellerin in 2001

The Guardian 

_______________________

“But he’d moved out. I’m just saying where there’s smoke . . .”
“Where there’s smoke sometimes means someone else started the fire.”


Whiskey Beach

How Crochet and Knitting Help the Brain

With one ear cocked toward Phoebe’s room, 

Essie carefully folded the white-on-white

bedspread with its stylized pattern of lovebirds. 

The intricate stitching had kept her mind

calm, as it tended to. She often thought that

being productive-and creative with it, if she

could brag a bit-held a firm rein on her mind 

and refused to allow it to wander into those

places where panic waited. It was good work, she could think that, 

and the bride who

received it as a wedding gift would have 

something unique and special, something that

could be passed on for generations. 

She arranged the dark silver tissue. 

Even that, the

fussing with the finished product, 

the meticulous packaging of it,

 helped keep her hands

busy and her mind steady.

High Noon

__________________

By flora - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1475589

I am a nurse and lifelong knitter with a calling to bring my best self in service to others.

My background in neuro-developmental pediatrics and experience working with children and adults with brain injury, spinal cord injury, strokes, and neurological disorders, led to a fascination with neuroplasticity and the ability of the brain to “rewire” itself.

Because the practice of knitting/crochet is so helpful in dealing with anxiety, the ARC was the first organization I approached, and they, and you, were interested! I’m very excited for this opportunity to teach these skills as a tool to quiet the mind, mend the brain, and soothe the soul.

ARC

ANXIETY RESOURCE CENTER

__________________

“Who thought of bringing her mother ’s crocheting in?”

“Bo did.”

“Well, it’s excellent therapy for both of them. 

Cora’s teaching Alice to crochet, and they’re

spending time quietly that way. It’s good for both of them. 

It’s going to take time, Maureen. I wish I could tell you how much time.”

Come Sundown

How Much Should You Spend On A Wedding Gift?

"Mother." Tia’s voice, sharper than either of them expected, had Alma bunking. "This

vase isn’t an appropriate gift for the daughter of an acquaintance."

"Ellen is a dear friend..."

"Whom you see perhaps six times a year at social functions," Tia finished briskly.

"Your taste, as always, is impeccable, but this isn’t the right gift." 

Three Fates

_________________________

csss [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Things To Consider

Ignore any "rules" telling you how much to spend on a present, 

wedding etiquette experts say.

HuffPost

_________________________

Carefully, she angled it, tipped it so she could check the tiny price tag. And breathed

a quiet sigh of relief. "What a wonderful gift this would be," she went on quickly as

she saw the sulk folding into her mother’s face. "You know, if you gave the other as a

gift, they wouldn’t know what they had, so they wouldn’t appreciate the gesture for

what it was worth. But something as gorgeous as this, at just the right price, will get

full marks."

"Well..."

"Why don’t I take care of having it boxed and wrapped for you? Then we’ll see if

Father has time to have some tea. It’s been a long time since we’ve been in Wyley’s

together."

"I suppose." Alma studied the vase more carefully. "It is very elegant."

"Gorgeous." And at less than four hundred, right in the ballpark.

Three Fates

"Thank you"

Most of all, he liked the way the townspeople threw themselves into that

weekend, how much they cared, how strong their pride.

His father had told him of the ancient man who, when he himself was a little

boy, had walked creakily down Main Street wearing Confederate gray at an

earlier Memorial Day. One of the last living testaments to the Civil War.

Dead now, as they all were, Devin mused as he glanced over at the memorial in

the town's square. Dead, but not and never forgotten.

At least not in little towns such as these, which had once known the sound of mortar and

rifle fire and the terrible cries of the wounded.

The Heart of Devin MacKade 

_____________________

By Rennett Stowe from USA - United States Flag, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26303259

20 Memorial Day Activities for the Whole Family

Remind your kids (and yourself!) what May 27 is really about.

17 Memorial Day Quotes to Honor Our Nation's Soldiers

Thoughtful words to remember those who have fallen in the line of duty.

bookmaker’s sandwich

"Magee's man Finkle's here." Darcy hissed it as she

scurried into the kitchen.

Shawn glanced up from the trio of bookmaker's

sandwiches he was making. "Is he now?" 

Tears of The Moon

________________________

Look whOt I found 😉

When I first heard the name of this sandwich I was caught up in this beautiful romance trilogy set in Ireland. The author, Nora Roberts, had mesmerized me with the green, earthy setting of the place. One of the main characters owned and operated a charming pub and “built” bookmaker’s sandwiches for his customers, often accompanied by a tall, frothy pint of Guinness stout.

ChinDeep

_________________________

Maggie drummed her fingers on a table in O'Malley's, tapped her foot, 

blew out a long breath. 

"Tim, will you give me a bookmaker's sandwich to go with this pint? 

I can't wait for Murphy all bloody after noon

on an empty stomach."

Born in Fire

Quoting Nora

Life After Sexual Assault

"So I didn't say anything, because there was nothing to say and no one to say it to. He raped me twice more over the next month, before I got the nerve to run away again. Of course, they caught me. Maybe I'd wanted them to that time. I stayed in the home until I was eighteen. And when I got out, I knew no one was ever going to have that kind of control over me again. No one was ever going to make me feel like I was nothing ever again."

Unsure what to do, Colt reached up tentatively to brush a tear from her cheek. "You made your life into something, Althea."

"I made it into mine." She let out a breath, then briskly rubbed the tears from her cheeks. "I don't like to dwell on before, Colt."

"But it's there."

"It's there," she agreed. "Trying to make it go away only brings it closer to the surface. I learned that, too. Once you accept it's simply a part of what makes you what you are, it doesn't become as vital. It didn't make me hate men, it didn't make me hate myself. It did make me understand what it is to be a victim."

Nightshade 

_________________

By Jason clendenen - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76284275

What It's Like to Reclaim Your Sex Life After Sexual Assault

That focus on a better future, many survivors say, is part of what helps them form bonds with potential partners with whom they can have healthy relationships—and repair their relationships with themselves. “There is hope,” says Lindsay. “The physical pain, the emotional pain—all that stuff is passing clouds. Joy is the sky. It’s always there.”

YAHOO!

_________________

He plunged his hand into her hair, got a good grip to jerk her face up to his. “Pay up,” he

demanded, then closed his mouth over hers.

There it was, she thought, outrageously grateful. There was the instant thrill, the response, 

the need. It had taken nothing from her. His body moved wet and hard 

against hers, his mouth took from hers, and there was nothing, nothing but pleasure.

“Touch me.” She demanded it, using her teeth, her nails. Nothing fragile here, 

nothing damaged or in need of tending. Touch me, she thought, take me. 

Make me feel utterly, utterly human.

The Pagan Stone

RIP Doris Day

"She had a pink couch. A long, bright pink couch 

with white satin pillows. Cathy told me about it. 

It sounds so Doris Day, doesn't it? Bright pink, lipstick pink."

Tribute

_____________________

Reynold Brown [Public domain]

Whether God-given or Clairol-tinted, all Hollywood blondes are not created equal.

Take the bombshell blitz of the ’50s and ’60s. Marilyn Monroe was the alpha goddess, while Grace Kelly was the class act. Bringing up the shapely rear were vampy Kim Novak, campy Jayne Mansfield and trampy Mamie Van Doren.

But existing on a more approachable perch was the Doris Day. Her brand of beauty came sprinkled with freckles. She was one of us and we loved her for it. And we’ll remember her all the more for it, too, now that the versatile singer, actress, TV star, animal activist and radiant icon of sunny, funny femininity has died early Monday at age 97 at her home in Carmel, California.

USA TODAY

What it Feels Like to Ride a Motorcycle

She enjoyed the feeling of the bike-the freedom of it, and the risk.

Captivated

__________________

By Abhijeet Somvanshi abhijeets06 - 
https://unsplash.com/photos/RmRprMIyDzkImage at the Wayback Machine
 (archived on 4 July 2017)Gallery at the Wayback Machine (archived on 4 May 2017), 
CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61736942

Motorcycle riding is a combination of exhilaration, fear, relaxation, and pleasure that changes you forever. It’s physical & emotional pleasure, with a layer of anxiety & adrenaline.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to ride one, read on…

Medium

__________________

“You ever ride a Harley, Legs?”

“No.Why would I?”

“Then you’re in for a treat.You’re going to want to hold on. To me,” he added after a beat.

She put her hands lightly on either side of his waist.

But when he revved the engine again—she knew damn well he did it on purpose—she swallowed pride and wrapped her arms around him.

Why, she wondered, anyone would want to drive something so noisy, so dangerous, so—

Then they were flying down the road, and the wind blew cool and balmy and gorgeous over every inch of her.

Okay, a thrill, she admitted, and her heart skipped as he leaned into a turn. A terrifying sort of thrill. Like a roller coaster, which was another thing she could admit was exciting without being a necessary experience in a well-rounded life.

The landscape whizzed by. She smelled the rain, the grass, the leather of his jacket, felt the throb of the bike between her legs.

Sexual, she admitted. Add arousing to that terrifying thrill. Which was surely the reason people rode bikes.

When he swung onto her drive, she had to resist flinging her arms up in the air to feel the wind give her palms a slapping high five.

Happy Ever After

Hobbies are Good for You

I don't have hobbies. I have passions.

Nora Roberts

___________________

By Lawnmower Hut - http://lawnmowerhut.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47898025

How to Find One That Fits Your Personality

Having a hobby is a great way to relieve stress, a creative outlet and a way to meet new people. In fact, there are lots of ways hobbies are good for you. But if you don’t have a regular leisure activity that you enjoy, it can be difficult to decide which one will be enjoyable for you. Here are some tips for finding an interest that fits your personality and interests.

Lifehack

___________________

"It's a hobby. Most people have one."

"It's your gift," he corrected, "and you've been neglecting it."

Enchanted

Can people be saved from a terrible childhood?

"But answer this last question.
Do you think that bright, troubled child should be denied a full and
normal life as an adult because he had the bad luck to be conceived by a
heartless, perhaps even evil woman?"
"No." His breath shuddered out. "No, that's not what I think."
"No buts this time? No qualifications? Then I'll tell you that in my
professional opinion, I couldn't agree with you more. He deserves
everything he can grab, everything he can make, and everything we can
give him to show him that he's his own person and not the damaged
product of one vile woman."


Rising Tides

____________________

By Mohamed Haddi [CC BY-SA 3.0  

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

US researchers have found early intervention can help prevent
negative experiences in infancy turning into long-term health risks

At bottom there is a revolutionary idea. It’s about moving 
from ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’

The Guardian

____________________

"He knew them—better than I did. When he died, I figured they'd ship me off,
or I'd have to run off.
I never figured they'd keep me around.
They didn't know me, so what did they care? But they kept their promise to Ray. They changed their lives around for him,  and for me. They made a home—
pretty wild one at first with Cam running it."
For the first time since he'd begun, some of the misery lifted.  Humor slid into his voice.
"He was always blowing something up in the microwave or flooding
the kitchen. Guy didn't have a clue. I pushed at them, gave them—Cam mostly—as much grief as I could dish out. And I could dish out plenty. I kept waiting for them to kick me out, or smack me senseless.
But they stuck with me. They stood up for me, and when Gloria tried to hose them like she'd done with Ray,  they fought for me.
Even before we found out I was Ray's grandson, they'd made me one of them."


Chesapeake Blue