We all follow our own unique path in life, but few people’s paths take them across three continents and culminate in Fresno, California. Musician Pieter Moerdyk’s did. He has spent five decades following his love of music wherever it may lead, and it has led him to some remarkable places.
Frog and Toad are back on stage! Rejoice, but don’t croak! (Oh, good! I got that joke out of my system.) StageWorks Fresno has brought back their wondrous production of A Year With Frog and Toad, and it is lighting up the Cal Arts Severance stage…again.
The heartwarming tale of an orphan named Annie has been touching hearts for years--first as a comic strip and then as a musical, and later as movies. This month the musical Annie comes to life again on the stage of the Reedley Opera House, presented by the River City Theatre Company.
The holiday season is a time for nostalgia. It’s the time of the year when people wax poetic about their childhood traditions, family gatherings and days gone by. A particularly popular source of nostalgia for this time of year is the Victorian Era, perhaps because our Victorian forebears are the ones who started many of the now traditional celebrations associated with Christmas.
This week we are celebrating Christmas with Penguin mystery authors and three Penguin Christmas mystery novels-Merry Market Murder by Paige Shelton, Mulled Murder By Kate Kingsbury, and Home for the Homicide: A Do-It Yourself Mystery By Jennie Bentley. Details at the end of this post on how to win copies of all three.
There are several things you notice when you walk through the door of Kuppa Joy on Clovis Avenue in Old Town Clovis. One is that there are people present, working, conversing, and sipping coffees and teas in a welcoming atmosphere that is rustic and contemporary. You notice that there is community gathering in the room creating community.
Put together some kick ass female fantasy authors with some kick ass female characters and you have the anthology Kicking It! This anthology, with the theme of boots and the paranormal, is edited by Faith Hunter and Kalayna Price.
Rachel knew she wanted to be a vet from early on. Her mother supported her dream by scheduling vet appointments for times when Rachel could go, too and then, at nineteen, her dream was given a big boost when she landed a job with a vet clinic run by a father/daughter team. Both vets were mentors to Rachel, and she was able to get practical experience in caring for sick animals and even observing surgeries. Not afraid of hard work, Rachel worked full time at the vet hospital and carried a full load of college courses at night. Dreams are worth working hard for.
On Saturday, October 26 Mark and I went to a big dog adoption event held at Burnett's Landscaping in Salem, CT. There were dozens of dogs there and hundreds of people. The bell they clanged to celebrate each adoption rang almost constantly!
In the spirit of goodwill, and a less-than-sober New Year’s resolution to be more charitable, has contractor Mel Turner volunteering to be “House Captain” for Neighbors Together, a charitable organization that renovates homes for the disabled and elderly. What this means is that poor Mel is not just wielding a hammer on an occasional Saturday, but is instead answering the endless nonsensical questions of earnest but extremely unqualified and very inexperienced volunteers.
