- One Enchanted MorningCaroline startled at a voice behind her. She whirled around to see a beautiful woman standing near the tree beside the bus stop. The lady appeared to be somewhat formally dressed for a Thursday morning, but the woman’s piercing green eyes gave Caroline pause. “You have a most nostalgic smile,” the woman said. She had… Read more: One Enchanted Morning
- This Haunted Life: An Anonymous Reader’s StoryI have a special Halloween treat to share with you today! An anonymous newsletter reader sent me an account of his family’s ghostly encounters, mainly centering on an older home where he and his wife lived. Names and places have been altered or redacted to preserve the family’s anonymity, but the accounts are all true.… Read more: This Haunted Life: An Anonymous Reader’s Story
- Maybe the Real Haunted Objects Were the Ghosts We Made Along the WayThe paranormal has been a lifelong interest for me. I got my first book of true ghost stories when I was six. (It scared me so badly!) I read my first book on parapsychology, ESP, Hauntings and Poltergeists: A Parapsychologist’s Handbook by Lloyd Auerbach, when I was 12. I own Zener cards, you guys. I… Read more: Maybe the Real Haunted Objects Were the Ghosts We Made Along the Way
- Choose a New Skin: How to Create Simple, Lower-Waste CostumesI had an annual Halloween tea party for my local writer friends for many years. Due to the pandemic and a general diaspora of folks to other locations, we now hold the same get-together online and call it Zoomoween. Hosting a party online is much easier than doing it in person. I don’t have to… Read more: Choose a New Skin: How to Create Simple, Lower-Waste Costumes
- Creepy Cozy (and Some Just Plain Creepy) RecsIt’s time for a special Spooky Season edition of OOPS! All Recommendations. I wanted to turn Cap’n Crunch into a zombie or something, but my Photoshop skills weren’t up to the task. Instead, we have… whatever that guy up there is. Is he from the same universe as the Pale Man in “Pan’s Labyrinth”? I… Read more: Creepy Cozy (and Some Just Plain Creepy) Recs
- DEADx Talk: A Guide to Self-Care from the Dark SideAs we all know, the DEADx acronym stands for Diabolic, Eldritch, Arcane, and Darkness. We’re all here because we’re interested in one or more of these areas. My specialty is darkness. It shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone here, but I was a dark kid. I read too much Edgar Allen Poe, watched endless… Read more: DEADx Talk: A Guide to Self-Care from the Dark Side
- Let’s Embrace a Softer Spooky SeasonAs I mentioned, I had a pretty dismal summer. Between personal stressors and that looming thing that starts with an “el” and ends with an “ection,” I think it’s safe to say that my current anxiety level is through the roof. October is usually my favorite time of the year! What’s a spooky lover supposed… Read more: Let’s Embrace a Softer Spooky Season
- In Defense of Spaghetti NightI’m sure I’ve said this before, but due to my broken guts situation, I cook about 90% of everything that goes into my mouth. I have seriously restricted options at restaurants, and my choices for prepared foods at the grocery store are almost as limited. I cook nearly everything I eat, and I spend a… Read more: In Defense of Spaghetti Night
- Sarah and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad SummerHello again! I’m back! Did you miss me? I missed all of you. I wish I could say that I had a great break and I’m all rested and ready to go, but frankly, I’m burnt out and frazzled. Nothing went according to plan over my newsletter break — not a single thing. Let’s sum… Read more: Sarah and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Summer
- I tried some clothes from Quince.I’ve been curious about the Quince brand for a while. It makes sense: I love basics made with higher-quality materials. And those prices, wow! Is this the missing middle-tier retailer that people need? Well… hmm. Those prices seem a little sketchy. I mean, as Clotheshorse often reminds us, “It’s cheap because someone didn’t get paid!”… Read more: I tried some clothes from Quince.
- Before we slide into summer hiatus…Before we slide into summer hiatus, I wanted to say a bit about how my novel revision is going, what my plan is, and what I hope to accomplish next. It Has Been an Education Though I’ve repeatedly proven that I can write really long, novel-length manuscripts, I’ve never quite figured out how to revise… Read more: Before we slide into summer hiatus…
- OOPS! All RecommendationsI’ve read several bangers recently, so my dry spell is officially over! In fact, I wanted to recommend so many things this time that I realized I couldn’t add anything else. I may have questionable taste, but I sure enjoy telling people all about things I like. Isn’t that what the internet is literally for?… Read more: OOPS! All Recommendations
- Was Shakespeare wrong about names and roses?I’m terrible at naming things. I’m not merely being hard on myself; I have a lot of proof. I truly suck at naming stuff, even cats. (My pet cats have been named Nigel and Jane, like the offspring of a timid vicar’s daughter in rural Derbyshire.) My last two newsletters were called “Exquisite Ephemera” and… Read more: Was Shakespeare wrong about names and roses?
- Revisiting My Semiannual Seasonal Freak OutIt’s been a minute since I talked about clothes, so we’re gonna talk about clothes today. (Sorry not sorry!) I managed to mitigate my seasonal freak out last autumn by applying the lessons I learned the previous spring. I didn’t do any panic shopping (a true victory), and although I had days where I felt… Read more: Revisiting My Semiannual Seasonal Freak Out
- “A day in the life…”10:00 a.m.I can’t honestly call myself a morning person as I am an abomination of the lightless void, so I don’t awaken from my unholy slumber until mid-morning. I growl and unfurl my tentacles, and after my morning ablutions (even I must brush my numerous, savage teeth), I quickly devour a few of my favored… Read more: “A day in the life…”
- It’s not me. It’s you.I’ve attempted to work through the perennial classic The Artist’s Way three times. I say “attempted” because I’ve never made it all the way through the book’s process, and I blamed myself each time I failed. I didn’t focus enough, I hadn’t given myself enough time, I didn’t follow through, I wasn’t disciplined, et cetera.… Read more: It’s not me. It’s you.
- I guess I’m a croissant now?They say the backbone of a good newsletter is consistency, and I haven’t been able to deliver that recently. Little workaday setbacks have been throwing me off more seriously than they normally would. Am I burned out? Maybe. But I think what’s happening is slightly different and a little more insidious. I’m a little overwhelmed,… Read more: I guess I’m a croissant now?
- The Devil’s in the DetailsHarold gulped down the strange breakfast cereal Greta had insisted was his favorite as he studied a row of snow-covered shapes in the backyard. “Where did the flower beds go?” he asked. “Those shrubs weren’t there before the storm.” Greta’s impatient fingers pulled him away from the frosted window. “Let frozen dogs lie, Harry. You’ll… Read more: The Devil’s in the Details
- jack reacher is a giant freakThis may seem out of character, but I love Jack Reacher. I’ve read most of the books and I also enjoy the Prime series. To me, Jack (No Middle Name) Reacher is an endlessly fascinating cultural artifact. First of all, the Reacher novels are written by a British guy (and, more recently, his brother). Sure,… Read more: jack reacher is a giant freak
- Dress a little better with this one weird trick.There’s an obvious but often overlooked way to have a better relationship with your clothing: You need a tailor. Modern clothing sucks. There are many reasons (check out the Clotheshorse Podcast for more info), but shoddy fabric and poor construction are often to blame. Even when you find well-made clothing in a fabric that will… Read more: Dress a little better with this one weird trick.
- Reunited, and it sounds so good.I know this doesn’t sound like a life-altering event, but a shelf broke on our CD rack about 10 years ago, leaving a giant crater in my life. Sounds dramatic, right? (Have you met me? Of course it sounds dramatic.) That event inspired me to digitize my massive CD collection because IKEA no longer sold… Read more: Reunited, and it sounds so good.
- If Groundhog Day isn’t a great day to start over, I don’t know what is.If you’re getting this, you can reasonably conclude that I left That Controversial Platform. Basically… I went old school. I’m “blogging” again, but you’re still getting my posts in your email through the magic of automation.
- Some Mistakes Have Been MadeI really messed up my exit from Substack. I chose a service that’s harder to manage from a technical standpoint, misread some directions when I imported my subscribers (thereby losing the vast majority of them), and found myself back at square one in many respects. I also changed web hosts and managed to mangle my… Read more: Some Mistakes Have Been Made
- This is a placeholder!The block editor is killing me, but I will fix all of this later. I always say, “We’ll fix that in post!” So now I guess it’s time to follow through on that sentiment.