A true-crime thriller that took place in St. Louis

Evidence of Murder ~ by Bill McClellan, 1993, true-crime thriller (St. Louis), 246 pages

This thorough (but frustrating) true-crime tale concerns Ed Post, a model family man and affable realtor in New Orleans, who was accused and convicted of drowning his wife, Julie, in a St. Louis hotel bathroom in 1986.

Bill McClellan is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  In this book, he reconstructs the complex investigation: 

Post claims the death was an accident, but police found his statement exhaustive and therefore suspect.  Investigators learned that the couple argued regularly, that Ed faced rising debts and that Julie's insurance policy had been increased.  But there was countervailing evidence:  the Posts regularly upgraded their insurance; the medical evidence was inconclusive; and Julie's brother Bobby Thigpen, who claimed his sister feared her husband would kill her, failed a polygraph test. 

McClellan's detailed account of Post's trial borrows a lot from the transcript, showing how lawyers attempted to shade the evidence.  After jurors found Post guilty of murder, his conviction was overturned because of misconduct by deputies regarding the jury.  Post's family and friends, formerly his staunch defenders, then began to doubt his innocence, and testimony from Post's elder teenage daughter helped lead to another conviction and a life sentence.  Though Post, who still claimed his innocence, cooperated with McClellan, maybe the author should have probed his subject's psyche more deeply.

Week in Review

• On Friday, my book was about what people shared, HERE, when the author saked them, "What has life taught you?"
• My Saturday Stuff included a quote and Snoopy balanced on top of his doghouse, but in a very unusual way, HERE.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Gift book donated to our Crown Center library

Do more of what makes you happy.  This is actually a card-sized gift book.  It doesn't list an "author," though it does tell us the authors of each of the sayings.  Here's one you have probably heard before:

HAPPINESS is

a warm PUPPY.

                       ~ Charles M. Schulz

This is the puppy I thought of when I read that.  (I wonder why?  LOL)

And Snoopy always balances on top of his dog house, even sleeping, right?

Beginning ~ with the introduction

Beginning

What has life taught you?  Would you share it with me?  That is the simple premise behind this book and its predecessor.

In 1992 I compiled and edited the first volume of Live and Learn and Pass It On, and on a whim  asked readers to send me whatever wise sayings, humorus observations, and practical advice they would like to share.  Thousands of readers accepted my invitation.  This book is a collection of my favorite responses, along with some of my own discoveries.

Here's a small sampling:

• on finance;  "I've learned that loaning money to friends and relatives causes them to get amnesia."
• on self-esteem:  "I've learned that if you are in a relationship with someone who doesn't believe in you, you should get out before you stop believing in yourself."

Live and Learn and Pass It On: People Ages 5 to 95 Share What They'Ve Discovered About Life, Love, and Other Good Stuff  (Volume II) ~ by H. Jackson Brown, Jr., 1995, humor, 160 pages, 10/10

Millions of readers have bought Brown's timely and insightful bestseller Live and Learn and Pass It On, in which people of all ages tell what life's experiences have taught them. With the publication of this second volume, hundreds of others add to what they have learned from loving, winning, losing, and from the school of hard knocks.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Movie this afternoon

"Fried Green Tomatoes" was today's movie in the Community Room where I live.  Here's a synopsis I found online:

"Evelyn, an ordinary housewife, visits a nursing home and befriends the old lady Ninny.  Together, they bond over stories from the past about two intrepid women of Whistle Stop Cafe."

I came away from the movie annoyed, even though I remember enjoying the book.  What annoyed me was the fake accent for those people in the movie used.  I have NEVER in my life heard such a ridiculous Southern accent, ever  That may be one reason I prefer books.

Week in Review

• My Tuesday subject was a book about Harriet Tubman, HERE.
• On Friday, I wrote about my tears while reading a book, HERE,  The good part was my cat's reaction.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Beginning ~ with what Enzo knows

Beginning

Gestures are all I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature.  And while I occasionally step over the line and into the world of the melodramatic, it is what I must do in order to communicate clearly and effectively.  In order to make my point understood without question.  I have no words I can rely on because, much to my dismay, my tongue was designed long and flat and loose, and therefore, is a horribly ineffective tool for pushing food around my mouth while chewing, and an even less effective tool for making clever and complicated polysyllabic sounds that can be linked together to form sentences.

The Art of Racing in the Rain ~ by Garth Stein, 2008, literary fiction, 336 pages, 10/10

From the dust jacket:  Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.

I read this novel when it first came out.  As I got near the end of the book, I started crying.  That was so unexpected and so unlike me, that my cat Kiki flipped over and turned to stare at me.  (She had been asleep with her back snug up against me before I startled her with my tears).  Even while in tears, I knew I wanted this picture, so I reached for my cell phone camera.  Poor Kiki.  I had never sobbed, ever!  I could not help myself, even though I knew the dog was dying.  I'm now re-reading this 10/10 book that's in our library here.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Harriet Tubman freed many people

"Wanted Dead or Alive": The True Story of Harriet Tubman ~ by Ann McGovern, 1965, historical fiction for children, 64 pages, 10/10

Harriet Tubman was a true American hero who led enslaved people to freedom on what was called "the Underground Railroad."  They walked away, following her as she showed them how and where along the way.  Thus, she became known as the "Moses" of her people.  She had found people who were willing to help her by taking them in and feeding them as they moved from the south to the north.  When she first escaped herself, Harriett headed to Maryland, so they would follow the path she knew.

Joyful June ~ Action for Happiness calendar

Click to enlarge this image from

Action for Happiness.

I hope following these suggestions

will help us all be more joyful.

What's life all about?

The Meaning of Life: Buddhist Perspectives on Cause and Effect ~ by Tenzin Gyatso, edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, foreword by Richard Gere, 2000, buddist teachings, 160 pages

The Dalai Lama examines existential questions about meaning, purpose, and responsibility.  Using the traditional Buddhist allegorical image of the Wheel of Life and the teaching of the twelve links of dependent origination, he deftly illustrates how our existence, though fleeting and often full of woes, brims with the potential for peace and happiness.  We can realize that potential . . .

• by cultivating a wise appreciation of the interdependency of actions and experience, and 
• by living a kind and compassionate life.

A life thus lived, he says, becomes thoroughly meaningful both for oneself and for others.

Week in Review

• My Thursday Thoughts, HERE, were about a short story discussion I had attended.
• On Saturday, I shared a bit of joy, HERE, by quoting from a book.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Joyful Saturday stuff

It's been a relaxed Saturday so far, with fewer spam calls and texts than some days lately.  (And of course, I got a fake text about a "refund"on my phone while typing that ... LOL.)  The sun is shining, and I can see folks out biking, walking, and running.  I haven't been outside today, but it's been a good day so far.

Yesterday, I accepted book donations for the Crown Center library from the daughter of a resident who died a few days ago.  As I went through that pile of books in the library workroom, I found a couple of them that have JOY in their titles (my favorite word).  So I brought those two home with me to check out their content.

This quote is on a pale green page, but doesn't show who said it.  The book does not even indicate the person who collected these quotes:

"Some days, it is enough encouragement just to watch the clouds break up and disappear, leaving behind a blue patch of sky and bright sunshine that is so warm upon my face."

I don't have blue skies (the sky here today is gray), but the sunshine outweighs the cloudy part of the sky for me.

Today I'm pondering a short story

Today I attended a short story discussion about "The Doctor's Wife" by John Updike.  It involved reading that short story together and then talking about it.  There were only eight of us in the group with our two leaders.  Last month, we listened to those two leaders read "The Necklace" by Guy du Maupassant, but we had no copies to read along.  We couldn't retain details and discuss it very well, having no copies in hand that we could refer to and quote from.  This was better, but we had different font sizes on the copies for those who needed big print.  That meant we couldn't refer to what's on different pages because our copies didn't have the same number of pages.

"The Doctor's Wife" was first published in The New Yorker in 1961, according to Writing Atlas, HERE, where you can also read a plot summary of the 5,400-word story after this overview:

On the beaches of a remote British Caribbean Island, a mixed-race family enjoys a relaxing vacation.  However, a simple conversation with a local white woman about the island soon evolves into one of introspection and racial discrimination.

A really old book for today's post

Arrival and Departure ~ by Arthur Koestler, 1943, literary fiction, 192 pages, DNF

This was the third novel of Arthur Koestler's trilogy on ends and means and the first he wrote in English.  The central theme is the conflict between morality and expediency, and in this novel Koestler worked it out in terms of individual psychology.  Peter Slavek starts out as a brave young revolutionary, but suffers a breakdown.  On the analyst's couch he is made to discover, in Koestler's own words, "that his crusading zeal was derived from unconscious guilt."

Week in Review

• On Wednesday, I posted "THE END" for this blog, but I've changed my mind because I miss doing it too much.  I removed that "ending" and am posting again.  Should I call this my "new beginning"?  Nah.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Reading this was a waste of my time

Broad Strokes: 15 Women Who Made Art and Made History ~ by Bridget Quinn, illustrated by Lisa Congdon, 2017, art history, 192 pages

From Amazon:  "Historically, major women artists have been excluded from the mainstream art canon. Aligned with the resurgence of feminism in pop culture, Broad Strokes offers an entertaining corrective to that omission. Art historian Bridget Quinn delves into the lives and careers of 15 brilliant female artists in text that's smart, feisty, educational, and an enjoyable read. Replete with beautiful reproductions of the artists' works and contemporary portraits of each artist by renowned illustrator Lisa Congdon, this is art history from 1600 to the present day for the modern art lover, reader, and feminist."

That's Amazon's opinion, not mine.  I read two chapters, maybe a couple of dozen pages, and took it back to my neighbor Betty, who had handed it to me.  Nope, I don't intend to waste any more time reading that book.  My rating system below is totally subjective, and I could choose either of the bottom two (I've used both over the years since I started blogging in January 2007).  This book is one I "did not finish" and "do not recommend."  It was NOT educational, NOT enjoyable, and didn't go where I expected it to go from the description.  Betty said that was exactly her experience.

10 ~ Loved it!!  Couldn't put it down!!

9 ~ Excellent!

8 ~ Very Good

7 ~ Good

6 ~ Above Average

5 ~ Average

4 ~ Struggled to finish, but not worth it

3 ~ Annoying ~ a waste of time

2 ~ Poor

1 ~ Pitiful!

0 ~ Awful!!  Don't bother                                        

* DNF ~ Did Not Finish ~ one I abandoned

* Nah ~ I don't recommend it

Week in Review

• On Monday, I shared a book that my favorite author recommended, HERE.
• On TWOsday, I shared two words derived from Latin, HERE.
• I had a cat post on Caturday (that day after Friday), because a neighbor gave me a glass with Morris the cat on it, HERE.  Do you remember Morris?  Wikipedia can tell you more, HERE, if you are interested.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

It's Caturday again

On Monday, one of my neighbors put this glass in the box by my

door and texted me:  "Guess what just wandered into your basket."

The words say, "Morris on glass is like sterling on silver."

Two words derived from Latin

LOQUACIOUS ~ characterized by or showing a tendency to talk a great deal → from Latin loqui (“to speak”)

MELLIFLUOUS (of sounds or utterances) ~ smooth or honeyed; sweet → from Latin mel (“honey”) + fluere (“to flow”) I subscribe to HarperCollins UK. Click HERE <www.harpercollins.co.uk> if you would like to see their weekly words.

Jodi Picoult recommends a book

Yesteryear ~ by Caro Claire Burke, 2026, satirical novel, 400 pages

This book is about a popular "tradwife" influencer, Natalie Heller Mills, who wakes up in 1855, forced to confront the harsh reality of the pioneer life she romanticized online.  And this authentic 19th-century version of her homestead is brutal.  The book explores themes of tradition, fame, and the performance of womanhood through the eyes of Natalie, its narcissistic but compelling protagonist, as she navigates a world that is both a nightmarish reality and a potential hoax or reality show.  It's a critique of modern online culture.

This is considered a major book of 2026 and has been picked as a Good Morning America Book Club selection.  Jodi Picoult is my favorite novelist, so I plan to read this book, even though 400 pages is more than I like in a book.

Banned books

The number of nonfiction books banned in schools has doubled, according to a report I read, HERE.  This quote, in my opinion, is distressing:

“Of the 1,102 nonfiction titles banned, 52% were titles with themes of activism and social movements; the most commonly banned topic within nonfiction titles.”

Week in Review

• On Monday, I mused about a book I'm still reading, HERE, but I already consider it a 10/10 book.
• On TWOsday, I shared two quotes I like, HERE.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Today, I'm sharing two quotes I like

Henry David Thoreau said, "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."  That's something we need to think about to really understand.  Hundreds of people may look at exactly the same thing I am noticing today, but what we truly SEE makes a big difference.  Ponder that a bit, and tell me what you think.

I should type this one out, in case the photo ever disappears, shouldn't I?  You can also see what I wrote about Atul Gawande's Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (published in 2014), HERE:

"We've been wrong about what our job is in medicine.  We think our job is to ensure health and survival.  But really it is larger than that.  It is to enable well-being.  And well-being is about the reasons one wishes to be alive."

Anne, who blogs at "My Head Is Full of Books" (HERE), gave me the idea for this post by quoting Erma Bombeck:  "My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be."

I relate to this book, having lived through examples the author shares

You Just Don't Understand ~ by Deborah Tannen, 1990, interpersonal relations / social sciences, 330 pages

Women and men live in different worlds ... made of different words.  Spending nearly four years on the New York Times bestseller list, including eight months at number one, You Just Don't Understand is a true cultural and intellectual phenomenon.  This book points out gender differences in ways of speaking.  With a combination of humorous writing and scientific insight, Tannen shows why women and men can walk away from the same conversation with very different impressions of what was said.

Filled with entertaining examples of real conversations, this book gives us the tools to understand what went wrong — and to find a common language in which to strengthen relationships at work and at home.  A classic in the field of interpersonal relations, this book will change forever the way you approach conversations.  And I think both men and women ought to read it.

Let's play with words

On a Saturday evening years ago, a neighbor who lived on my floor sent me these 25 playful puns (HERE), which I want to share again:

1.  Dad, are we pyromaniacs?  Yes, we arson.

2.  What do you call a pig with laryngitis?  Disgruntled.

3.  Writing my name in cursive is my signature move.

4.  Why do bees stay in their hives during winter?  Swarm.

5.  If you're bad at haggling, you'll end up paying the price.

6.  Just so everyone's clear, I'm going to put my glasses on.

7.  A commander walks into a bar and orders everyone around.

8.  I lost my job as a stage designer.  I left without making a scene.

9.  Never buy flowers from a monk.  Only you can prevent florist friars.

10.  How much did the pirate pay to get his ears pierced?  A buccaneer.

11.  I once worked at a cheap pizza shop to get by.  I kneaded the dough.

12.  My friends and I have named our band "Duvet."  It's a cover band.

13.  I lost my girlfriend's audiobook, and now I'll never hear the end of it.

14.  Why is "dark" spelled with a k and not c?  Because you can't see in the dark.

15.  Why is it unwise to share your secrets with a clock?  Well, time will tell.

16.  When I told my contractor I didn't want carpeted steps, he gave me a blank stare.

17.  Bono and The Edge walk into a Dublin bar and the bartender says, "Oh no, not U2 again."

18.  Prison is just one word to you, but for some people, it's a whole sentence.

19.  Scientists got together to study the effects of alcohol on a person's walk, and the result was staggering.

20.  I'm trying to organize a hide and seek tournament, but good players are really hard to find.

21.  I got over my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts.  I won't lie, it was a rocky road.

22.  What do you say to comfort a friend who's struggling with grammar?  There, their, they're.

23.  I went to the toy store and asked the assistant where the Schwarzenegger dolls are, and he replied, "Aisle B, back."

24.  What did the surgeon say to the patient who insisted on closing up their own incision?  Suture self.

25.  I've started telling everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes.  It's all about raisin awareness.

Week in Review

• Two things were on my TWOsday agenda, HERE.
• My book beginning on Friday was about making the world a happier place, HERE.

Hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz,

we bloggers gather at separate computers in different time

zones — to share what we have been doing during the week.

Beginning ~ with something incredible

Beginning

Twenty years ago, I woke up, sprang out of bed, got dressed and — halfway through my morning coffee — realised something incredible:  I actually felt good.  Considering that just two months before a doctor had told me I was likely to be in a wheelchair before I turned 40, this first pain-free moment in years qualified as something of a miracle.

Make Life Happier: 23 Practical Ways to Feel Better, Find Meaning and Make a Difference ~ by Dr. Mark Williamson, 2026, meditation, 416 pages

We all want the people we love to be happy — and most of us long to feel more at peace with ourselves.  In this practical and encouraging guide, Dr Mark Williamson, CEO of Action for Happiness, shares 23 proven ways to make life happier for yourself, your loved ones and the wider world.

Drawing on fifteen years of working closely with leading experts in wellbeing — from psychology and neuroscience to timeless human wisdom — Mark offers simple, science-backed steps to help you feel better, strengthen your relationships and create positive ripples in the world around you. Mark isn't a guru; he's a 'happiness engineer' who has road-tested these ideas in real life with thousands of people — and in his own journey from burnout to purpose.

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all formula, Make Life Happier shows you how to run your own 'happiness experiments' and discover what works best for you — whether that's quieting your inner critic, building healthier habits, becoming a better listener or contributing to your community.

This book is more than a guide to feeling better; it's an invitation to join a growing movement of people choosing to live differently. Because lasting happiness comes not just from caring for ourselves, but from caring for each other. Whatever your situation, you can do something — and you can start today.

(Click to enlarge this image.)

I haven't been posting these monthly calendars lately,

but it's the first day of May and the book above

was written by the Action for Happiness CEO.

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

Book Beginnings on Fridays.

Two things on my agenda today

I had only TWO things on my TWOsday agenda:  a discussion group and an appreciation program with singers and snacks:

1.  Short Story discussion in the early afternoon that met in the small art studio was to study a short story.

Two discussion leaders (Esther and Christie) took turns reading Guy de Maupassant's short story entitled "The Necklace."  A couple of us knew about the story, me and another participant.  It had been part of my English studies (in high school, I think, though it may have been in college for my first degree).  If you are not familiar with the story, you can read it HERE.  I am a visual person, so I would have preferred to have a copy of the story so I could read along.  I don't retain as much by simply listening, and that's why I came home, looked it up (for myself and also for you blog readers), and thought about it on my own after our discussion.

2.  Volunteer Appreciation program in our large community room in the evening.

People who volunteer to greet visitors at the Welcome Desk were included, as were the residents and non-residents who prepare meals to be delivered to the community and Crown Center residents.  I was invited because I volunteer to work in the library, reshelving books and magazines, and preparing donations to be shelved.  I also cull books that have been there long enough and make room for newer books to go on our shelves.  I've been doing it since I moved here in 2014, along with other residents, like my friends Donna and Risé.  Donna, who had a Master's degree in library science, set up our library as in this photo when she first moved here.  The room was recently renovated, but I will share those changes another time.