Coastal Mantle

The chipped and peeling old window I brought home from my neighbor’s yard sale is on the mantle. My original plans included a garland but time just hasn’t been on my side. With the end of August looming the coastal theme will soon disappear so here are ‘the bones’.

I bought the little sandpiper bird years ago at a craft fair. It’s made of fake fur and has a leather bill. The clam shells are from local Rhode Island beaches. Can anyone go to the beach and not collect treasures?

The conch shell dates back to my senior year of high school and my trip to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The trip was a graduation present from my employers, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan. They paid for the air fare and I stayed in their winter home with them for an entire week. What an adventure. The conch shell is from a day of boating and snorkeling.

The shell pieces in the jar were collected on Sanibel Island, Florida during a family vacation. Even broken, the soft colors of the tumbled bits of shells are appealing.

As the season begins to change so does the late afternoon light. The shadows in my dining room are longer and muted.  Soon my baskets filled with seashells, beach stones and sea glass will be tucked away. Another summer is winding down and that gives me a twinge of sadness, but not for long. Pumpkins and the vibrant colors of fall are just around the corner.

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!”
― Humbert Wolfe

Name That Villian

I’ve begun work on the next book in my SeaMount Series. In all my notes I’ve referred to my villain as Mr. Man. How creative! Time to name that villian!

Since this book takes place in the Caribbean, I wanted a name that would reflect the Spanish culture of ‘my’ island. I had several names in mind and kept mixing and matching then searching on the internet to see if any real person had such a name. Too many people went by the common given names and surnames I chose to put together. So I decided to go for something not so common. Something a little less obvious.

Guess who’s mug shot popped up on my computer screen?

My villain is alive and well and living high on the hog in a Florida prison.

Scratch. That. Name.

Last thing I need is this guy googling himself only to discover I’ve used his name and profession (Bad Guy) in a story. Nope. Don’t need the likes of him contacting me. It’s one thing to have a villain I can control with the tips of my fingers on a keyboard. It’s an entirely different matter having that villain living not only on the same planet but in the same country. Perhaps a little far-fetched but not worth the risk. Even with a disclaimer in the front of the book, I’d rather side-step a potential problem that involves a mug shot. 

Or a police line-up….

Me, Aunt Yvonne, Greg, Candy, and Daddy

Recently, have you chosen to change or avoid something rather than take a risk?

The villains in this old Halloween photo are: (from left to right)
Big game hunter – Me with my stuffed tiger won at a carnival. Not sure if the gun was Daddy’s duck hunting gun (how times have changed) or a pop-gun we played with as kids.
Aunt Yvonne – A last minute phone call for an impromptu Halloween party didn’t stop her from coming up with a costume. Miss hearing her laughter.
Greg – Not sure what he was trying to be in that costume, but he was the best little brother.
Candy – Little Bo Peep looks lost without her sheep. Sisters rock!
Daddy – In Mommy’s clothes because that was the closest thing to a costume he and Mommy could come up with. Love that he did this for his teenage daughter.