Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Florida & Dinah

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Hello to everyone from Florida. I’m down here in this hot and humid weather to spend some time with my family. I’m staying at my sister’s house and popping over to visit my parents every day. It is always a treat to have some one-on-one time with my sister. One nephew is here, the other is competing in a national swim meet out in California and will be returning home with his Dad on Saturday. And my favorite nephew-dog, Max, is giving me lots of loving. Max is crazy about me; he goes nuts when he sees me again. Of course I am a dog lover and he knows it, but my theory is that I am of the same gene pool as his mother and that makes me extra-special to him.

I thought I’d share a precious treasure from my sister’s home. I’ve written before of my great-aunt Rhoda, my maternal grandmother’s youngest sister. Rhoda and her sister Margaret died in the flu epidemic of 1918. Imagine: there were 5 children in the family and in about 10 days there were only 3 left. Rhoda was the baby of the family, just a teenager when she died. Grandma never got over her death or Maggie’s. Both Meredith and I have some things of Rhoda’s. I have letters she wrote to my Grandmother when Gram was away from home in nursing school, Rhoda’s copy of Alice in Wonderland, and some locks of her hair. Meredith has her doll, Dinah.


Dinah is lovely and in very good condition. Meredith keeps her in a glass case. Rhoda held her and loved her and every time I see Dinah I am so moved. Her face is beautiful. Like my Tressa doll, she has an issue with her feet: they are reversed. That makes her more precious. My Grandmother made all her clothes.


I’ve read many of Rhoda’s letters to my grandmother and she was sweet, funny and full of life. Grandma went home to nurse the family through the terrible epidemic and she almost lost her own life. I know she mourned Maggie deeply but the loss of her adored younger sister was especially devastating. And she lovingly held on to Rhoda’s treasures for all those years then passed them on to us.

If you’re interested in reading any of my previous posts on Rhoda, just type in “Rhoda” in the search box at the top of the blog.

Today, I plan to spend some time with my Mom when my Dad is at his Doctor’s appointment. I need to know how she is really feeling.

Tonight, Meredith, my nephew Jake, his friend and I are going to watch the Tampa Bay Rays play. I love me some baseball! Let’s not mention that the Rays are doing better in the standings than my beloved Red Sox. I will be happily cheering for the Rays because they must beat the Yankees.

I’m trying to read everyone’s posts in my spare time, but I’m afraid I don’t have time to comment as yet. I’ll do my best during the coming week.

Book Review: Ashes to Water

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Hello everyone! You all know how much I love books and reading. I am pleased, therefore, to share a book review with you periodically through TLC Book Tours. (I am provided with a copy of the book but am not compensated in any way for my honest review.)

Today I will be reviewing a mystery: Ashes to Water by Irene Ziegler.

• Hardcover: 394 pages
• Publisher: Five Star (June 16, 2010)

From the publisher:

Ashes to Water is a mystery/thriller, and Irene Ziegler’s first novel.

Set in the 1980s, Ashes to Water is an atmospheric story of a small-town Florida murder and one young woman’s reluctant involvement in its resolution.

When Annie Bartlett returns home to bury her murdered father, she confronts the woman arrested for the crime, only to discover reasons to fight for the woman’s acquittal. This pits her against her erratic and unwell sister, Leigh, whose very survival may depend on a guilty verdict.

Annie soon becomes snarled in the social and political dynamics of the town, a wrenching attraction to her old boyfriend, and the emotionally difficult business of sorting out her estranged father’s tangled past. Obstructing Annie further are “visits” from her mother, who drowned in Widow Lake when Annie was nine. As her attempts to solve her father’s murder lead to more bloodshed, Annie finds herself a suspect in a plot not of her making, and a threat to the town’s movers and shakers, suddenly very anxious to see her gone. When Annie’s father is finally laid to rest in the lake that claimed her mother, Annie glimpses in his sinking ashes the flashing glints of hope and healing.

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My review: I love nothing better than a good mystery. This story is beautifully written with an intricate plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. Ziegler grew up in Central Florida and her intimate knowledge of the area, the terrain and the climate is felt on every page. Her vivid descriptions of the small town and the house on Widow Lake are beautifully written. I felt as if I was smack dab in the middle of humid, sultry Florida.

The characters are richly drawn with hidden and not-so-hidden agendas. Each of them is an integral part of the plot and nothing is as it seems. The visits by Annie’s deceased mother are a wonderful plot device; through them we learn a great deal about her death and its effect on Annie and Leigh as well as how it shaped the sisters’ relationship with their father. As Annie gets more deeply involved with solving the mystery of her father’s murder, the tension escalates with the stakes becoming dangerously high. Ziegler deftly reveals each character’s darker side to us as the novel progresses. No one is good or bad; everyone is multi-layered in shades of gray.

I would have like to have seen a bit more text explaining Annie’s choices as to her conflicting romantic relationships that have already been made by the time we read about them in the epilogue. I was left wondering what had happened in the interim that brought her to those conclusions.

Though the murderer is found, Annie still has unresolved issues which gives me hope there might be a sequel. I was engrossed in this intricate mystery from beginning to end. This is a most impressive debut.


Some information about Irene Ziegler:

Irene Ziegler is the author of Rules of the Lake (stories) and Ashes to Water, both set in central Florida, where Irene grew up. An actor, she has had recurring roles or guest starred in many notable TV series and films. She is also the voice on your cell phone’s GPS, so kindly stop yelling at her. She lives in Virginia with her husband and a wolf-dog.


Giveaway: I have a hardcover copy of Irene Ziegler’s previous book, Rules of the Lake, to giveaway. The book is a collection of stories about the protagonist of Ashes to Water, Annie Bartlett. They take place during Annie’s childhood in 1960’s Central Florida. Just leave a comment to be entered and I will draw a name on August 16th.

The Last of the Roses

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Standing on the porch the other day, I spied these blooms, plus two as yet unopened buds. I think these are the last of my roses. I suppose this could be either good news or bad news. The bad news is saying goodbye to these beauties for another season. The good news is that I thought this particular bush was completely finished with its blooms and then I found these. Glass half-empty vs. glass half-full.

Today I am, unfortunately, feeling half empty. Or more than that – about 3/4 empty. The stress in my life seems overwhelming. Everything seems to be more difficult, scarier, impossible and heartbreaking. I feel like my shoulders and neck are holding enormous tension – that my head won’t stop thinking fearful thoughts. Do you ever have days like this? This year has been a very, very hard one for us and it seems to be continuing. While I often stop to count my blessings and I know there are many blessings, there has been loss, financial stress, loved ones in pain and suffering, fear.

Yes, I’m usually cheerful – especially on this blog. But sometimes it just seems impossibly hard to maintain my cheerfulness. Oh, I’ll get it back. Writing about it helps; and knowing my friends will be reading this and sending positive thoughts my way. This blog/journal is such a wonderful way to share things, usually exciting and good but occasionally sad or scary. I’ve just got to get back to the half-full mentality. Thank you for listening to me.

One positive thing: our own little Lazarus, Mr. Riley, is feeling better. He is almost back to his old self. I am deeply grateful I can leave for Florida with that resolved for the time being. I will try to post while I am in FL. I will also be sharing a book review with you on Thursday. I’ve started to work with TLC Book Tours. Oh, I’m not reimbursed in any way – I’m supplied with a book and encouraged to write an honest review. Since I love reading so much, this is a joy for me. So once a month or so, I’ll share a review with you. I’m reading a few books that I might not have found otherwise so my reading horizons expanding.

Thank you for being the listening eyes and ears that I’ve learned to count on. You are the best.

Lambs Like to Party

Lambs Like to Party

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