I was intrigued by this “vintage” Penny Parker mystery book I found at a public library book sale for 50 cents, because I recognized the author–Mildred Wirt–as the true author of the first 25 Nancy Drew mystery novels I so loved to read when I was 11 years old. Nancy Drew books were all written under the name Carolyn Keene, a pseudonym created by the publisher. Many years later, the true identify of the writer was revealed. It was the late 1990s and I was filming my documentary film “Women of Mystery: Three Writers Who Forever Changed Detective Fiction.” I even had the opportunity to meet Mildred Wirt Benson at…
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A Different Halloween Treat
This Halloween instead of handing out candy for treats, we tried something a little different. We placed 100 books for young readers on a bench with a sign that said “Happy Halloween. This is our Free Little Library. Please choose a book that looks interesting.” We had no idea what to expect. What happened was so wonderful. For three hours, we caught glimpses from our windows of so many children in costumes excitedly discovering the note and the books. We watched as they took the time to choose a book. Click on the link below to see one of the children choose a book. It was heartwarming!…
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Switch to a Safe Straw
You might have read about the “straw ban” that has been instituted in numerous cities in California. The ban has been implemented to end the danger that single-use plastic straws cause in the ocean. Straws, due to their shape and size, can’t be recycled. Where do so many end up? In the ocean. After a heartbreaking video of a sea turtle with a straw stuck deep inside her nostril went viral, cities across the state called for restaurants and small businesses to reduce their plastic footprint. The plastic that inevitably finds its way from trashcan or beach into the ocean lasts forever, as the materials used to make straws never…
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Wool Dryer Balls vs Stinky/Toxic Dryer Sheets
The artificial smell of “freshness” created by dryer sheets and fabric softeners turns out to be worse than artificial. In fact, it’s quite stinky. I’ve read many articles that outline how fabric softeners and dryer sheets laden with chemicals can cause everything from headaches to central nervous system disorders. In fact, I have read travel articles that suggest inserting dryer sheets into suitcases when travelling to places plagued by cockroaches, because even cockroaches avoid these toxic sheets. THERE IS A FANTASTIC ALTERNATIVE TO THESE STINKY SHEETS AND SOFTENERS. PURE WOOL DRYER BALLS Currently, we use a brand called Molly’s Suds, a company committed to creating safer household products. A box…
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Lessons I Learned From Sue Grafton and Kinsey Millhone
When I learned Sue Grafton, author of the Kinsey Millhone detective novels, had died on December 28, I immediately recalled the days she allowed me to disrupt her writing schedule to film my documentary, “Women of Mystery: Three Writers Who Forever Changed Detective Fiction.” I had convinced her that she, along with Sara Paretsky and Marcia Muller, had committed a revolutionary act that needed to be recorded on film. That revolutionary act changed a genre. It also changed the way many women readers saw themselves. I was one of those readers. When Kinsey Millhone was born in 1982, she was one of the first professional female detectives to appear…
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A Wonderful Walk Ends With an Unfortunate Reminder of These Times
A few weeks ago we walked through a neighborhood of beautiful old houses in Pasadena. In two short hours, we viewed beautiful architecture, visited with a neighborly woman who enjoyed telling us about her 1886 house, and went on an unplanned self-guided tour of a courthouse that has been in its past life both a grand hotel and a hospital for World War II soldiers. Then an unpleasant encounter reminded us of the poisons being injected into communities across the country. At this time of year the daytime temperatures are usually too high in Pasadena, California for a leisurely stroll in the middle of the day. Thus we were delighted…
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Reading Makes the World Wider
I love reading, even the sadness of turning the final page and seeing the simple, yet solemn words: The End. I know that the final gleam of story will linger inside me. The story lives. And my world is wider. – Natalie Natalie and I were talking the other day how we feel bereft when we reach the last page of a particularly good book. Until another equally good book enters our lives, we’re a bit sad. Yet this is the sweet consolation: if one knows “the sadness of turning the final page,” it means that one has discovered the pleasure of reading. Since I was ten years old, reading books—especially…
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Thinking About Time, as is Wonder Woman
Early in the wonderful movie “Wonder Woman,” Diana asks the human who has landed in her midst what his wristwatch is. And he explains that it tells him when it’s time to do something and she, in disbelief, says: “You let that thing tell you what to do?” The wristwatch takes on powerful symbolism by the end of the movie. I wasn’t able to wear a watch for nine months after my breast surgery last summer. It felt strange at first, as I have worn a watch every day since I was 12. Not being able to wear a watch has made me think about time in a more philosophical way.…
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Taking Small Steps is the Way Toward Desired Change
Making small changes can even lead to more lasting solutions than big changes. I have always found this idea so reassuring. If I think about making a big change, big step, big decision, I can easily feel paralyzed, overwhelmed and indecisive. Small change are do-able! Moreover, I have learned that making smaller changes can have a more lasting impact. According to Dutch philosopher and psychologist Gijs Deckers, we all have a tendency to think in terms of big solutions. Deckers says that’s why when we’re looking for solutions, we tend to see or choose the opposite as the answer or solution, versus some action or change in between. That’s what…
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Hidden Inside Some of Our Quirks: Our Talents
Some quirks are undeniably annoying. But so many more are not. Natalie, Bill and I made a list of some of our quirks. We discovered that some of our quirks are actually talents, lovable traits, or allow us (and our companions) to laugh with pleasure. What are some of your quirks? Remember: hidden inside some of our quirks are special talents! Here’s our list: Pamela’s Quirks: I enjoy vacuuming. I think while I vacuum. It provides a quick sense of accomplishment when most of what I do (writing) takes a long time. It cures writers block. I stare out windows for a long time. Sometimes I will look out a…
