The Muses’ Refugia
No One’s Kissing Santa Claus Here!
It’s that time of year again when treacly holiday tunes are piped in everywhere you go…at the outdoor malls here in Florida…the gas station…restaurants…and even creeping into my two favorite SiriusXM radio channels (The Bridge; Margaritaville). Here’s your chance to escape the syrupy earworms of December. This playlist is dedicated to Teran Hillger, faithful contributor…
Keep readingA Non-Fiction Triad: Alaska Here We Come
I first came across Adrienne Ross Scanlan’s poetry ten years or so ago when I was assistant editor at The Centrifugal Eye, a now defunct literary journal . Exactly which of Adrienne’s poems we published, I can’t recall—or even if we ended up with one of her works. I’m confident we did because, her writing…
Keep readingWho ya gonna call?!
Halloween is my favorite holiday, and the only one I celebrate. I’ve loved the holiday since I was a little girl, not so much for the candy, but for the opportunity to dress up and be someone or something else for a night. In 1960, when I was 8 years old, my mother dressed me…
Keep readingA Time to Reap
I don’t know about you, but, of all the changes in seasons, the one from summer to autumn seems to me to be the most dramatic and definitive. One day it’s summer heat, the next day my heat comes from a furnace as nights chill into the 40s. Children go back to school and Hollybrook…
Keep readingA Blitz of Books
What’s your next great read? Here are two I highly recommend, and one, well, you be the judge! The reek of damp and emptiness “Love affairs, one-night stands, beartbreak, joy, betrayal”—that is the essence in Deborah Price’s one words of her breathtaking memoir The Peanut Factory from Guts Publishing. The book recounts her unabashed, untarnished…
Keep readingKarla’ Great British Travel Show
I returned safely on August 31 from fifteen days in the United Kingdom–managed to get there and back Covid-free. And I now feel freer than I have since the virus invaded the Earth. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the joys on international travel–and maybe inspire to pack your bags and find your own…
Keep readingBack to School with Some Music to Keep on Learning
Whew, where did the summer go?! With days shortening perceptibly now. And, while the heat is on in too many parts of the world and in our own backyards in many parts of the U.S.—with wildfires and flooding—let’s chill out for a spell and enjoy some music. One way or t’other, let music ring. Hope…
Keep readingYou’ve Got a Friend in Music…aboard the Queen Mary 2!
I wouldn’t have been on this seven-night cruise aboard my beloved QM2 had it not been for music. As some of you know, I sailed the world’s only ocean liner in 2019 on a World Voyage that took me to ports in 22 countries in 108 days. Needless to say, the cruise of a lifetime.…
Keep readingSanté! Bon Appetit! The Finest Dining on the Queen Mary 2 !
Even if you’ve never been on a cruise ship, you probably know the tales of limitless buffets and great dining experiences from champagne brunch to Wagu beef entrees. Aboard the QM2, they take it to the absolute limit of the gastronomical stratosphere. So, for all you foodies out there, here’s the best of the best…
Keep readingNearly “Normal,” Whatever That Is
In this summer of the Omicron BA5 variant, I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering, “What happened to the ‘new normal?’” We’re getting there, but this dastardly virus isn’t done with us yet. Yes, the death rate isn’t as staggering as with the past viral variations. And, yes, hospitalizations are down significantly for the most…
Keep reading“Love Will Keep Us Alive”
It’s summertime, and the livin’ ain’t always easy. Take a break from the insanities of war, politics, Covid, and climate change. Listen to some tunes. Music heals. With thank to my playlist contributors: Bumble Bee; (@Bumble6671); Nicolas Eckerson; Dewi Hargreaves (@Dewiwrites); William Heyen; Taren Hillger; Julie Holmes, Mr. Kurt, and Numero Uno. And please feel…
Keep readingFrom the Never-Ending Stack of Books—Three Sizzlers
As I am by no means a trendsetter, I was about ten years late getting to the Shades of Gray series. Maybe it’s just that books come into our lives (like teachers) when the student is ready. Since I’ve been writing more erotica lately, it seemed time to tackle these. And I’m so glad I…
Keep readingAdvice from a Molecular Biologist
I am a fortunate woman. I’ve said it many times and I’ll probably keep saying it. Today, I’m celebrating the good fortune of having a friend, one Craig Hordlow, who’s not only a molecular biologist, but one who specialize in the aging process. What a gift from the Universe to this woman of a certain…
Keep readingStrolling Down Memory Lane with My Oldest Friend
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. And again. No doubt until I die: I am a fortunate woman. And this playlist post celebrates one of the reasons I have been so blessed in my life: friendship. This playlist celebrates my oldest continuing friendship, one that dates back to spring of 1965, when I…
Keep readingMy Pet Anolis sagrei
Now to the body of this blog post–listen up for the next seven minutes! And take care out there!
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Karla Linn Merrifield 