Linda became a writer at 38 when Ken passed away from cancer at 41. The two of them were the "dynamic duo" of real estate before Ken died, earning a good living for years. After Ken died, and because of her grief, Linda was unable to cope and became delusional. All the wealth they had accumulated, the boat, the cars, and the big house on the water slowly dissipated. Linda lost it all and was living like a bag lady on the street for about two years when her brother finally sought legal...

The other day, I found myself sequestered in what my girlfriends call my "Barbie doll closet," getting ready for a date night with my husband. My closet is quite large and is filled with a nice (but aging) array of seasonal clothing to include shoes, hats, jewelry, scarves, belts, sweaters and jackets that I, in Barbie doll fashion, mix and match to produce hopefully attractive (and sometimes sexy) outfits. This is an oddity I can't explain except that I never had a Barbie doll growing up....

Recently, we acquired new next-door neighbors. C and A replaced an upper-aged couple with no children with a beautiful three-year-old girl, whom we shall call Ellie. Ellie is as pure as the driven snow. Curious, pleasant and as far as I’m concerned, a God-send. What a difference to have a pure specimen of the great Divine to observe. Don’t get me wrong, we love our previous neighbors and have many special memories of our time with them. Ellie’s presence has brought to...