No one expected this, not the farmers, the gossips, the know-it-alls, the young, the old, the grandmas or grandpas, the introverts, the extroverts, the fearful or bold, the meek or brash, the spouses or spinsters, the Almanac or the weatherman. The Maple Valley Christmas blizzard swept in like a phantom monster and buried the entire …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 43: A Christmas Blizzard Miracle
Ever since Sylvia Meisner disappeared nearly three years ago, Maple Valley folks have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Tourists arriving in Maple Valley do not feel the dread that lives in this delightful place. All the happy visitors believe the notions they have about this dreamland where there are no worries, unpaid …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 43: All Is Calm, All Is Wrong
I want every square inch of the Maple Valley Short Line Model Railroad to be a story in a scene. I am way beyond watching two trains travel on a continuous loop through trees, mountains, and buildings. I want to know what people are talking about as they stand outside the Ya'll Sit Cafe. Maybe …
Happy villagers in Maple Valley are preparing themselves for the wonders of Christmas. Music of the season is blaring loudly on the streets of town so visitors know Maple Valleyers are fully into the spirit of Christmas. Quintin O'Dillmotte has, at least for the moment, been strangely quiet. The O'Dillmotte Funeral Parlor is pleasantly adorned, …
Continue reading Scandal at Maple Valley – Episode 42: The Wonders of Christmas and Other Stuff
Mom had a gift for making everything wonderful, no matter what holiday it was. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the two best because her cooking and baking skills were legendary. I learned how to make coffee cake by watching mom. By the time I was fifteen, I had taken over the task of creating the favorite …
A Coffee State of Mind 