The Cozy Mystery List Blog

I am back home, and have been busy trying to “catch up” with some of my household responsibilities. My husband and I changed insurance plans in January, and had to have our medications sent to another online pharmacy, which would have been a little easier for me to do>>> if my doctor’s nurse was a little better at her job. I don’t mean to be negative, but I had to talk to her before I left (several times), while I was gone, and will have to call her tomorrow. Good Grief! 

I feel like I got a lot accomplished while out in Colorado. I found a dog walker for my mother – who is unable to take her dog for an extended morning walk. I also found an organization that will send a woman to her home (Visiting Angels) every morning for three hours to help with small household tasks and to drive her places. Her fiancé is mending from his surgery, but will not be home for at least another month.

Although I had my laptop with me while in Colorado, my time was spent going through insurance forms, taking my mom to doctors’ appointments, lining up services that will help my mother, ETC. Also, her fiancé’s sons finally came down to see him last weekend. Their visit seemed to really raise his spirits. I really liked them, but unfortunately the daughter in law filled me in on all of my mom’s fiancé’s gossip… which I am really sorry I know! Here’s another Good Grief!

Anyway, I am back and will start being better about responding to your comments. When I finally did fire up the laptop, the connection was so slow and the mouse so stubborn, it made the whole computer process a real drag. Seemed to take forever to do anything.

Also, if any of you wrote me directly to my mail box, I will go ahead and apologize right now. I usually get my mail through Outlook Express, and was not at all prepared for the “regular” internet mail box system. Good Grief! What a mess!

I have been reading comments and letters from some of you all for several years now. I know that I have stated (several times) that paranormal mystery series just aren’t for me. However, I have read so many comments that make me think that maybe I should try a paranormal mystery and see if I can get on the Paranormal Mystery bandwagon. (I have tried several “unconventional themes” before, from talking cats and dogs to guardian angels…)

The last paranormal mystery author I tried was Nancy Atherton. I was hoping that she could change my “no-paranormals-for-me” attitude. I know that Atherton is a best selling author with many, many fans. Aother reason I chose the first in Atherton’s Aunt Dimity series is that I didn’t want to go from “no paranormal mysteries” to something as “strong” as a vampire theme. I thought I should take baby steps… and ease my way through Aunt Dimity’s “ghost” helping Lori solve mysteries before I tackled blood-thirsty vampires.

I enjoyed Nancy Atherton‘s writing style. >>> It flows easily while telling the story. But, I’m again facing the paranormal theme. I wasn’t quite sure how Aunt Dimity was going to communicate with her best friend’s daughter, so I was very interested in finding that out. I won’t include any spoilers here, suffice it to say that Atherton has come up with a communication process which I see will be easy for her to stick with in the following mysteries of the series.

I just finished the first in the Aunt Dimity series (Aunt Dimity’s Death). and I’m still not sure about my paranormal VS non paranormal mysteries stand. I guess I’ll just have to try another one!

Do you (or don’t you) agree with my “no-paranormals-for-me” attitude?

Here’s a brief update of my trip up north (to Colorado)… I drove the first five hundred miles the first day, leaving the easier (four hundred miles) to the next. It’s not a particularly scenic drive until you get on I-25 from Raton (New Mexico) to Pueblo, Colorado. But, all of that sagebrush and dry, flat land gets a great pay-off when you go on the Raton Pass – through some of the most beautiful mountains. Truly gorgeous.

I don’t mind the drive  (though it is a little long) because I always have my audible.com books with me. This time, I had both Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver and Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael in the car with me as “passengers”. Perhaps this is why the trip doesn’t seem so unappealingly long.  I am “kept company” with the words of two of my favorite mystery book authors.  Following along as two of my favorite sleuths put together the pieces of their mysteries is a great road-trip companion.

Of course, as usual, some of the scenes I saw along the way would make me stop my audible book for a few minutes so that I could enjoy the sights and think. I revert to one particular car game from my past, when my children were young. I find myself seeing old brick farm houses and wondering about the lives of the people inside, I see them all sitting around a dinner table – passing the mashed potatoes and thick, creamy gravy. I wonder if they enjoy reading books on cold winter nights, if they preserve their own jams and jellies, in short, I think about all of the generations of families who lived in some of these old farm houses.

Of course, I am busy with my family while I’m here in the Springs. But once I head to my room for the night, I am joined by more of my fictional friends… right now, Nancy Atherton’s Aunt Dimity and Lori are keeping me company…

Yesterday I decided (rather quickly) that I would drive up to Colorado to see  my mother and brother today. Last February, my younger brother had a rather complicated surgery, and then developed pneumonia at the hospital. Both my sister and I went out to be with him.

Luckily, he  had a wonderful recovery, so I was able to go visit him some time in early spring (April?) This time, my mother’s fiancé is in the hospital. She relies on him for almost everything, as she does not drive. I am going up to see if I can talk her into getting someone to help her around the house, who can drive her to her bridge clubs, shopping, etc.

Anyway, I am going up for a week, or maybe a little longer. My husband has set my laptop up so that I can get on the internet… with a T-Mobile “stick”>>> which is great, since my mother found that she was no longer using the internet, so she had it disconnected. Yikes! What’s a person to do without the internet?!? (I think my husband thought I would have “withdrawal” symptoms!) Since I will probably have a lot of time during the next week that will be dedicated to waiting, I shouldn’t have a problem keeping up with you all.

I remember way back in time, before I started using the internet, when I couldn’t wait to get up to the hotel room so that I could get organized and settled in for the night. Not so now! I think my husband might have been right about me having trouble with internet withdrawal symptoms>>> I couldn’t wait to get up to my room at the hotel so that I could turn on my computer… Forget hanging up my clothes or getting my toiletries organized. Get me my T-Mobile connection fast!