Today I lost one of my dearest friends. It doesn’t matter that he was several decades older. In truth, he was younger than I. John Nason was perhaps the most vibrant and alive person I ever knew. He filled a room with his booming voice, wicked wit, and […]
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah every one! As dreidels are being played with and menorah lights sparkle in Jewish homes around the world, Christians are putting up trees. I thought I’d give you my 17 essential tree decorating tips and tell you all about how a little old […]
Diana Belchase here. With the election upon us and rumors of coming violence in the U.S. and around the world, Peter Shankman, creator of the Help a Reporter site, has come up with 10 things you must do today in order to preserve your mental and physical health. […]
by Diana Belchase The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg came as a shock yesterday, though it should not have. After all, she had been plagued by health problems and was nearly 90. But, tiny as she was, this woman towered, like a superhero, as iconic as the Statue […]
Covid-19 has caused us all to shutter ourselves away from the world, away from religious and traditional gatherings. I hope to bring a little glimpse of the beauty of Holy Week to you, my readers, by sharing footage from a past Good Friday in Taormina, Sicily. Good Friday […]
It seems the new cool way of greeting is to bump elbows instead of shaking hands. This is something you should never, never do. We see famous people, movie stars, even our Vice President Pence, Speaker of the House Pelosi, and a host of other people telling us […]
I eagerly waited for Late Night to come out. The trailers were a hoot. The premise delightful. It utilized every trope I love: women coming together, underdog who succeeds, girl who shows the boys she’s better. Yet, while there are some glorious and funny moments in the film, […]
Okay everyone, we can breathe again. The Smithsonian, the National Gallery, and the National Zoo are all opening again as of Tuesday January 29th. Still, one never knows what will happen next in D.C. so if you want to go, go now. For those of you who can’t […]
Today, I’m sharing one of my favorite government educational films from the WWII era. To educate soldiers, the U.S. government came up with an adorable cartoon character called Private Snafu. In this three minute short, called “Spies,” we see how the combination of alcohol and a pretty girl […]
The Siege of Cosel, which was painted around 1808 is like a woman covered in veils. Gossamer layers of gray, recede ever fainter as he paints the foggy battle scene. Textbooks do not show this well. Even though the painting is massive — larger than a wall in most homes — these figures are sometimes as small as the head of a pin, only visible less than a foot away from the canvas. Seeing them makes the average museum guard nervous as you move scant inches from the canvas.
I’m so grateful to Lena Diaz celebrating my fourth Golden Heart nomination, and entry into the Golden Hall of Fame, with this incredible post. This time it’s for the fourth book in my spy series! That means each and every book thus far has either won or been […]
Thriller writer Tom Clancy passed in 2013, but he’ll always be an indelible part of the top secret D.C. landscape. He knew his subject inside out, and if authenticity is what thrills you, no one did it better. Now his estate is going up at auction and you […]
Ever wonder what it is like behind the doors of the FBI? Author Lena Diaz knows all too well … 😉
On June 23rd, 2014, John Rehm passed away. Though it has been two years, I still think of him often. He was a mentor and friend who died much too young and much too painfully. Please join me in remembering him via this post from back then. Too […]
In this guest post, naturalist and bird expert Cecily Nabors continues her fascinating series on the wildlife in and around Washington, D.C.
Cecily Nabors reports on the wildlife in a suburb of D.C. A professional nature writer, Cecily’s work can be seen in Audubon Naturalist News, Bird Watching Magazine, and Bird Watcher’s Digest.
A terrific look at desk safety and health from the Washington Post and author SA Taylor. Great tips here for all of us.
Several of my fellow authors and I got together to share what we’re grateful for. I can think of no better way to start the new year. I’m especially grateful they count me as one of their number and call me friend. Tell me, what are you grateful […]
