Writing a mystery is no easy task. The writer has to keep in mind all the details while providing the reader or, in this case, the podcast listener some clues without giving away the ending. 

This mystery is like a puzzle that can have different ways of putting it all together. There is just one thing the listener has to do and that is come up with a logical suspect to commit the crime (if there is one in the first place). This episode introduces the basic plot and should make the listener wonder who might be trying to kill Alice. There are several suspects to consider.  You'll have to listen to the "Who 'Dunnit'" episodes and make your choice. At the end, which one might be the most logical suspect? 

What is it about tales of horror that draw us? Why are we attracted to 'things' that instill fear? I would say for some of us, it's like a thrill ride. The macabre beckons some while it repulses others. I felt fear and fascination while I read this tale taken from The Giant Book of Ghost Stories edited by Richard Dalby. If you care to read the entire story, go to  https://anilbalan.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/the-judges-house.pdf

I highly recommend reading only during the daytime. Enjoy! 

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein has long been a fascinating topic for many industries, especially the film industry. Although it has never really been given justice through film, I understand its film-making appeal. But I would rather read the novel to get the true flavor. Re-reading the novel after so many years offered a different perspective. I was able to digest the themes in a way that I could not as a younger self. It was so worth it. Have you ever read this classic? If not, it should be on your to-be-read list.

We recall events later in life that make us wonder at our behavior. Why did we react the way we did? What if we had acted differently? If we had a second chance, would we take advantage of it? These are questions we may ask ourselves and never know the answers. They'll probably haunt us for the rest of our lives. But there is very little one can do except resign oneself and chalk it up to the many mysteries of life. 

Narrative essays have always been my favorite mode of expression. The following is one I used as an example for my high school sophomore students a few years ago. So many memories flooded my mind as I read it! Recording these moments in time is helpful when one wants to keep them alive. The brain fogs up as we age so this is a habit a person should pick up while she can. Memories should be captured and stored in a kind of time capsule. How they're captured is insignificant, as long as they're captured and treasured by future generations.

Mother's Day is somewhat stressful. Greeting cards should limit expressions to something short and to the point.  I recommend a Haiku. 

I couldn't let the month of poetry go by without paying some sort of tribute to my English language learners. They worked hard on their original poems last semester. So here's a poem dedicated to them in this special month. April is a special occasion to celebrate poets and poetry in our culture. Here's to the poet hidden within everyone's soul.

We love to follow people we admire on social media. We burn with a desire to know what they think about worldly events and those who are at their center. I would certainly be one of Jane Austen's avid followers if she had been on social media! Based on how she viewed society, her posts would be something I would read with a passion. Of those who lived in the past, who would you have followed on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?      

It's been a little over a year since the coronovirus pandemic disrupted our lives. We look forward to a time when we can go back to a kind of normalcy. When see flowers bloom, we can't help but feel inspired and hopeful.  We will get through these times and Mother Nature will lend a helping hand. Flowers are her sign that everything will be okay.  

When seasons change in the tropics the change might not be so noticeable but we know it's there. In the air we can feel it and after a year of "pandemic" proportions we need the change.  Poetry is the best way of dealing with emotions and what better way to welcome Spring than with a light and cheery poem?