Category Archives: The Kitchen Sink

A New Year and A New Plot

Home, The Kitchen Sink

Happy New Year, readers!
Well, I guess it’s starting. Fitting. Ready for a New Year? And a new story?
No set title yet. A glimmer of a plot. Some former Deception characters returning. Remember Jake, the Native American from the copper mines? We’ll see. Tell me what you think. Is it worth it? Is this enough to get it going? I need about a hundred responses to get ME going. Share if you wish. Get me some responses and feedback. Here we go:

THE WITCH TREE

Life is But a Dream

The truth was she didn’t always remember. She was no longer sure if her memory was real or had just been a dream.There were moments of clarity. Other moments of fog. Sometimes the fog outweighed the clarity.
This morning Maggie had wakened from a deep sleep, the fragments of a dream lingering. What was it she’d seen? The room in her dream had been shadowed with dark shapes lined against a wall. They were afraid, staring, mouths agape. She’d watched to see what was causing their fear. The room was bare…except for the thick-trunked tree rising through the floor, silent branches pushing up, stretching outward like waves reaching toward ghastly souls shrinking into the gray walls. A single stream of light lasered down from a pinhole in the ceiling above the tree. The tree began to glow. That was it. That was all she’d seen.
Maggie shuddered at the memory and settled down into the quilts. Embracing her with warmth, the blankets enveloped her creating a thick wall of comfort against the icy darkness. Struggling into wakefulness, she lay still letting the flitting dream pictures seep between dawning awareness and regretful loss of sleep.
She wasn’t ready to meet the day. Not yet. The pinkish gray of early morning light pushed at her eyelids, and she nudged it away, wishing to return to deep, hollow, nothingness and sleep. She listened to Jake’s soft breathing, regular and unbroken next to her; he had always slept soundly despite his frequent, unconscious crablike reaching for her that always brought back threads of uneasy memory from a night months ago.
What had she been dreaming? Bits of dream visions flickered, weaving in and out, disappearing then returning in a flash of recognition. A tree. Fear rising. People fading away. Then they were gone, and she was left with unsettled feelings.
Finally, she pushed the dream aside, letting it disappear. What day was it? More importantly, where was she? At that thought, she opened her eyes, and stared at the ceiling. Monday. It was Monday. She hated Mondays! And she was at Jake’s. She had spent the night with Jake. Again. She’d promised herself she wasn’t going to do this anymore.
What had she done?
Made a mess of things, that’s what she’d done. She groaned softly, and rolled herself out from under the quilts, bare feet steadied onto the cold, wood floor, and stood up. Jake rolled away, his dark hair falling over his face, pulling the quilts more tightly around his shoulders. She guessed he wasn’t ready to wake and face reality either.

***Gail

Morning Musings

Home, The Kitchen Sink

I am on the board and a member of Village Lakes Writers and Poets here in Bella Vista. We recently were fortunate to acquire a lease for the historic Dug Hill Chapel as our new home and meeting place. In the picture you can see a small cemetery behind the building. Over the years, the Chapel has been a church, school and community center. It speaks to us. We will be busy refurbishing, cleaning, and renovating the little building to meet our needs. It’s the time of the year that the ghosts of the past speak out to us. We are so excited to begin this new adventure in this old building. And so I write…

We Listen

We listen.
Can you hear it?

Voices of ancient spirits whisper—
The past
Speaking to the future,
Carrying songs of praise,
Prayers of anguish, struggle,
Searching with hope.

Soft scratchings of
Murmured memories rise
While the tolling bell
Calls bodies to gather:
Infants, elderly,
Young, old,
Teens and twenties,
Mothers,
Fathers,
Settle at once together
To listen,
Learn, and share
Amidst the
Mewling cries,
Occasional raucous laughter, and
Whispered shared secrets.

The shadowed walls speak of
Scribbled lessons
Taught and learned,
Etched into hearts and minds
Richly layered with thick, slathered paint
Applied with steady hands
Year after year after year.
At last, bits peel away
Revealing pointed adjurations
Rising from
Shavings of wood,
Cracked glass,
Pebbled stone,
Reminders to remember.
Reaching out,
Touching,
Teaching voices from the past.
Curling tendrils of
Songs, love,
Words and wisdom
Filled with aching, overarching hope.
The spirits speak to us.

We listen.
©gailleecowdin 2021

Little Dee 7: A Handbell Story Goes to School

The Kitchen Sink, Uncategorized

I am so excited and honored that my children’s book, Little Dee 7: A Handbell Story, was part of the music class lesson on handbells at Clay County, Middleburg, Florida, this week. It’s always great to have someone enjoy your books, but this was really special. Thanks go to Tammy Jo Saucier for sharing.

Little Dee 7: A Handbell Story is on sale now through February 14th on Amazon at the discounted price of $10. Go to Gail Lee Cowdin on Amazon to get your gift for someone special.

It’s HERE! Little Dee 7: A Handbell Story

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The inspirational story of Little Dee 7 is now available on Amazon at Gail Lee Cowdin. 

 Little Dee 7: A Handbell Story
The tiniest handbell, Little Dee 7, didn’t think she was very important. She didn’t even have her own special place in the bell case. She’d been placed in an old white sock labeled with her name, D7, and tucked into a corner of the case. She wasn’t sure anyone even knew she was there. She wanted to join the rest of her bell family and make beautiful music. Then one day, everything changed, and she learned she was very special, indeed! A charming children’s story about the importance of recognizing self-worth, and individuality, Little Dee 7: A Handbell Story, brings the inspirational tale of the littlest bell and the joy of music she makes as she becomes the star of her handbell family.
 
Paperback $15. $8 for eBook. A portion of sales will go to our church bell choir and to our granddaughter Caylen Cowdin who was the illustrator.
PERFECT GIFT for your child or grandchild! Ages 1 to adult.
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COMING SOON

The Kitchen Sink

I’m wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving, We are thankful for the health of our family this year.

There’s more good news…A NEW BOOK COMING SOON!
My children’s book, Little Dee 7: A Handbell Story, will be ready soon. It’s a wonderful story of budding independence and joy. MORE TO COME!

The Boundary Waters Need Help

The Kitchen Sink, Uncategorized

This is IMPORTANT! If you love the Boundary Waters as I do, help where you can!
I just received this announcement from the Save the Boundary Waters group. You can check out Save the Boundary Waters online. Go to SavetheBoundaryWaters.com for more information. This is legit!
“Emails from U.S. Congressmen expose dirty deal favoring the
dangerous Twin Metals mine
We’ve recently learned that Members of Congress, including Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber, improperly pressured federal agencies during the renewal of Twin Metals’ mining leases on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters Wilderness. This political interference corrupts the proper decision-making process so that rather than serving the American people, the Trump Administration is doing the bidding of Chilean-mining billionaires.
This is NOT acceptable.
We will not tolerate this act of political interference that puts our iconic Wilderness pure waters at risk. We need your help NOW to protect the Boundary Waters.”

Looking for a Good Mystery? The Time is Now!

The Kitchen Sink, Uncategorized

All Three DECEPTION Novels are available now at Amazon.com!

Follow the fast-paced, page-turning adventures of bubble-gum chewing Detective Quay Thompson and his partner Samantha Atwood as they follow Bureau of Criminal Apprehension cases from the Minnesota Boundary Waters and the North Shore of Lake Superior to the beautiful Ozarks in Northwest Arkansas. Each new case takes the duo on a spell-binding journey connected with real-life current events.

DECEPTION AND REDEMPTION $14.95

THE FINAL DECEPTION $14.95

DARK DECEPTIONS $15

ALL eBOOKS $8.99

Start the exciting adventure today!

Look for Gail Lee Cowdin at Amazon.com

 

 

 

A Normal Day in the Life – Conclusion

The Kitchen Sink, Uncategorized

A NORMAL DAY IN THE LIFE
Conclusion

Our son was definitely not happy with his mother, but when ‘said son’ deposited me back at our daughter’s home to be greeted by the family, husband Hank’s reactions ran the gamut from overjoyed, thankful, relieved, upset, to fairly angry—in that order. Hank hugged me, checked me all over for injuries, helped me remove my soggy jacket and shoes, and then began a more serious scrutiny.
Hank put a hand under my chin, pulling my head up so that I was forced to look up into his eyes. The ‘Hank stare’ meant serious business. I knew after fifty plus years of marriage that it meant I had better listen.
“Josie, you scared the life out of all of us. The Grands were crying up a storm; I was shaking with absolute fright. You could have been killed! We didn’t know where you went. We didn’t know how you thought you were going to catch that robber. It was a very dangerous thing you did, Josie! Thank God our son is with the Police Department and could follow you! So, we are going to have a long talk. Right now. Whether you want to, or not. I need to know exactly what was going on with you, and all that money, and that thief!”
He ushered me into the living room, sat me down in the big recliner, handed me a cup of coffee (which I discovered after one sip, had been laced with a bit of brandy). Hank sat on the sofa opposite me, two Grands climbed into his lap, while our son settled in next to them holding the baby. The small group waited in silence and stared at me.
I took a long slow sip of the spiked coffee, heaved a huge sigh, settled back in the chair, and began.
“It all began a few months ago when I began to think about our upcoming fifty-second anniversary, Hank. I wanted to do something special. We never really celebrated our fiftieth. I thought it was now or never. We’re not getting any younger, you know.”
Our son looked at Hank, and broke into a coughing spell. (I think he maybe choked a bit.) I knew what he was thinking. He was dealing with a bat-crazy old woman who just happened to be his mother, and a father who couldn’t handle her either. I just stared at my son with my not amused Queen Mother look and continued before the moment was entirely lost.
“I looked into several possibilities, Hank, and decided Hawaii would be nice. You know I always thought “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was our song. Do you remember? And Elvis sang that in the movie “Blue Hawaii.” So, I checked into what it would cost to take a cruise to Hawaii, and then I looked at what we had in savings. We could do it, Hank! We’ve never been to Hawaii. We could go on a cruise ship, enjoy ourselves, see the sights, and then I pictured you singing that song to me on some beach there over moonlit waters. Don’t you think that would be romantic, Hank?”
I glanced at my son and could read his mind. He was running through Kenny Chesney’s beach songs and Blake Shelton’s “Some Beach”! It’s better to just ignore kids when they get like that.
There was a long moment of silence with Hank simply staring at me, interrupted only by our son’s clearing his throat and humming a bit of one of those beach tunes he’d been thinking of.
Hank’s first words, preceded by his own throat-clearing noises were, “It would really cost that much?”
I smiled. I knew I was off the hook. I’d turned the corner so-to-speak. Hank was talking about how much it would cost, and not saying, “Definitely not.” We talked some more, and I explained how I’d explored all the choices and had come up with what seemed to be the best option. I’d made a down payment. But I’d drawn a cashier’s check to pay the travel agent in full. I hadn’t wanted to put it on a charge card, because I’d wanted to keep it all a secret from Hank and make it a big surprise. So much for that idea!
Hank was beginning to soften. I could see it. Then he said, “But what about that guy? The thief in the Packer getup? What’d he do with the money?”
I looked to our son for an explanation of that one.
“He didn’t get a chance to spend any of it, Dad. Mom got to him before he could even take it out of her purse. It’s all there, Dad. And the young fool has been arrested, but I think he’s going to get off. He’s not even twenty-one, and he’s got a sob story that will help him with a judge. Besides, Mom has offered to give him a few hundred to help him out. He was in pretty dire straights, it seems.”
Hank looked at me and raised his eyebrows again. “You gave him more of our money? After he stole your purse? Josie!”
“I felt sorry for the kid. What can I say? You’d want to help him, too, if you heard his whole story, Hank. He was in the bank when I made the withdrawal and overheard one of the tellers talking about the big cashier’s check. That’s why he went after me. He was desperate. He’s a college student, out of food, unemployed, and down to his last gallon of gas. What I gave him will only make a small dent in our savings. I thought if we could help him out a bit, it might change his life.”
Hank sighed and nodded. “I suppose, it’s okay, if you both think it will do some good.”
Our son nodded and stood to hand the baby to me.
“I’ve got to run, Mom. Are you okay, now?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. We’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I’ll be a little stiff tomorrow, but I think just planning that trip will take all the aches and pains away.”
He gave me a hug, kissed me on top of the head, and headed out the door. I think he was humming Jimmy Buffet’s “Five O’ Clock Somewhere.”
Hank looked at me and said, “Josie, if this was a normal day, I don’t think I can take many more!” We both laughed at that one. It was a good day, after all.
Gail

©Gail Lee Cowdin 2020