Substance of Living

Have you ever looked at September as an ending?  After all, school starts in many locations in the northern hemisphere, the fall solstice begins on September 21st.  This is right around the time we say goodbye to summer and start seeing changes in the weather or the turning of the leaves.  I think of September as sort of a beginning and ending in the same breath.  Yes, those things I've mentioned do happen but it's also a time for gathering.  We harvest our gardens and prepare them for the next year.  That's my ending.  The beginning is my birthday, which I celebrate the entire month.  This is also when I evaluate or reflect on the year and set my intensions for the next year instead of using January 1st.  It seems that I remain faithful to my goals.  My new year's resolutions used to be quite lofty - workout every day, get organized, stop eating junk food, etc.  By January 2nd I felt like a failure. September is also the ...

  Spells and Spiced Latte: A Coffee Witch Cozy Mystery (Maddie Goodwell Book 1) Book by Jinty James Book 1 of this series had me at coffee.   So glad I took advantage of downloading this free (as of May 28, 2021) book from Amazon.  The title and adorable cat on the cover were sure to entertain me - and it did.  Yes, I am one of those people that chooses their books by the cover. This is a good, clean storyline that includes:  Maddie Goodwell, a witch; Trixie, her Persian cat and "familiar"; Maddie's best friend and business partner, Suzanne Taylor; and coffee. Maddie was seven years old when she found an ancient book titled "Wytchdraft for the Chosen" and learned one spell.  To this day, she is only able to do one spell - the coffee vision spell.  When  Maddie reads Joan's (one of her regular customers) coffee grounds, she sees Joan lying dead in the kitchen.  Within 24 hours the vision comes true compelling Maddie to solve the murder wi...