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Thursday, March 12, 2026

Missouri Botanical Gardens in the Winter

Explore Missouri Botanical Gardens

In St. Louis we have a beautiful botanical garden that has been in continuous operation since 1859. It was founded by Henry Shaw and is one of the few gardens to achieve National Historic Landmark status. I have spent many hours visiting the garden during the spring, summer, and fall times, but until this year, I had not visited it in the winter. What a delightful experience! In February my son and his family were visiting us from New Hampshire, and I took my daughter-in-law and two granddaughters to visit the gardens. We had a wonderful time.

Orchid Show

I had often seen photos of the annual orchid show but had never been to the garden to see it. This show is held in February when the more than 5000 individual plants are moved from the greenhouses to the Emerson Conservatory. The botanical garden has over 700 unique kinds of orchids, which are cared for year-round by the horticulture staff. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the orchid show.

Growing Orchids at Home

In the brochure we received at the orchid show there is a section that talks about how easy orchids are to grow at home under the right conditions. Here some key points.

Potting medium - many orchids grow best when their roots are exposed to the air. There are mixes for the pot that help with this aeration.
Temperature- most orchids are comfortable at room temperature- 60-80 F
Humidity- 40-70% is ideal, this can be achieved by placing pots on a gravel-lined try filled with water.
Light- Orchids like a sunny room or artificial lights. If leaves turn yellow or lanky they need more light.
Water- Make sure potting mix nearly dries out before watering again.

I found this book on Amazon that helps you in growing orchids.

No Stress Orchid Gardening for Beginners

Chinese Garden

It was a beautiful day out, so after visiting the orchid show I took my granddaughters and daughter-in-law to some of my favorite spots in the garden. There were not any flowers blooming at this time of the year but the beauty of the sculptures and structures around the park made for a delightful visit.

Our first stop was at the Chinese Garden, this garden was designed by Chinese born architect Yong Pan. It is modeled after "scholars gardens" in the southern provinces of China.

Here are some of the photos I took of my granddaughters exploring the garden.

Japanese Garden

A favorite place of mine to explore at the gardens is the Japanese Garden. I wanted to show this to my granddaughters, so we took a stroll to the garden and walked around the lake to experience all of the sculptures and features of the Japanese Garden. This 14-acre garden is called Seiw-en and was dedicated in 1977. I have photographed it often through the years. Here are some of my photos.

The Garden through the Years

I have taken photography classes at the garden and have enjoyed my visits through the years. Here are some other reviews I have written on the garden.

Japanese Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden

Origami in the Garden

Garden Photography Tips

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Wednesday, March 11, 2026

The President's Daughter - Book Review

The President's Daughter is the second collaboration by former President Bill Clinton and the master of thrillers, James Patterson. Their first book is The President is Missing, and the third is The First Gentleman. I reviewed The First Gentleman last month, and I'm just starting The President Is Missing.

The Plot: The President's Daughter

Matthew Keating was a one-term president and a former Navy Seal. As you can imagine, being the president of the United States, Matthew surely made some enemies along the way.

Matthew and his daughter, Melanie, are living a quiet life in New Hampshire, while his wife, Samantha, is off teaching in Boston.

His world is shattered when his daughter Melanie is kidnapped by a terrorist with a long-standing grudge against him.

Matthew was a one-term president and did not get along with his successor. Now he finds himself unsupported by the very government he served. Now, he is forced to return to his elite Navy Seal skills, taking matters into his own hands to bring Melanie home.

Patterson did an excellent job of navigating between political friction and the personal aspect of a father's worst nightmare.

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Monday, March 9, 2026

Copycat Tate's Cookie Recipe Review

If you are a Tate's cookie fan than you can spot the infamous green bag of Tate's from a distance at your favorite market (or white bag if gluten free). My local market first started carrying Tate's, the original Chocolate Chip flavor, known for its' crispy buttery flavor; the market now carries the entire line of cookies including gluten free.

If you like your chocolate chip cookies on the crispy side then you will enjoy Tates! I came across a copycat recipe for Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies which I have tried quite a few times and found very enjoyable. Not exactly the same of course as the original Tate's but still yummy on its' own.

CopyCat Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup salted butter
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Serving size is a medium to large cookie. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream softened butter and the two sugars in another bowl.
Then add vanilla and water to the sugar creamed mixture.
Add eggs, mix together.
Stir flour mixture into bowl.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes depending on your oven and how large you make the cookies.

Medium-Large cookie size is 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Adjust up or down to your preference and don't forget to adjust baking time.

History of Tate's

The idea and recipe behind Tate's is from Kathleen King from the Hamptons. She has been creating desserts since 1980 and has two cookbooks: Baking For Friends and the Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook still available on Amazon or used online book sites. As Tate's grew through the years with the inevitable ups and lulls business' encounter, Tate's rise and success of it's products was ultimately purchased in 2018 by Mondelez for a reported 500 million dollars.

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Sunday, March 8, 2026

My Song About Love at First Sight - Marry Me Fool

I have always found love songs difficult to write.

Not because I don't believe in love — I absolutely do — but because it's so easy for a love song to slide into something overly sweet or just plain corny. A few too many dreamy lines, and suddenly it starts sounding like something that belongs inside a greeting card.

That's never really been my style.

Even when I was young, writing about couples' love wasn't what I naturally reached for. Most people enjoy writing poems or lyrics about romance, but I usually find myself writing about other parts of life, emotions, observations, and the things people quietly go through.

Lately, though, I've been pushing myself a little.

I decided to build a small collection of songs centered around relationships, weddings, and love stories. And when I sat down to write one, I realized the only way it would feel natural for me was to approach it as a story, not just a description of love.

That's how Marry Me – Fool began - It's become my husband's favorite so far of all that I've written:

A Moment on a Train Platform

I wrote these lyrics on March 3rd, 2026, as part of that little challenge I gave myself.

Since I've been married for over forty years, trying to step back into those early romantic feelings can feel a bit strange. Love deepens over time. It becomes steadier and quieter. It's beautiful, but it's different from those younger emotions when everything feels sudden and electric.

So instead of trying to recreate the feeling directly, I imagined a moment.

A crowded train station.

People are moving in every direction, all focused on their own lives. And amid all that movement, a man notices a woman standing on the platform.

Something about her catches his attention immediately. Maybe it's the way she carries herself. Maybe it's something he can't explain. But he knows he doesn't want to lose sight of her.

So he pushes through the crowd and boards the same train car she's getting on.

They don't speak during the ride. In fact, most of the story unfolds in silence — two strangers sharing the same space while he quietly hopes for a moment to connect.

That moment finally comes when the train reaches its stop.

He steps off, turns back toward her, and reaches out his hand, asking if she'd like help stepping down.

Those few words are the first time they have ever spoken to each other.

By the end of the song, five years have passed, and they're still together.

And it all started with a glance across a crowded platform and a quiet train ride where almost nothing was said.

I think stories like that stay with us because they tap into something many of us have wondered about at some point — those moments when someone walks into view and, for reasons we can't fully explain, they capture our attention completely.

Writing Marry Me – Fool reminded me that sometimes love stories don't begin with big declarations.

Sometimes they begin with something much simpler.

A crowded station.

A quiet train ride.

And a hand reaching out at exactly the right time.

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Saturday, March 7, 2026

The Myron Bolitar Mystery Series by Harlan Coben

Since 1990, Harlan Coben has written 18 standalone novels in the mystery and thriller categories, and two series. This is an overall review of his 12-book (to date) Myron Bolitar mystery series.

Image of a basketball going through a hoop

Synopsis of the Myron Bolitar Series

Images of the book series for Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series

Myron Bolitar Series 11 Books Set

The leading character of this Myron Bolitar series of thrillers has a leading character by the same name. As the series begins, Myron is a 31-year-old formerly renowned basketball player who won two NCAA titles in four years at Duke University after breaking all records in high school. Just after being recruited by the Boston Celtics, he had a career-ending injury to his knee in a pre-season game. His basketball prowess is often referred to in the character’s back-story throughout the series.

Afterwards, Myron returned to college, obtained a law degree at Harvard, and eventually became a sports agent with his agency, MB SportsReps, representing sports stars.

The two main supporting characters include his best friend, Win (Windsor Horne Lockwood III), an eccentric, philandering billionaire who often gets involved in Myron’s cases. Win can probably best be described as an anti-hero, having some psychopathic tendencies. In many of the books, Myron and Win debate the ethical nature of various actions, but they usually accomplish what they set out to do.

Then there is his assistant at MB SportReps, Esperanza Diaz, who eventually becomes his partner (in the 7th Bolitar novel Darkest Fear) after Esperanza gets her law degree. She’s very close to both Myron and Win and very protective of both.

Bolitar is a good agent for his clients, taking care of their needs and wants while being careful to not exploit them like bigger agencies. He has office space in the Locke-Horne Investments & Securities building, which is owned by Win. Myron offers his client the choice of hiring Win for financial management.

Myron is from a Jewish background, grew up in New Jersey, and is very close to his parents. His mother is a former lawyer herself, and his dad is a factory owner. His favorite drink is chocolate Yoo-Hoo.

Summary

The series has quite a few ‘adventures’, since Myron keeps getting involved in solving problems for his clients. This most likely comes from the fact that both Myron and Win once did some undercover work for the FBI. Thus, they keep finding themselves playing ‘accidental detectives’ when needed for Myron’s clients.

The Myron Bolitar series began with Deal Breaker in 1995. It currently has 12 novels, through Think Twice published in 2024. There is a spin-off of a three book young adult series featuring Myron’s nephew, Mickey Bolitar (the Mickey Bolitar Trilogy), which debuted in 2011.

Windsor Horne Lockwood III received his own standalone novel “Win” in 2021.

Win and Myron are both fans of Batman, often calling their transport the "Batmobile." There is quite a bit of humor throughout the series, which keeps these ‘thrillers’ more on the light-hearted side of suspense stories.

I have enjoyed all of Harlan Coben’s books, but most especially his Myron Bolitar Series and have read the entire series more than once. I highly recommend them to fans of thrillers/suspense/mystery novels and of Harlan Coben.