KILLER HOBBIES

An epitaph from Sheldon, Vermont:
Unknown man shot in
The Jennison & Gallup Co.’s store
while in the act of burglarizing
the safe Oct. 13, 1905.
(Stone bought with money
found on his person.)

My next book, Darned If You Do, has a pub date of February 3 - but my favorite bookstore likes to schedule pub parties on the Saturday after weekday releases. But February 7 is already taken. So I asked my publisher if we could release the books January 31 - and they said yes! So if you want an early copy of Darned If You Do, come to Once Upon A Crime January 31 between noon and 2 pm, for talk and treats.  Once Upon A Crime is a wonderful store, and I have an excellent publisher, bless both OUAC and  Berkley/Prime Crime, a division of Penguin Random.

This is being put up late because I had an early dental appointment that ran long because during a routine cleaning, they found a broken root under my bridge – and also an abscess.  And I had to talk to the dentist and make an appointment to have it fixed.  Ugh, I hate serious dental work.  And the cost is serious, too.

Last Friday I went to my church to set out the Fontanini Christmas creche.  Actually, it’s not just the creche, it’s all of Bethlehem plus a sheepfold on the edge of town with a cascade of angels coming down to scare the shepherds.

I began collecting these pieces thirty years ago and it grew and grew until, when we moved into a smaller place, there was no long any room for it in our new apartment.  So I donated it to St. George’s, who were not only pleased to get it, but asked me to come set it up and take it down every year.  Which I am exceedingly pleased to do.  Sometimes things do work out well.

Fontanini is an Italian company and their pieces, cast in resin, are very detailed and beautiful.  Here are some photos I took.