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Rainy Day Writers, Cambridge, OH (2026)

12/30/2025

Mark Cooper describes a good way to beat the winter blues. Curling up with a good book is always a great idea! Read more Rainy Day Writer stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

How to Escape by Mark Cooper

As 2025 wraps up and we face winter’s short and dreary days, we may find ourselves dreaming of finding a way to escape. The Rainy Day Writers’ new book, Patchwork Tales provides us with that opportunity in its collection of enticing short stories.

In Tales, we join Bev Kerr in her real-life journeys as recorded in Crossing the Rio Grande and Up, Up, and Away. Travels with Bev prove to be anything but boring.

Long for a calming retreat during a humdrum day? Martha Jamail gives us a hope-filled message in Name Your Angel. We can all appreciate Martha’s encouragement during January’s dark days.

Claire Cameron’s trilogy, Diggin’ Deep, is a timely reminder of people’s resilience, especially when they band together in the spirit of community to navigate tough times.

Need a smile? Turn to John Andersen’s tale, The Birthday. Charlie, Sammy’s favorite uncle, takes the cake as he plans to give his nephew the best birthday party ever. What could possibly go wrong as a single man prepares to entertain, and contain, a group of young boys ?

On an especially blustery winter night, we need to cozy up to Betsy Taylor’s account of New York’s 1888 Great While Hurricane. 18 year old Maggie Jane Ruskin’s misadventure exceeds anything her own creativity could imagine.

How many of us, at the beginning of the new year, need rescued from fretting over our budgets? Sam Besket’s story, The Pharaoh’s Safe, pays out our needed reprieve. Shrewd banker Theodore “Teddy” Pruitt has decided to have his bank building gutted and rebuilt. What results is an unlikely friendship, proving that money can’t buy that which is most valuable.

Life in Sunnyvale transports us to a mythical village where life’s challenges are refreshingly trite. Mark Cooper introduces us to Carl Machison, a man who has vowed to never set foot in a church. But a cat, with a flick of its tale, upsets Carl’s decision.

Patchwork Tales draws to a close with The Assassins’ Saga, Rick Booth’s true-life story of a 1865 murder in Cambridge. This intriguing account is sure to get our blood pumping on an otherwise sluggish winter day.

These, and many other short stories by the The Rainy Day Writers, make up Patchwork Tales. Visit The Rainy Day Writers’ page for a listing of local shops and boutiques carrying the book. Or simply search for the title on Amazon.

As we escape into Patchwork Tales, may memories of our own past adventures stir, and may our anticipation of amazing experiences ahead in 2026 grow!

12/19/2025

Claire Cameron gives you some ideas to make the falling snow a fun time! Do you have something special you like to do when it snows?

It's Snow Much Fun by Claire Cameron

According to a Facebook post from Bootherise, SC., a Chionophile, from the Greek word for snow, is a person who loves snow and cold weather.

So, what can be cozier and more enchanting than sitting with a friend playing checkers, while watching falling snow covering the trees? Your world is instantly turned into a Winter Wonderland that makes you gasp in awe at the sight!

The children bundle in their snowsuits eager to make their favorite snow activities come to life. There are more of these snow activities than I have room to mention here, but, in my mind, I delight in seeing these little people making snow angels, and dodging snowballs. With mouths wide open they squeal and hang tight as they glide downhill through the snow on their sleds.

They are having so much fun they dream up more snow activities. One of their favorites is making snow globes and dinosaur eggs.

SNOW LANTERNS
Blow up large balloons and fill ⅓ full with colored water.
Set upright in the freezer until frozen.
Make holes in the snow up the walkway.
Set solar or battery candles in the holes.
Place frozen lantern (balloons) on top of candles

Watch them glow!

DINOSAUR EGGS
Blow up a large balloon and stretch open the top and add a small rubber or plastic dinosaur. (You may need help).
Fill with colored water.
Tie and place in freezer until frozen,
When frozen completely, place in a bowl or tray and cut off the knot.
Set out a bowl of warm water for melting fun.
You can use meat basters or squeeze bottles to melt the egg while the little ones watch the process and uncover the prize from their eggs.

For more snow activities go to littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Our children would pray and wait in anticipation, excited to make their favorite snow ice cream! They’d It was so enjoyable to watch them with smiles wide, grabbing big pans and filling them with snow. Then we would add the following ingredients, stir and fill our bowls. Then we would sit in front of the fireplace and enjoy a bowl (or two) with snow ice cream.

SNOW ICE CREAM
1 Gallon Bucket of clean snow.
1 cup of sugar
1 Tblsp. of vanilla
1-2 cup(s) Cream or Carnation evaporated milk
½ cup of Hershey’s Syrup. (For Chocolate Ice Cream)
Or add your favorite fruit or syrup.

Stir well and serve.

What is your favorite snow activity?

12/17/2025

Beverly Kerr's article about the beauties of Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens appears in December's Crossroads magazine. Here is the online version. Looks like a great place for a holiday adventure!https://gypsyroadtrip.com/2025/12/17/deck-the-hall-at-stan-hywet-hall-gardens/

12/15/2025

Martha Jamail tells how kindness is shown in the animal kingdom. Perhaps it is a lesson for us all. Read more Rainy Day Writer stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

Animal Teamwork by Martha Jamail

Yesterday morning as reporter Ray Jenkins drove to the news office for work, he saw something lying in the middle of the road. The country road he drove on each day was heavily wooded on both sides, and thankfully, had very little morning traffic. As Ray approached, he saw that the object in the road was a gopher. It obviously had been hit by a passing car, but the animal was still struggling to move. Ray slowed his car when he saw another gopher run out into the street toward the injured gopher. Ray pulled over and watched in amazement as the gopher used its mouth and paws to drag the injured gopher to the other side of the road.

Was the gopher a family member, or did it just decide to do a good deed for a fellow gopher. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Ray felt compelled to tell this story after he viewed another surprising instance of birds seeming to actually enjoy playing together. He and his wife were sitting out on their patio where they had a good view of the shrubbery in their neighbor’s yard. A small flock of birds were flying up and down repeatedly on the spindly flexible fronds of a bush. Eventually, Ray noticed there was actually a pattern to their flying. One bird at a time would land on top of a tall flexible frond, while another bird would fly quickly to the same frond, causing it to dip and quickly fly up. As the frond flew up, it ejected the bird on top to fly quite high, then another bird would fly in, land on top and wait to be ejected by another bird. They did this repeatedly, chirping loudly as their bird play continued. Each bird seemed to enjoy their part in the game as they waited patiently for their turn at the free flight.

Whether the birds realized they were playing or not, it was definitely amusing to watch. Teamwork seems to be alive and well in the animal kingdom.

12/13/2025

Mark Cooper gives a peek at some of the stories in "Patchwork Tales" the new Rainy Day Writer book. A great Christmas gift idea! Pick it up at Mr. Lee's, Ellie's Cottage, Rooted Botanicals & Teas, and Country Bits.

12/11/2025

The season had me exploring the origin of the Christmas Tree. Pictured are Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their children around their Christmas tree. Read about it here, on Your Radio Place, and in Guernsey News.
The Tradition of the Christmas Tree by Beverly Kerr
Many people think the idea for the Christmas tree began with Queen Victoria, but really she just made it popular. The Christmas tree had its origins in Germany long before the time of Queen Victoria.
The tradition actually began in the 16th century during the winter solstice where evergreens were used as a symbol of life and hope for spring during the cold winters. They were sometimes called “Paradise Trees” being decorated with apples to represent the Tree of Knowledge, and wafers symbolizing the Eucharist. Some built wooden pyramids and decorated them with evergreen
There is a wildly held belief that Martin Luther, the 16th century Protestant reformer, was the first to add lighted candles to the tree. It has been told that when walking home one winter night, he was awed by the starlight sparkling among the evergreen trees. To recapture the scene for his family, he wired candles onto an evergreen tree in their home.
The first royals to put up a Christmas tree were George III and Queen Charlotte, who was raised in Germany. Charlotte is credited with bringing the first Christmas tree to England in 1800 when she placed one in Queen’s Lodge, Windsor.
However, it was Queen Victorian and her Prince Albert that made the tradition popular. Whatever Queen Victorian did, soon became tradition. In 1848, a sketch of Victoria, Albert, and their nine children around their Christmas tree was posted on the Illustrated London News. It quickly took hold of the British imagination and spread around the world.
Their trees in the royal household were inspired by Albert’s German heritage. They were adorned with lit candles and various ornaments in bright colors and reflective materials that would shimmer in the candlelight. Evergreen boughs could be found throughout the palace.
When Germans came to the United States, they brought the tradition with them. While Americans decorated their trees with homemade ornaments, the Germans continued to use apples, nuts and cookies tied to the branches.
Today, everyone has their own way of decorating the tree and each tree is beautiful. My tree is a Gypsy Tree and holds ornaments from all the favorite places I’ve visited. Having a Christmas tree in the home has now become an American tradition.

12/09/2025

Rick Booth tells just part of the tale of an early murder in Guernsey County. This appears in the December issue of Crossroads magazine. For more on the story find "Patchwork Tales" by Rainy Day Writers at Mr. Lee's, Country Bits, or Ellie's Cottage.

12/03/2025

Betsy Taylor gives a little science lesson in this article. Read to the end! Enjoy more Rainy Day Writers stories on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

Applied Science by Betsy Taylor.

Jimmy Dobson stretched out on his back and stared at the sky. Maria Evans did the same, but her eyes were closed. The hot October day lulled both kids into boneless laziness.

“Have you ever seen the sky so bright blue?” murmured Jimmy.

“Not lookin’,” whispered Maria.

“What color is that?”

Maria opened her eyes and shaded them with the flat of her hand. “I call it electric blue.”

Jimmy snickered. “’Lectric isn’t a color.”

“It is to me. You could call it October blue if you want. October’s when the sky is usually too dry for the blue to get soft and kinda milky.”

“What are you talkin’ about?”

Maria, deprived of her doze, sighed. She sat up. “Mr. Stewart, my science teacher, said that when the humidity is low, there isn’t enough water in the air to cover up the sky’s bright color.”

“There’s no water in air,” scoffed Jimmy.

Maria agreed that the idea was confusing, but she said, “There is when it rains.”

“Hmm, yeah.” Jimmy waved his hand in the air as if searching for water.

“Well, clouds are made of water,” insisted Maria. “The air just happens to be dry today.”

“How does the air get water in it?”

“Jimmy, today is Saturday. I don’t want to talk school stuff. You’ll learn all this next year.”

“I bet you don’t know,” Jimmy challenged.

Maria narrowed her eyes. “Water on the ground evaporates. That means it rises into the air.” She held up a palm, a signal for him not to talk. “You can’t see it go up because only tiny bits of water go up at a time.”

Jimmy considered that. “You mean like when a mud puddle dries up?”

“Yeah. You got it.”

“So, the ‘vaporate makes clouds?”

“Uh huh. When the tiny water bits clump together, they make a cloud.”

“Then rain.”

“Yeah. And while they’re floating around up there, the water bits soften the sky’s bright blue color.”

“Okay. But talking about water makes me thirsty. Let’s get some.”

The kids invaded Jimmy’s kitchen. “Mom, can me and Maria have some water?”

“May Maria and I have some water, please?” corrected Mrs. Dobson.

Careful not to let his mom see, Jimmy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I meant that.”

Jimmy’s mom filled two plastic cups and handed one to each child. Maria thanked Mrs. Dobson and gulped hers without taking a breath.

“Wow!” she said. “I didn’t realize how thirsty I was.”

“More?” asked Mrs. Dobson.

“Yes, please.”

Deciding to refill his own cup without asking, Jimmy lost his grip. Water splashed to the floor and oozed into a puddle. His mom grabbed a towel and bent to sop up the spill.

“You don’t have to do that, Mom,” Jimmy instructed. “Leave it alone and it will just ‘vaporate.” He looked expectantly at the ceiling. “Maybe we’ll even get a cloud.”

Maria shook her head and wisely slipped out the door before she had to explain more school stuff.

11/28/2025

John Anderson describes a conversation on a hiking trip after someone recited "The Raven." What kind of a raven might you be? Read more Rainy Day Writer stories on Your Radio Place or in Guernsey News.

The Ravens Gathered by John Anderson

One night, along the Appalachian Trail in a shelter located on a ridge above Damascus, Virginia, hikers settled in calling it a day. As they relaxed, one of them recited The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. The hiker, invisible and anonymous in the darkened shelter, didn’t miss a beat. Some of the others were taken aback hearing the poem. High school English class was a world away from the rugged mountains of Virginia. When he finished, the speaker soaked in compliments on his recitation. Words like “awesome” and “righteous” floated through the shelter before silence enveloped the hut.

At first light the hikers packed their gear, rolled their sleeping bags, and gathered at the communal picnic table. Backpacker stoves were lit amid the “whoosh” of igniting gas. Hikers chatted as water boiled and dehydrated meals were brought to life. The hiker with the distinctive voice was identified as he who had recited last night’s poem and revealed his name – Pop Tart.

One hiker asked, “How did you choose that poem?”

Pop Tart replied, “We’re all Ravens flying in our way from Georgia to Maine.”

Another asked, “What do you mean?”

Pop Tart offered, “There are four types of Ravens. One type loves to fly and hikes just for the joy of it. He has no other agenda other than getting to the next shelter on his way to Maine.

“Then there is the Raven who flies away from something. This hiker has ghosts that plague him. He hopes to leave the ghosts behind somewhere along the trail.

“The third type must quantify and count everything on his/her hike. This hiker must possess the trail counting and classifying everything.

“Type four is a Raven who doesn’t fly at all. He/she simply caws about how he/she might hike someday. We don’t see this Raven on the trail. But take a side trip to a nearby town to resupply and there he is. Sometimes he’s even wearing hiker clothing, but his boots may still have a shine on them. The clothes and boots of a real Raven are worn and dirty – a stark contrast to Raven type number four. To say the boots of Ravens who actually hike are well broken in is an understatement.

I suppose we shouldn’t be too hard on Raven number four since all Ravens, in their own way, love the trail. In some way all Ravens must fly.

11/25/2025

Mark Cooper ponders the subject of AI. Read this story to find out his thoughts. What are your feelings about AI? Find more Rainy Day Writers articles on Your Radio Place and in Guernsey News.

11/22/2025

Beverly Kerr explores the Walhonding Valley Museum Festival of Trees, which begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving and is open at no charge the next three weekends on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Read all about it in November's Crossroads magazine.

11/19/2025

Claire Cameron loves to cook. She shares a recipe that your family might enjoy the next time they come to visit.

Trying Something Different by Claire Cameron

When I was a little girl, my grandmother would set me on a stool in the kitchen to keep her company while she cooked. She was particular as to who she allowed in her cooking space, so that one person ended up being me.

Learning at an early age the joy of cooking and spending time with her, left a lasting impression on my heart.

Now I love to cook for family and friends and usually make meals like Grandma used to make.

But, one day when my granddaughter wanted to bring her fiancé to dinner, I thought I should try something new.

Pasta is always a favorite so, this time I let my imagination go wild and decided to pair kielbasa with pasta and veggies and make a creamy sauce to enhance the flavor. The result produced a tasty new skillet supper everyone loved. I hope you love it too!

Skillet Penne and Kielbasa Dinner

1 box of penne pasta cooked 9 minutes or until tender. Set aside in boiled water.

In an extra-large skillet, add 3 Tablespoons olive oil and heat on low.

To skillet add:

⅔ cup chopped onion, ½ cup chopped green pepper, 3 Tbsp. minced garlic,

½ head of broccoli cut in bite sized pieces.

Cut kielbasa into coin sizes and add to skillet.

Cook covered for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Dip out pasta with a slotted spoon from the reserved pan of cooked pasta and add 2 cups of broth from pasta water. Add pasta to oil mixture.

Add ½ block of cream cheese, ⅔ cup of heavy cream, 2 Tbsp. of butter and ½ cup Parmesan/Romano cheese. Stir until the cheeses and cream are incorporated.

Lastly add two teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, ½ cup white wine, and ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

Serve with a leafy green salad and toasted garlic bread. Enjoy!

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