Marie Gilbert's Blog

Can evil be passed down in our DNA? Can the sins of the fathers be passed down onto their children? Only the Whisper Man can answer this question.

The Whisper Man

Thank you, Andy Burns, for recommending this film. Directed by  and based on the (Steve Mosby aka ) novel, Netflix’s  is one hell of a thriller. The film stars Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, Acston Luca Porto, and Michael Keaton. The plot is stressful enough to watch because it involves a serial killer who preys on little boys, but there is also the added tension with Jake’s () involvement with his imaginary friend.

Tom Kennedy () is a widowed novelist with an eight-year-old son, Jake. He moves back to the town where his wife grew up. The house has a history, and it isn’t long before young Jake tells his father that his imaginary friend is afraid of the house and the boy under the floor. Tom, who has absolutely no patience with imaginary friends, is still recovering from his wife’s lost battle with cancer and the estrangement from his dad, Pete Willis (Robert De Niro), a retired police officer.

While Tom and Jake attempt to make a new life, homicide detective Amanda Beck () discovers the body of a child while searching for another missing child.

All the deaths of these little boys emulate a serial killer, Frank Carter () aka The Whisper Man, but there is one little problem…Frank Carter has been locked up for years, and Detective Pete Willis captured him.  So, is this a copycat killing? Does Frank Carter have a pen pal who is doing his dirty work for him? There are many suspects, including a weirdo () who collects items connected to serial killers and their victims. Amanda Beck is forced to ask Pete Willis for help, and Tom is forced to reconnect with his father after Nate is kidnapped by the Whisper Man.

Conclusion with Spoilers

The Whisper Man was worth watching, and I felt that the estrangement between Tom and Pete mirrored perfectly Tom’s unwillingness to believe that Nate was seeing a ghost.

The biblical drama between fathers and sons is also mirrored in Frank Carter’s relationship with his abusive dad…and eventually explains the needs of the serial killer’s choice in victims…this said…I was left wondering what had been left out in the filming that was in the book. I will watch just about anything that Robert De Niro stars in. That man can make a toothpaste commercial look scary, but I felt that De Niro was held back in his portrayal of a police officer who not only captured a monster but kept in touch with a soulless entity that so maliciously harmed children. Michael Keaton will always be Batman to me, but he can also do one hell of a scary sociopathic serial killer.

There is a ghost in this story. The film acknowledges the spirit, but for this psychic/medium/ghost investigator…this would have been a better story within a story if they had recognized how important a crime thriller can be when you add ghosts. So, now I will need to get the book and see what was left out of the film.

I would still recommend you watch this gem on Netflix. It was very scary, and you have De Niro and Keaton. The crème de la crème of the film industry.

In my line of work: author, blogger, psychic/medium, I have met many people in the Spiritual/Paranormal world, but there are a few that I consider not only good friends, but ambassadors of healing in a chaotic world.

Interview with Rebecca Boothroyd

I have known Rebecca for several years now, and along with another healer, Carmella Trantis, we met while doing Psychic Dinners for Tobi’s Franks and Beans. I love both these ladies, but Rebecca has branched out her business, and I wanted everyone to know about it.

Gilbert: Hi Rebecca. Thank you for doing the interview with me. Can you tell everyone what inspired you to start Mending Zenful Minds LLC?

Rebecca Boothroyd: Honestly, it started with my own rock bottom.

I spent over 18 years in the medical field, working my way up from phlebotomist to Medical Laboratory Technician to Medical Technologist. I knew the system. I understood how it worked. But when my own health started declining, I found myself on the other side of that system, and what I experienced was frustrating. More prescriptions. More procedures. More surgeries being recommended. And still, I wasn’t getting better. I wasn’t healing. I was just being managed.

So, I made a decision. Instead of reaching for another prescription, I reached for something different. Something I had never tried before. I found Reiki, and what it did for me personally was undeniable. The shift I felt, the peace, the clarity, the sense of finally moving forward instead of just surviving, I couldn’t ignore it. And I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself.

That’s really where Mending Zenful Minds was born. Not in a boardroom. Not from a business plan. But from a woman who hit the bottom, tried something different, and found her way back to herself. Once I experienced what energy work could do, I felt called to turn around and bring it to other people, because if it could help me, I knew it could help someone else too.

That calling has never left me. And that’s why I show up every single day.

Gilbert: What services do you offer the people who seek your help?

Rebecca Boothroyd: We offer a wide range of services, and each one is designed to meet people right where they are — virtually via Zoom or in person at your location.

Reiki is a gentle, non-invasive energy wellness practice where I serve as a vessel to offer intentional, focused care to support your overall sense of peace and well-being. I offer distant Reiki sessions, which means you receive the full experience virtually from the comfort of your own home. Many people describe it as finally being able to breathe again, a deep sense of calm and stillness that they haven’t felt in a long time. I also offer Reiki with crystals for an enhanced experience, Animal Reiki for your pets, and even Plant Reiki.

Sound Bath Experiences use the frequencies produced by crystal singing bowls to create an atmosphere of deep rest, stillness, and peace. Throughout scripture, sound and worship have always been used to bring comfort and clarity, and this experience honors that truth. Your only job is to get comfortable, breathe, and be still. The sound creates the space. What happens within that space is between you and God.

Chakra Cleansing and Balancing focuses on identifying and clearing energetic blockages within the body’s seven main energy centers. When our chakras are out of alignment, we can feel it in our mood, our relationships, our physical body, and our ability to move forward in life. This session works to restore that balance.

Transformational Life Mentoring and Strategy is a faith-grounded, deeply personal process where we get to the root of what is keeping you stuck and build a real, practical, God-centered plan to move forward. This is not therapy. This is purposeful conversation, honest accountability, and faith-led support tailored to exactly where you are right now. Whether you are navigating burnout, life transitions, self-worth, relationship patterns, or simply trying to figure out your next step, this is the work that moves the needle.

Guided Meditation is offered both one-on-one and in group settings, helping you quiet the noise, center yourself, and reconnect with your breath and your spirit.

Intuitive Sessions including card readings and numerology reports offer deeper personal insight and reflection, tools to help you better understand yourself and the path ahead.

Ionic Foot Detox is a relaxing, cleansing experience designed to support your body’s natural detoxification process.

We also offer fun, meaningful group experiences including Girls Nights, Family Parties, and Weddings and Ceremonies. As an ordained minister, I have the honor of officiating weddings and other special ceremonies, making those moments truly intentional and spirit-led.

For corporations and organizations, we bring wellness programming directly to your team, including sound baths, meditation, and holistic wellness experiences, either on site or virtually.

And I am also available as a Speaker and Educator on topics including Reiki, sound healing, holistic wellness, and transformational life strategy.

Gilbert: Do you offer classes?

Rebecca Boothroyd: Yes! Education is a big part of what we do at Mending Zenful Minds.

My educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, two associate’s degrees, and a certificate in Medical Laboratory Technology, along with my phlebotomy certification. On the holistic and coaching side, I hold certifications in Reiki, Reiki Grand Master, sound healing, crystal healing, life coaching, and business coaching, and I am an ordained minister. That combination of formal education, holistic training, and coaching expertise is what sets the foundation for everything I offer.

And because I believe in empowering people with knowledge, I offer several courses and workshops open to anyone who feels called to learn.

I offer Reiki Certification Courses for anyone who wants to learn this practice for themselves or eventually share it with others. These are three-hour certification courses starting at $200 and are open to complete beginners. No prior experience is needed, just an open heart and a willingness to learn.

I also offer workshops on the Art of Pendulum Dowsing and the Art of Spirit Rods Dowsing for those who are curious about expanding their intuitive and energetic skill set.

And as a certified life coach and business coach, I work with individuals who are ready to make real, intentional changes in their personal lives or their businesses.

Gilbert: How can people contact you?

Rebecca Boothroyd: Before I tell you how to reach me, I want you to know a little bit about who you are reaching out to.

I am a three-time award winning holistic wellness CEO, recognized as the number one ranked Holistic Medicine Practitioner in South Jersey for both 2025 and 2026 by Business Rate, back to back, and honored as an Influential Women honoree. I am a contributing author in Unbreakable Women Stories Vol. 1, and I have been featured internationally in Fate & Fortune Magazine and the Daily Mail in the UK, as well as locally in New Jersey Voyager as a Hidden Gem feature.

I have been a guest on the Global Podcast Network, the New York Executive Podcast, and Suite Recording, and I am an approved partner with Awakenpedia, a global spiritual wellness platform and holistic health community connecting healers and seekers worldwide.

I share all of that not to impress you, but to assure you that when you reach out to Mending Zenful Minds, you are in good hands.

You can visit our website at mendingzenfulminds.com where you can learn more about all of our services and book your session directly online. You can also email us at info@mendingzenfulminds.com or call or text us directly at 856-336-9693. We are also active on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, all under Mending Zenful Minds.

However you feel most comfortable reaching out, we are there. There is no wrong way to start the conversation. Just reach out.

Gilbert: Thank you, Rebecca for taking the time to do this interview, and for all my followers out there…make sure to check out Rebecca’s site.

I wrote a post about my being anointed Dungeon Master by my great-grandson. We played our first campaign, and I’m here to tell you the results.

The Golden Dragon

In my earlier post about preparing to take on the duties of a Dungeon Master, I explained how I got involved in this magical world of Dungeons and Dragons. Landon is on his third round of stage 4 fighting because of a very rare cancer. Since he was three years old, Landon has stood his ground against this monster nicknamed ARMS.

With the help of the Empress of Dungeon Masters, Suzanne Woolslayer, and Landon’s dad, Josh, I created a kingdom, characters, and a very unusual quest. I had everything ready for the first adventure…but that monster feared by all…the giant C had other plans. Landon, who had recently completed six weeks of daily radiation, had not only lost his appetite and half of his body weight, but was in severe pain. He was admitted to the hospital soon after my post was live. While the doctors decided on the next course of action in their own version of D & D vs fucking cancer (excuse the language, but that is my official name for all childhood cancers), Landon kept talking about playing D&D with the golden dragon his mother had bought for him.

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When I went to visit him in the hospital, that baby was in so much pain that he refused to talk about the game or the Golden Dragon. After about a week in the hospital, the doctors did a few procedures that relieved the pain, and finally our Golden Dragon was home and ready to play.

Conclusion

I don’t know if it is because of all the medical stuff that he’s been dealing with the last three years, or if my great-grandson is an Old Soul, but this kid is wise for his age. He knows things…he understands life on a spiritual level…and he loves adventures.

My first game as DM with the guidance of my grandsons Nate and Josh went amazingly well, and I’ve already prepared for another adventure which involves a missing child, vampires, a witch, portals to the past and the future, and a group of players led by a Golden Dragon who, against all odds, is standing his ground against ‘Fucking Childhood Cancer’. 

History was my favorite subject in school, but let’s be honest…history, like Karma, is best served with a side dish of humor.

Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness

I am a Seinfeld fan, and I totally love President Barack Obama, so when I heard that Obama was involved with Larry David’s new series on HBO MAX…I had to watch! This series, which was created by  and  was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions.

 takes an improvised and comedic approach to major events that took place in American history. If we are going to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of these United States…this is the best way to do it.

There are seven episodes. and Larry David plays his characters close to what we see on Curb Your Enthusiasm. In the first episode, Barack Obama gives a cold open introduction followed by a skit on Robert R Livingston, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, Alexander Bell and his telephone, World War 1, and Rosa Parks.

The skits are laugh-out-loud reimagining’s of true events. The Rosa Parks reinvention was the best. I don’t know how actress  kept her composure in the retelling of that historical bus incident, but let’s just say that Larry David’s character was such a “Nudge” that you could almost imagine Rosa climbing over other passengers to get away from him.

In Episode 2, I was surprised to see  play the character of George Washington. It was a stark reality of his unexpected loss. There are many guest appearances: Henry Winkler, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Hamn, Timothy Olyphant and Paul Rudd…but I’ve only listed the tip of the iceberg. And the subject matter covers almost all the major events.

Conclusion

I hadn’t intended to write a review of Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, not at first, because our country is broken…badly broken, and I wasn’t sure how this review would be accepted. But then, I never expected a project with Larry David and Barack Obama.

Larry does what he is famous for in his other shows. Larry plays the whining, neurotic, pain in the butt like a 1715 Baron Knoop Stradivarius. He has perfected the role of “Nudge” (and Italian grandmother’s description), and he played his role perfectly in the very last episode with former President Obama.

The Tan Suit

We don’t laugh anymore in this country. There is way too much anger. But, while Barack Obama was president, I slept better. I felt safe, and I felt proud of my country. The very last episode is about the infamous tan suit that President Barack Obama wore to a press conference. How Obama was forced into wearing the suit is portrayed so comically, that I had to watch the episode, twice.

The whole idea of a country going freaking insane over a suit was so ridiculous at the time, and still is, that Larry David, Jeff Schaffer, and executive producer Ethan Lewis decided to finally close the book on the tan suit debacle…

…And Barack Obama did the skit with impeccable comedic timing. Trump could never do a skit like this because he does not possess the ability to laugh at himself. And that is the trouble with this country and why it is so very important to look back on our history and have a good belly laugh.

Larry David had us laughing with the Seinfeld Series, a show about nothing, and yet we became obsessed with the mundane day-to-day gripes and petty neuroses of four friends Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer.

Hopefully Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness will remind us not to take ourselves too seriously…and that a tan suit is just a suit. Happy 250th Birthday, America

 I don’t have the Apple TV+ app, but my daughter does, so when she is out of town, I get to binge-watch a few great series. And I found one just for you.

Lucky

Lucky is a crime-thriller miniseries created by  for Apple TV+.  It is loosely based on  book.  and  are among the producers of this series. It stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Clifton Collins Jr, and Drew Starkey.

The series revolves around a multimillion-dollar heist that has gone wrong. Lucky () and her husband Cary () have just pulled off a successful heist, but there is one little problem. After spending the night celebrating at a hotel, Lucky wakes up to find the money and her husband gone… and the FBI raiding the hotel, with Agent Billie Rand () in the lead. Lucky escapes, but we learn that crime seems to run rampant in this family. Lucy’s father () is serving time for multiple crimes. Lucky’s husband’s mother, Priscella (), is a dangerous mob boss who just got out of prison…and that ten million bucks that went missing belongs to a very angry mob boss () who wants his money returned.

The episodes that I’ve watched so far are packed with action and drama as Lucky tries to stay alive while avoiding a very vengeful mother-in-law and an FBI agent who won’t take no for an answer.

Conclusion

Lucky is a well-written, action-packed, nail-biting series, but it is the three characters: Lucky, Priscella and Agent Billie Rand that make this series a full-course dinner served with scoops full of adrenaline. Annette Bening is an excellent actress with five Academy Award nominations, two Tony Award nominations, and numerous Golden Globe and BAFTA recognitions. Annette Bening made her name in the 1990 film The Grifters. Bening not only conquered the stage but actor/ playboy Warren Beatty.

Bening’s Priscella is a ruthless, heartless mob boss. Her one and only evidence of human emotion is her son, Cary. I honestly don’t think any other actress would have been able to pull off the ferocity that Bening puts into the character of Priscella. But even the devil has a checkmate, and it comes in the form of Anya Taylor-Joy’s Lucky.

I first learned about Anya Taylor-Joy with the miniseries, The Queen’s Gambit. Her performance was so impressive that I became an instant fan, and my loyalty grew after watching her in the horror film The Menu. Besides being the main character in Lucky, Anya Taylor-Joy is also one of the producers. What I have observed from watching Anya’s performances in the two aforementioned series and The Menu is that, whatever character she is playing, she is a powerhouse hidden beneath the guise of fragility. Her youthful, almost childlike features betray the warrior inside, and so she is the perfect balance between a powerful actress like Annette Bening and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

I do remember Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor somewhat from the series, True Blood, and definitely in the film, Men of Honor. Aunjanue brings a strong, persistent force to her character, Agent Billie Rand. The relationship between Lucky and her father, along with the drama between Priscella and Lucky, is perfectly held in check by Aunjanue’s Agent Billie Rand’s almost robotic determination to capture Lucky. But what makes Aunjanue’s character important in every scene is that she somehow continues to protect Lucky from both Priscella and Fichtner as she tries to solve the case.

I highly recommend that you watch this series.

A New England town is attempting to be the next best thing to Martha’s Vinyards, but there is just one little problem.

Widow’s Bay

Widow’s Bay is an American horror-comedy series on Apple TV, directed by the amazing . This series was created by  and stars Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn, Kevin Carroll, Dale Dickey, Kingston Rumi Southwick and Stephen Root.

The premise of the series is an ancient curse placed on the town of Widow’s Bay that afflicts the people born there. People who weren’t born on the island don’t know about the curse, such as Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), a widower with a teenage son, Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick). There are ten episodes in season one with a second season already approved. When Mayor Tom Loftis plans to bring tourism to Widow’s Bay, he clashes with a local resident/fisherman, Wyck (t), after another fisherman goes missing.

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Strange events begin to happen as the town prepares for a big tourist weekend. The church bell rings nine times during the night even though it is chained up. A foreboding fog warns that the curse has become active. There are all kinds of scary events and deaths taking place, but there is also comedy involved thanks to Tom’s eccentric staff, which includes his assistants, Patricia (Kate O’Flynn), Rosemary (Dale Dickey), Ruth (K Callan) and Dale (Jeff Hiller).

As Tom learns more about the curse and his family’s involvement, he and Sheriff Clemmons () risk their lives to protect the tourists as all hell breaks loose.

Conclusion

I fell in love with this series. Widow’s Bay is the perfect marriage of horror and comedy. It’s as if the cast of Seinfeld met Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House.

The series provides background on the curse through flashback episodes. I’m surprised that I loved Widow’s Bay as much as I did because, except for ‘s work, I’m not usually a big fan of horror series

Now, what makes Widow’s Bay a favourite for me is the injection of comedy wrapped neatly in unexpected screams of fear. For example, when Boogeyman is chasing Patricia, and she is running for help, or when Tom, Wyck and Patricia dig up a 400- year-old corpse, my daughter and I are covering our eyes in fear and laughing at the same time. That combination takes pure talent, not only in writing but also in casting. Widow’s Bay is on Apple TV. It’s worth the price of the app.

We had to read Homer’s The Odyssey in Freshman year at an all-girls Catholic High School for our Literature class. We knew this 3000-year-old poem was based on Greek mythology. We knew that it was fiction. But thanks to a very smart Saint Joseph Nun, we also knew that The Odyssey was a poem that revealed different tellings or points of view. Did Christopher Nolan get the story right? Did I enjoy the film?

The Odyssey

How do you squeeze an ancient epic poem into a film? Director  did accomplish this feat with a three-hour-film version of , which played havoc with my sciatica, but I have to say that I did enjoy the film even though there was so much of the background story missing…and those of us who are into Greek mythology could definitely pick up on the flaws. But first, let’s concentrate on what Nolan got right. Contrary to a lot of reviews that I’ve read, I think  did an excellent job as Odysseus. I don’t care if his nose wasn’t Greek enough; Matt Damon played Odysseus as the obstinate, stubborn warrior that Homer created in that famous tale.

 was a surprise as Telemachus. I kept waiting for him to shoot spider webs, but by the end of this film, I felt that Holland held his own against more powerful actors than himself, such as Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, Jon Bernthal, Himesh Patel, and Benny Safdie.

The War

The Greeks (Achaeans) wage war against Troy (Present-day Turkey) after the prince of Troy, Paris, abducts Helen (Lupita Nyong’o), the wife of Menelaus (Jon Bernthal). Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) gets his generals, including Odysseus, to fight in a full-out epic war against Troy. After ten long years of fighting, Odysseus comes up with a plan…the Trojan Horse…and Helen is rescued, but Odysseus broke the law of Greek hospitality and offends the goddess, Athena (). The rest of the film has us watching Odysseus practically piss off all the important Greek Gods until he is shipwrecked on the island of Ogygia with the goddess Calypso ().

Conclusion/ The Real Heroes of The Odyssey

As for the male actors, Christopher Nolan kind of got it right, but he fell short in the power he gave the female actors in their portrayal of the strong and fiercely loyal women of The Odyssey. In the poem, Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is the queen of Ithaca. She rules Ithaca on her own for twenty years, while raising a son and keeping 100 suitors waiting in the great hall while she supposedly works on a shroud for her father-in-law. She is not weak. She is cunning. She is loyal to her marriage to the dismay of Antinous (). I do believe that Anne Hathaway excellently played the part of Penelope.

Athena (Zendaya) is the goddess of wisdom and war, but Odysseus knowingly broke the law of hospitality and often pissed off the gods (Zeus and Poseidon), especially after blinding the Cyclops, Polyphemus (). Again, in the poem, Athena is the loyal protector of a stubborn and arrogant man. But I don’t think Zendaya got a script that would have allowed her to play Athena the way Homer described her to us 3000 years ago.

Charlize Theron is a wonderful actress, but her Calypso, as directed, did nothing to capture the true essence of Homer’s sea nymph. There is a reason that Homer used Calypso to keep Odysseus from Penelope. You can’t tell that story in a three-hour film.

 Circe was interesting, especially when she turns Odysseus’s men into swine, but unlike the Circe in the poem, the film would have gone on for hours if the entire tale of Circe and Odysseus was told, and again, where Penelope remained loyal to her vows, her husband had children with Circe.

Lupita Nyong’o played Helen/Clymnestra, and the racist people in our country were pissed that a black actress played the part…big sigh…because they most likely slept through history and geography. What the film did not explain is that Helen held the power of the throne, that the only claim Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) had to power was through Helen, and that is why this war was so important.

Did I enjoy the film? Yes, as a good action film, but it left me wanting to return to the book that is somewhere in the storage room. We had to buy that book for class way back in 1960. Its pages are probably yellow and frail, but I will find it, re-read it, and know that it is sometimes impossible to recreate a classic art form in film. Not in three hours.

I’m a writer. I have five books published and am working on the sixth. I am also a professional blogger… so when my grandson asked me to be a Dungeon Master, I thought… piece of cake…Right? HELP!

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The Quest

I am going to post this blog as a campaign. I have been appointed Dungeon Master by my adult grandsons. The reason I accepted this challenge is that my six-year-old great-grandson, who has been fighting stage 4 of the rarest of cancers for three stressful years, absolutely loves playing Dungeons & Dragons with his father and uncles.

Landon, in my opinion, is living his own version of Dungeons & Dragons in his battle with ARMS. His own body makes ARMS. Think about this for a second. Your very own cells-genome-DNA is working overtime to kill you.

Landon had already, from the age of three, suffered through sessions of chemo and radiation TWICE, only to learn that the monster had returned a third time. So here we go again with six weeks of daily radiation and three different types of chemo. The radiation this time has caused him to lose half his body weight, and he is on a feeding tube until he gains some of the weight back.

Landon loves watching his dad play D&D on the computer with his uncles and friends, but he also loves playing the game whenever I come over to visit, and we use his sisters’ “Little People” toys as props as his dad takes the role of Dungeon Master and walks us through a campaign.

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Last week, while visiting, I gave Landon a gold dragon incense burner (no incense) to keep as a decoration for his room. His mom had just hooked him up to the feeding tube food. It takes two hours for the feeding to go through the tube and into Landon’s belly. He gets four feedings a day. That’s eight hours of being fed through a tube. The feedings supplement the normal foods that he eats during the day.

Landon wanted to play D&D, and his dad did an impromptu game. It was fun, and the two hours flew by quickly. I was telling my grandson, Joshua, about the book I was working on to close my Roof Oasis sci-fi series when he suggested that I write a campaign for him and his brother to play with Landon.

I could not say no. Landon was overjoyed and expressed his desire to be the character of the Golden Dragon. I thought to myself, well, I write books, blogs, and protest signs. How hard could a campaign be? Right? LOL

I need to remind you all that I am almost 80 years old. I have done my share of daring adventures, but creating a believable imaginary world for a very special six-year-old was a feat that I needed help with. I began with a campaign, but I was writing it as a book. I didn’t know the rules of a Dungeon Master.

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 I didn’t know the role of the players, and I sure as hell was unfamiliar with the multitude of races, classes, and abilities that existed. As a writer of novels, I tell my characters what to do… except…for that pesky robot in my sci-fi series…she does what she wants.

I needed advice, so I went to the Empress of D&D, Suzanne Woolslayer (my daughter-in-law), who has been playing D&D for almost forty years. She also teaches online classes. Sue gave me books. Lots of books, and my own dice. I then went home and ordered my maps and a Dungeon Master screen.

Conclusion

I have my campaign. I have my players. I have my maps… and for now…we will continue using the “Little People” to move on the maps until I can find some cool miniatures. Wish me luck. A special little boy is waiting for his dragon to go on a quest, and this great-grandmother will be doing her best to make it so.

There is a difference, I have learned, between being homeless and houseless; both situations are frightening. But does one offer freedom?

Nomadland

 was a film that I accidentally came across one night during a thunderstorm. Written, produced, and directed by , Nomadland is based on the nonfiction book by  called Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. Chloe Zhao won an Academy Award for best director, and honestly…she should have received three. This is how engrossing the film is, starring one of my favourite actresses, Frances McDormand, who won an Academy Award for her performance in Nomadland.

The plot, which is simple, follows Fern (Frances McDormand), who not only lost her job after the closure of the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada, but her husband also dies, and the town of Empire goes belly up. Fern does the only thing she can to survive on her own: sell her belongings, fix her van to double as a microscopic RV, and travel across the country looking for work. She has a sister, but Fern has gotten so used to living on the road that she finds it almost unbearable to stay in a house.

As I watched the film, I realized that Fern was living the life of a hobo. Back in the 50s and 60s, we kids knew where the travelling group of men would normally hang out while they waited for the next Merchant ship to show up at the docks or a train to head south to warmer weather and field work. The hobos kept to themselves and never bothered people. They had their own social group, which sometimes gathered under sections of the Ben Franklyn Bridge, and later, the Walt Whitman Bridge. Some travelled in decorated Volkswagen Vans. They weren’t homeless. Some stayed in boarding houses or campers, and they all worked for their money. I am pretty sure that the neighbour who owned the house next to my family’s grocery store often rented rooms to travelling nomads. Most of those men only stayed a few weeks. Back then, we didn’t see women like Fern, but times have changed, and not for the better.

Fern joins a group of fellow travellers in Arizona organized by Bob Wells, an American YouTuber and author who advocates nomadic van dwelling. The film features several real-life nomads, including Linda May as Linda and Charlene Swankie as Swankie. Fern becomes close to one particular nomad, Dave (), who invites her to go back to his son’s house to live.

Conclusion

Fern is dealing with grief and solitude, but as I watched the film, I realized that Fern, Bob Wells, and Swankie are on an expedition of a lifetime and that they are truly free spirits. They’re not only enjoying their freedom but also the desert beauty and vast seaside scenery.

Watching Nomadland got me thinking about healing and freedom, and if I didn’t have such a bad sense of direction (honestly… I am surprised that I found my way out of the womb), I might be tempted to buy a camper or an RV and live off the grid. The film is on Netflix. Watch it!

I love cozy mysteries, and Prime has a cool mystery film for you to enjoy.

The Sheep Detectives

I love sheep, and I love cozy mysteries, and Kyle Balda has directed a damn good mystery, , starring Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau and Emma Thompson. The film is based on a novel, Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann.

The plot is easy. George Hardy () lives simply and enjoys reading murder mysteries every night to his flock of sheep. When George is found murdered outside of his trailer, the flock decide to help the clueless police officer, Tim Derry (), solve the case. Yes…I know…this plot sounds really stupid, but surprisingly…this film is actually a great mystery. There are the usual surprises, like the town learning that George had children, and in fact, George had been recently visited by his daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon), who, along with her twin brother, had been given away for adoption when their mother died in childbirth.

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The mystery grows when we learn that George, who was living a rather modest lifestyle, was also a millionaire when George’s lawyer () reads the will. Officer Derry is helped by a visiting reporter () to gather the facts and hopefully solve the murder before something very bad happens to George’s estate.

Conclusion

I highly recommend that you watch this little gem of a film. I would have missed it completely if my daughter hadn’t put it on while we had breakfast. The people involved in the making of The Sheep Detectives –  producers, director, cast- understood the mechanics of a good mystery story, and luckily for us, we were given the unexpected surprise ending that would have made Agatha Christie proud.

 We often think of animals as stupid, especially sheep, but if you do your research, you will learn that they are quite smart. They won’t solve a murder mystery, but they will survive better than we will when this civilization goes belly up.

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