Book of the Week: Take the Monkey and Run by Laura Morrigan

This week's book of the week is from the mystery series called "A Call of the Wilde Mystery." It's "Take the Monkey and Run" by Laura Morrigan. The cozy mystery series follows Grace Wilde, who can communicate with animals, and includes Woof at the Door, A Tiger's Tale, Horse of a Different Killer, and Take the Monkey and Run (she hasn't written any more since 2016, sadly). 

Grace, the lead character, can "hear" what living animals tell her, and she can communicate with them- which makes her an Animal Communicator (not a medium). As someone who communicates with pets who passed, I gave this book a try and I enjoyed the series. The "Monkey" book is 4th in the series, so I need to go back and read the other three.  

The characters were interesting and captivating- especially Grace and her Jacksonville, Florida police officer boyfriend Kai. Her sister Emma is also a good supporting character in the book. But the character I enjoyed the most was Belinda, a New Orleans tarot-reading drag queen that ran her own B and B.

The story was a bit odd to figure because someone hired Grace to find a woman by having Grace communicate with the missing woman's cat... but the person who hired Grace turned out to be someone she needed to be wary of... and it all lead to an odd twist about people hunting psychics...

I enjoyed the book and the characters, but I need to go back and read the others books that precede book four. 4 stars! 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Take the Monkey and Run is a cozy mystery novel by Laura Morrigan, the fourth book in the "Call of the Wilde" series, featuring animal telepath Grace Wilde in New Orleans as she investigates a missing person case complicated by a mischievous Capuchin monkey and a suspicious client. The book blends a lighthearted mystery with psychic elements, as Grace uses her unique ability to communicate with animals to solve the crime, all while navigating the quirky culture of the city.

Outrageous: Texas drag ban to take effect in March

Texas is now banning some public drag shows "because it's offensive to children." Can we just be done with these conservatives who hide their pedophilia and abuse by distracting and attacking innocent others?  It's senseless knowing that conservatives who are pedophiles, scam artists, bullies and liars think they, themselves are good examples for children.  Today's blog is the ridiculous Texas law against the drag performance artists.

Appeals court clears way for Texas drag ban to take effect in March 2026

By ALEX NGUYEN/The Texas Tribune , February 26, 2026

Texas can enforce a 2023 law that restricts some public drag shows, a federal appeals court reaffirmed in a new ruling on Wednesday, Feb 25, 2026.

Texas Senate Bill 12 prohibits drag performers from dancing suggestively or wearing certain prosthetics on public property or in front of children. The law would fine business owners $10,000 for hosting such performances, while those who violate the law could be hit with a Class A misdemeanor.

In September 2023, U.S. District Judge David Hittner declared the law unconstitutional, saying that it “impermissibly infringes on the First Amendment” and that it is “not unreasonable” to think it could affect activities like live theater or dancing. More than two years later in November, a three-judge panel in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unblocked the law and returned the case to the district court.

On Wednesday, Feb 25, 2026 the appeals court withdrew its November opinion and reissued a largely identical ruling, denying the plaintiff’s request for a rehearing in the process. SB 12 will now take effect on March 18, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, who represented several of the plaintiffs.

As part of the ruling, the panel found that most of the plaintiffs — a drag performer, a drag production company and pride groups — failed to show that they intended to conduct a “sexually oriented performance,” and therefore, could not be harmed by the law. The ruling suggests that the federal judges don’t believe all drag shows are sexually explicit.

Critics of the ban have previously raised concerns that Republican lawmakers were portraying all drag performances as inherently sexual or obscene.

And while the law doesn’t have language explicitly referencing drag performances, SB 12’s original version specifically included them. Republican leaders have also made it clear that drag shows are the target.

[ED NOTE: This guy is an Ass]  “Texas Governor Signs Law Banning Drag Performances in Public. That’s right,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a post on X in June 2023.

SB 12 considers a performance to be sexually oriented if the performer is nude or engages in sexual conduct, which could include “actual contact or simulated contact” between one person and another person’s “buttocks, breast, or any part of the genitals.” It also has to “appeal to the prurient interest in sex” — and most didn’t meet this criteria, according to the appeals court’s ruling.

“To appeal to the ‘prurient interest in sex,’ material, at a minimum, must be ‘in some sense erotic,’” it said.

For instance, a pride group testified that some of its performers may “twerk,” but the panel said none of the conduct it described amounts to a sexually oriented performance. It also said accidental bumping or contact during front-facing hugs don’t count.

The panel did find that a drag production company’s described performances “arguably” are sexually explicit, though the ruling doesn’t specifically say which actions qualify. “When asked whether the performers ‘simulate contact with the buttocks of another person,’ the owner testified that the performers sit on customers’ laps while wearing thongs and one performer invited a ‘handsome’ male customer ‘to spank her on the butt,’ said the ruling. “When asked whether the performers ‘ever perform gesticulations while wearing prosthetics,’ the owner testified that in 360 Queen’s most recent show, a drag queen ‘wore a breastplate that was very revealing, pulsed her chest in front of people, (and) put her chest in front of people’s faces.’”

Though Judge Kurt Engelhardt, a Trump appointee, also wrote in a footnote that there is “genuine doubt” that these actions are “actually constitutionally protected—especially in the presence of minors.” He was joined by Judge Leslie Southwick, a Bush appointee.

Judge James Dennis, a Clinton appointee, disagrees with this assessment.

“That gratuitous dictum runs headlong into settled First Amendment jurisprudence and threatens to mislead on remand,” Dennis wrote in his partial dissent in the November ruling.

In addition, the appeals court removed most of the defendants from the case, before sending it back to the district court to reconsider a part of SB 12 that focuses on the Texas attorney general’s role in enforcing the law.

[ED NOTE: This guy is an Ass] Attorney General Ken Paxton cheered the November ruling in a news release.

“I will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually oriented performances,” he said. “It is an honor to have defended this law, ensuring that our state remains safe for families and children, and I look forward to continuing to vigorously defend it on remand before the district court.”

The plaintiffs and the ACLU of Texas, which represents them, underscored that Wednesday’s rehearing denial maintained that family-friendly drag shows would still be legal, and said they intend to continue fighting the law.

“The law’s vague and sweeping provisions still create a harmful chilling effect for drag artists and those who support them, while also threatening many types of performing arts cherished here in Texas, from theater to ballet to professional wrestling,” ACLU Texas attorney Brian Klosterboer said in a statement. “Because this law remains unconstitutional, we look forward to continuing this case before the district court and encourage anyone who is impacted by the law to reach out to us. Drag in Texas is here to stay.” ___

Cody’s Rapid Decline-What Happened

Yesterday's Blog was a memorial tribute to Cody. Today is a recap of what we experienced, so that other pet parents who see their dog start to appear bloated or show other symptoms, can take action quickly and get an ultrasound to determine if there's a tumor growing in their abdomen. 

(Photo: Cody at the ER Vet before getting his ultrasound. Credit: R. Gutro)

Behavior Changes That May Indicate an Internal Tumor

If we knew what signs to look for, we could have addressed Cody's tumor earlier, but it was impossible to piece it together. These are changes we noticed and puzzled. 

Right after our Dachshund Tyler passed away on July 29, 2025, Cody took on different behaviors. He started eating a lot more. He became ravenous (he was always a picky eater). We thought it was tied to Tyler's passing. By November, it looked like Cody had gained weight in his stomach. He also began peeing in the house. 

  December 1st - we had his urine tested to see if he had an infection. It was negative. We consulted with the doctor and thought his indoor peeing was a result of Dash's incontinence, because Dash's kidneys were failing. The thought was Cody smells pee and also marks. We even had to put Cody in a diaper at night (Dash was already in diapers). He also started drinking more water. 

   January 19, 2026, Dash passed. Cody seemed to mellow tremendously. He became more obedient, he did treat training with me, and seemed to finally enjoy it (after almost 4 years in the family). 

  In February, Codydidn't want to walk much anymore, but he would run for his treats in the kitchen when we toss them across the floor. We kept thinking he needed to exercise. He never cried or expressed pain. He was the happiest he has ever been. He would eat and then look bloated and it appeared to subside in hours (apparently it was his full stomach pushing out the tumor). As a precaution, I scheduled an ultrasound March 5th (4 days before his annual exam at the vet).  

After the Ultrasound 

By 6 p.m. on March 5, 2026 we picked Cody up at the Veterinary hospital after he got an ultrasound to determine why he had appeared bloated over the previous week or two. We had no idea that in 13 hours he would cross over.

When we arrived home that night, Cody ate and drank normally and finished all his food. As usual, he was still hungry. He behaved normally and was alert as always.

We went outside with him, and he was okay, other than he made little straining sounds when he was urinating.

(Photo: Cody from November 2025 with his usual one ear standing up) 

At 7:30 p.m. we did are nightly “three treat time” where I would sit on the kitchen floor with bags of three different treats, and Cody was all excited as he usually was, putting his little nose into each bag.

The last treat was a Full Moon chicken strip that I would split in half and then break into small pieces and toss them across the kitchen floor. Cody loved running after those treats.

Afterward, we went to the den sitting in our recliners with Cody cuddled next to Tom. As usual, during 1 hour of television, I broke little treats and he enjoyed them. All seemed normal.

(Photo of Cody from 2022)

Unusual Bedtime Behavior

After going outside and getting his bedtime treat, Cody didn’t seem to want to go in his bed. Usually, he would walk around for a couple of minutes and go to bed, so I would go upstairs to my room and Cody would go into his bed in Tom’s room.

After I was upstairs for 15 minutes I heard Cody walking around so I went downstairs to find him not wanting to go his bed because it was round and he looked uncomfortable. His stomach looked bloated. So, I brought out a half-moon shaped bed and he got in it and laid down and went to sleep… for a while.

The bottom falls out

Just before 5 a.m. Tom awoke to Cody whimpering. Tom found Cody in a corner of the kitchen, covered in his own feces and urine. When Tom retrieved him, he realized Cody’s back legs were paralyzed and Cody lost all control of his bowels and kidneys.

He called to me, and I helped clean Cody up, lay him back on the bed on a pee pad, and quickly administered some liquid gabapentin (pain medicine) that I had leftover. It seemed to ease his pain after 30 minutes while we sat with him.

Cody’s breathing was labored, and he was moaning in discomfort. We felt helpless. Meanwhile, overnight 3 inches of snow and sleet fell, coating the roads and driveway, making travel impossible, had it been an option. It wasn’t.  

Cody finally calmed and we moved his bed into Tom’s office area (where Cody usually stayed). I decided to take a 15-minute nap upstairs, and that was my mistake.

Cody passes

Tom called me less than 15 minutes later. During that time, he was sitting at his computer, listening to Cody and watching him.

He said Cody put his paws on the edge of his bed, let out one bark as he looked at Tom, and he passed away.

(Photo: Cody passed wrapped in his blankets with one of his toys)

I arrived to find Tom sitting beside Cody who had already passed and crossed over. We were gutted. We hadn’t cried that hard since Dash passed, just seven weeks before.

We contacted pet crematoriums, found a memorial box for his ashes, called the vet, canceled the Chewy autoship orders, and called the pet insurance to notify them of his passing. In the afternoon, we drove him to the funeral home wrapped in his favorite blanket.

We had now lost all three of our kids over the course of seven months. Two of them to aggressive cancers and one to acute kidney failure.

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Talk to Someone After a Loss

That night I made sure we talked with a grief counselor. All of these losses one after the other was too much to process.

If you experience deep grief, call 988 and you can speak to a grief counselor. If you happen to know a professional grief counselor, please reach out to them and make an appointment. Grief can be crippling, mentally, emotionally and physically. Once you establish assistance, then focus on good memories.

 Light a candle for them and remember funny things that your dog would do. Recall their habits and any quirky memories.

 As I did with Tyler and Dash, put their blankets on one side of your bed. Put their favorite toy on your bed and hold it tightly.

 Friends of ours had a pillow made in Dash’s likeness after he passed, and I hug that pillow every night. As I write this chapter, we are reeling the loss and deep in grief over our Cody. I’m keeping in mind that healing takes time, and that the gift of the love we shared was priceless and forever.

 

Cody's Symptoms- Things to Look for: Dog Stomach Tumors

If we knew what signs to look for, we could have addressed Cody's tumor earlier, but it was impossible to piece it together. These are changes we noticed and puzzled. Today's blog is about is what to look for so other pet parents can understand and take quick action.

Behavior Changes That May Indicate an Internal Tumor

Right after Tyler passed away on July 29, 2025, Cody took on different behaviors. 

Eating Ravenously

He started eating a lot more. He became ravenous (he was always a picky eater). We thought it was tied to Tyler's passing. By November, it looked like Cody had gained weight in his stomach. He also began peeing in the house.

After Tyler passed, we gave Cody and Dash the Turkey Tail mushroom supplement for dogs to boost their immune system. We don't know if it helped or not.

Peeing Indoors

We consulted with the doctor and thought his indoor peeing was a result of Dash's incontinence, because Dash's kidneys were failing. The thought was Cody smells pee and also marks. We even had to put Cody in a diaper at night (Dash was already in diapers). He also started drinking more water. On December 1st, we had Cody’s urine tested to see if he had an infection. It was negative.

Cody Mellowed after Dash Passed

On January 19, 2026, Dash passed. Cody seemed to mellow tremendously. He became more obedient, he did treat training with me, and seemed to finally enjoy it (after almost 4 years in the family).

Didn't want to Walk

In February, Cody didn't want to walk much anymore, but he would run for his treats in the kitchen when we toss them across the floor.

We kept thinking he needed to exercise.

He never cried or expressed pain. He was the happiest he has ever been. He would eat and then look bloated and it appeared to subside in hours (apparently it was his full stomach pushing out the tumor).

Scheduled an Ultrasound out of Caution

As a precaution, I scheduled an ultrasound March 5th  which was four days before his annual exam at the vet, where we were going to get his blood tested for Cushing’s Disease and get an X-ray to see if anything was going on internally. He didn’t last to his appointment.

Fortunately, we scheduled an ultrasound on March 5 and that provided us answers about what was coming. That's Tomorrow's Blog.

 

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A Memorial Tribute to Cody - Thank you for your Condolences

Thank you for your notes after Cody's sudden passing last Friday morning, March 6, 2026. We posted his photo and a note about what happened, and the messages we received were so appreciated. Today's blog is a look back at how we adopted Cody, and memories in our family. We realize that his passing came after he had learned his life lesson.

(Cody in the pickup truck from 2022, a year after we adopted him. Taking rides became one of his favorite things. Credit R.G.).

Our Thanks to You

     Thank you for all of your notes about Cody's sudden passing. Your notes, texts, messages and calls mean so much to us. 

   We've talked with a grief counselor, and he helped us work through our grief, guilt, self-blame (there's always that). Our counselor told us to light a candle nightly and talk about good memories, which we are doing. 

  We've gone over 1,000 times what happened, what we did and didn't see, and we understand it was his time, as totally unfair as that was to him and to us. We had pictures of him printed to go with his  ashes on a bookcase shelf of his own (next to the 6 shelves of our other kids' ashes). 

  Yesterday, the crematorium already had his ashes in a 1-day turnaround, so we picked them up. That was really emotional. We've kept his bed where it was with 2 of his toys, as we've kept Dash's and Tyler's. We are on our healing journey, and appreciate your kindness and love. 

 

Bonded with Tom 

From the minute we met him, Cody bonded with Tom. He became Tom's shadow. Over the years together, Tom was the only one who could get Cody out of bed to go outside. Cody always growled when being disturbed, but Tom could get away with it! Cody slept on Tom's bed, he followed Tom everywhere and he got annoyed when we went out and he couldn't go with us. I always called him "Cody Mouse," and I made up a little song about him - "There's a mouse in the house..." Tom would always call him "Pumpkin," and could always get Cody to stop growling and cooperate.  

(Photo: Cody at the ER Vet on March 5, 2026 for his ultrasound. Credit: R.G.)

Cody's Passing 

On March 6th, Tom posted a photo of Cody in memoriam. I wrote, "Tom and I are absolutely gutted today. Cody passed away at home unexpectedly this morning at 6:45am. We took him in for an ultrasound yesterday and learned that he had a large tumor on his liver but never expected him to pass today. We were going to make plans to have surgery and remove it. It's been an awful day, and we just can't talk to anybody right now. We have now lost all three dogs in 7 months, two from cancer and one from kidney failure."

How it all Began: Rescuing Cody

On April 30, 2022, we adopted Cody. Cody was an 8-pound long-haired, black/tan/white Dachshund/Terrier mix with one floppy ear and one ear that always stood straight up.

 

We were used to having three dogs, and since Franklin passed in May 2020, and Dolly passed in October 2020, there were only Tyler and Dash. So, we checked rescue websites, and Tom found Cody (then called Axel) at Sophia’s Grace Foundation website.

 

(Photo: Cody’s first day in the family. April 30, 2022. Credit: R. Gutro)

The Rescue

Sophia’s Grace Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization, established to provide a safe and loving foster home system for Dachshunds and other small breeds while they wait for their forever homes. We service the East Coast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwestern areas of the country. It was established by my friend Corinne Zoscak.

 

Cody’s website photo was adorable and we quickly fell in love wit him. He didn’t have much history but we soon learned it through his behaviors. In fact, his birthdate was unknown, but he was thought to  be about 10 years old.

 

(Photo: Cody's happy face in 2022. Credit: R.G.) 

Cody had only been with a foster mother associated with the rescue for 2 weeks before we adopted him, and in that time, he was neutered and had a dental cleaning, which revealed a previously fractured jaw. Cody was “dumped” at a kill shelter and found by the rescue, who took him in.

Because Tyler and Dash were bonded with me, I wanted to ensure that Cody bonded with my husband, Tom. To do that, when we drove a couple of hours to meet the rescuer with Cody in Virginia I had Tom hold Cody in the passenger seat for the long drive home. It worked.

Bonding and Issues

Cody was a loner and didn’t associate with Tyler and Dash, which told us he was an only dog. We determined Cody was badly abused by a man because he was always growling and snapping. If someone would walk by him he would react defensively (because he was obviously kicked in the sides) and nip the leg or foot. We realized his fractured jaw was also from abuse, too.

 

 (Photo: Left to right: Dash, Tyler and Cody prep for their first walk together on April 30, 2021. Credit: R. Gutro)

There is always a chance that a rescue dog has been abused. Like Cody, Dash and Tyler were both abused as we learned.

 

Cody came to us with a lot of anger and distrust from his previous home (I refuse to call previous homeowners "pet parents" if they were abusive). We worked with a trainer, and also had to resort to putting Cody on prozac because of his issues. Both of those helped him to be less angry and reactive and start to enjoy his life. 

Cody's Transformation Through Love and Patience

Over the 3 years and 10 months we had with Cody, we watched him transform into a scared and angry little dog to one who became loving and protective of Tom. He became Tom’s shadow.

 

(Photo: Christmas 2024, when Cody claimed a squeaky christmas ornament toy as his own. Credit: R.G.) 

Whenever we would say, “Do you want to go for a ride?” He would start dancing around and squeaking in delight! He also insisted on sitting in Tom’s lap in the pickup truck, while Dash and Tyler sat in the back seat-belted in.

 

Whenever I would open the center console of the truck, Cody would squeak in delight, because he knew I stored treats in there, and he would always get some.

(Photo: Cody would fall asleep in Tom's arms. Credit: R.G.) 

We took the boys everywhere. We would go through Dunkin’ drive-throughs and get lunch and park near a river. If we had errands, all the boys would go with us and one of us would stay in the truck with them.

We made a forest path in our backyard, and they all loved exploring it. Cody was the only one of the boys that didn’t mind meeting other dogs. Tyler and Dash saw other dogs as a threat and would bark. But Cody would greet them.

Like his brothers, Cody loved three treat time at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Sometimes he and the others tried to make me do it earlier!

(Photo: Tyler, Dash and Cody. Credit: R.G)

Cody's Mission

The day after Cody passed, we were talking about how he changed so much since he first arrived in our family. That was his mission with us. 

  Cody's transformation was more evident after Tyler and Dash passed. He started drinking out of the waterbowl with Dash. He climbed into bed with Dash when Dash was sickly. Cody no longer fought us about eating breakfast or taking pills, he ate and wanted more. He didn't growl or snap at us when we would ask him to go out, instead, at the sound of a treat bag, he got up and went outside. He finally became totally happy by the time he passed. 

Cody’s personality had totally transformed from an angry abused dog to one who finally found love and comfort in this life. 

You'll read about what happened in tomorrow's blog. 

Idiot of the Week: Arkansas Man gets 200 years in prison for sex crimes involving children

This week's idiot is a follower of you-know-who as this photo from his social page shows so it's sadly not surprising, but it is sickening. It appears he and his wife were arrested in August, 2024 for sex crimes against underage girls. 

Man gets 200 years in prison for sex crimes involving children

February 2, 2026 by Ron Wood, Arkansas Democrat Gazette

BENTONVILLE — A judge sen­tenced a Rogers man Monday, Feb 2, 2026 to 200 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in Benton County Circuit Court to sex crimes involving children.

Thomas Harper, 35, was charged with two counts of rape, sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child and aggravated assault and 30 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.

Circuit Judge Robin Green sentenced Harper to 40 years in prison for each of the rapes, 20 years for sexual assault and six years for aggrav­ated assault. Those sen­tences will run concurrently.

Harper was sentenced to eight years on each of 20 counts and four years each for another 10 counts of child porn with all 30 counts run­ning con­sec­ut­ively and concurrently to the other prison terms.

In another case, Harper was sentenced to six years in prison on a guilty plea to sexual indecency with a child. That time will be served concurrently to his other sen­tence.

Harper was arres­ted last year on charges that he sexu­ally abused a 9-year-old girl at the Bentonville Community Center, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The girl’s parents reported she told them Harper touched her inappropriately in a changing room at the center, the affidavit states.

The affidavit said Harper volun­teered to take the girl swimming.

The girl was interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County, where she detailed being touched inappropriately by Harper, according to the affidavit. She said Harper threatened to harm her parents if she told anyone, the affidavit states.

Harper denied the girl’s account, according to the affidavit.

Police found suspected child sexual abuse mater­ial on Harper’s cellphone, according to the affi­davit.

Hero of the week: Syracuse Police Officer Jamie Pastorello

This week's hero is Syracuse Police Officer Jamie Pastorello. At 33 he is a nine-year veteran of the police department, and he helped a woman get into a home when he realized she was sleeping in a cemetery on her husband's gravesite. This week's hero said the experience of meeting the woman and helping her reinforced why he became a police officer: seeing people in need and stepping in when it matters. Here's the story and a Go Fund me link to help her.

A grief-filled woman spent months sleeping in the cemetery where her husband is buried. Then "an angel" came to her rescue. 

By Steve Hartman January 23, 2026   CBS News

Syracuse, New York — Police officers in Syracuse, New York, were surprised in December to find a 55-year-old woman living among the dead at Oakwood Cemetery.

The story of how Rhea Holmes came to live in that cemetery started years earlier with the death of her husband, Eddie Holmes. The couple had been married 26 glorious years and were planning to finally buy their dream house.

In October 2020, they put in an offer, and it was accepted. That same day, however, Eddie died suddenly of a heart attack.

So, instead of buying the home, Holmes took the down payment and spent it on a cemetery plot for her husband, with a bench in front of it for reminiscing.

Unfortunately, living in the past took a real toll on her present. Left with little money and little left to live for, Holmes slipped into depression. She lost her job and got evicted. She was too proud to move into a shelter, so she took up residence at the only place she felt she owned: her husband's grave."This is what I purchased," Holmes told CBS News.

Beginning in May 2025, she would volunteer at the nearby food pantry during the day, and then quietly slip undetected into the cemetery at night, where she would sleep. "I assumed that I was going to die there," Holmes said of the cemetery, but then "along comes an angel."

(Photo: Rhea Holmes and Officer James Pastorello. Credit: Syracuse.com) 

In December, a retired officer who works at the cemetery noted Holmes' presence and contacted police. Syracuse Police Officer Jamie Pastorello responded and became the angel who took Holmes under his wing.

"It was just the right thing to do," Pastorello said. "And I wasn't going to let Rhea sleep outside again. A complete turnaround, you know, in 20 days, she went from sleeping on the cold, hard ground in a cemetery, to her own home."

First, he paid for a hotel room for Holmes. Then he connected her with the president of LeMoyne College, who let Holmes stay on campus while the students were on winter break.

Pastorello also started a crowdfunding campaign and connected Holmes with a nonprofit called A Tiny Home for Good, which rents tiny homes at affordable prices to those in need. When a tiny home became available, Holmes was able to move in.

Nothing will ever replace her husband Eddie, but the multiple hugs she bestowed upon Pastorello during their recent reunion provided the sense that this new friendship will keep Holmes from moving back into that cemetery any time soon.

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YOU CAN STILL  HELP OUT- (They were still $10K short on January 25, 2026) Officer James Pastorello created a GoFundMe page on behalf of Rhea Holmes to help her with necessities. To support, visit the GoFundMe page here. As always, stay inspired.

GoFundMe: https://gofundme.com/f/help-rhea-find-a-safe-and-stable-home

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For a more detailed story, visit Syracuse.com: https://www.syracuse.com/news/2026/01/how-a-police-officer-helped-a-woman-sleeping-in-a-syracuse-cemetery-find-a-home.html

Coming up! Paranormal Weekend of Events in Maryland at Linville Manor!

 You can decide if you want to go on a Ghost Investigation with seasoned paranormal investigators in Maryland's most Haunted Mansion, OR the next day, attend 2 lectures about how Pets communicate from the afterlife and learn about Witches in Colonial Maryland! Details below. 

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MARCH 21 and MARCH 22, 2026 

LINVILLE MANOR In UPPER MARLBORO,  MARYLAND INVITES YOU  

Greetings visitors of Linville Manor!

Sharing a few exciting events coming our way in March

Details and Links Below:

MARCH 21- Paranormal Weekend Part I

Paranormal Investigation & Book Discussion

Rob Gutro returns to Linville Manor for the first time since 2021, when he helped discover the identity of one of Linville Manor's most notable ghosts. He and Winn Brewer (owner) will discuss that investigation, various paranormal accounts of the house, and conduct book signings. They will be joined by New England Paranormal Research and Drag Artist Monique Toosoon, and will lead visitors on a one-of-a-kind paranormal investigation until the midnight hours. Don't miss this event if you enjoy spooky things, availability is limited so book soon. If you are interested in continuing your investigation into the late night hours, overnight stay options are available, please email us if you would like to book a room for the night! *Guests who stay overnight will have automatic admittance to paranormal presentations the next day!

EVENT TICKETS HERE

MARCH 22 - Paranormal Weekend Parl II 

Paranormal Presentations

The paranormal weekend continues with two incredible paranormal presentations!

11AM - 1PM 

Rob Gutro 

Pets & the Afterlife 

As a medium, Rob found that he had the ability to interact with those beloved pets who have departed us. Many still have messages for their former owners. Come hear some of his astounding stories and some of the revelations he was able to provide to others. Perhaps he will even detect Linville Manor's very own ghost cat: Shadow.

EVENT TICKET (for both presentations)

2PM - 4PM 

Ron Padron 

Here There Be Witches: Witchcraft in Colonial Maryland

Spoiled milk. Fallow fields. Lamed limbs. Join local author and historian, Ron Padrón, for a lecture exploring Maryland's witchcraft history. We'll explore how colonists dealt with the threat of witches among them, from the superstitions that fueled allegations to the legal system designed to bring them to justice. This lecture also includes a deep dive into the life and death of the only person in Maryland history legally executed for witchcraft. 

EVENT TICKET (for both presentations)