I read Lisa W. Cantrell's The Manse last October. At first, I thought it was OK but nothing special. But I thought about it often and realized maybe I had enjoyed it more than I had thought. I saw some less than positive reviews on Goodreads, and maybe that changed my opinion; I didn't think the book deserved the hate I was seeing from other readers. So, I began to reread it a week ago. And I enjoyed it again. The story revolves around an old mansion in the center of fake town Merrillville, North Carolina. Each year the town's Jaycees rent the home from the owners and put on a haunted house in the Manse and it's usually a huge hit. The book is from 1986 or 1987 and set in 1985 through 1987, but you wouldn't necessarily notice this while reading. The story is not in your face '80s in any way. I still enjoy this regardless due to its 1980s setting in general. This is the year McDonald's release their Halloween pumpkin pail Happy Meals, after all. This is the ...

McDonald's is an American icon, a symbol of innovation. And today, the Golden Arches are a shadow of its former self. Eating out at McDonald's was something that American families could look forward to for decades. The food was usually inexpensive, and decent for what it was. I've talked about McDonald's nostalgia for a while now, especially in the Halloween season. In the 1970s and through pre-pandemic, McDonald's was a hub for folks to gather and sit and enjoy a meal or dessert together. The Mansard Roof era is the building that most of us Gen Xers and later will undoubtedly remember, and fondly. The Play Place was a revelation! A playground in the middle of a restaurant, c'mon son! That was genius. (Unless you had to clean them on the weekends like I had to...) I had the privilege to work in two different Mansard Roof McDonald's in the '90s. Back then it was nothing special, more a rite of passage and some summer spending money requisite. I bought a l...