ABOUT
I’m a philomath, someone who loves learning. Everything connects. Every subject has its own poetry. Every question is a doorway. Philomathy first captivated me when my mother read to me as a child. I’ve been on the path ever since. Good teachers, good friends, interesting places, work, and play all contribute to a life worth living. On this site you will find blogs on Books, Teachers, Character, Civility, Mathematics, Art, Home Cooking, Honesty, Monkeying Around, and more. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. Click on our Blog Index for an alphabetical list of all our blogs.
Short Bio
Armed with college degrees in mathematics, statistics, and economics, I spent time as the owner/operator of The Sea Gull Restaurant in Mendocino, taught economics for a spell, worked as a Certified Financial Planner, wrote the column “Notes From a Financial Planner,” hosted a weekly radio show, Money Talks, and created “Think in the Morning” blogsite. My first published novel, Behind The Locked Door, received a number of positive reviews. Pieces of Time – Short Stories is my second published book due to be released in early 2026.
Comments on Behind The Locked Door
This is one of those rare books that covers many genres and interests. A literary drama that involves a young lawyer diagnosed with terminal cancer; a book that delves into the unconventional medical approaches to healing; and, also a tale that is filled with intrigue, suspense, politics, as well as “hard- boiled” criminal characters and activities. Feather Quill Book Review
This imaginative and mystical book traverses the real and dream worlds of a young man with incurable cancer who hopes an unproven drug and a shamanic healer from Mexico can restore his life. Blueink Review
Blurring the line between fantasy and reality, Behind the Locked Dooris a novel about living life to the fullest, no matter how much time you have left. Foreward Clarion Reviews
The denouement is shocking — something that readers wouldn’t see coming and wish for it to be different, but it doesn’t take away the profound effect the novel makes as a tightly focused yet equally satisfying tale of love and intrigue. Lovers of literary fiction and magical realism will be equally rewarded. The Prairies Book Review
Contact Us: dhj@thinkinthemorning.com
This is a place to read what I write about food, money, words and more, about people, about places and things, maybe even about you if you passed through Mendocino some time in the past–a bit of history, a few memories, poetry, stories, travel, politics, and current affairs. The Sea Gull Restaurant of Mendocino in the 70s and 80s was a popular place when the town was growing from a sleepy coastal village to a tourist destination. The Sea Gull Blogs documents some of what happened there. Our Napkin Art Gallery displays hundreds of napkins created by artists and bar patrons.
Think in the morning is one of William Blake’s Proverbs of Hell. Like his Auguries of Innocence, his Proverbs have taught me much. I’ll have more to say of Blake in these pages and of other poets and authors too.