Walking a New Beach in December
I’ve written before about how much I love the beach. Usually, my visits to the beach have been in summer time, or if in winter, they’ve been to beaches in warm climes. This past Sunday, December 1, my husband and I strolled along Richmond Beach, just fifteen minutes from our apartment. The air temperature was […]
Growth of the West Coast in the Mid-1800s and Beyond
Oregon City, now a suburb of Portland, Oregon, was one of the largest settlements in the West in the 1840s. Located at the Willamette Falls, which halted all boat traffic on the Willamette River, Oregon City was a natural stopping point for pioneers from the East. Starting with the Great Migration of 1843, Oregon City […]
Zooming Again
After 45 years in Missouri, I left many friends behind when my husband and I moved to Seattle. Some ties are hard to keep, but Zoom makes it easier. We all got used to Zoom and other online meeting platforms during the pandemic. Before March 2020, I had participated in online webinars, but I’d only […]
Draft 2 of My Work-in-Progress Is Done!
This past weekend, I finally finished Draft 2 of my work-in-progress. Because of our cross-country move, it took me many weeks longer than it should have. I finished Draft 1 in late May, so this second draft took almost six months. Fortunately, it hangs together pretty well. And now, on to Draft 3. I hope […]
Minor Adventures Along the Shore
Now that my husband and I are functional in our new apartment (though not entirely unpacked), we have begun to do a little exploring. When we have the time to drive around, I find myself seeking sea and mountain views, things we did not have in Kansas City. So far, we haven’t ventured far. We’ve […]
I’m Back, After Lots of Changes!
This blog was on hiatus for a little longer than I expected. Followers of my blog will immediately notice one reason—my website was completely redesigned during my weeks away from posting. I’ve thought for a while now that my website needed an update. It’s looked the same since 2017—a lifetime in website design. The malware […]
Blog Going on Hiatus
Because of a personal commitment that will consume my time for the next few weeks, I am putting this blog on hiatus for a while. I’d love to post about it as it’s happening, but I won’t have time to write. So I’ll tell you all about it when I return. Here are a few […]
Remembering the People of Hallmark
I wrote five years ago about my first day of work for Hallmark Cards on September 4, 1979. That post was on the 40th anniversary of my start date (i.e., “continuity date” in Hallmark-speak). Today is the 45th anniversary of my start date. But this year I am thinking less about that first day of […]
1870s Mansions in Portland, Oregon
The fictional family in my work-in-progress lives in a large house in Portland, Oregon. They built the house and moved into it sometime around 1870. As I’m editing the novel, I realize I need more details on the location and the layout of the house and its grounds. So, I have been researching actual mansions […]
A Visit to The Rabbit HOle
Last week, I visited The Rabbit HOle, a museum in North Kansas City dedicated to children’s literature. The museum features displays based on a wide variety of children’s beloved and award-winning books, from Goodnight Moon to Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel to Crow Boy. Although I have lived in the Kansas City Northland for […]