Copilot Hallucination — Glad I Was on the Ground
I wrote recently about setting up my new laptop. One of the first things I did was set up the facial recognition and fingerprint recognition security features. Those are really slick when they work. But I usually use an external monitor and other peripherals with my laptop. I keep my laptop closed in front of […]
Jumping Off: Crossing the Missouri River at Kanesville, Iowa, 1847-1851
Since moving to Seattle, I’ve been researching some of the early pioneers who settled in this area. The first settlers to establish a permanent presence in what is now Seattle were the Denny Party, who arrived in 1851. They left Illinois in April and reached Portland in late August of that year. One thing I’ve […]
Setting Up Another New Laptop
A couple of months ago, I noticed that the laptop I bought in 2021 was beginning to sit unevenly on my desk. Uh, oh, I thought, the battery may be going bad. I’d had this happen before, and that laptop lasted for a year or so. This time, my laptop worked perfectly, so I didn’t […]
My Third Beach Birthday
I’ve mentioned before that I spent two of my birthdays at Cannon Beach, Oregon—my 12th and my 15th. Last Saturday was my birthday (not a milestone), and I was fortunate to spend it on a beach as well—this time Richmond Beach, Washington. It’s been a long timing coming since my last beach birthday, but I […]
A Quarter Through 2025: Am I Voting “Present”?
On New Year’s Day, I posted that my resolution for 2025 was to vote “present” when confronted with decisions about what to do. In other words, I resolved to balance my propensity for planning with living in the moment. To focus on what should come next in the immediate moment, rather than worrying too far […]
The Pig War and the Peace Arch
My husband and I visited the Peace Arch on the border between the United States and Canada last weekend. The scene was idyllic—water, gardens, and an inspiring arch that reminds us that the U.S. and Canada have had friendly relations for a long time. “Children of a common mother,” says the U.S. side of the […]
First Visit To the Seattle Symphony
I love classical music, but in recent years, I haven’t had many chances to experience live performances. My husband finds it difficult to sit comfortably for long stretches—especially in the cramped seats of a concert hall. I’ve gone to a few performances with friends, but not as often as I’d like. One perk of living […]
Draft 3 Is Done!
I am pleased to report that I finished the third draft of my work-in-progress this past weekend. It’s taken me four months to complete this draft. And now I have launched into Draft 4. There are some things I feel good about at this point in the book—much better than when I started this draft. […]
Unpacking Mental Boxes
My husband and I closed on the sale of our house in Kansas City recently. We moved to Seattle five months ago, and through the winter the empty house was a worry. Kansas City had a cold and snowy winter. That meant a risk of frozen pipes and other cold-weather disasters, as well as a […]
Carkeek Park: Beaches and Beavers and History
On the fourth Wednesday of the month, I usually write a post with a historical theme—an event or place that features in one of my historical novels, for example. Today, I am detouring slightly to write about a place I recently went to that brought historical events to mind. One of my favorite things about […]