Playing Santa with Grandpa and Barbie
Only my father-in-law and I were at my in-laws’ house late on Christmas Eve 1984. All the Methodists in the family except Grandpa had gone to their midnight service, which began at 10:30pm. Early to bed, those Methodists. The three grandchildren – my nephew, niece, and son – were nestled in their beds. Finally. I […]
Learning to Ski
As winter approaches each year, I cringe. Will my family want to go skiing? It’s not that I can’t ski; it’s just that I don’t like to. At best, I am a spring skier – when the temperatures hover just above freezing and the sun shines, then skiing is tolerable. Otherwise, I’d rather be reading. […]
Innocence of Christmases Past
I wrote today’s post before the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. As I upload the post now, I recognize in sorrow that many families in Newton, CT, will not be able to pose their children under the Christmas tree this year, nor in future years. All the children at Sandy Hook […]
Super-Jesus and the Season of Mystery
My family is an eclectic mix of Catholics, Protestants, agnostics, and skeptics. Most of the time we muddle along just fine, but on occasion things get a little jumbled. I wasn’t present when this incident occurred, so let’s just say it’s a mix of fact and fiction. Much like the story itself. I’ll let each […]
Christmas Traditions in the Late 1840s
Because the emigrants in my first Oregon Trail novel traveled between April and October, I didn’t have to write about their Christmas celebrations in that book. But the sequel covers a three-year time span, so as I work on this draft, I am learning about Christmas traditions in the late 1840s. The American Puritans abhorred […]
A Writer’s Journey, and the Value of Critique Groups
In my gratitude list, I mentioned the support of colleagues and mentors as something I am grateful for. When I decided to spend my time writing, finding fellow writers was a year-long journey. For the first several months, I just wrote. And read books about writing. I learned a lot about novel techniques, and I […]
Jingle Bell Villanelle
As Christmas approaches every year, I worry about all the things to do — send cards, buy presents, mail packages, make travel plans. I feel overwhelmed. Here is the poem I wrote a couple of years ago to express my frustration. It is in the classic villanelle rhyme scheme. Jingle Bell Villanelle The ads […]
Nominated for “One Lovely Blog Award” . . . and My Nominations
A writing and blogging friend, Linda Joyce, has nominated this blog for the “One Lovely Blog Award” – I am honored. One more reason to be grateful as this month of gratitude draws to a close. Nominees for this award are required to: 1. Thank the blogger who nominated them, which I most heartily do. (Check […]
‘Ode to Joy’ on Our Wedding Anniversary
I always assumed I would walk down the aisle at my wedding to the strains of the Bridal Chorus from Wagner’s opera “Lohingren” (also called the “Wedding March”). You know the one: “Here comes the bride, All dressed in white, . . . “ So imagine my surprise when I got to our wedding rehearsal […]
Meet the Parents and The Circle of Life
No, my dad isn’t Robert DeNiro, but we did have our own version of “Meet the Parents” just before my husband and I were married. As I’ve mentioned before (see here and here), my husband and I are about to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. We got married on the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 1977. […]