But It’s a Dry Heat
My husband and I traveled to Spokane again last weekend to visit family. It was only 64 degrees for the high temperature in Seattle the day before we left, but we knew it would be hot in Spokane. And sure enough, on Saturday, July 12, the high temperature in Spokane reached 91 degrees. To me, […]
A Bittersweet Fourth of July
Last Friday was our first Independence Day in Seattle. The staff at our retirement community fixed an opulent mid-day barbeque for the residents—roasted pig that went on the fire well before dawn, chicken legs and ribs in tangy sweet sauce, veggie burgers for those who didn’t want the real thing, macaroni and cheese, salads. And, […]
Historical Novel Society Conference 2025 (Virtual)
Last weekend, I was able to attend the virtual version of the Historical Novel Society of North America’s conference. The live version was in Las Vegas, but I wasn’t able to travel there, nor did the prospect of Las Vegas in the summer really appeal to me. This was the third virtual HNS conference I […]
The Trial of Susan B. Anthony
This month is the 152nd anniversary of the trial of Susan B. Anthony for voting in the Presidential Election of 1872. Several women suffragists showed up at various polls around the U.S. to vote on Election Day, November 5, 1872. One of them was Abigail Scott Duniway in Oregon. A more famous suffragist who voted […]
Diminishing Returns in Editing My Work-in-Progress (Which Means I’m Close!)
The last time I wrote about my current work-in-progress was in mid-March. At that point, I had finished Draft 3, and was starting Draft 4. In the three months since that post, I finished Draft 4 (during which I had Word read the book aloud to me), and then I sent the manuscript to seven […]
A Visit to the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park operated by the National Park Service. Like most NPS sites, this was a treasure, albeit a small one. I knew from the research I did to write my current work-in-progress that Tacoma became a railroad boom town in […]
Rhododendron Rhapsody
I learned in grade school that the state flower of Washington State is the rhododendron. But rhododendrons didn’t grow well in Eastern Washington where I grew up. My mother planted a rhododendron bush in the front yard when we moved into the first house my parents owned in 1962. She nursed that bush along, but […]
Development of Portland, Oregon, as a Commercial Center
I’ve written earlier posts about the development of Portland, Oregon, where my work-in-progress is set. Although Oregon City was the first commercial town to grow in Oregon, Portland soon surpassed it. Portland had only 800 residents in 1850, but by 1870 had over 8,000—far smaller than San Francisco, but far larger than Oregon City. Portland’s […]
Reflections on a Second Granddaughter
With everything else going on, I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to rejoice in my second granddaughter. But she is a treasure. I recounted some of the drama associated with her birth in last week’s post, but I am happy to say she came through it unscathed. (The adults around her bore […]
A Roller-Coaster Month So Far
Some weeks glide by, almost without notice. Others pack a punch, pitching and tossing like the wildest roller coasters. The last couple of weeks have been a roller-coaster for me. I don’t like roller coasters. Like a roller coaster, the end of April was quiet enough. But my husband and I knew the pace would […]