On Punching Up and Pizzazz
I met with my real estate agent for three hours one afternoon last week. She’s a neighbor and a friend, so I knew I could be open with her about all the quirks and cracks and over-full closets in the house. Still, it’s a very vulnerable feeling to reveal your secrets to an outsider, the […]
The Chemical Reactivity of Metals: A Science Project
I rarely entered science fairs as a student, but when I was in the seventh grade, everyone in the class was required to submit some project to the school science fair as part of our Science grade. I moaned at home about needing a topic, and my father suggested I do something on how metals […]
Write Brain Trust Authors—What We Love (and Hate) About Writing
On my page for writers, I mention Write Brain Trust, a group of Kansas City area authors whose mission is “Writers helping writers with creativity, publishing, and marketing in a digital world.” In the seven years since we began, about thirty authors have been a part of the group. Recently, several of us started talking […]
Black-Eyed Peas: An Instant Pot Recipe
I reported earlier in the month that my husband gave me an Instant Pot for Christmas. Although it wasn’t at the top of my wishlist (nor, indeed, anywhere on my wishlist), I have tried to give it a fair opportunity. Here is a recipe for one of my more successful attempts: Black-Eyed Peas 1/2 bag […]
Ten Years Ago—My Life and Dreams
Every once in a while, I go back through old journal volumes to see where I was and how I’ve traveled to where I am today. Recently, I picked up a volume from ten years ago. Early 2009 was the end of the beginning of my retirement years. Throughout 2007 and 2008, I had relished […]
Logging in Oregon in the 1850s
When the pioneers reached Oregon, they found abundant old-growth forests with timber that had never been cut. But logging has always been a part of Oregon’s history. In 1805, Lewis and Clark built their winter shelter, Fort Clatsop, out of logs they cut. Hudson Bay Company built a water-powered sawmill at Fort Vancouver in 1827. […]
An Update on Our New House—I’m Trusting the Process
Our new home is still not much more than a hole in the ground. The foundation walls were poured in mid-December. By Christmas, some backfilling around the walls had been done. As of January 8, the garage hole had been filled in. (Did you know that garage floors can be made self-supporting, so it doesn’t […]
Memories of Vicks
One scent that brings my childhood to mind is that of Vicks VapoRub. When I was of toddler and preschool age, my mother would bring out the Vicks every time my brother or I had a cold. I used to try to hide my symptoms so she wouldn’t treat me with Vicks. My brother had […]
Snow Day . . . Not for the Birds
Kansas City got hit with a snowstorm last Friday and Saturday. Friday morning I had a meeting at the far end of the metropolitan area from where I live. I was driving other people, so skipping the meeting was not an option. It rained all morning, though the snow held off until after I got […]
My New Devices: Solutions in Search of Problems
My husband is of the belief that I like gadgets. Some gadgets I do like. Some have changed my life—for example, my first Nook Color ereader and its later replacements. Before that, my Palm Pilot converted me to electronic calendars. And I love my current 13-inch HP Spectre touchscreen laptop, which is small enough to […]