A Visit to the National World War I Museum and Memorial
Kansas City is home to the National World War I Museum and Memorial, which is, according to its website, “America’s only museum dedicated to sharing the stories of the Great War through the eyes of those who lived it.” My husband and I have visited the museum several times, and it truly is a national […]
On Memories and Liars and Lying Memories
At Mass last Sunday, the second reading was from 1 John, and included 1 John 2:4 (NAB): “Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” As the lector read those words, I was transported to a time twenty years ago when I […]
You Know Your Children Are Grown When . . . [Part V]
I’ve written on this topic several times in the past, but in recent months I’ve had more occasions to reflect on the benefits of having grown children. You know your children are grown when 1. Both children call on your birthday, and you don’t think one reminded the other this year (though maybe . . […]
The Great-Grandmother I Know the Most About: Cecelia Ryan Strachan
I never knew my great-grandmother Cecelia Ryan Strachan, my maternal grandmother’s mother. In fact, Cecelia died before my mother was born, so my mother never knew this grandmother either. But I can piece together some facts about Cecelia’s life, from family stories and from Sacramento newspaper articles and histories. That’s one of the advantages of […]
The Great Spoon Bread Debate
My son came to visit recently, and while he was here, an old family debate surfaced in our kitchen and on Facebook. As I’ve mentioned before, my son likes to cook. As he was planning his trip home, he told me he would be happy to fix some meals for us—and he specifically mentioned making […]
Insomnia and Train Whistles
A few nights ago I was awake in the middle of the night, one of those nights when I could not sleep. About 1:38 am, I heard a train whistle cry mournfully through the dark. And I got to thinking about all the train whistles I’ve heard through the years. My earliest memory of a […]
Easter Eggs: Hunting and Dyeing
I don’t remember ever going on an Easter egg hunt as a child. The Easter Bunny might have hidden some candy around our living room, but I’m not even certain of that. We had pets, plus my mother would have feared an egg getting lost behind the couch. The Easter Bunny would probably have been […]
The Oregon Donation Land Claim Act and Marriage
I wrote back in October 2015 about the Oregon land laws in the 1840s, and in that post I mentioned the Oregon Donation Land Claim Act (known as the Donation Land Law), which was passed by Congress on September 27, 1850. My current work-in-progress takes place in late 1850 and 1851, and I have needed […]
Whining about Writing
Sometimes you just have to whine. Or rant. I’m doing some of both today. For the past several weeks, I’ve only been able to work on my novel about one day a week. Maybe two. I am in a weekly critique group, in which each participant (there are six of us) can submit up to […]
Random Photos: Rickover, Our First Dog
Rickover was the first dog my husband and I owned together. I’ve mentioned Rickover before (see here and here), but he has never had a post devoted solely to him. I found a couple of photos recently that made me decide to rectify my oversight. As I’ve said before, he was half Brittany Spaniel, and […]