Sarah Winnemucca: 19th Century Advocate for Native Americans
Last month I wrote about Winema Riddle, a Native American woman who pursued justice for her people in 19th century Oregon. Sarah Winnemucca was another prominent Native American woman in Oregon at the time who also advocated for her people. Sarah Winnemucca was born into an influential Northern Paiute family in what is now Nevada. […]
My 50th High School Reunion (I Missed It)
My 50th high school reunion was last weekend. I wasn’t able to attend, but I followed the planning all year on my class’s Facebook page. The only high school reunion I have attended was my 25th, in 1998. I could attend that one because my parents still lived in my hometown of Richland, Washington, so […]
On Babies, Problems, Anxious People, and Answers
Babies and dogs are good listeners. Even when they aren’t paying attention, it is really easy to talk to them, to tell them your problems. They don’t care about anything other than their own needs, but at least they don’t offer advice. When I spent time with my granddaughter in July, I told her all […]
Variations of Normal Through the Generations
My daughter tells me her parent/baby group shows her nine variations of normal. What her baby—my granddaughter—does is one variation. But measuring one baby against another is a pointless exercise. She is right. The baby books from past generations in my family show more variations of normal. Comparing these variations is even more pointless, given […]
Sitting in the Dentist’s Office
The theme of this blog is “One writer’s journey through life and time.” Well, then, this post is a peek into today’s journey—I’ll write about my life and time in real time, what is happening while I draft this post. I am sitting in the dentist’s office. My husband has a dental appointment, and I […]
Winema Riddle: A Woman of Many Names and Talents
My next novel will include scenes with Winema Riddle, a Native American woman who lived in Oregon in the 19th century. She served as an interpreter between the Army and the Modoc tribe during the Modoc War in 1872-73. Although best known as Winema Riddle, this Modoc woman took many names during her life, and […]
Totally Wireless — Verizon Home Internet
I’ve joined the 21st century. Our house is totally cable-free. My husband never wanted to subscribe to cable television, so, to our children’s consternation, we never did. We had a landline phone in our old house, but abandoned that when we moved to this house. We now only have cell phones, though there is a […]
2023 Romance Genre Con at Woodneath Library
I’ve written before about the Woodneath Branch of the Mid-Continent Public Library and The Story Center located in this facility. This and the many other libraries in Kansas City are wonderful resources for our community. For the past several years, the Woodneath library has sponsored a Romance Genre Conference (known as “Rom Con”). I have […]
Insomnia at Six Months
I wrote in my last post about forgetting my laptop when I went to visit my granddaughter. Readers recommended I just play with the baby, and that’s what I did for the week I was with her. Peekaboo. Reading crinkle books and board books. Singing. Walks in the stroller. Practicing sitting. We had lots of […]
Forgetfulness and Flexibility
I went out of town last week with great plans for what I would accomplish. I would care for and play with my granddaughter, of course, but babies take naps, and surely I would have some down time. And then I got to the security line at the airport in Kansas City, and I realized […]