In 1968, my dad - Dick Montgomery - and his brother Bill, sparred over whether Wilsonville should incorporate. Bill, my family, and my grandparents all lived on Montgomery Way on the bank of the Willamette. "While we were young and naive, we knew that adults disagreed about what should happen to our town and its … Continue reading Wilsonville 1968: the big vote by a small community
The best way to thank an author
Some say the best way to thank an author is to write a review. Yep...I'm learning that to be near the top of the list. I'd be lying, though, if I didn't admit the best to be the heartfelt private email. Some notes and emails I have received from readers shared how my stories renewed memories … Continue reading The best way to thank an author
In this moment I eat blackberries
The smell of river summer doesn’t fully ripen until late June. It rises mildly on a morning, simmering until late afternoon as the banks absorb the sun’s warmth and then, finally, release the ultimate river smell: a fishy blend spiked with decomposing cottonwood fibers and soon-to-burst blackberry blossoms. … Continue reading In this moment I eat blackberries
In our final moments: an anniversary
Dad died on July 13. Four years ago today. I haven’t blogged about that day, although I share a few of the details in My Music Man. Writing those words at the time, prior to publication, felt raw. With the passage of time I articulate my feelings differently than I fully did then. The day … Continue reading In our final moments: an anniversary
West Linn Ignite strikes again
You have another opportunity later this month to join West Linn Historical Society at the (now we can say popular) Ignite West Linn: History on Fire. This dynamic and lively fast-paced event providing glimpses into history will begin at 4pm on Sunday, July 29 at the Willamette Ale & Cider House, and run until approximately 5:30pm. Ignite presenters get … Continue reading West Linn Ignite strikes again
Willamette Falls Locks reimagined today
How many in our bursting metro area know much about our aged Willamette Falls Locks? Ask a longtime local and they'll fill your ear. The Locks opened on New Year's Day 1873 and were operated by several owners prior to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' purchase from Portland Railway Light and Power Company in … Continue reading Willamette Falls Locks reimagined today
We are about stories
I stayed up late the other night finishing Birgitta Hjalmarson's Fylgia, a story based in Sweden and published by the same press as my memoir, Bedazzled Ink. I mistakenly drank caffeinated coffee at 4:30 pm, and decided to make good use of any anticipated insomnia. I would have finished the novel, without caffeine. And I am … Continue reading We are about stories
My San Antonio rose medallion moments
The cabinet containing Chinese rose medallion porcelain stopped me on my way to the bar. Not caring who was around I released an audible you're kidding that quickly morphed into an excited, though stunned, grin. It was another serendipitous moment, one triggered by my friend William. He recommended I stop by San Antonio's Menger Hotel … Continue reading My San Antonio rose medallion moments
Celebrate the moments
Yesterday I finished my final final. Some may understand what I mean by this. It's not what I thought was final when I submitted my manuscript to my publisher last December, and of which I signed a contract barely a week later. Nor is it the version I completed one month later, taking those few … Continue reading Celebrate the moments
Writing about the bad
When I began writing about Dad in My Music Man, I didn’t intend to write about his alcoholism. While it was a big thing, it wasn’t the big thing when he died. Rather, I missed him, his stories, and his connections to our past. It was in my first draft of writing about him when I … Continue reading Writing about the bad
