Populus tremuloides, Rocky Mountain front by Kodak, 1981 Memories from my past seeped back into me as I pictured Richard Powers' character Nicholas Hoel view photos documenting a chestnut tree's daily transformation over years as if a flip book. I set down The Overstory, and remembered. Back to a brilliant fall forty years ago in … Continue reading Of trees, transformations, and a visitation
Sadness in the beauty
Sadness in the beauty of the day.My cold fingers ache in half finger cycling gloves, yet early morning sun shines bright enough to need shades. I feel sad in the beauty of it.Sad for those I miss who no longer are here.Sad for those who no longer are as they once were. The stillness of the air, … Continue reading Sadness in the beauty
Of posts, publications and possibilities
Today is publication day for Beyond the Ripples! Yippee! In addition to three wonderful author endorsements, I am pleased to see the first (of hopefully many) reader reviews to show up on GoodReads and Amazon. I appreciate Women Writers, Women's Books for featuring my essay today on their website. When I wrote it I wasn't … Continue reading Of posts, publications and possibilities
From Zidell to Illahee: put these bunks to bed
I will admit that rarely has a bunk bed been my favored, most comfortable sleeping spot. Decades ago a fall from my brother's top bunk led to a jagged, sloppily sewn scar I still wear today, created after I struck the corner of a dresser drawer. A decade or so later, I suffered through nights … Continue reading From Zidell to Illahee: put these bunks to bed
Bursting into May
I could be referring to the blast of cherry blossoms, tulips or cottonwood. Or this week's bluster of rain and wind. Instead, my thoughts are full with planning for the release of Beyond the Ripples, my debut Oregon-based novel, in just a few weeks. Above all else, I feel such gratitude for the support I … Continue reading Bursting into May
Teach our children well: a story about trillium
I keep meaning to get to that next novel. Write it, that is. (The one that lies in wait, somewhere, inside me.) Instead, other words infiltrate my not-still brain, urging it on with a different, pressing demand. Another blog. My brain is obsessive. It rapidly composes, adding words to one another, making it hard to … Continue reading Teach our children well: a story about trillium
Win a free book: identify this river stretch
The Willamette and Columbia Rivers were big players in my memoir, My Music Man. These moving waterways play smaller, yet important roles in my novel. While Oregon (and beyond) rivers exude stretches of beauty and intrigue, who might recognize the stretch I selected to film my Beyond the Ripples trailer? Name this stretch for a … Continue reading Win a free book: identify this river stretch
Find my friend: then and now
Imagine it to be 1842 in Oregon Country - your spouse hasn't arrived home by nightfall, although expected to return by horseback to Oregon City after a week away in Astoria. As worried as you may be, a logical choice might be....
Creating portraits from the past
Chloe Aurelia Clarke Willson & William Holden Willson I have precisely one photo each of my great-great-great grandparents, Chloe and William. I don't know the dates the photos were taken, although both pose as older adults. And, despite not knowing what they looked like as babies, children, or as younger "newlyweds," I feel fortunate to … Continue reading Creating portraits from the past
Time to March on
Yesterday would have been Dad's 89th birthday. It seemed a fitting day to share my final book talk on My Music Man...and to serve cookies. If you've read my memoir, you may recall this excerpt. TWO MONTHS AFTER Dad's death and a few weeks after his memorial service on the steamer Portland, Russ and I … Continue reading Time to March on
