For the first time since I was in graduate school, I have no job, nor am I between jobs. Yes, forty years of knowing what work was or where the pay check would come from. My only breaks were maternity leaves, six weeks after a devastating car accident, and the usual vacations. And honestly, maybe … Continue reading Intersecting and aligning
books
Dear Mom: We did it!
Hey Mom; we did it. I want to believe that some part of you felt the energy too. I did dream about you last night, but without reference to our book. I'll keep waiting. If you had been with us in person, I'm certain you too would deem the events to be complete and heartfelt. … Continue reading Dear Mom: We did it!
Bursting ahead
Perhaps even more than trillium, the bursting forth of pungent skunk cabbage illicit yearnings of spring for me. Even though we often spy them when we still feel nearly in the heart of winter. My upcoming memoir too feels as if it is nearly bursting out. In posting this 284th blog since my first in … Continue reading Bursting ahead
Dede, take a breath
In response to an email I'd sent to my publisher, I received a reply beginning with "Take a breath" followed by a smile emoji. It made me laugh. You who know me well are probably smiling too. Yes, I admit, sometimes I have a tendency to get a bit keyed up in enthusiasm and excitement. … Continue reading Dede, take a breath
First Breath to Last cover and more!
My creativity lends itself well to words. Less so with artwork. I have been pleased with the prior three covers created for my books by my publisher, Bedazzled Ink Publishing. With each book I've written, I know what I want but feel unable to fully put my vision into graphics or images. Yet, I absolutely … Continue reading First Breath to Last cover and more!
Summer in the Willamette Valley
"SUMMER IS TRUE river time. Lazy summer emanates nature's special recipe: a potpourri of carp and cottonwood that transports any grown-up river kid back to childhood on the rivers of the Willamette Valley. After cottonwoods cover banks and nearby roads with white fluffy fibers, mowers and tractors hew lawns and till soil. The milky fibers … Continue reading Summer in the Willamette Valley
Bring back the joy: the illustrations we remember
My brain is distracted, as much as I want to get on with writing something significant. (But what...my distracted brain asks....is significant?) During my non-work hours and between checking email or worrying about my adult kid making it through COVID-19 or thinking about an elderly mom I can't visit - I have moments of concentration, … Continue reading Bring back the joy: the illustrations we remember
Dede's Books and blog 