I think about the many articles and books I've read that have inspired me, and I'd like to say that my friend Eric Stathers' book, Fly Fishing Tales: Memoirs from Fifty Years of Fly Fishing, inspired me the most because it inspired me to take action and self-publish my book. I'd previously thought that published... Continue Reading →
May 14, 2022 | Day 14: I wish my readers knew that…
The thing I wish my readers knew most about me is how much I love to write! It is my passion, gift, and talent, and I love to share it with others. My biggest project now is helping my memoir group, a group of retirees, to publish an anthology. It's a big undertaking, but yesterday... Continue Reading →
May 6, 2022 | Day 6: The Best and the Worst of the Week
The best thing that happened to me happened last Saturday. I did a book reading from my self-published memoir. The beautiful parts about that day were the sunny weather (rare in the Seattle area this time of year!) and the number of friends and family who heard me read. That touched me. The worst thing... Continue Reading →
Book Reading at Four Corners Merchants
I read “Hazel’s Magical Gift” from my memoir on Saturday, April 30, and raffled off three of Hazel’s bearded irises.
Flaming Hot Dogs
You've probably heard that hot dogs aren't good for you, and I'm going to tell you a story about how hot dogs nearly destroyed me. One summer day, when my kids were about seven and 5-years-old, we went to Costco, and when we arrived home, the kids played upstairs. I unpacked our groceries, cleaned the... Continue Reading →
Cape Hatteras Family Vacation
In the 1970s, my family lived in rural Pennsylvania. My dad worked for Xerox as a salesman, and we’d take a 2-week family vacation every summer. We often went to the nearby Jersey Shore or Buffalo, New York, where we’d lived before. We always enjoyed getting away, and the destination didn’t matter. But this year,... Continue Reading →
Save the Date – Saturday, April 30, 12 pm
I will be reading a story from my memoir called, "Hazel's Magical Irises" at Four Corners Merchants in Renton, Washington. It's about a multigenerational gift of irises. Just a Little Something, a company specializing in custom succulent arrangements, will be teaching people how to pot spring plants and succulents. Come join us!
Ode to 52
I have now officially outlived my Mother, and these are my reflections on this experience. A year ago tomorrow, I celebrated my 52nd birthday. During the pandemic, we were limited in where we could go and how many people could sit together in a restaurant. My husband made a reservation at a local Thai restaurant.... Continue Reading →
Grammie’s Old Cookbook
I have a very old cookbook that belonged to my Mom’s Mom, my Grammie Smith. It’s thick and well worn, and many of its pages have lost their glue, so they hang loosely between the blue cardboard covers. I keep it in the cabinet above my stove with my other cookbooks, but this one is... Continue Reading →
Snow Day
December 26, 2021, brought significant snowfall to the Pacific Northwest. And I'm not a snow girl, typically. I enjoy the mild weather that brings the wet stuff instead of the white stuff. It's kind of ironic that I was born in Buffalo, New York, in the middle of winter. My parents grew up in small-town... Continue Reading →