Blog
Why We Do Things
I spent the morning of my birthday working in my gardens: noting which plants were returning with vigor, which plants were spreading out of control, and which had been happily discovered by the neighborhood bunny, as well as deer, which frequent our yard. Alas, hostas are their favorite, and so far, the deer repellant is only keeping me […]
The Ducks of San Diego
San Diego is a beautiful city. And that is where I spent the past week, celebrating a family member’s birthday. The weather was perfect (sunny and not too hot) and the company of people we haven’t seen in a while was even better. We walked and walked and . . . walked. Through the entire San […]
Whispering Pines Is Well Worth The Trip
Five days after leaving Whispering Pines, where I attended a writing retreat, I am still reeling from the high quality of the NE SCBWI event. Lynda Mullaly Hunt was a stupendous leader. Caring and funny, she kept us to our schedule like the best of ringmasters. She always goes above and beyond what you would expect of an […]
Tales From a Toy Store
From working at The Toy Soldier for over four years, I have learned that you always need a variety of skills and attributes in your pocket. Patience. Good listening skills. The ability to negotiate with children and people of all ages. You never know when you need to use these, but they are there, always, for […]
Tea Party Challenges
“Grandma, I have a great idea! You will just love it. Uh-huh, yup. Yes, you will,” says Ava, nodding her head so fast that it resembles a bouncing ball. I lean in close to Ava, nose to nose. “What is this great idea of yours?” I ask. “We. Are. Gonna.” Pause while Ava rests her […]
My Writing Room Treasures
What inspires me in my writing space? 1. My books – organized by topics and age groups. Picture books are on the bottom so my granddaughter can reach them easily. Once a month we change the theme on top of the bookcases. 2. My Steiff collection – many are from my childhood. The smallest bears […]
Rejection: A Reason to Reassess
My husband does not usually ask me questions about my writing. He allows me my space. He understands when I hold up my do-not-disturb hand because I am deep into the character’s head. He is patient when I disappear for hours on end, laughing alone with a story, or crying as I write something particularly […]
Where Do Snowmen Go?
Normally rain brings a sense of excitement and wonder to my three-year-old granddaughter. But not today. Ava does not jump up and down, begging for her multi-colored child-size umbrella or her froggie boots or her unicorn raincoat. Nor does she plead with me to let her run outside so she can jump in every puddle she can find. […]
Take Joy in the Journey
Having returned from Idaho, I reflect on my time in Boise, where I helped to make gingerbread houses, attended The Nutcracker ballet at Ballet Idaho, perfected my Girl Scout salute, watched the movie Up for the third time (cried for the third time), was inspired by nineteen girls to find the true meaning of Christmas, visited the […]
An Unexpected Gift
With the constant barrage of advertisements for holiday sales, we have lost the meaning of Christmas. This deeply saddens me. I will not shop at every given moment only because the media tells me to. Instead of buy, buy, buy, I want to dig a hole in the snow and find a warm bear to […]