Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Friends! Looking back on the year, I thought I’d mention a few of the books that I found noteworthy: The Book of Charlie, which I featured in my April blog, Jesse Sutano’s delightful Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and the often heart-wrenching The Women by Kristen Hannah. When I […]
Autumn Musings
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” said L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. I couldn’t agree more. I love autumn–the change in the air, the slant of the sun, the musty smell of leaves that takes me back to childhood. Henry David Thoreau said, “I would rather […]
Our Story of Hurricane Camille, 1969
Every year when the calendar flips to August and the first mention of hurricanes comes across the airwaves, my mind flashes back to August 1969 and the week before my husband and I were married. Sunday, August 17, 1969, 3:30 pm. “This storm looks bad. My boss said there’s going to be a lot of […]
Carry on, Independence Day
We’re stretching out the Fourth of July celebration this year and maybe that’s a good thing. Flooding in parts of Iowa changed our travel plans for the holiday, so we stayed home for the Fourth. I was curious to see “Horizon,” Kevin Costner’s just released western, especially after spending the better part of three years […]
Lila’s Journey Has Begun
I’m deliriously excited to announce the release of Lila’s Journey, available now in eBook and print editions. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4ND9NWN/ref= Two years ago I toured Council Grove, KS, the setting of the book, and posted a blog in October 2022 which you can read by selecting the blog tab on my website. Below are some of the […]
Tea and The Book of Charlie
Yesterday I had tea at the library with friends who love to read. This is the eleventh year Friends of the Olathe Library has sponsored the Novel Tea and invited a guest author to speak while the audience enjoys cucumber sandwiches and eclairs while sipping tea during the presentation. The event space was transformed by […]
Andrew Carnegie: A Legacy of Libraries
I love libraries. After each move during my husband’s Air Force career, one of the first outings with our children was a trip to the local library. It was an attempt to smooth the transition of our move and make the unfamiliar seem familiar. Looking back I wonder how many of those libraries belong to […]
Everyday Treasures
My grandmother (nonna) crocheted constantly, making beautiful creations–shawls, baby booties and blankets, doilies, table cloths, slippers, bedspreads–for her children and sixteen grandchildren. Every year on our birthdays she’d send pillow cases to me and my sister with a delicate crocheted edging. They were for our “hope chests,” which during our teenage years my sister and […]
Tidings of Comfort and Joy
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, friends! This season is a time of reflection for me, so I’ll begin my post with a look to the past. On the left is Christmas 1949 with my mother and sister (on the left) with our much loved dolls Santa faithfully delivered every year. On the right are my […]
Halloween at Cornerstone
Welcome to Trunk or Treat at Cornerstone Church! Our church parking lot transforms into a paradise for trick or treaters and their families at Halloween. We decorate the trunks of our cars and hand out candy to costumed children from Overland Park, North Kansas City, Grandview and surrounding communities. There’s not enough space here to […]