At the moment, the manuscript of my first novel has seventeen chapters. I’ve submitted most of it to my editing team, three or four chapters at a time, and most of their feedback has been fantastic, and just the right amount of pointing out confusing things or minor errors, and…
Category: childhood
Book review: The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan
Description from the Random House website: Anais Hendricks, fifteen, is in the back of a police car. She is headed for the Panopticon, a home for chronic young offenders. She can’t remember what’s happened, but across town a policewoman lies in a coma and Anais’s school uniform is covered in…
“And ransom captive Israel…”
We went to church on Christmas Eve afternoon with Jeff’s mom, and it was a simple, lovely, musical service. There was a band, maybe five musicians, and the service began with everyone standing to sing a few well-known hymns. Then everyone sat down, there was another song or two, and…
Happy Anniversary to Scout, Atticus, Harper … and Chris & Harry
Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It is one of very few books that I would recommend to anyone, if they haven’t read it yet. It’s the only book that I recommend to people who don’t read very often. During…
List of things to do… Write a book?!?!?
Last Saturday, I made a list of things I needed to do on Sunday. It looked like this:–> call Grandma A.–> update checkbook (did I get paid this week?) & pay bills–> update Google calendar with game & picture changes–> housecleaning–> switch purse back to black one On Sunday, I…
FreeVerse: Still trying to decide on a title
Only a few hours after my mother died on October 14, 2009, I got up during the night and began writing this poem. I added to it on October 16, but then didn’t really touch it until last week. Then, I decided to type it up on the computer, maybe…
Something about age eight
Last evening after supper, I was alone in the house putting away clean dishes, thinking. Grandma was outside on the patio watching Jeff and the boys toss the football around the backyard. I was drying things and putting them in their places, then loading the dirty supper dishes in the…
Just making a note…
I need to shut down and get to bed VERY SOON, but am making a “mental note” of sorts before the day is completely over. When I woke this morning, I told Jeff I’d just had a bad dream. I didn’t say what about. Later in the day, I kept…
Happy anniversary, with a little help from the Flintstones
Jeff and I got married eleven years ago today. Time flies when you’re too damn busy! But we’re all right — we have each other, and we even still like each other most of the time! 😉 I thought of this song and video this morning. I remember that my…
Five books that have influenced me the most: Book 1
A couple months ago, a friend from my book discussion group suggested that members choose the five books that have most influenced / impacted them – not one’s “favorite books” nor necessarily what one considers the “best books” read so far, but books which had some significant, lasting impact on…