Before developers purchased the fields, I went strawberry picking with my parents and brother every summer. It was always one of our first family outings once my mom finished the school year as an elementary secretary, together filling flats of locally grown berries. I’m sure crouching and bending in the hot sun wasn’t always the …
The first time I watched The Sound of Music, it was my grandma’s copy, recorded from television onto a VHS tape. When I was 10, I was thrilled to get my own copy (also on VHS – a double boxed set!). I can’t say how many times I’ve seen it and listened to the music. …
Continue reading Saturday Six #24: The Sound of Music Revisited (Again)
I didn’t realize the 20th century had become such a popular setting for historical fiction, until I looked back and saw that six of the last seven I’ve read fit that description, all of which I've read this year. Honestly, this gives me a boost of confidence, considering my finished novel and the one I’m …
Continue reading Saturday Six #23: Twentieth Century Historical Fiction
Every once in a while, “How I Got My Agent” stories trend on Writing Twitter. At first, I gobbled these up, drawing encouragement from the sheer variety of journeys. There is no such thing as normal in the publishing industry, no matter the stage. Eventually, though, I had to stop reading them. I got overwhelmed …
Today is the one-year anniversary of my last day of work before “pandemic furlough.” Because the funding for my salary relies heavily on tourism, and because tourism shut down last spring, our entire department was placed on furlough. Initially, we were supposed to be off for two months, but as the pandemic stretched on, the …
I’ve been on a bit of a journey during the pandemic. I don’t want this to sound boastful, but I’m really excited about the result. In terms of how proud I am of myself, this ranks right up there with my three VBACs. Three VBACs means I’ve given birth to four kids, and as is …
One of the most gratifying things I do at my job is creating egg dyes from natural ingredients, so I’ve decided to post a Saturday Six early this week, in case anyone is inspired to give it a try. Typically, we would make the dyes and take them, along with a history lesson, to hundreds …
Even though I love music, I’m not a huge concert-goer. I can’t really explain why. Music often moves me to tears, especially live music, but for some reason, attending concerts was never a priority for me. Even so, I have been to a handful of good ones (some of which will prove what a nerd …
Dear Dad, I’m sorry. Every time you pulled out your 3-disc set of rock hits from the 1970s, I rolled my eyes. Aside from the fun melody of “Crocodile Rock,” I did not understand your obsession with this music. It was old. It was boring. I wanted The Lion King soundtrack instead. Not my dad's …
Today is the first day of spring. Usually, I am ecstatic over this change. Winter, to me, often feels like a long, drawn-out, ugly season that can never be over soon enough. I long for sun, warmth, flowers, and thunderstorms. Spring is not my favorite, though. In fact, I love all the seasons for different …
