Welcome
{ to my blog }.
Welcome to my blog.
Thanks for visiting my blog. My hope is to post every 1-2 weeks with a combination of adventure stories, craft/writing posts, book reviews, and other non-boring, exciting content to keep you coming back for more!
Teaching Perseverance
I'm positive that kids get tired of hearing - "things are different than when I was a kid" . . . but they are! In my opinion, children face different social pressures, cyber bullying, and have to watch out for "drugs" in all forms - (don't eat the Tide Pods!) There...
Adventures in Self-Publishing: SAVING THE WORLD
The competitive world of writing requires fortitude and persistence. I am often asked where someone can purchase my books. I usually drop my head, turn red, and fill with guilt as I explain – they are nowhere YET, except on my computer. I continue...
Self Defense: Reclaiming Control
My daughters along with 35 other family and friends had the privilege of attending Jai Johnson's self defense class last night. It was an evening that inspired hope and confidence to reverse the role as victim and to take back control. I'm going to share...
Writing Dialogue: Giving your Characters an Authentic Voice
Dialogue fills our world as we chat with family and friends. Often we recognize excitement, sorrow, or frustration in the spoken words or the tone of a voice. Dialogue plays an essential role in giving depth to writing. “Yo, dude, snag me a...
Preparing Our Children for a Different World
I live in rural Iowa where people still hold the door open for you, strangers wave from their passing car, and there is a sense of peace in the Heartland. When a college girl gets kidnapped and killed in a rural town only minutes away, and then a twelve-year-old boy...
Midlife crisis?
So - it could be a midlife crisis? I am inching up on 50, and the thought makes me barf. The kids are back to school and they apparently grew up overnight. Today a freshman - tomorrow college visits. Where did these ten pounds come from? Goodbye metabolism. I know...
A Day of Adventure – Spook Cave, Field of Dreams, Galena, and Gravity Hill
The day began when I poked the teenagers early in the morning with a promise for a day filled with adventure. They were skeptical, grumpy, and tired – but I asked for trust and optimism! Triggered by a morning post on Facebook showing a waterfall tour through Iowa, I...
A short story – Cicada Song
This short story was written in response to a writing prompt about "story endings". The challenge was either and open ending or plot twist. I have no clue why my fingertips led me down a dark path, but this story contains violence and a couple swear words. (I held...
The Novel in Verse – Discover the Wonders: A review of three favorites.
A novel in verse was a foreign term to me not long ago, but now that they are on my radar – I am in love. A novel in verse takes poetry and wraps it into a novel. It is shorter and easier to read for reluctant readers, but carries the same power of a novel....
Refusing to Get Old
I’m getting older – obviously. But, I didn’t feel my age until recently. I’m 46 years old and but still convinced I can climb trees and do a cartwheel in the green grass - if I felt like it. But recently my body reminded me it has changed. During a recent...
Picture Books Can Save the World
Picture books can save the world . . . I’m sure of it. I addressed this topic focusing only on anxiety in Pat’s Chat - May 2017, but it’s worth revisiting in more depth. Picture books are not just a sweet, innocent source of entertainment for children, but they can be...
Travel, adventure, and learning a new culture: Costa Rica
PURA VIDA! It means “pure life” and is the motto of Costa Rica. My family recently returned from a Spring Break vacation to the region where the landscapes are filled with diversity of animal and plant life and a welcoming culture. When traveling, I try to do more...