Something that is better illustrated than defined. Ranch Girl and the Plan, Book #3 Before his illness, Mr. Greely had been in great demand throughout the county and well beyond. A fancy store in Dallas sold his candlesticks, small tables, delicate desks, and stools. He built fine book cases and cabinets in new homes and … Continue reading What is Friendship?
Category: conversational essay
Why Are Readers So Impatient?
Instant Gratification Very few readers today could sit still long enough to get through the first page of a Dickens novel. Oh, they might make it through a film of one of his novels, but read it? Not likely. And that is fine on some accounts. Different readers prefer different books. Yet, in the 19th … Continue reading Why Are Readers So Impatient?
Writing Processes, Thoughts, and Other Ramblings
Processes and Thoughts This morning I woke up at 5:30, lay awake a bit, and then got up and made coffee. Eventually I made it to my home office by 6:30 a.m. I sat down and got to work on a children’s chapter book/short novel (the 4th book in my Ranch Girl series) I’ve been … Continue reading Writing Processes, Thoughts, and Other Ramblings
Social Ties and a Youthful Brain
Several days ago, I was reading an article about practices that help keep our brains young and memory strong as we age. I don’t remember all the practices, no irony intended, but starting a new hobby you’ll stick with was one of them. Knitting was considered particularly good. Among the other practices researchers touted were … Continue reading Social Ties and a Youthful Brain
Elizabeth Crook, Sharon Creech, and Ann Patchett
I’ve been out this morning watching the deer watch me. At about 6 a.m., I made my coffee and took it outside to go on a stroll around the premises with our cats. The early morning on our farm/ranch is perfect these summer days, and I can’t help but admire God’s lovely handiwork. We had … Continue reading Elizabeth Crook, Sharon Creech, and Ann Patchett
The Stories We Read and Write
I have completed reading two good books the last couple of weeks, and I want to talk about them in a bit. But first, I want to discuss a couple of the writing projects I'm excited about. I just completed writing Classroom Guides for my two middle-grade fiction books, Ranch Girl and the Orphan Lamb … Continue reading The Stories We Read and Write
Making Progress in the World of Words
The Storytellers, Nacogdoches, Texas Carl Sandburg, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner in Literature, once said, “I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” I find this an optimistic view about doing. Sometimes we have to start doing. In my previous blog post (“Spring Resolutions: Reading, Writing, & Blogs”), I made … Continue reading Making Progress in the World of Words
Spring Resolutions-Reading, Writing, & Blogs
Most people make New Year’s resolutions, but I have decided to make mid-spring resolutions instead. The middle of May seems as good a time as any for resolutions. Some of those resolutions follow: Resume writing consistent blog posts. I enjoy blogging and have published ninety posts since I began on May 20, 2022. Over the … Continue reading Spring Resolutions-Reading, Writing, & Blogs
Of Books and Festivals
It seems that fall and book festivals go together, at least in Texas. I have had the joy and honor of being a featured author at The Texas Word Wranglers Festival in Giddings in September, have signed in the Writer’s League of Texas booth at the Boerne Book Festival in October, and will likely sign … Continue reading Of Books and Festivals
Literary Texas: Dorothy Scarborough
I finally finished reading Dorothy Scarborough's The Wind, a novel that caused quite a stir in West Texas when it was published in 1925. I say I finally finished it because I started it months ago and then stopped reading right in the middle. It was not that I had lost interest in the story … Continue reading Literary Texas: Dorothy Scarborough