Weeping Willow
I grew up in a two bedroom house and we had eight kids. Everyone played an instrument or sang and it was pretty darned chaotic. My poor brothers had a room that was actually made from making the one bathroom even smaller than it already was. There was room for a bunk bed and one dresser. I shared a bedroom with my three sisters. There were two bunk beds and the hallway had a clothing rack from a defunct department store for our dresses and blouses. My mom took large Tide boxed and lined them with brown paper bags from the grocery and that was where we put our shorts and jeans and panties and, later, our bras. We each had two pair of shoes which were on the upper rack. I had a lower bunk and that is where I read. Reading allowed me to escape [...]
A Little Aloha “Up North”
You can take the girl out of Hawaii.... We live in Oshkosh, WI now. We've gotten into native plants and creating rain and butterfly gardens and killing as much nasty grass as possible. Yesterday we took a field trip up to Rhinelander which is considered up north. It was our first time up there and it was way hotter than anticipated. We went to a native nursery for a tour which was great. I happened to mention we were from 2.5 hours away but that when we moved from Hawaii we knew zero about WI or gardening. So after the tour a TV reporter asked to interview me for the local new segment about this week. It's National Pollinator's Week so this was a big deal I guess. We had a fun chat, she got photos of my dog, of course, and that was that. As I was in the [...]
Why Articles Can Reach More People Than Books
My third book was published by Harold Shaw Publishers which immediately got purchased by Random House. I pitched them at a conference and sold that manuscript all by myself. That book caught the attention of an agent who sold a series of four books a few years later. I wish I could tell you that I became rich and famous, but I’d be lying. When Gary and I got married in Atlanta my editor said that Random House would be paying for our first meal. I have to admit to feeling like a best-selling author when we walked into the intimate and expensive antebellum mansion and the maître de said in a hushed ton reserved for expensive restaurants and funeral homes, “Follow me. Random House will be paying for your meal this evening. It was a lovely meal, but the book never paid out its advance because I [...]
Wanna Get Away Day
Today is Wanna Get Away Day. You have no idea how much I want to go on a real vacation not in the state of Wisconsin. Today is the anniversary of the car wreck that [...]