Tag Archives: family history

The Blue Spiral Notebook

Posted on April 6, 2019 by

The writers I hang out with don’t write for money. Sure, they’d take it if offered, but that’s not their primary reason for putting pen to paper, fingers to keyboard. They do it because they must. They have a story … Continue reading →

Posted in families, journal writing, nonfiction, story telling, Uncategorized, writing, writing tips | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t Mess with Beatrice

Posted on April 1, 2019 by

This morning I read a supremely superb nonfiction essay titled “Mourning my Grandfather Through the Velveteen Rabbit” in an online publication, lithub.com.  Originally published April 11, 2017 and written by Sarah Gerard, it was undoubtedly the best article I’ve ever … Continue reading →

Posted in books, families, family histories, nonficion, story telling, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Dick, Jane, and Hiawatha

Posted on June 7, 2018 by

Last night I met someone who told me about a family history book given to her by a relative. “It was more like genealogy,” she said, “and I wish there had been some stories in it.” “I know what you … Continue reading →

Posted in ancestry, books, Civil Rights, family histories, stories, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Ivory Soap and Corn Flakes

Posted on May 30, 2018 by

  Being part of a writing group has helped me in ways too numerous to recount. My membership has also made me a little more hesitant to write, or rather to trust myself as a writer. For example, I’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in critique groups, family histories, lifestyle, memoir, Uncategorized, writing, writing groups, writing tips | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Sock Suitcase

Posted on May 27, 2018 by

I thought I was Done with a capital D. The family history was a mammoth task, a time drain, a major stressor, a sleep thief. But then one day after correcting one pesky out-of-place apostrophe, I thought thought Yes and hallelujah. Confident that … Continue reading →

Posted in ancestry, family histories, memoir, nonfiction, Uncategorized, writing, writing projects | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Our Lighted Seasons

Posted on February 27, 2018 by

It’s one thing to get an idea and quite another to make it a reality. I wanted to compile information about my ancestry and put it into a family history, but how to do it was a mystery. Where was … Continue reading →

Posted in ancestry, Annie Dillard, books, family history, Uncategorized, writing, writing projects | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Finish It

Posted on November 20, 2017 by

I’ve been stealing moments here and there to work on a family history, a project that I embraced wholeheartedly about a year and a half ago. Hmmm. Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. I embraced the idea of putting … Continue reading →

Posted in books, family histories, memoir, nonfiction, stories, story telling, Uncategorized, writing, writing life | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Pistol Packing Grandmother

Posted on May 25, 2017 by

It’s turning out to be a mammoth task, this family history that I’ve been working on for a couple of years. I’ll start and stop and then start again. I’m fascinated by the people and their lives, but well, I … Continue reading →

Posted in books, family history, memoir, Uncategorized, writing, writing projects | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Two Words

Posted on May 15, 2017 by

A friend posted something on Facebook yesterday that I’ve been pondering ever since. She wrote of her ambivalent feelings about Mother’s day and her awareness that it’s not a happy flowers and chocolates kind of day for everyone. There are mothers … Continue reading →

Posted in family histories, family history, memoir, mothers, psychology, Uncategorized, writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hello Honey

Posted on May 4, 2017 by

My father visited me in a dream on a cruise ship in Alaska. Who am I? Where did I come from? Who are my people? Those questions have haunted me for years, and now that I’ve begun writing a family … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, family histories, family history, stories, Uncategorized, writing projects | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment