Our 2021 summer vacation (rescheduled from 2020) was a family vacation to Maine. We stayed near Acadia National Park, a national treasure. All our kids and their families went. Everyone had a fantastic time. Since Tom and I hadn’t had a vacation in a while, we decided to take a few days on the way…
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Research Trip, 2021, Part Four
Part One Part Two Part Three Finally, our last day was not exactly research-related, although it could be for something in the future, who knows? Actually, the Marblehead Lighthouse was standing when the prisoners were at Johnson’s Island. It wouldn’t have been visible from the prison, but the area was certainly in focus for an…
Research Trip, 2021, Part Three
Part one Part two I had discovered that the Rutherford B. Hayes library in Fremont, Ohio, holds an extensive file on Johnson’s Island. I requested a few files be pulled for me. When we got there what I had requested filled a library cart with boxes of files! Tom and I began taking notes and…
Research Trip, 2021, Part Two
As I write this, I’m not sure how many parts there will be! I have so much to share! If you missed Part One, go here. We stayed at a B&B that was a little different and very cool. The area is very near Cedar Point amusement park and the Lake Erie islands (and fishing…
Research Trip, 2021 Part One
I’ve told you this before: I love research! I’ve been fortunate to have taken a few research trips related to a novel or article I was working on. I once visited the riverboat museum in Marietta, Ohio. I went to New York City and visited the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, Ellis Island, the Police…
If We Only Knew
As they say, hindsight is 20/20. We have hindsight regarding 2020 now, don’t we? I’ve talked before about what we’ve learned during this pandemic and what lessons we’ll keep in order to change things for the better. I expect it won’t be too long now before we as a society go back to taking our…
Sneak Peek Into My Current Project
If you arrived here because you followed a link in my newsletter, thanks for reading! I promised you a sneak peek into what I’m working on. Full disclosure, this novel is barely begun. I’ve plotted a bit, rewritten, throw out, and written again (and again). So there is currently just one chapter written. In my…
It Must Be May!
It’s been raining a lot in Ohio, but between downpours I’ve gotten outside to check out spring. May never disappoints. I also got out to see some Major League Baseball, which is a big deal because fans weren’t allowed in 2020. This spring is definitely different than last year. Consumer retail and services: all employees…
5 Things to Remember This Spring
1. Flowers Did you miss flowers over the winter? I did. That’s why I often got cut flowers from Trader Joe’s. Isn’t the world so much prettier when flowers are blooming? 2. Color It gets pretty gray and brown in Central Ohio in the winter. I think that’s why I’m always surprised by the vivid…
Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
Paddy, Not Patty, Please Yes, it’s Paddy, not Patty, despite what you see spread all over the place in the US. In Ireland Patty is a girl’s name (it is here too, ever call a man Patty?) and they don’t like you calling the saint a girl. It’s an easy mistake to make, but now…