It’s difficult to believe that about 150 years ago, what is now a peaceful, mostly rural landscape of Maryland’s panhandle was marred by one of the shortest and most important battles of the Civil War. September 17, 1862–the bloodiest day … Continue reading →
Stories abound about women who braved the battlefields during the Civil War years. One such story belongs to Canadian Sarah Emma Edmonds. Her strength and initiative in serving the United States from 1861 to 1865 gave her a life of … Continue reading →
For many years, the history of Civil War events and people who played important roles during those embattled years fascinated me. Especially important are the African people, imported and forced into slavery during the pre-war years. We know the heritage … Continue reading →
“WWW” does not always mean “World Wide Web”. For a small group of writers meeting weekly on Zoom, it stands for “Wednesday Writers Whatchamacallit”. “Whatchamacallit” sums up what this group is all about. There are many aspects to writing. For … Continue reading →
“Darkness, the color of pitch, wrapped itself around the lonely structure in the town of Hope, Illinois. Only the beam of a lone streetlamp shone eerily through the foggy mist. For more than fifty years, laughter and quiet conversation gave … Continue reading →
Writer’s Block—“When my imaginary characters stop speaking to me.” That’s what is on a shirt my daughter gave me for my birthday one year. I thought what a neat way to understand what discourages so many authors. And I find … Continue reading →
The other night at our monthly meeting of East Texas Writers Guild, Cody Williams from Longview, TX presented a very detailed report of everything involved in producing a trailer–an audio/video marketing ploy to sell books, or other products. You’ve seen … Continue reading →
During his homily for the second week of Advent, our priest talked about time. We are born in time, we live in time, and we die in time. We measure out every activity of our lives in time. All in … Continue reading →
“To You O Lord, my soul in stillness waits; Truly my hope is in You.” We sang these words in church this morning. The melody is haunting and the verses plea with God to send us goodness and hope that someday … Continue reading →
The other day I did some substitute teaching in a first grade classroom. Since they didn’t know me, I introduced myself as “Miss Pat.” One little girl responded with “Miss Pack.” That’s the way she heard it. Yes, I did … Continue reading →
