Starting Out

While working on the setting for my current writing project, I’ve been thinking about how Rick and I started out.  Rick was an ex-Marine Vietnam vet and I was a college grad high on women’s lib with lots of ideas on how to change the world.  Those first years were rocky, but we had lots …

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Brain-storming Retreat

I have just returned from an annual retreat with a small group of girlfriends – all strong Christians, all writers.  We “pray, play and plot”.   It’s an opportunity for all of us to “talk shop” without boring everyone else around us. Since we’re all writers, we like to talk about writing, the writing life, struggles …

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Debt-free Living

I’m hearing a change from young people lately, and by young, I mean anyone under 45. Some are hanging onto homes by their fingernails and prayer.  Others are clawing their way up out of the dark pit of credit card debt.  And all are disturbed and downright furious to see how our government spends wantonly …

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Creating a Town

For the last two weeks, I’ve been creating a fictitious northern California town setting for my current story.  I’ve driven all over Sonoma County, taking pictures of buildings and streets, farms and wineries, bridges and old train stations.  I’ve spread all these pictures across a table and drawn out the streets, businesses, town square, and …

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Exploring Views

Recently, I was asked to name my favorite authors. This is something I cannot do because my favorite author happens to be whomever I am reading at the moment.  This includes writers who are presenting views diametrically opposed to mine.   And this happened this week when I read a book that included a collection of …

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Summer Bedlam

Every year, for one week, Rick and I are blessed to have two of our five grandchildren stay with us and attend Vacation Bible Study.  This year, we borrowed another grandchild to stay as well.  We would have borrowed two, but the other was already scheduled to go to Mt. Gilead (camp) for the week.  …

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A Tribute to My Dad

I learned a great deal by watching my dad over the years.  He always sought to be an example for me and my brother.  Here are the things that mattered most to him: Faith is essential.  Our family attended church on Sunday.  Dad’s mom was a strong Christian and played piano for her church back …

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Spain, Portugal, and Morocco

Rick and I are back from a wonderful vacation (bus tour) of Spain, Portugal (Lisbon) and Morocco (Tanger).  We arrived in Madrid two days before the tour group gathered and toured the Palacio Real. Highlights:  the Porcelain Room, Charles II’s Antechamber with its frescoes and treasures, Alfonso XII’s Japanese (smoking) Room, the Royal Chapel and …

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Jet Lag

Just returned from adventures in Spain and Morocco.  I will blog about it in few days.  My book proposal has been turned in, I hope to start writing again soon! I’m on my way to Fresno to speak at The People’s Church on Saturday. 

Faith Like Hadassah

I wish I could say I had faith like Hadassah (main character from A Voice in the Wind).  But I have been told (by family members in-the-know) that I sometimes go into “frantic Frani” mode.  Yesterday was one of those days. One of my primary mentors passed away at 95, and her sons wanted me …

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