Humor in the Boondocks

My brother and sister-in-law live on sixteen acres in gorgeous Northern California.  The closest town has a population of less than five thousand.  After once through town with its “hemp store”, I now take the scenic highway west — two very narrow lanes of windy, hilly, tree-lined road.  As if ten miles weren’t far enough …

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Her Daughter’s Dream

I just received an ARC (advanced readers’ copy) of the second half of Marta’s Legacy.   The cover is gorgeous!  This book continues Marta and Hildemara’s stories and brings in the next two generations — Carolyn and May Flower Dawn, whose lives span the 50s to present day.  This half of Marta’s Legacy will reveal the …

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Comfort Food and Memories

  Certain foods bring back wonderful family memories of dinners.  Grandma Wulff always fixed “More” when I visited her at the farm.  The recipe calls for sautéed onions,  browned ground beef, cooked elbow pasta, corn, peas, chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce and spices all mixed together and then topped with cheese (or ketchup).  My brother …

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France and Normandy

Rick and I returned a few weeks ago from three weeks in Europe, two in France traveling by boat up the Rhone River, by bus to Paris and then another boat on the Seine.  The land through which my grandmother traveled is much like Sonoma County, California where we live – though California lacks the …

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Fort Bragg

We all have our favorite places in the world.  Home is number one.  Whenever Rick and I travel, we love seeing new places and meeting new people.  But within two to three weeks, we’re hankering for home, missing our own bed, living room, kitchen – and, of course, family.  Then, within a few weeks, we’re …

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What can you do for the Dad who has everything?

I ran into this problem when Rick’s birthday rolled around this year.  After 40 years together, I couldn’t think of one thing he wanted or needed.  When I asked him what he would like for his birthday, he shrugged.  Neither of us needs more “stuff”.   He reads several books a week.  So who is to …

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Family Pets

I’ve been thinking about all the pets I’ve had over the years – dogs and cats.  They become a part of the family.  We’ll have quite a menagerie when we get to Heaven.  The first family dog I remember is Dusty, a female German Shepherd who rode herd on me when I was preschool age.  …

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Ane Mulligan Review of Her Daughter’s Dream

Hauntingly beautiful, Her Daughter’s Dream explores the bonds of love between four generations of mothers and daughters. Francine Rivers holds nothing back in often fragile, always emotional, and sometimes explosive relationships between Marta, Hildemara, Carolyn, and Dawn. Decisions are based on past hurts, and emotional scars separate mother and daughter. Peeling back the emotional layers …

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New Furry Addition

  After five weeks of missing Shabah, we gave in and bought another German Shepherd.  Sergeant Fur-face Rivers, “Sarge”, is now asleep under my desk, worn out from his first obedience and socialization class at the local university campus.  I am just beginning to realize what a job is ahead of me if I want …

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The Herringbone Dress

My mother was frugal.  She seldom bought clothes for herself.  She spent most of her life in a nurse’s uniform.  The minute she got home, she headed for the shower.  Tossing her uniform into the washing machine, she changed into “work clothes” — inexpensive paint-stained polyester pants and shirts she made herself.  She had one …

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