Mary E. Trimble

Wilderness Fun, NOT Wilderness Tragedy

2012-02-06T09:31:00.000-08:00

Every winter we read about it in the paper or see it on TV news. A hiker has been separated from his group, or a group has been cut off by an avalanche or delayed by a storm. Any number of things can happen to dampen the spirit of winter hikers or cross-country skiers. Worse, unpreparedness can kill. Your life may depend on what you have with you.

What is known as the “Ten Essentials” is applicable for year-around use, but the risks of winter skiing and hiking are greater with colder and wetter weather, plus shorter hours of daylight.

Here are the bare essentials every wilderness hiker should carry. The couple of extra pounds they represent are critical to outdoor safety.

Maps and Navigation Equipment It’s not hard to get lost in the wilderness, even when following a well-used trail. Sometimes there’s an unmarked fork, or you step aside to take a picture and get turned around. A GPS is a valuable tool as long as the battery is charged. It’s always a good idea to carry a map. Topographical maps are the most useful. If you get lost and see a peak, you can more easily determine where you are on a topographical map. Study the map before you go so you have a mental picture of the terrain. Carry a compass. It’s easy to get turned around and on a cloudy day you can’t always see the sun to determine your direction. A simple compass–that you know how to use–can save your life.

Don’t expect the map on your cell phone to work when hiking, even if your phone has GPS. No cell phone service means your map is a blank screen since the maps aren’t preloaded as in a dedicated GPS unit. Some smart phones allow you to “pre cache” small map areas so they are available without cell service.

First Aid Kit Prepare a kit with a few bandaids, a small tube of antibiotic ointment, some gauze and adhesive tape, an elastic bandage for knee or ankle sprains, and a small bottle of aspirin or other pain killer. Your first aid kit doesn’t need to be elaborate, but a simple kit can go a long way toward alleviating discomfort.

Extra Clothes Waterproof rain gear is a good idea all year long, not only to keep you dry, but to block out cold, harsh winds. Include a weather-proof hat. You can lose 35 percent of your total body-heat through your head. In the winter that amount of heat loss can be a matter of life or death. Pack an extra pair of wool socks. You’ll be glad you have them if your feet get wet. Consider carrying disposable hand and toe warmers in your pocket. You could save digits from frost bite.

Sun Protection Take along dark sunglasses. Even on cloudy days, sunshine reflected off snow can be blinding. Sunscreen and SPF lip balm will protect your skin from sunburn, summer or winter.

Shelter Even if you don’t plan to spend the night, take along a tent, tarp, emergency blanket, or even a large plastic trash bag. Just to have a dry place to sit and rest is important in conserving or restoring energy. If you do have to spend the night, a shelter can save you many miserable, long hours.

Illumination Even if you’re planning only a day trip, take along a flashlight or headlamp, plus extra batteries and a spare bulb. It gets dark early in the woods and walking along even a well-used trail can be dangerous in the dark.

Extra Food “Extra” implies that you have some food with you. Even if you hadn’t planned to eat on your outing, always carry some form of nutrition. A body can last for days without food, but it provides energy and warmth.

Hydration Each hiker should have two quarts of water per day. It’s a good idea to have a means to purify water, either with a compact filter or with chemical tablets.

Tools For winter hiking, take along a light, compact snowshovel. Using a shovel to dig yourself out of a tight spot is better than digging out with your hands. A simple two-blade knife will come in handy to shave wood or cut fabric. A one-burner backpacking stove is a good thing to have along. Hot liquid will bring comfort and warmth. In rainy weather, it’s easier to start a small butane stove than a fire. Invest in waterproof matches and carry them in a waterproof container.

Good Judgement There’s no substitute for common sense. Before you leave home, check the weather forecast and avalanche centers. Take along items for your own comfort–cell phone, toilet paper, insect repellent. Before you leave on a day trip, stop to think whether or not you’re equipped in the event your trip turns out to be an over-nighter. Be prepared to turn back if the weather gets nasty.

Book Review: In Search of America's Heartbeat

2012-01-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

In Search of America’s Heartbeat:Twelve Months on the Road by Robert H. Mottram is not only a fun read, it’s an eye opener. Mottram and his wife Karen did what many people only talk about. They spent a year on the road driving more than 30,000 miles, discovering and chronicling their trip along the way.

Mottram had just retired after more than 30 years as a journalist. Karen, as a registered nurse working in public health, was ready to retire, too. One week after they walked out of their respective offices, they climbed into their diesel Dodge Ram pickup truck pulling a 32-foot fifth-wheel trailer, and set out on a memorable adventure.

Mottrams tour America in a rough horseshoe pattern. Leaving Tacoma, WA, they drive south along the West Coast, then enjoy the winter warmth of the southern states, find spring as they make their way north through the Appalachians to New England, then zig-zag west across the continent during the summer season, returning to the Pacific Northwest in the fall.

The extreme spectrum of life happens while on their trip: Mottram’s father dies and a grandson is born. For both events, they take leave of their trip and fly to the source of the events, then resume their journey. The trip is a series of travelers’ delights, mixed with a few inconveniences, such as biting flies and inclement weather. The Mottrams take the bad with the good and as a result, experienced a memorable journey. They poke into obscure corners of our country and come up with amazing tales of yesteryear balanced with how it is today.

Along the way the Mottrams discover the heartbeat of America. Though each region has its peculiarities, America’s strength is found in its differences, strengths that weave the resilient fabric of our nation.

In Search of America’s Heartbeat has many poignant stories, both historical and current, that make for a fascinating read. Told with humor and keen observation, Mottram’s journalism background serves him well. It’s obvious he not only knows how to write, but how to observe.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys travel or reading about our nation’s wonderous diversities. In Search of America’s Heartbeat is told by a master story-teller. You’ll find it hard to put this book down. I didn’t want it to end.

In Search of America’s Heartbeat may be purchased through your favorite bookstore, Amazon.com, or through the author’s website, www.rvacrosstheusa.com

Book Review: Unbroken

2012-01-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Jamie Lisa Forbes’ debut novel, Unbroken, is a WILLA Award recipient and worthy of this prestigious honor.

Gwen Swan’s life is an unbroken chain of cooking, helping her husband on their family cattle ranch, managing their children, Rory and McKenna, juggling finances, and working through Wyoming’s harsh winters and sweltering summers with seemingly few days of reprieve between seasons. Gwen’s hard-working husband Will centers his life around the ranch. His father John, a widower for most of Gwen and Will’s married life, lives in his own house, but takes his meals with his son’s family. John still calls most of the shots on the daily ranch activities. Will occasionally takes his own initiative, but when he does his father can be counted on to share his opinion.

It’s up to Gwen to deal with her son’s teachers and their disapproval of Rory’s behavior at school. When Will becomes aware of Rory’s trouble at home, his impatience is obvious, but Rory’s grandfather helps smooth over hurt feelings. Rory especially basks in his grandfather’s love.

Will’s brother, long estranged from the family, appears and old bitterness and resentments resurface, further straining their lives.

Meg Braeburn and her young son Tim have broken away from her family’s ranch. She’s made mistakes but is determined to make a good life for them. She’s hired as a hand on a ranch neighboring Swan’s. The absent owner leaves all the work to her, with a stringy, unkept horse, rusty equipment and unrealistic expectations. Meg surprises them all with her ability and drive, and her resoluteness.

Before long Gwen and Meg become friends, their children play, though Rory often bullies Jim. The ranchers support and help one another with time, equipment and friendship.

The isolation and closeness of the two families begins to take their toll and boundaries are crossed. The dynamics of splintering families is painful and everyone’s way of life is affected.

Unbroken is a powerful, absorbing book from the first page to the last. Forbes’ Wyoming ranch background adds rich flavors to the story. The author draws realistic, complex characters. Unbroken is an unvarnished testimonial to a way of life that few of us know.

Soar On Wings like Eagles

2012-01-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

It’s time again to view majestic American bald eagles along Pacific Northwest rivers, particularly the Skagit. The Skagit River hosts the largest wintering population of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. Most of these eagles spend their summers in northern British Columbia and Alaska. In the late fall, they migrate to the Pacific Northwest to feed on spawned-out chum salmon carcasses and waterfowl.

Eagles feed along river gravel bars in the morning usually between 7 and 11. In the afternoon, it is common to see eagles perched on tree branches, resting for long periods of time. They seem to prefer well-spaced branches, heavy enough to accommodate their weight and large wing span.

For its size, the eagle is surprisingly light, yet it is very strong. The average adult bald eagle weighs nine pounds, with a height of three feet and a wing span of five- to seven-and-a-half feet. The bald eagle is strong enough to swoop down with incredible speed and carry away prey that weighs more than the bird does.

Bald eagle nests, which can weigh hundreds of pounds, are typically six feet wide and two to four feet tall. Nests are often located very high in tall trees with broken or deformed tops, with a view of the water. The nesting period in Washington begins around the last week of March to the first or second week of April. Although some eagles stay in the Upper Skagit River area, most find nesting sites around the shores of Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, or other coastal areas in Canada or Alaska.

Eagles are generally ready to mate at the age of five. It is believed that eagles mate for life. Females lay two to four eggs and the thirty-five day incubation duties are shared by both female and male.

Eaglets are fed by their parents for the first six to seven weeks and then sporadically while they learn to feed themselves. By the time young eagles emerge from the nest, they are almost as large as their parents.

The familiar coloring of white head and tail does not occur until the birds are four or five years of age. Juvenile birds are mostly brown and gray with varying amounts of white on the underside of their wings and back.

The word “bald” is simply an evolution of the Middle English “balled,” which meant “shining white.” Adult bald eagle plumage is characterized by a dark brown body with a bright white head and tail, yellowish beak and eyes.

Few animals, if any, can match eagles ability to see great distances. Generally, eagles can see distant objects three to four times better than humans.

The life span of an eagle in the wild is up to twenty years. The bald eagle was almost driven to extinction as the result of eggshell thinning caused by the pesticide DDT. After DDT was banned in the 1970s, the eagles, as well as other birds of prey, have made an amazing comeback. In 1995, the bald eagle status was upgraded in the lower 48 states from “endangered” to “threatened,” and in 1997 Department of the Interior took the American bald eagle off the endangered species list.

The bald eagle was chosen in 1782 as the emblem of the United States of America because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks. It’s an honor to view these birds and it is our duty to ensure their preservation by giving them the space, privacy and environment they need.

Book Review: Room

2012-01-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

Room (Back Bay Books) by Emma Donoghue could have been taken from today’s headlines. Its gripping drama is as real as an interview with actual victims of captivity.

Jack, five years old, doesn’t know he’s been held captive all his life. He believes his life is normal. Jack and his mother live in an 11-foot-square soundproofed cell in a converted shed in the kidnapper’s yard. Jack’s mother whom he calls Ma, has been there seven years–she was a nineteen year-old college student when kidnaped.

The marvel of this story is the balance Ma has maintained in giving her child a rich, loving life, filling his days with exercise games, reading and math lessons, with limited television and unlimited love.

The entire book is Jack’s voice of heartrending innocence, wisdom and love. But there’s harrowing terror, too, and you realize the precarious tight-rope Ma must balance to keep them alive and together.

Even their captor, Old Nick, is seen through Jack’s eyes, or really through his ears, as Ma never wants Old Nick to actually see Jack when their captor visits in the night.

Through a child’s eyes, the reader absorbs the mother’s monumental task of raising a child under these circumstances. Old Nick, evil and unrelenting, is terrifying in his obsession.

Room is an amazing examination of two lives lived in captivity. It’s a testament to a mother’s love, a novel of astounding depth.

Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2011-12-29T10:44:00.000-08:00

If you’re looking for a fun, charming experience, pick up The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Dial Press) by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

The novel consists entirely of letters centered around writer Juliet Ashton. The book takes place in 1946 as Great Britain recovers from World War II. A unique relationship between Juliet and her publisher, Sidney, and Sidney’s sister Sophie, shows unique friendships that date back to their childhood, allowing the reader the benefit of insights into Juliet’s character.

Juliet receives a letter from farmer Dawsey Adams, who lives on Guernsey, Channel Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean’s channel between the United Kingdom and France. Dawsey is in possession of a book formerly owned by Juliet and, from her name and address written on the inside cover, writes to her asking for a name of a bookstore so that he can get more information about the book’s author.

Dawsey explains that The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society came into being as the result of neighbors gathering to roast a pig which they had to keep secret because of the German occupation.

As letters fly back and forth, it occurs to Juliet that there are rich stories to be written about the war years on Guernsey. By this time she has heard from many of the island’s citizens and there is much excitement about her arrival.

As Juliet weaves her way into the hearts of the Guernsey people, a spark ignites between her and Dawsey. At least from her perspective. Dawsey’s quiet reserve make his feelings and/or intentions difficult to read. Juliet befriends a young girl, an orphan, whose parents were war victims.

Through this charming book, readers learn about the German occupation and the ingenuity of the British people to cope. The many diverse characters manage to pull together during tough times.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a charming book, one I couldn’t put down. It’s beautifully written with British flair, understatement and subtle humor. I heartily recommend this delightful and satisfying novel.

The Heroes Among Us

2011-12-19T09:32:00.001-08:00

Most people don’t set out to be heroes. Their day starts out like any other day, but somewhere along the way, an incident happens and they respond. Sometimes these heroes-to-be have taken time from their busy lives to become trained to save a life if faced with such a choice. Most say they don’t consider themselves heroes. But they are heroes, and the world is a better place because of them.

It was my pleasure to be among more than a thousand attendees at the 2011 Real Heroes Breakfast held at the Tulalip Resort Casino, sponsored by the Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross. In addition to a delicious breakfast, the morning was filled with moving, heartrending stories of real heroes, of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Pat Cashman emceed the event with his unique style and brought levity to the sometimes teary stories. It was an uplifting morning and the annual event has become a “won’t miss” on my calender.

Following are this year’s amazing stories. All these honored heroes live in Snohomish County Chapter’s jurisdiction.

DALE ASCHENBRENNER, a water inspector for Snohomish County PUD, was on his way to work, when through the fog he saw tail lights coming from a large swamp off the side of the road. He turned his vehicle around and as he got closer saw a woman’s hand waving out the window and heard her screaming, “I can’t swim!” Dale called 911, flagged down another car, got a tow rope from his vehicle and waded into the muddy waters. Just as he pulled the woman through the window, the car slid completely under water. He carried the woman through the water and up the hill, wrapped her in a blanket offered by a passerby, and they sat in Dale’s PUD vehicle until the paramedics arrived.

MELISSA KEATING: For some time Melissa had thought it would be wonderful to be able to save someone’s life through an organ donation. In good health, the timing was right for her to act on her heart’s desire. She contacted the University of Washington and began the process of becoming an anonymous kidney donor. The surgery was successfully performed. Melissa doesn’t know the person who received her kidney, but she has the satisfaction of knowing she made a difference in someone’s life.

GERRY ERVINE / BRANDON KLOES: A group of friends play Ultimate Frisbee at Garfield Park in North Everett twice a week at lunchtime. During their game, one of the players suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed on the field. Gerry and Brandon immediately began CPR, alerting other players to call 911. EMT’s arrived within minutes and, after administering shocks from their Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), transported him to the hospital. Gerry and Brandon had the skills to successfully perform CPR and because of their quick action were able to save their teammate’s life.

JOANNE VANLEUVEN: As JoAnne climbed out of her car and gathered materials for her day-care kids to make mother’s day gifts, she realized she didn’t have arm space to grab her purse, so she left it in the car. A co-worker noticed a thief carrying JoAnne’s purse away. While the co-worker called 911, JoAnne followed the thief. Physically fit, she hoofed it down a path through the woods to a motel parking lot. The thief slipped around a corner and disappeared into one of the upstairs units. JoAnne waited for police and told them approximately where the “two-bit thug” was. The policemen were able to recover her purse and arrest the thief as well as another man wanted on warrants.

OFFICER BRENDA GREENMUN had just completed a traffic stop when she observed a woman high above I-5, trying to climb over the railing of an overpass. After calling dispatch and asking for backup, Officer Greenmun walked toward the woman. The woman shaped her hand like a gun and gestured that she wanted the officer to shoot her. She was attempting suicide. They were able to save that woman’s life, but also prevented what could have been a fatal traffic accident had the woman been successful in jumping into the busy eight-lane freeway below.

DAVID ROBINSON and his three-year-old granddaughter Angel have a special bond. David had taken Angel to a swim lesson and then were going to a restaurant for dinner. As David carried his granddaughter across an intersection, he was struck by an SUV making a right-hand turn. At the moment of impact, Robinson lifted his granddaughter above his head to protect her from being hit. When they crashed to the street, Angel landed on top of him. With his body breaking her fall, Angel suffered only a bruise on her bottom. David’s injuries were severe with a fractured skull, two broken legs, internal damage and a fracture to a bone around the eye socket.

ED GRAVES, a Port of Everett part-time Security Officer, heard a 911 call that a vehicle had driven into the water at a boat ramp. Just as he arrived and saw a mini-van bobbing in the water, another car sped past him, sliding down the slick ramp several feet into the water. Ed thought, “This can’t be happening.” He quickly looked around, expecting to see lights and find himself in the middle of a movie scene. As the driver of the second vehicle pulled himself out of his vehicle, he yelled, “My parents are in the sinking van!” Ed helped the man ashore and together they approached the parent’s van as its front sank deeper and its rear-end bobbed on the surface. Together they used Ed’s “access tools” to break the rear window of the mini-van and pull the elderly couple to safety, just as the van completely submerged. The son and his parents were meeting at a restaurant for dinner and the son, following his parents, was giving his father driving directions. Instead of turning right, the man turned left and into the water. The son followed, at first not realizing they were driving into water.

CHAD DECROW / JORDAN LAPIER / CHRIS WALTER: Zamboni driver Chad, security personnel Jordan, and hockey team trainer Chris came to the aid of a heart attack victim during a recreational hockey league game. They immediately put their CPR/AED training into action using the arena’s defibrillator. The 56-year old man was revived and the three men took turns administering CPR until paramedics arrived. These heroes proved that quick action, proper training and willingness to act saves lives.

BENJAMIN KING / BEKAH STAUDACHER: While best friends Bekah and April Lutz’s put on makeup in the Snohomish High School girl’s bathroom, a fellow 10th grade student attacked the two, stabbing April more than a dozen times and slashing Bekah’s arm. Bekah ran outside the bathroom to call for help, then returned to the bathroom to help her friend. Classmate Benjamin ran inside the bathroom, saw April slumped to the floor, covered in blood. He held her in his arms and pressed paper towels to her wounds until paramedics arrived. These two students put themselves in harm’s way to save a fellow student’s life.

SNOHOMISH FIRE & RESCUE, called to Snohomish High School with the stabbing incident, were a critical part of April’s amazing survival. Their first instinct was to call for a helicopter that would have carried her to Harborview Medical Center, the region’s trauma hospital. But they quickly decided April would not survive the flight and instead rushed her in an emergency response vehicle to Everett’s Providence Regional Medical Center. Paramedics worked to keep the girl’s heart beating en route and delivered her to the emergency room 24 minutes after they reached her.

PROVIDENCE TRAUMA TEAM made the difference between life and death for stabbing victim April. When she was wheeled into the emergency room, she had only a 20 percent chance of survival. One of the stab wounds to her heart came close to being fatal. April’s heart stopped three times. In all, six doctors operated on April. Between these dedicated doctors and April’s own incredible will to live, she survived. April and those many heroes who worked to save her life received a standing ovation at the Real Heroes Breakfast.

Book Review: The Glass Castle

2011-12-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Glass Castle (Scribner) by Jeannette Walls is an extraordinary book about a dysfunctional yet captivating family. Captivating because despite the flaws these parents have, they have managed to raise children with spunk, imagination, and determination. This memoir, The Glass Castle, is named after the home Jeannette Walls’ father promised to build for his family.

Rex and Rose Mary Walls have four children. Life in the beginning was fun–Jeannette who narrates this memoir, loves living in the Southwest and living a fun, nomadic life. Rex is a brilliant man and teaches his children physics, geology, and from him they learn to embrace life and to use their imagination. Rex’s drinking problem accelerates as the story progresses, but from their father the children learn many of life’s truths.

Rose Mary prefers to spend her time painting and writing. She resents having to cook a meal or do housework when she could be spending time at her easel. Her children cook for themselves, when there’s food on hand. Meals could be nothing but popcorn three days in a row. Jeannette learns early in life that “to do the skedaddle” means when the family can’t pay their bills, they move on.

Rex’s drinking affects his earning power and the family moves to a West Virginia mining town where his mother lives. The mother takes the family in for a short while, but that doesn’t work out and they soon move to a dilapidated house in the hills. Rex still has grandiose plans of becoming rich, but the reality is that the kids have to fend for themselves to get their basic needs. Jeannette describes spending her lunch hour in the restroom, going through garbage bins to eat what other children have thrown away. In the winters, their rickety house is freezing cold with no fuel to burn. Keeping warm is a daily challenge with shoes held together by strings, thin, inadequate clothing, and thrift store coats with no buttons. Kids at school mock and tease them and the Walls have few friends, but the siblings are fiercely protective of each other.

Still the children excel at school, are in the top of their reading groups, and Jeannette’s work on the school paper is exemplary. Rose Mary has a teaching degree, but doesn’t have the heart to work full time and makes a mess of grading papers and keeping her students in line. To keep a paycheck coming in, the kids chip in and help their mother grade papers. But there comes a time Rose Mary refuses to go to school to teach; she wants to attend to her own needs to paint and write.

The Walls story is remarkable in that Jeannette has the determination to become successful on her own terms, yet still holds unconditional love for her parents. The Glass Castleis a tribute to love, fierce determination and triumph.

A Visit with Beverly Hooks

2011-12-05T09:10:00.001-08:00

Recently, it was my pleasure to meet Beverly Hooks at the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association Cottage at Gilman Village in Issaquah, Washington where she showcased her newly released Come Walk with Me - A Poetic Journal (Tate Publishing).

Q: Beverly, I noticed your elegant book, Come Walk with Me - A Poetic Journal, has wide appeal. Do you find a commonality in interests among those who buy your book?

Yes, I find much interest from art lovers, other artists, poets, writers and journalists. I also enjoy speaking with those who purchase my book as a gift. I find a definite commonality with those who have visited the location of my paintings. I particularly love the responding resonance of internal peace.

Q: It’s a small book, easy to carry in a purse or pocket. It appears that its size is part of the book’s charm.

Thank you, the size is 5x7.

Q: How do you describe yourself?

I am thankful for the gift of creativity. I am an impressionist, landscape/garden painter. I enjoy commissioned paintings, which involve my clients’ homes/gardens and special venues. I have sold my work for over twenty years.

I am classified as a Romanic Impressionist which pretty much describes my writing style. For me, the combination of art and poetry comes as descriptive interpretive thought. I am extremely dedicated to both my art and writing, and pursue to insure peace to all who view my work.

Q: Many of your paintings and their accompanying poems have roots in the English countryside. Tell us how that came about.

My husband Michael and I spent almost a year in Northern England. We lived in the beautiful village of Lytham. While Michael worked, I joined the Lytham Art Society and met wonderful artists who included me in many art related and family outings. On Friday afternoons through Sunday evenings my husband and I traveled the length and breadth of the British Isles, along with other European jaunts.

This opportunity brought much joy with en plein air painting excursions as well as hours of studio time flooding my canvas with cherished memories.

Q: Tell us about some of your other artistic and/or writing projects.

I enjoyed a commissioned trip to Austria & Germany. The painting Schloss (Castle) Mitersill, a ‘hunters castle’ turned resort can be found on my website. The painting Silent Night Chapel, Oberndorf, Austria and poem can be found in my Poetic Journal and website.

September 2005, I was juried by the US National Park Service as the “Artist-In- Residence” for Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas. I spent the month painting the beautiful Park, concluding with a permanent painting in the Park Museum.

My website contains an art gallery of both sold and available paintings. I am an avid journalist in that as I paint or finish a painting, I write about the inspiration of the experience and location. My new blog consists of a journey to the actual painting locations and the particular situations prompting the memory. I share actual events and happenings driven from the selected painting on my blog via my website, www.beverlyhooks.com

Q: The day we were together, I noticed many people earnestly sharing their thoughts with you. What sort of feedback do you normally get after people have viewed your work?

Most identify with the painting locations and share their visits and inspired moments. Some seem to enjoy the rhyme and rhythm of the poems while others want more information and viewings of my art.

It is my pleasure to spend time visiting, listening and sharing the many stories and experiences with such interesting people.

Q: Was writing this book something you had longed to do, or was it a sudden inspiration?

My personal note taking and journaling paved the way for the ‘sudden inspiration.’ I find my peaceful time in poets such as Yeats, Tennyson, and Frost along with many other classic and contemporary poets.

Q: How long did it take you to create your book?

Painting selection and writing took approximately six months.

Q: What challenges did you face as you wrote Come Walk with Me?

Time is my constant constraint. I paint for gallery, invitational art shows, and commission work. I teach beginner/advanced painting lessons here in Poulsbo. On March 7st I will be begin teaching every Wednesday at An Artful Touch in Kirkland, WA.

I, as many passionate artists and writers seem to add to a brimming plate. Why? Because we love what we do!

Q: Do you have a work-in-progress now?

Yes, and thank you for asking! I have written two children’s books that I thought ready for submission until I spoke with a literary agent, who suggested that I illustrate in my style of fine art painting. I am excited about spending the next several months focusing on a new adventure of fine art illustration.

The smaller in text of the two books is focused here in the Seattle/Olympic peninsula area. The longer book is of a descriptive journey from the beautiful Florida Everglades to the Great Pacific Northwest.

Q: You mentioned to me that you do commissioned work. Tell us about that.

I especially enjoy commissioned paintings and working with new clients. I love the opportunity to step into another’s world soaking up the reason and passion for the painting. It is a tremendously satisfying accomplishment to experience a pleased and happy client.

Q: Where can people learn more about your work?

My book is available through Bookstores nationally; if you do not see it shelved, just ask, it can be ordered for you.

For a personalized signed copy of Come Walk With Me ~ A Poetic Journal, visit my website www.beverlyhooks.com. My original art, giclee prints, and note cards, are also on my website.

To commission a painting, contact Beverly: (360) 649-453, beverly@beverlyhooks.com

Thank you, Beverly. I appreciate your taking the time to be with us today.

Book Review: The Girl with No Shadow

2011-11-28T10:27:00.001-08:00

The Girl with No Shadow (Harper Perennial) by Joanne Harris is a magical book. Literally. Its magic is in the form of witchery in three of the main characters. A sequel to Chocolat, the book’s main character, Yanne Charbonneau has changed her name from Vianne Rocher. Her daughter now nine, also has a different name, Anouk. Added is another younger daughter, Rosette, who is possibly autistic. The little French family has been forced to leave their former home and is starting over in Paris.

Yanne continues her vocation as a maker of exquisite chocolates. It’s a drab life she leads, but at least she and her daughters are safe. Her shop barely ekes out a living. If it weren’t for Thierry, her staid landlord, who has provided living quarters, she wouldn’t be able to care for her family.

Thierry asks Yanne to marry him and although she’s not in love with him, a solid family life is tempting. But she can’t bring herself to agree to marriage. Undaunted, he continues with plans to renovate one of his houses for them.

Along comes Zozie de l’Alba and we know from her first words that she is up to no good. Beautiful and charming, Zozie is an attraction to impressionable Anouk. Although for some time Anouk has realized she’s different from other kids, her exposure to Zozie helps her to define her special talent. She, too, is a witch.

Zozie manages to become part of the family, turns the chocolate shop into a bright, sunny place that draws customers in droves.

Just when Yanne least expects it, Roux appears from her past. Although he doesn’t know it, he is Rosette’s father. Even after four years, he stirs up feelings Yanne has tried unsuccessfully to bury.

Zozie’s true colors emerge. Pending danger and ruin become obvious. What tactic will she use this time to alter the lives of those who have trusted her?

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll enjoy the many descriptions of making exotic confections. Joanne Harris uses an interesting technique to spin her tale in that the story is told in three voices, all in first person. It was a bit confusing at first, but I soon noticed each of the three had a unique symbol at the beginning of a chapter.

Though my reading pleasure is normally stories with realistic plots, Harris spins an intriguing yarn. The Girl with No Shadow is a fairy tale for grown-ups. The author’s knowledge of chocolate is impressive and the Paris setting extraordinary. Harris’s lyrical writing style is a joy and keeps the reader engaged.

Book Review: Cold River

2011-11-21T09:02:00.001-08:00

For a chilling Pacific Northwest experience, Cold River (Walnut Springs Press) by Liz Adair will keep you wondering about who’s putting a damper on the efforts of the new school superintendent.

When Mandy Steenburg accepts the job of Superintendent of Schools in Limestone, Washington, she feels confident her doctorate in education will be a valuable asset. She arrives in early spring, which in the foothills, is still very cold and rainy. The weather isn’t the only thing that dampens her spirit. The town’s chilly reception is less than welcoming. Limestone is a community with tarheel independence and these folks like their town just as it is.

Mandy’s younger sister Leesie appears, a senior in high school, hoping to live with Mandy in the A-Frame house she’s rented. Although Mandy’s pleased to have the company, it is one more responsibility to take on.

As superintendent, Mandy struggles to make improvements, but meets resistance. Although the former superintendent has been demoted to assistant superintendent, the town still looks to him for leadership. Organized and efficient, Mandy is determined to make a difference, but it seems the only change she makes is in her own well-being. Incidents begin to happen, dangerous, life-threatening events. After a nasty case of food poisoning, a mysterious house fire, a wheel spinning off her car, she realizes someone is serious about getting rid of her.

Along the way, Mandy does make friends, even experiences the beginning of a romance, but she’s getting a strong message that she’s not accepted professionally and she considers accepting another job. She stumbles upon a secret and in trying to get away finds herself in deep water in a very real sense.

Cold River is a suspenseful novel written with insight of the inner workings of a school district. Of particular interest to me was the correlation between music and mathematics, as the author depicts Limestone’s exceptional and unusual high school music program. Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries will enjoy this book. To read more about the author, visit http://sezlizadair.blogspot.com/p/lizs-books.html

NOTE: For those who live in the Pacific Northwest, Liz Adair invites you to a Cold River launch party, 7:00 p.m., December 8 at the Sedro Woolley Library, 802 Ball Street, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284-2008. Door prizes will be books and home-made apple pies!

An Inspirational Visit with Michael Lienau

2011-11-14T09:13:00.001-08:00

After a life-altering experience, Michael Lienau is a firm believer in emergency preparedness. I recently attended a presentation of Michael Lienau’s in which he spoke of personal and business emergency preparedness.

Lienau was a close observer of Mount St. Helens during its second eruption on May 25, 1980. Too close. At age twenty and a life-long film buff, he’d planned to go to film school in Northern California. His plans were waylaid when Mount St. Helens erupted May 18, 1980. He made his way to the Mount St. Helens area to film the rivers that swelled with volcanic sediment. He joined a Seattle production company and flew through black clouds of ash, filming the blast from above.

When the second, smaller blast of May 25 occurred, Lienau and the production company were at the base of the mountain. The sky rained ash for seven hours, trapping the party in the backcountry for four days. They were unprepared for such an emergency and fought fatigue, hunger and turmoil.

It was a life-changing event, both professionally and spiritually. There was a strong possibility they might lose their lives. “It was one of those things that shaped my life,” he says. He began freelancing film work, inspired by his experience and the people whose lives were affected by the blast.

Lienau filmed “The Fire Below Us: Remembering Mount St. Helens,” which was first aired in 1994 on National Geographic television. He later made “Fire Mountains of the West” and “Cascadia: The Hidden Fire,” two films examining the present geologic and volcanic dangers of the Pacific Northwest.

Today, still an active cinematographer, Lienau encourages people to be prepared for disaster. “Preparedness is easy, inexpensive and you’ll never regret it.” Lienau’s particular concern is the strong possibility of a disastrous earthquake in the Northwest. The Cascadia Subduction Zone is one of the largest geologic faults in the nation, capable of generating a truly catastrophic 9+ earthquake.

By following FEMA’s recommendation--Make a plan, Make a kit, and Be informed--we can ensure preparedness. FEMA suggests a minimum 3-day Disaster Supply Kit that includes:
– One gallon of water per person per day, plus regular chlorine bleach for purifying more water
– Non-perishable food for each person per day
– Medications / first aid supplies
– Flashlight / extra batteries / light sticks
– Toiletries (including toilet paper, feminine supplies, soap, personal hygiene supplies)
– Important documents (wills, insurance papers, etc)
– Money, including small bills and change
– Multi-Purpose tools, garbage & zip lock bags
– Radio (battery or wind-up) / extra batteries
– Special needs for elderly, baby, pets
– Extra clothes / shoes / blankets

Lienau emphasizes the need to have food and supplies on hand. “If we give some time to preparedness in our families, neighborhoods and communities, it alleviates fear and strengthens our response systems.”

Book Review: Loving Frank

2011-11-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (Ballentine Books) is an exquisitely written novel based on the world-renown architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Mamah Borthwick Cheney.

In 1903 Mamah and her husband, Edwin, commission the locally famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, to design a house for them. Mamah and Edwin become friends with Frank and his wife, Catherine.

During the construction of the house, a powerful attraction develops between Frank and Mamah, a force so powerful they leave their spouses and children to live clandestine lives. They travel to Europe and Japan, following Frank’s quest for international architectural supremacy. Along the way, highly educated Mamah finds her intellectual fulfillment when she meets the Swedish feminist, Ellen Key and is commissioned to translate Key’s books and essays. When the truth about Frank and Mamah is exposed, their affair shocks Chicago society and brings shame and grief to their families.

Loving Frank is much more than a love story. It reaches into the possibility of freedom for woman and the cost and consequences of realizing those freedoms. Horan provides insights into the ambitions and quirks of Wright, an eccentric genius.

Loving Frank is a well-researched story of great passion, compassion, and timeless truth, an unforgettable historical novel.

How Important are Personal Appearances for a Writer?

2011-10-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

Mary at Poppyseeds, Stanwood, WA

I have found that a big part of promotion is making personal appearances. Look around for opportunities to make this happen.

– Call on stores in person. Always have your books with you when you’re out and about. In my car, I keep a good sampling of my books in a wheeled carry-on. If you see a store that might feature your books, don’t hesitate to go in, introduce yourself and show them your books. Many times I have shown a store owner or manager my books, even though they currently don’t have books in their inventory. I’ve been gratified by their interest. For sure, call on bookstores, but broaden your scope to other stores your readers might frequent, such as drugstores, gift stores, tack shops, etc.. Non-book stores most often pay up-front rather than on consignment, and pay a higher rate than bookstores.

– Take advantage of writer group events. In the Northwest, Pacific Northwest Writers Association has a Cottage Event where members are encouraged to appear with their books. If you belong to a writers group (and you should!), help organize an event that will draw the public.

– Participate in community events. On Camano Island, where I live, an annual Women’s Expo draws a large crowd. Vendors display their wares at tables featuring health items, jewelry, gifts, clothing, seasonal items, hand-crafted goods....and my books. Often, I am the only vendor with books and I enjoy being a novelty. It’s gratifying when people stop by to tell you how much they enjoyed your book and will now buy another title, and perhaps one more as a gift. Watch for opportunities in your area–there are bound to be Christmas events, fall festivals, public markets, even flea markets. Sometimes there’s a fee to have a “booth.” You have to weigh the cost against the profit. But, if nothing else, your personal appearance has added to your name and face recognition.

– Become known at your local library. Inquire about the library carrying your books. Donate a copy of your book to show your good will. In my area, Friends of the Library has invited me to speak and it is expected that I will bring my books to sell to attendees. Friends of the Library regularly host writer events–readers love meeting authors. They also hold an annual book sale for which proceeds go back into the library fund. I save my slightly shop-worn books to donate to this cause.

– When we take a road trip, I always take an extra supply of books and call on stores along the way. I have found small town drugstores to be among my best customers. I don’t make a big thing of this–it is our vacation, after all. Sometimes I’ll explain we’re visiting the area and thought I’d pop in and introduce myself. The response has been gratifying. Throughout the year, especially at Christmastime, I follow up these visits with a phone call and often replenish their book supply.

– Team up with a friend. It’s fun to make personal appearances with a friend. I often team up with a writer from another community, giving us a wider selection of venues. Sometimes it’s fun going solo, but other times it’s good to share the cost of a booth with someone else.

– It’s always interesting to people to have a book written about where they live. Canvas that area, looking for stores or other possibilities for personal appearances.

As you make your personal calls, be professional. Be prepared to leave a brochure or at the very least a business card. Sometimes people need time to think new ideas over. Follow up with a phone call soon after your personal visit. You are unique. Show enthusiasm about your product.

Book Review: West With the Night

2011-10-24T11:36:00.001-07:00

West With the Night (North Point Press) by Beryl Markham was first copyrighted in 1942, so don’t look for this gem on the just-released shelf. Since I’m researching memoirs and am always interested in all things African, I found this book extraordinary. Markham, born in England but raised in British East Africa, shows a powerful command of the English language.

In her childhood Markham hunted with tribesmen, endured the same discomforts, ran the distance with the best of them. Later, she followed her father’s passion for horses, raising thoroughbreds for the track and keeping them for her own pleasure.

In the mid-1930's, Markham became enchanted with flying and learned from a master flyer, Tom Black, who taught her in a D. H. Gipsy Moth. She achieved her “A” license, then later, her “B” license which entitled her to earn a living flying. In the early years, she carried mail, passengers, supplies to safaris and occasionally joined in a search for a downed plane. Often, her destination was marked by a single column of smoke, or at night, a row of small fires or lanterns.

Hunting bull elephant for their ivory was popular in the 1930's. As I read these encounters, I simply had to put aside what we know now about extinction and the injustice of killing an animal for a single feature of its body. Markham became enamored with the sport of spotting herds of elephant, working with one of Africa’s best known white hunters, Baron von Blixen, whom Markham called Blix.

In 1936, Beryl Markham met head-on a challenge of a trans-Atlantic solo flight, east to west, England to America. She would fly non-stop a night and a day. However, somewhere off the coast of Newfoundland ice lodged in the petrol tank’s air intake, partially choking fuel flow to the carburetor. The engine failed, caught, failed again and again, but finally would not restart and, after twenty-one hours and twenty-five minutes, Markham had to force-land in a Nova Scotia bog, burying the plane’s wheels and tipping it head-first into the mud. Markham managed to crawl out of the plane and wandered in the muck for an hour before being rescued.

Beryl Markham was a remarkable woman and West With the Night a memorable accounting of her life. Ernest Hemingway said of this book, “...[Beryl Markham] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers...” I won’t argue with that. It is an engaging, elegant book.

Book Review: Once Upon a River

2011-10-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

Once Upon a River (W. W. Norton) by Bonnie Jo Campbell is a captivating novel that kept me terrified, heart-warmed, and fascinated by a girl who becomes foot-loose on a Michigan river.

Margo Crane and her dad get along pretty well on their own, though Margo misses her mother Still, she’s always had more in common with her father and grandfather, learning to live off the land, to fish, to shoot like her heroine, Annie Oakley. She can get along without all the trappings sixteen year-old girls usually feel they need. Margo isn’t one to talk a lot, and when she’s raped by a neighbor, actually a relative, the secret is kept.

Through a violent and strange turn of events, Margo is on her own. She’s always been as one with the river, and it’s the river that becomes her home. Life is harsh for a young person on her own and she soon finds comfort from someone she’s met before, a man her father had known, and she finds security for a time. She’s able to do what she loves–hunt and fish. When that situation turns sour, Margo is on her own again, briefly.

Margo meets people with whom she seeks refuge, but the past has a way of catching up and when that happens, she is again alone. She meets an old, dying man, and forms a bond, not unlike she’d had with her grandfather before his death.

Once Upon a River is remarkable on many levels. Hunting lore, skinning animals, cooking wild game–Margo is a master at these skills. Campbell has done her homework–most readers will learn more about living in the wild than they ever wanted to know. I found myself caught up in the daily living struggles of this young woman, cheering her on when things got tough, bursting with pride when she created solutions, but all the while terrified of what could happen next. I was riveted to this story from the first page to when I reluctantly turned the last.

Book Review: The Heirloom Murders

2011-10-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Kathleen Ernst’s The Heirloom Murders (Midnight Ink) is a cozy mystery written with flair.

A woman apparently commits suicide and Chloe befriends the deceased’s sister, Dellyn. Not only shaken by her sister’s violent death, Dellyn is still grieving over the recent death of their parents.

Both young women work at Old World Wisconsin, an outdoor history museum, Chloe as a curator and Dellyn as an agriculture specialist. Chloe is helping Dellyn sort through her parents’ household effects, many of which are antique treasurers. Among the numerous files, they find references to the missing Eagle Diamond, a legendary gemstone unearthed in 1876.

Sparks are reignited between Chloe and cop Roelke McKenna when he investigates the alleged suicide. When an ex-boyfriend appears on the scene, Chloe is reminded of a messy and sad previous life she’d hoped to leave behind. The old boyfriend’s presence leaves Roelke unsure of how to proceed with his hoped for relationship with Chloe.

A murder takes place on the museum grounds, someone breaks into Dellyn’s historic house, and Chloe is attacked when she discovers someone lurking in Dellyn’s barn. It becomes clear that murderous greed is behind these evil acts.

The book toggles from the present day to 1876 on Charles and Clarissa Wood’s farm. Hired hand Albrecht Bachmeier is helping Charles dig a well, when Charles finds an unusual gem. Once it’s washed, the pretty gem is placed on Clarissa’s kitchen windowsill.

Kathleen Ernst’s The Heirloom Murders is a great sequel to the first of the Chloe Eliffson Mystery series, Old World Murder. The author presents a captivating story with humor and more than enough mystery to entice readers to keep turning the pages.

Book Review: Year of the Angels

2011-10-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

Year of the Angels by Erika Madden is a heart-felt novel about a ten year-old girl living in Germany during World War II. Inspired by Madden’s personal experiences, she describes war that few of us can imagine.

The Lindner family, a gentle mother and six children, including a new-born infant, struggle to survive the war as it creeps closer to their little village of Mainbernheim. Lisel’s father, conscripted by the Germain army, is away from his family, and they receive no word about his whereabouts or even if he’s still alive.

The family strives to make life as pleasant as possible, despite the black-outs, screaming sirens, crowded bomb shelters, the terrible shortage of food and other basic necessities. The children scrounge for coal along the railroad tracks, work in the fields in exchange for food, do whatever they can for the family’s survival. Through it all, their mother bravely and tenderly guides her children. and shows by example that the most important thing is family. Lisel and her beloved little brother Dieter have a special relationship and find play and enjoyment whenever and however they can. They escape to their treasured stone break, their secret, magical place.

War is terrible. Most of us believe that. Still, we reason, it’s necessary to preserve our freedom. But when you read an account such as Year of the Angels, you realize what it means to those most affected by the violence, the people who live there. The desperate struggles of being displaced, enduring shortages of food, clothes, and warmth, the misery of families being torn apart, is their daily reality. In the midst of this misery, the Lindner family shows kindness, sharing, and even humor.

Year of the Angels is a poignant account of one year of the European war as seen through the eyes of a young girl. It’s a treasure you will long remember. To learn more about the author and how to purchase the book, visit www.erikamadden.com. Year of the Angels can also be purchased through Amazon.com.

Thanks for the Memories

2011-09-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

The following are Erwin A. Thompson’s memories of an incident occurring during World War II. Mr. Thompson, born in 1915, was drafted into the Army in 1942. Thompson was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained from enemy action and a Silver Star for "Gallantry above the call of duty," and discharged in 1945 to return to the United States. Mr. Thompson is known as a historian, poet, novelist, philosopher, whittler and fiddler. I would add that he’s a treasure among his community, family and friends.

Following are Mr. Thompson’s own words:

My memories of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby

By Erwin A. Thompson

In August 1944 I was in France. Two months after “D” day, the military situation was far from guaranteed safety. We had landed on the same beach as the combat troops who had gone ashore. That bloody day started our “liberation” of France, Belgium, our occupation of Berlin and the end of that portion of World War II. It was a bloody road to travel. Our tanks had gone through the hedge rows of France, and were pounding at the Siegfried line—that almost impenetrable line of defense Germany had set up to resist any move, such as we were making now. We were still subject to air raids.

A show was planned (carefully) with just enough light to see the stage and the performers. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby were the big names. There were girls. Pretty girls. Talented girls; but girls that I had never been introduced to on the TV screen.

They were performers. The show that they put on would have been appropriate as a part of a burlesque show but they left their clothes on (just barely).It was slanted for an all male audience; well planned and well put on. One of the numbers that they did was “All of me.” With the gestures that the girl made there was no question what she was referring to.

Bing sang ‘White Christmas,’ and received a great amount of applause. At that time we were hoping to be home by Christmas.(It didn’t work out that way.)

They were great performers and great people. My friend, Norman Grover, told this story about Hope and Crosby.

“They were traveling by truck convoy. The trucks were having trouble. The passengers got off and helped push the vehicle out of the mud hole. I looked around and saw both Crosby and Hope in mud up to their knees like I was, pushing the stuck vehicle. Not only great performers, but great people!”

Thank you, Mr. Thompson. To quote the title of Bob Hope’s theme song, “Thanks for the Memories.”

Meet Leslee Breene, author of Starlight Rescue

2011-09-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

It is my pleasure to have as my guest Leslee Breene, author of recently released Starlight Rescue.

Thank you, Mary, for giving me the privilege of being a guest on your blog today.

Starlight Rescue, (August 2011), is my venture in changing horses, actually switching from historical western romance to contemporary romance. I’ve always been drawn to settings in the west, and this time my love of animals emerged. The heroine, a veterinarian, was born along with a cast of unpredictable four-legged critters.

A family of llamas emerged in my storyline. These regal and intriguing animals I had only seen from a distance. I turned to Jerry Dunn, llama expert and owner of Bear Track Farm of Golden, CO, for my research. At her invitation, I spent a magical day at the farm observing about twenty llamas. The males were quartered in a large rear stable, females on the side property. She informed me that too much male rivalry would occur in keeping them together. Jerry’s personal experience with a breech birth lent specific details to the birth scene in Starlight Rescue. Her sharing of recorded llama behavioral sounds was definitely enlightening.

Here’s the synopsis of Starlight Rescue in a nut shell.

Wyoming veterinarian Kimberly Dorn must keep her inherited animal rescue ranch from greedy developers. Rescuing abused and abandoned animals has been a lifelong dream ever since her youngest sister drowned in their lake, and Kimberly was unable to save her. Her new practice cannot yet support the ranch. The young man who answers her rental ad has a movie star smile and devilish green eyes.

Gabe Trent, a successful wildlife photographer and filmmaker, rents an outbuilding for his studio. When he meets Kimberly, they recall past summers when he worked in his uncle’s hardware store. She was a pony-tailed teenager then. Now, his sexy new landlady is a goal-oriented woman.

Still a free spirit at age thirty-two, Gabe wouldn’t mind sharing some good times with her. Kimberly introduces him to her rescue family: horses, llamas, dogs, and emus. Instantly captivated, Gabe offers her a percentage in a TV documentary he wants to film on the ranch.

But can she trust him with her animals…..and her heart?

Starlight Rescue ~ Romance Writers of America PASIC Finalist.

“Kimberly’s stubbornness is matched by Gabe’s patience in this story of saving the family ranch from greedy developers. Starlight Rescue is a wonderful story of determination, love and forgiveness.” ~ Linda Wommack, contributing editor and writer, True West Magazine, Wild West Magazine.

Starlight Rescue may be ordered directly from www.trebleheartbooks.com and at www.lesleebreene.com. Softcover ISBNs: 978-1-936127074-0, 1-936127-74-1. Ebook listing is available in all format distribution (including Amazon.com/ Kindle).

Leslee, you obviously have enthusiasm for your new novel. I wish you every success and great fun on your journey with Starlight Rescue.

I will Never Forget: 9/11 in New York

2011-09-10T06:47:00.001-07:00

The events of 9/11 will reign in my heart forever. Along with the rest of the nation, I sat in horror watching the televised events of that awful day. Although a volunteer, it didn’t occur to me that the American Red Cross would take an active role in the recovery process, but it soon became evident that New Yorkers in all walks of life were affected. Apartments within a huge radius were evacuated, jobs evaporated, life as New Yorkers knew it was horribly altered.

My first three weeks after 9/11 were spent in Washington, D.C. helping to set up a national American Red Cross call center. Those affected needed one central place where they could inquire about loved ones, where to find temporary housing, get mental or spiritual help; others needed to know where to go to give blood, volunteer help, donate money.

Soon after Washington, D.C., I was deployed to New York and my life was changed forever. I was assigned to Pier 94, a huge FEMA facility in Manhattan that coordinated more than 100 agencies under one roof. It was a one-stop shop where people could come for financial and emotional assistance.

Every assistance agency imaginable was represented at Pier 94: New York Police and Fire Departments, Salvation Army, housing authority, child welfare, unemployment, missing persons, insurance companies. The American Red Cross assisted people who lost family members, they helped families through financial crises that occurred as a result of the bombing, they set up respite centers where relief workers could rehydrate and relax.

Pier 94 was a somber place. We were aware at all times how affected these people were on so many levels. No cameras were allowed. Confidentiality and privacy were high priorities.

The Red Cross had a huge team of Mental Health workers available to the public, first responders and aid workers, as well as a large contingency of chaplains who circulated around the vast building. We even provided child care, staffed by church groups, so that people could talk to agencies without the distraction of small children. My personal responsibility was to give financial assistance to people who suddenly couldn’t pay their bills, they had been thrown in financial chaos.

Even dog clubs organized to give comfort. Throughout the day, well-behaved dogs were guided through crowds, stopping when a child needed to bury his head in comforting fur, or when an adult, overcome by grief, just needed to look into soft eyes and cry. It was obvious to me that the dogs sensed profound sadness, a deep melancholy that prevailed on Pier 94. I marveled at these dogs and their gracious owners who spent hours circulating through the crowds bringing calming comfort.

Local restaurants donated their services and food, preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner for all those who served. It was my pleasure to share meals with people of all represented agencies. I had never spent time in New York, and talking with police, fire fighters, and those of other agencies was an eye-opening experience for me. I found New Yorkers warm and friendly, and so appreciative of people who were there to help.

When I had a few minutes, one of my favorite places to visit on Pier 94 was a long corridor decorated with gifts from the people of Oklahoma City who had suffered from the bombing in 1995. Flowers, dozens of teddy bears, pictures, notes from adults and children, it was an outpouring of love that brought tears to my eyes every time I visited that section of the building.

New York’s Thanksgiving parade had a special meaning that year. Sure, we experienced the relief of laughter–you have to laugh at clowns’ antics. There was pride, too, when school bands marched by playing patriotic tunes, their uniforms spotless, their instruments polished to perfection. But when the NYFD float came by with our tattered American flag we came to attention, saluting or putting hands over hearts. The fire fighters who carried that flag carried it with pride, and yes, defiance.

I continue to have mixed feelings about 9/11: horror that such a tragedy could happen on US soil, admiration for the strength and bravery New Yorkers showed, and pride in the American people for stepping forward to help. I am proud to have had a small part in the healing process after the worst day in America’s history.

Book Review: Inside of a Dog

2011-09-06T08:39:00.001-07:00

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s been friend,
Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.

Those words of wisdom, attributed to Groucho Marx, are quoted by Alexandra Horowitz, author of Inside of a Dog, What Dogs See, Smell and Know (Scribner). The book delves delightfully into the inside workings of a dog. Horowitz often refers to a dog’s umwelt, a German word meaning environment or surrounding world. Through this authoritative and captivating book, we learn what the world looks like from a dog’s point of view.

Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist, explains how dogs perceive their worlds. Dogs are decedents of wolves but through breeding vast differences now exist. The author shows us what the world must look like through a dogs eyes and describes the actual construction of their eyes. She discusses the noise a dog makes and what it might mean. We might think of a dog licking our face as kisses, but what does it mean do a dog? You don’t want to know.

For me, one of the book’s most interesting discussions deals with dogs’ incredible sense of smell. A dog can sort with minute detail the information presented through his nose. Bloodhounds, supersmellers among dogs, can detect small changes in odor, such as a diminishing smell in footsteps over time. The bloodhounds large ears facilitate his sense of smell. By gently shaking his head, he can stir up more scented air for the nose to catch. The medical field recognizes the ability of dogs to detect distinctive smells of various infections, diabetes, cancer or even schizophrenia.

Horowitz backs up her facts with scientific research and presents it in useful context. Inside of a Dog is scholarly, yet a fun, witty read with practical application for dog lovers interested in knowing why their dogs act the way they do.

Book Review: Homer & Langley

2011-08-29T09:40:00.001-07:00

Homer & Langley (Random House) by E. L. Doctorow is an engaging novel about two brothers, one blind and the other suffering the effects of mustard gas during the Great War.

The narrator of the story, Homer, blind since childhood, develops a highly self-sufficient way of getting around, depending on sounds, smells and the sense of closeness to objects. He is musically gifted and for awhile is the piano accompaniment for silent movies at a local movie theater. His brother Langley goes off to war and the Spanish flu takes first one parent, then the other. Left alone in the Fifth Avenue mansion with no one but servants, Homer manages to settle the estate and awaits his brother’s return.

Langley’s return, however, is filled with tragedy. He’s physically and mentally altered. The mustard gas has left horrific scars and damaged his vocal chords, changing his voice from a clear tenor to a rasping whisper. He’s left with bitterness and distrust toward the government and society.

The Collyer brothers live as recluses in their once grand mansion. Langley becomes obsessed with collecting things–newspapers, cast-off clothes, furniture, old TV’s. The mansion is filled with useless relics. Although the word “hoarder” is never used, that is, indeed what Langley becomes.

Homer at times craves romance, but loyalty to his brother and his own limitations discourage lasting relationships.

The novel covers several decades, and the reader follows society’s changes through the constant barrage of people streaming through the Collyer home: immigrants, prostitutes, gangsters, jazz musicians, hippies–they all become a part of the intricate web that forms the Collyer household.

Homer & Langley is a fascinating story, combining Homer’s insightfulness and blindness with Langley’s eccentric but brilliant idealism. The novel introduces points of view that I’d never considered. It’s beautiful yet haunting characters will stay with me for a long time.

Book Review: Adeline

2011-08-22T12:12:00.001-07:00

Adeline (Tate Publishing) by Mary Ann Hayes is a little book with a big message. People of all ages will enjoy this story, but the wisdom and insights of Adeline will especially resonate with readers over forty.

Beautifully told in first person, Adeline observes her world and her precious family through loving eyes, eyes that have seen beauty, laughter and tragedy. Adeline’s story is an inspiring life’s journey, a chronicle of recollections of people and events that have shaped her life.

Adeline has lived her life to the fullest, even when life has been hard to bear. A wise woman who loves her vacation home and the people who fill it, she returns to her beloved lake house for her final journey.

People who love life and who find treasures in nature and in simple pleasures will love Adeline. To learn more about the author, visit www.maryannhayes.com Adeline is available at your favorite bookstore and various on-line outlets.

Book Review: Bel Canto

2011-08-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Bel Canto (Harper Perennial) by Ann Patchett held me captive from beginning to end. And being held captive is what this book is all about.

A prestigious party is being held at the home of a Vice President somewhere in South America. The occasion is a birthday party honoring Mr.Kosokawa, a powerful businessman from Japan. The famous opera soprano, Roxane Coss, has enthralled the international guests with her singing. It’s a grand event–until terrorists take the entire party hostage.

From the beginning, the take-over goes awry. The target being sought, the President of the country, isn’t in attendance. This causes great confusion among the three generals leading a gang of gun-wielding youths.

Nothing goes according to plan, but life goes on. From a panicked, life-threatening situation, people fall into a routine. They connect, cooperate, form bonds, friendships, even fall in love.

This is a marvelous, entertaining book, a New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Pen/Faulkner Award. For me, it hit a profound chord. When my husband and I were with the Peace Corps in The Gambia, West Africa, we were “detained” in a single house for 8 days, along with 118 people from many different countries. This book brought back vivid memories of that attempted military coup.

I highly recommend Bel Canto. You’ll find yourself bunking in with the rest of the house guests.

Book Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

2011-08-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a colossal novel in every sense. As a trade paperback, its six hundred fifty-nine pages teem with history many of us never knew existed. A 2001 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is an epic array of fiction woven skillfully with fact.

Sammy Clay’s imagination and enterprising spirit isn’t slowed down by his physical limitations, the effects of childhood polio. But, on his own, he can only dream of ambitions for which most people of the time aren’t even aware, a comic book empire.

Along comes Sammy’s cousin, Josef Kavalier, an escapee from Prague. Joe’s entire focus is to rescue his family from Nazy Germany’s oppression. Not only is Josef a talented former art student, he is a skilled magician and escape artist. The two young men combine their talents, each working toward their individual goals.

Together Sammy and Joe embark on the emerging comic book industry, making a name for themselves, along with the notable Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the writer-artist team that created Superman.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay covers a dozen pre- and post-World War II years. Chabon’s sweeping, intricately researched novel is a captivating read encompassing early comic book years, fantasy, magic, love and war, all richly drawn with believable characters. It’s no wonder this book received the Pulitzer Prize–it’s a triumphant, highly engaging work of fiction.

Book Review: The Color of Water

2011-08-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother, by James McBride (Riverhead Books) is not a new release. The book club I belong to selected this book, the 10th Anniversary Edition, for discussion.

James McBride’s father died when his mother was pregnant with James. His Jewish mother, the widow of a black man, remarries, also to a black man, a man who accepted and took responsibility for this existing family of nine, which eventually grew to a family of fourteen.

As a young boy, James realizes that he looks different from his mother and questions her whether he is black or white. “You’re a human being,” she answers. “Educate yourself or you’ll be a nobody.” Later, as he attempts to sort out life, he asks his mother, now a Christian, what color God is and is told, “God is the color of water.”

Interspersed with James’ story, are chapters written in his mother’s voice. A rabbi’s daughter born in Poland and raised in the South, she fled to New York to get away from her father’s cruelty and prejudice. She finds kindness and understanding with a black man, a devout Christian.

The Color of Water is a refreshing look at a family of mixed race. It’s a story of a mother who manages to see all twelve of her children graduate from college with advanced degrees. Yet it’s a chaotic family, with mixed messages, financial struggles and confusion, yet strong with love and compassion. The memoir faces racial issues relevant today, but goes beyond race to reach justifiable pride, humor and compassion. It’s a story about what a family can achieve through faith and sheer determination.

Book Review: Until Tuesday

2011-07-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him (Hyperion) by Luis Carlos Montalvan was an eye-opener for me on several accounts: PTSD, war, and service dogs. This true account of a wounded warrior and his remarkable partner, a service dog named Tuesday is an amazing story of the manifestation of war, profound loss, and love.

After reading Until Tuesday, I finally have a grasp of the all-consuming affects of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). When highly decorated Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan returns from his second tour of Iraq with serious, multiple injuries, his physical condition is treated but not what is his most crippling injury, PTSD.

PTSD is many things to different people, but its main manifestation is that of a dwelling disorder, the inability to move beyond the trauma. This condition often prevents war veterans from being able to continue their former lives. Many are unable to concentrate, to work, even to resume their lives with loved ones. Such was the case with Montalvan. He received medical treatment for his physical wounds, but his psychological wounds kept him from living a normal life.

Montalvan also shares very personal views of the Army which he loves, but which he feels isn’t giving sufficient support to the men and women who are on the ground fighting. Rather, he feels the Army is allowing civilians to run the war effort. This, he feels, is often the cause of the trauma suffered by warriors, the frustration of decisions made that belie the reasons for U.S. presence.

When The Wounded Warrior Project, a veteran service organization, sends an email with the subject, “WWP and Puppies Behind Bars,” Montalvan finally sees hope. This organization provides 30 dogs a year to place, free of charge, with veterans from Iraq or Afghanistan who are suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injuries or physical injuries.”

The minute he heard of this program Montalvan knew it would be his salvation. And it was. Through East Coast Assistance Dogs, the agency which receives dogs trained by inmates in prison, Montalvan was matched with Tuesday, a beautiful golden retriever.

At first, it was tough going. Tuesday suffered from abandonment when she lost her prison trainer. Together they gradually gained confidence and respect for one another.

A service dog has different responsibilities than a guide dog for the blind. A service dog gives psychological assistance, is trained to sense what his handler needs, whether it be a nudge of reassurance or leading the way through crowds, a frequently terrifying ordeal for many who suffer from PTSD. Tuesday knows 140 commands, many of which are practical commands such as bringing shoes or opening drawers. But his real value to Montalvan is as a best friend, an anchor when crowds and strangers surround him, and a kindred brother.

Until Tuesday is a powerful account of a wounded soldier and his dog. Their love and devotion are a tribute to an organization who has found a way to make people whole again.

Farewell Bend: A Place to Rest

2011-07-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

When I read about the grinding hardships the pioneers endured, I marvel that the American West was settled at all. There are still plenty of wild, open spaces in eastern Oregon–it’s not hard to imagine their arduous journey across this arid country.

In 1843, 1,000 people left Missouri to travel to Oregon, to the “Garden of the World.” During the next two decades, 50,000 more would follow the Oregon Trail, 2,000 miles of what in 1848 emigrant Riley Root called “Landscape without soil.” In many places, the land produced barely enough to sustain the teams, and the fragile landscape eroded even more as the numbers of emigrants increased.

The little water they encountered was often tainted and caused sickness among people and animals. The weary travelers often had to make a choice whether to press on and lose oxen teams to fatigue or to give them rest and have them die of thirst.

By the time the travelers reached the Snake River, they found relief in clean water and fish, but also hardships in crossings, where drownings were not uncommon. After following the Snake River for 330 miles, the pioneers rested above a bend in the river, at a place they called “Farewell Bend” where they found respite to fortify them for the travel inland to Oregon City.

Today Farewell Bend State Recreation Area, a state park in Baker County, is still a lovely respite, a place to camp and enjoy the refreshing coolness of the Snake River. An Oregon Trail exhibit commemorates the site where pioneers rested and viewed the river for one last time before continuing westward.

Wagon ruts can still be seen north of the park. A small iron cross, visible from U.S. 30, marks the location where Snake River Shoshone Indians battled with pioneer travelers in 1860. Restored covered wagons rest at the park entrance and next to the Oregon Trail kiosk.

Farewell Bend: A place to remember, a place to reflect, a place to rest.

Book Review: Riding the Edge of an Era

2011-07-11T15:15:00.001-07:00

Riding the Edge of an Era: Growing Up Cowboy on the Outlaw Trail (High Plaines Press) by Diana Allen Kouris is a heartwarming memoir of a girl raised on a ranch bordering Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.

The youngest of six children, Diana Kouris grew up well acquainted with hard work and hard play, with the resiliency to thrive in both. Brown’s Park Livestock Ranch is situated in an area rich with history. Brave pioneers lived on this land; so did Butch Cassidy and others of his ilk.

Riding the Edge of an Era takes readers into the daily life of a loving family dedicated to each other, their livestock and the land that sustains them. As little children, they were entrusted with responsibilities that would be tough for adults to accomplish. High expectations were a part of life for this family and a necessity to exist in this rough country.

The three youngest siblings remain close to each other and to their parents through adulthood, returning to the ranch to help trail cattle to distant pastures, or to bring them in for market.

Throughout the book, photographs give additional flavor to Kouris’ story. Some characters, such as her father, seem bigger than life, but when you see his picture, you can see why. He’s the epitome of a tough, successful rancher.

Riding the Edge of an Era: Growing Up Cowboy on the Outlaw Trail is an extraordinary story written by a woman steeped in a western ranching environment.

Book Review: Baking Cakes in Kigali

2011-07-05T08:01:00.001-07:00

Baking Cakes in Kigali (Bantam Books) by Gaile Parkin, is a wonderfully crafted story that takes place in the east African country of Rwanda.

Angel Tungaraza, is serious about the business she conducts in her home, baking cakes. To Angel, beautiful cakes are essential ingredients for celebrations. As she delves into the reason for the celebrations, she learns about her customers’ hopes, joys and sorrows.

Angel knows about sorrow. Both her adult children, a son and a daughter, have died and Angel and her husband Pius are raising their combined five grandchildren. As she balances her family’s life, Angel becomes entwined with her customers’ lives. We learn about the horror of Rwanda’s genocide and how it affected the people of Rwanda. During the genocide, the raping of women was a common occurrence, and along with that came widespread HIV/AIDS. The result of these horrific acts left shattered families and a society trying to carry on with the little they have left. Still, they strive to live with dignity.

As a huge fan of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith, I found myself relating Angel’s ingenuity and cleverness to Precious Ramotswe. Baking Cakes in Kigali, however, has its own message, rhythm and compassion. It’s an extraordinary novel, full of laughs, tears and great satisfaction.

Author Gaile Parkin was born in Zambia and served as a VSO (Volunteer Service Overseas) in Rwanda at the new university doing a wide range of work with the recovering country. Evenings and weekends, Ms. Parkin worked with women and girls who were survivors of the genocide. Many of the incidences in Baking Cakes in Kigali were inspired by stories she was told.

Five Wishes: The Path to Peace of Mind

2011-06-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

I recently attended an enlightening seminar at our local library called Five Wishes, presented by Aging with Dignity. Five Wishes is an easy-to-read legal document that lets adults express how they want to be treated in case they become seriously ill and are unable to speak for themselves.

Five Wishes has become America’s leading living will because it speaks to all of a person’s needs: medical, personal, emotional, and spiritual. The document also provides an excellent prompt for family discussions.

The eleven-page document covers every aspect a person needs to consider when creating a living will. It’s easy to use with places to check a box, circle a direction, write a few sentences, or cross out a section. Once signed and witnessed, it becomes a legal document in most states.

Following are the topics covered in Five Wishes:

Wish 1 – The Person I Want to Make Health Care Decisions for Me When I Can’t Make Them for Myself -- Includes suggestions on how to select the proper person to handle these decisions. The form provides a place to name the Health Care Agent and list contact information.

Wish 2 – My Wish for the Kind of Medical Treatment I Want or Don’t Want --
Discusses what life support means specifically to that individual and the various ramifications of a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order.

Wish 3 – My Wish for How Comfortable I Want to be -- Itemizes the various personal acts you want performed on your behalf.

Wish 4 – My Wish for How I Want People to Treat Me – Discusses who you want with you, such as only family only , who to notify that you’re ill, whether or not you’d like prayers said on your behalf.

Wish 5 – My Wish for What I Want My Loved Ones to Know -- Expresses personal desires of lasting memories to be left with family and friends, such as expressions of love and forgiveness. Also discusses the disposition of the deceased’s body.

Five Wishes discusses issues many people find hard to communicate, all in a matter-of-fact, thorough manner.

For more information and to order Five Wishes, visit www.agingwithdignity.org

Book Review: Olive Kitteridge

2011-06-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge (Random House) is a masterpiece in describing human behavior. The constant in the book, Olive, storms through people’s lives, concerned, condemning, critical. Those whose lives she touches have a variety of opinions, but most see her as intelligent, fearless and daunting. But no one really knows Olive.

Olive Kitteridge takes a glimpse of thirteen different characters, all with their own unique stories. A few stories touch on a younger Olive, but mostly the characters relate to her later years. In a few quick strokes, the author lays people’s lives bare, their secrets exposed. Olive weaves a binding thread, showing how our life-forces bind us to one another.

Olive’s caustic personality, though often humorous, sometimes made me cringe. She is a person I’d love to know, but I’m not sure I’d have the nerve to maintain a friendship.

Olive Kitteridge is a compelling book, full of surprises.

Don't Invite the Bad Guys

2011-06-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

It’s vacation time and a time when your home is most vulnerable. Our local Windermere Real Estate furnished an excellent home safety checklist:

– Make plans for the porch Even if you stop mail and newspaper delivery, you still might have other people call on you and leave notes or fliers, even packages. Ask a trusted neighbor to stop by to collect whatever may be there.

– Hire out the yard work If you’ll be gone for an extended period of time, hire someone to mow the lawn and water the plants.

– Install multiple timers Install automatic on/off timers on multiple lights, a radio or television. Some timers even let you vary the schedule. Step out onto your porch to test the volume of your radio, making sure it can be heard (but don’t make it obviously loud).

– Put a car in the driveway If you’re leaving a car behind, park it in the driveway instead of the garage. Or, if you don’t have a second car, ask a neighbor to park there while you’re gone.

– Silence the phone Turn off the ringer for your phone, or have your calls forwarded.

– Take care of the trash If you must leave your trash out for collection, ask a neighbor to carry the trash cans back afterward.

– Alert the neighbors Even if you don’t need the help of your neighbors, be sure to let them know what days you’ll be gone and if you’re expecting anyone to drop by.

Following these precautions will ensure you a more relaxed vacation and a pleasant home-coming.

Book Review: Dear Friends

2011-05-30T08:23:00.001-07:00

Jon Stevens’ Dear Friends: Letters from the Farm - 2009 touches the hearts of people striving to live wholesome, meaningful lives.

Stevens began writing newsletters six years ago to customers and anyone else interested in hearing about life on their productive 2-acre farm on Camano Island. Encouraged by enthusiastic response, Stevens compiled a year’s worth of newsletters and published this charming book.

More than just growing produce for their own consumption and for their produce stand, Jon and Elaine Stevens share a way of life. Dear Friends not only describes the daily routine of producing food, it describes the essence of living close to the earth.

Stevens gives voice to their chickens and ducks who play vital roles in food production with fresh eggs, eating bugs and slugs, and providing laughs. As the calendar year begins, the book shows only monthly newsletters, but as spring begins to produce, so does the frequency of the newsletters. The farmer’s life rotates from mending fences, to poring over seed catalogs, tilling the soil, planting seed and finally harvesting. When you read the accounting of all that, you realize how complicated it really is, this simple farming lifestyle.

For Stevens, life is more than growing good food, even Certified Naturally Grown food. He is enthusiastic about sharing gardening tips for food, flowers and shrubs. Dear Friends teems with information about how to make even a small farm sustainable. In addition to practical advice, humor and a deep faith shine through these pages.

Whether readers are interested in growing their own food, or interested in how others do it, or perhaps seeking a dream to follow, Dear Friends is a treasure. With humor and infectious enthusiasm, Jon Stevens imparts a love for people, for the land and for good honest work. His weekly journal is a passionate book borne of embracing life to the fullest.

For more information about Dear Friends and Stevens’ piece of paradise, The Open Gate Farm, visit www.theopengatefarm.com and click on “Visit Our Farm Store.”

Get a Kit. Make a Plan. Be Informed

2011-05-23T08:54:00.001-07:00

We’ve witnessed a lot of disasters lately, both at home and abroad. Some disasters can be prevented. For instance, we can use caution when using candles in our home, and can ensure that our home’s electrical wiring is in good shape. But not all house fires can be prevented, no matter how careful we are. Still, we can make a plan to make sure that every member of the family knows what to do in the event of a house fire.

Some disasters give us warning, such as floods after heavy rains. We may have time to collect important items before leaving home for safety. If you’ve prepared an emergency kit in advance, you can move quickly to gather last-minute items.

Earthquakes don’t give warnings–they just strike. During an earthquake, it may be hard to grab even an emergency kit, but afterward you may be able to re-enter your home to gather supplies if you have to leave. Having an emergency kit ready will help. Make sure everyone in the family knows how to protect themselves during an earthquake.

We usually have some warning of a tornado or hurricane, but not much. You can save lives if you have a kit, a plan and are informed about what to do, where to go.

In major disasters, you may not be directly affected at all–your home may remain intact and you can continue to live there. However, it may not be possible for you to continue business as usual because of road damage, electrical outage, store closures, etc. Emergency management authorities now suggest you have enough supplies to last five to seven days.

Recent events have made it clear that we can’t be complacent about the possibility of a disaster. The American Red Cross urges everyone to prepare:

Get a KitKeep supplies in easy-to-carry containers such as backpacks, covered buckets and plastic tubs. Consider water, food, clothing, medicines, tools, enough supplies to last five to seven days.

Make a PlanMake sure everyone in your family knows what to do in the event of a disaster. Make a family plan about where to meet if you can’t return to the home. Choose an out-of-area contact whom family members can call to “check in.”

Be InformedLearn what emergencies may occur in your area. Identify how local authorities will provide information during a disaster. Know how to reach help. Make sure at least one member of the family is trained in First Aid and CPR–it can save lives.

For more information on disaster preparedness, visit http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/epc.pdf

Book Review: Baby Doe Tabor: Matchless Silver Queen

2011-05-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Joyce B. Lohse’s Baby Doe Tabor: Matchless Silver Queen (Filter Press) offers a refreshing visit to Colorado history from the late 1800's through Baby Doe Tabor’s death in 1935.

Baby Doe, also known as Elizabeth, Lizzie, Mrs. Harvey Doe and finally, Mrs. Horace Tabor, is one of Colorado’s most colorful legends. Without sensationalizing, glorifying, or judging, Lohse tells Baby Doe Tabor’s compelling story drawn from skillful research.

Baby Doe isn’t afraid of hard work. She pitches in to help at her husband’s silver mine, driving a team of horses to lift heavy ore buckets up mineshafts. When her marriage ends in disappointment, she is determined to leave hardship and heartbreak behind. She seeks the finer things in life: beauty, love, comfort and riches.

She realizes all her dreams, and more, though not without struggle and censure. Horace Tabor’s impressive talent for making money brings riches beyond belief. But riches can become rags with a bad turn of luck.

Lohse’s nonfiction is reality based with no made-up dialogue or embellishment. Although much has been written about Baby Doe Tabor, Lohse’s meticulous research reveals fresh material never before recorded. One resource, Baby Doe’s cookbook, proved to be a wealth of insights with scraps of paper and notations in the margins, such as this gem: “Be kindly to everybody you meet, but don’t make everybody your friend.”

Baby Doe Tabor: Matchless Silver Queen is a nonfiction historical work worthy of notice. Lohse brings this character to life, revealing the truth about an amazing but often misrepresented historical Colorado figure.

Freeing the Elwha

2011-05-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

Take a last look. Washington’s Olympic National Park is gearing up for the largest dam removal in U.S. history–the Elwha. This past summer was celebrated as the “last dam summer in the Elwha River Valley.” Actual removal will begin in the summer of 2011, starting a two and a half to three year project. Restoration for natural habitat will take much longer, up to 25 years for the salmon runs to fully recover and many years longer for restoring the tattered ecosystem.

What prompted the damming of the Elwha? Over 100 years ago, Thomas Aldwell saw the Elwha River and its narrow gorges as an economic opportunity. Between 1910 and 1913 Aldwell’s Olympic Power and Development Company constructed the dam five miles from the river mouth. Despite a Washington State law requiring fish passage facilities, the dam was erected without them.

Thomas Aldwell boasted that the Elwha is “.... no longer a wild stream crashing down to the Strait; the Elwha was peace and power and civilization.”

The Elwha Dam and another, Glines Canyon Dam (also known as the Upper Elwha Dam, built in 1927) originally provided hydroelectric power for growth as far away as the Bremerton naval shipyard. In later years they provided about 50% of the power for one paper mill. These areas are now receiving power from other sources.

The dams were also responsible for the decline of hundreds of thousands of fish–coho, pink, chum, Chinook and sockeye salmon, as well as steelhead, char and cutthroat trout. With the fish reduced to almost zero, 137 species of wildlife, from the tiny shrews to eagles, mink, elk and bear, were drastically reduced.

In the early 1900s, extensive environmental studies showed that dam removal was the only way to restore native anadromous fish stocks and thus the river’s ecosystem. The final decision was made and a timeline established. Several large projects were completed in 2009 and 2010 in preparation for the actual dam removal.

The removal of the two dams will restore the river to its natural free-flowing state, allowing all five species of Pacific salmon and other fish to once again reach spawning and rearing habitat.. Reforestation will gradually begin, giving habitat to countless other wildlife. Nutrients that link the sea to terrestrial ecosystems will be restored.

One of the important benefits of the Elwha River’s restoration is to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, who have lived along the river since time immemorial. Tribal members will have access to sacred sites now inundated by water, and cultural traditions can be reborn. The National Park Service and the Tribe are primary partners on this project.

The cost for dam removal and supporting projects is staggering: approximately $352 million, which includes the purchase of the two dams, the removal of the dams, construction of two water treatment plants and other facilities to protect water users, construction of flood protection facilities, a fish hatchery and a greenhouse to propagate native plants for revegetation. The return, in addition to the restoration of the natural ecosystem, will be an increase in the local economy affected by tourism, recreation and fishing.

This project creates a living laboratory where people can watch and learn what happens when salmon return, after a century, to a still wild and protected ecosystem. What an exciting project to observe and view first-hand.

For more information about this exciting project, visit www.nps.gov/olym/naturescience/elwha-ecosystem-restoration.htm

Book Review: The Devil in the White City

2011-05-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America follows the events of the great Chicago’s world’s fair of 1893. Its official name, the World’s Columbian Exposition, known throughout the world as the White City, brought extraordinary splendor to the world May 1 through October 30, 1893.

The book begins at the fair’s conception and concludes with the ending ceremony, with a few vignettes at the end. First conceived as a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the new world, the fair takes on a life of its own, showing the world architecture and design never before seen or even imagined.

Today, planning an event of this magnitude would be daunting. In the late 1800's, it was unimaginable. Architect Daniel Burnham, encountered so many obstacles on so many levels the wonder is that it happened at all. This book delves into the personalities of those who persevered to create an almost mythological experience.

But along with the splendor comes the dark deeds of a psychopath, Herman Webster Mudgett, alias H. H. Holmes. Taking advantage of the fair’s attraction, Holmes draws people into his web of destruction and death.

Larson’s account of the planning, building, performance and conclusion of the fair leaves the reader in awe that such a thing could be possible. The chilling deeds of Holmes introduces a macabre reality that only the most persistent detective can unravel.

The Devil in the White City is a well researched work, backed up by documented resource notations. The non-fiction historical is a fascinating, while chilling, page turner.

The Royal Wedding

2011-04-25T09:12:00.001-07:00

When I hear reference to the “royal wedding,” it evokes memories of Africa. These memories, however, aren’t of round huts, friendly people and the sounds of exotic drumming. These memories are of being crammed into a house with 116 other people for eight days, of artillery too close for comfort, of wondering if we would see our families again.

In 1981, when my husband Bruce and I were in The Gambia with the Peace Corps, we happened to be in the capital city, Banjul, 250 miles downriver from Mansajang, the village where we lived. On the day we were scheduled to return home, a coup d’etat instigated by The Gambia Field Force (similar to our National Guard) broke out. All roads leading out of town were closed. Radio Gambia and the airport were taken over by the rebels.

Tanks and armored personnel carriers appeared in the streets. Obviously, we had to find safe shelter. Not knowing just what was policy–we’d never been instructed about what to do in the event of a coup–we ended up at the residence of Tom Mosier, local head of U.S. AID to ask for his guidance.

As we approached Mosier’s home, Tom came out, his normally cheerful face in a worried frown. I’d never seen anyone actually wring his hands before, but that’s exactly what Tom was doing. Now we were worried.

“Tom, what is it?” Bruce asked.

“We’re in a lot of trouble here. The Ambassador is ‘detailed’ at the Embassy. The Embassy radio is out for repair so we don’t have contact with Washington. We don’t even have contact with the Ambassador.”

Bruce looked surprised. “I can’t imagine the Ambassador doesn’t have a radio at his house.”

“Oh, he does. But it’s not assembled and no one knows how to put it together.”

“Tom, I can put a radio together. I’m a licensed radio operator.”

Tom’s eyes lit up. “Come with me, both of you.”

At the Ambassador’s house, not far from Tom Mosier’s, Bruce set up two radios, a short-distance radio with which he could talk to Ambassador Piper at the US Embassy in the capital city of Banjul, and the British Commissioner, just down the street. The other, a medium-range radio could reach Dakar, Senegal. Since the Ambassador currently had no medium-range radio at the Embassy, he sent messages through Bruce who then relayed messages via the medium range radio to the US Embassy in Dakar, who in turn relayed them on to Washington.

Bruce manned the radio about eighteen hours a day, playing a vital role in establishing and maintaining communication. For several hours during the night, atmospheric conditions prevented radio transmission, allowing Bruce time to rest.

We remained at the Ambassador’s for the next eight days. Within two days we had 118 people crammed into the house, Americans, Germans, Swedish, Indians, people from many different agencies and businesses, including about 20 of the 52 in-country Peace Corps volunteers and staff. Although it was the Ambassador’s residence, it wasn’t a particularly large or grand house and only had 3 bedrooms.

From the start, food and water was an issue. At our twice daily meetings, we decided the adults would eat two small meals a day, but the 17 children among us would have three meals a day. No one wanted to listen to hungry, whiny kids!

Much of the fighting took place a short distance from where we were. One of the President’s wives and seven of their children were being held hostage by rebels only a mile from us.

During daylight hours, we frequently heard artillery, rifle and machine gun fire. We dismantled the beds and placed mattresses over the windows for protection from flying glass. At times the fighting was so close we hunkered down under tables for safety.

Peace Corps takes a neutral position on politics. We were told that if we stayed inside we’d be safe. We had no choice but to trust that this would be true. We flew the American flag above the house day and night. Both rebels and loyalists entered the house to check on us and to assure us of our safety.

So what does the royal wedding have to do with all this? The President of The Gambia, Sir Dawda Jawara, was out of the country, attending Prince Charles and Diane’s wedding in England. The Field Force took advantage of his absence to stage the coup.

After eight days, with the military aid of neighboring Senegal, the coup was put down. It’s difficult to get a definitive count in The Gambia, but it is estimated about 1,000 people were killed in the skirmishes. Everyone at the Ambassador’s residence remained safe, though a little thinner because of the slim food rations. We Peace Corps volunteers were evacuated to Senegal until things calmed down enough for us to return upriver to our villages.

I am currently writing my memoirs about our two years in Africa. The working title of the book is “Tubob.”

Book Review: Donna Rose and the Roots of Evil

2011-04-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

Donna Rose has done it again. She and her sidekick, Cyrus, find themselves involved in solving the murder of Police Chief William Donniker.

Donna and Cyrus’s involvement with mysteries isn’t new, but it’s nothing they seek out, either. They simply find themselves in situations where they seem to be the only ones in a position to get to the truth.

In the Chief’s case, it’s hard to find someone who really likes him. Lots of people have reason to hate him. But murdering a Chief of Police?

Donna and Cyrus have a strong incentive to solve the mystery. Their friend Jake, a contender for Police Chief, has been arrested for the murder.

Donna Rose and the Roots of Evil is a "cozy" mystery involving a retired school teacher and her dapper neighbor, Cyrus, a retired Navy man.

Cozy mysteries are becoming an immensely popular genre, especially when they become a series. What is a cozy mystery? It’s normally a crime that contains very little sex, violence or coarse language. By the end of the story the mystery has a satisfactory conclusion. The protagonist is often a well-educated woman, someone whom you would like to have as a neighbor. The story-line often takes place in a small picturesque town, such as Cedar Harbor, a make-believe town in the state of Washington.

Donna Rose and the Roots of Evil is the second of Norma Tadlock Johnson’s Cedar Harbor Mysteries, the first being Donna Rose and the Slug War and the third is Hazards of the Game. Johnson has found the key to keeping interest high.

Greener Grass on the Other Side of the Fence

2011-04-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

It may surprise you, but many common lawn care practices are actually harmful. Here are some common lawn care myths:

To keep grass healthy, it should be watered daily. Wrong! A light daily watering encourages a shallow root system which will eventually weaken the turf. Instead, water deeply and infrequently. The idea is to water the roots, not the grass blades.

To keep a trim-looking lawn, mow the grass short. Wrong, again. The shaved look is great for the golf course, but for most home lawns, grass cut higher will develop deeper roots and will stay greener and healthier during hot, dry summer months.

Grass clippings are harmful to your lawn. Not so. Grass clippings contain moderately high levels of nutrients and when recycled provide a good source of fertilizer. Excessive clippings, however, should be removed to prevent smothering. Newer type mulching mowers chop the leaf blades into finer pieces for more rapid breakdown.

Lawn Mowers:A sharp mower will keep a lawn looking neat and well clipped. Dull mowers can cause irregular, chewed off grass blades, giving the lawn a ragged look. The type of mower you use, reel or rotary, isn't as important as adjusting it to the right height and keeping the blades sharp.

Aerating Your Lawn:If your lawn is heavily used or planted on hard soil, aerating your lawn will loosen the soil and allow water to penetrate to the roots. If your lawn is large, you may want to rent a tool that will spike the turf. Our hand-operated aerator has two ejector tubes that we step on to make the holes. We do this every three months.

What is Thatch?Some lawns, especially one that has been neglected, might develop thatch. Thatch is plant debris that hasn't yet decomposed. A little thatch is good for your lawn because it helps to retain moisture. Look closely at the base of the grass. If you see ½ inch or more of organic matter surrounding the blades, your lawn has too much thatch. If you have a serious thatch build-up, you can rent a dethatcher. To prevent thatch, mow your lawn on a regular basis. Lawn clippings rarely contribute to excessive thatch.

Food For Your Lawn:Most commercial lawn fertilizers are balanced for different kinds of growth. The ratios for these fertilizers are indicated on the package in numbers such as 5-10-5 or 28-3-4.

The first figure indicates nitrogen, which makes the grass grow up, green and thick. The second figure indicates phosphorus, which makes the grass grow down to the root system. The third figure indicates potash, which makes the grass grow vigorously and helps keep it healthy and hardy.

Insects and Diseases:If your lawn has developed a problem with insect pests or diseases, it might be a good idea to study a garden book for pictures of grass patches resembling your problem and follow the book's suggestions. Many garden supply stores have a large garden book for their customers' use with illustrations and suggestions for treating pests and diseases.
Insect and disease problems will diminish with good lawn management practices such as proper watering and mowing.

Book Review: The Daughter's Walk

2011-04-04T08:55:00.001-07:00

The Daughter’s Walk (Waterbrook Press) by Jane Kirkpatrick is yet another example of Kirkpatrick’s mastery as a storyteller. Kirkpatrick, a recipient of many prestigious literary awards, is known for her meticulous attention to detail and superb characterization. She is the author of 20 books, 17 of which are historical novels. Kirkpatrick speaks with authority in her western-based books, having homesteaded with her husband on a remote ranch in Eastern Oregon.

A historical novel, The Daughter’s Walk begins in 1896. Helga Estby accepts a challenge to walk 3,500 miles from Spokane, Washington to New York City. Helga insists that her daughter Clara accompany her. Sponsored by the fashion industry, the trek is to be accomplished within seven months and will be rewarded the sum of $10,000, money that could save the family farm. The walk is intended to promote a new dress fashion and also to prove that women have stamina.

The story is told by the daughter, Clara, who is against the walk from the onset. She doesn’t share her mother’s sense of adventure and feels the plan dangerous, humiliating and foolish. Helga’s husband strongly disapproves of the venture, considering it irrational and irresponsible. The family has many children and the burden of keeping house is left to the older girls, leaving them afraid and resentful.

Helga has her own reasons for accepting this challenge, among them saving Clara from what she believes would be a terrible mistake. As the story unfolds, Clara learns things about her mother that affect her own existence and place in the family.

The trek is even more arduous than either expect. Hardships and disappointments abound. Things have not gone well on the home front either, and when they eventually return both Clara and her mother find their lives irrevocably changed.

Clara’s life journey continues. She finds the consequences of the walk have defined her, in both positive and negative ways.

The Daughter’s Walk is a fascinating study of the era and its people, particularly the Norwegian community and sense of family. Kirkpatrick’s thorough research and extraordinary writing has brought to life this true story that changed the lives of so many.

Hearing: The Key to Quality Communication

2011-03-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today’s technology allows many avenues of communication–e-mail, text messaging, telephone, even good old-fashioned letter writing. Still, the most important and satisfying contacts for most people are in-person visits. Getting outside ourselves to connect with others is essential, especially for people who live alone.

Studies show that relationships help us cope with stress. If we can turn to others for emotional support or advice, we can buffer the negative effects of stress. And key to good communication is the ability to hear.

As we age, hearing loss is a common cause of failure to communicate. Even people with mild hearing loss experience increasing levels of depression. It’s uncomfortable to be in a group and miss parts of conversations, having to ask people to repeat what they’ve said. People with hearing loss often withdraw, resulting in a downward spiral of depression.

Our brains are involved in our ability to hear. The brain evaluates changes in loudness, depth, origin and direction so sound makes sense. The brain processes a wide variety of messages and interprets what we hear so that we act appropriately. With gradual hearing loss, our brains lose these connections. The longer we are without full hearing capacity, the longer adjustment will take with hearing aids. One of the lessons to be learned from this fact is to see a hearing specialist early–don’t wait until your hearing loss is severe.

Answer these questions to test yourself on possible hearing loss:
– Do you avoid talking on the phone?
– Do you have trouble hearing in large, open spaces?
– Do others complain about the loudness of the TV?
– Do you have trouble hearing people at meetings?
– Do you still enjoy music the way you used to?
– Do you miss nature’s sounds, such as birds in trees, leaves rustling?
– Do you have to ask people to repeat themselves?
– Do you find your hearing loss makes you feel isolated and depressed?

Today hearing aids utilize the latest technology to help people keep their social contacts and live a more fulfilling, connected life.

The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is the nation’s leading organization representing people with hearing loss. For more information, visit their website, www.hearingloss.org

Book Review: Three Cups of Tea

2011-03-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

After a failed attempt to climb K2, mountaineer Greg Mortenson, lost, hungry and dangerously cold, wonders into a Pakistan village. Taken in by the village chief, the discouraged and confused climber is fed, warmed by the hut’s fire and given a place to sleep. He awakes to a new world, a new life.

Three Cups of Tea, One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is a remarkable story of tenacity, courage, and humanitarianism to the extreme.

Third world countries aren’t new to Mortenson. Born of American missionary parents, he spent his youth in Tanzania, Africa. His acceptance of the lack of creature comforts–familiar food, clean clothes, warmth–enable him to achieve what many simply could not do. Creature comforts aside, Mortenson treads, sometimes fearfully but nevertheless steadfastly, into situations that enable him to learn what he can do to make a difference–provide schools, particularly for girls.

Mortenson’s first attempt results in disappointment, logistical nightmares, and serious funding concerns. Many people would quit before completing a project this immense. But Mortenson listens and learns, finding ways to do business in a country fraught with stark poverty, hostile terrain, and war.

Among the many messages Mortenson sends to his fellow Americans is that “Muslim” is not synonymous with “terrorism,” that the true core tenants of Islam are justice, tolerance and charity. What we in America hear and fear is what extremists have done in the name of Islam.

Haji Ali, Korphe village chief, the man who initially gave Mortenson shelter and in whose village Mortenson built his first school, said, “Here (in Pakistan and Afghanistan) we drink three cups of tea to do business: the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family and for our family we are prepared to do anything...even die.”

Three Cups of Tea is a memorable story. As our untitled ambassador, Mortenson’s unbelievable hardships and determination are something all Americans can be proud of. His passion shines like the stars he has so often slept under. His story shows what one man can do to make a difference, one school at a time. To learn more about Greg Mortenson’s work, visit the Central Asia Institute, www.ikat.org

In the Nick of Time

2011-03-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Photo by Haley Blavka
(Left to Right) Darla Varrenti, Executive Director of Nick of Time Foundation; Jessica Manca-Koeller, organizer of school event; Sue Apodaca, Director of Operations for Nick of Time

Did you know that one teen athlete suffers a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) every three days in the United States?

Recently, my granddaughter, Jessica Manca-Koeller, organized a terrific program at her school, South Whidbey High School in Langley, WA as part of her senior community graduation project. A life-long friend of Jessica’s participated in heart screening tests through his school in Auburn, WA and they found a possibly life-threatening abnormality. Inspired by this experience, Jessica contacted the Nick of Time Foundation, who had conducted the screening in Auburn, and asked them to work with her at South Whidbey High.

For several months, Jessica worked closely with the Foundation and with the community lining up the on-site location, local medical personnel, local volunteers, and donations.

The Nick of Time Foundation, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to educating schools, athletes and communities about sudden cardiac arrest in young people. The Foundation provides support and educational resources for the formation of public access defibrillator (PAD) programs, cardiac screenings, education and awareness.

Nick of Time Foundation was established by Darla Varrenti in memory of her son, Nicholas Dwain Varrenti, a high school junior and energetic football player who died of sudden cardiac arrest at the age of 16.

Nick of Time, based in Mill Creek, WA, working in partnership with the University of Washington Medical center, conducts free, on-site heart screenings. The screenings consist of a survey asking about possible signs, symptoms and family history, an ECG (electrocardiogram) that analyzes electrical signals of the heart, and, in some cases, performs an echocardiogram (ultrasound) of the heart. After on-site reviews of the tests, cardiologists and sports physicians consult with the students.

According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 2,500 young people die from SCA every year. Two acronyms I heard a lot that day – SCA and HCM – are associated with these grim statistics. SCA, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, is a sudden or unexpected cessation of heart function which often causes a sudden arrhythmia, such as ventricular fibrillation. The heart’s electrical impulses suddenly become chaotic, blood flow to the brain ceases and the victim quickly loses consciousness. Unless help such as defibrillation is promptly delivered, the victim will most likely die.

HCM, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, is a congenital heart defect affecting 1 in 110 births. Most are undiagnosed until suffering sudden cardiac arrest, often resulting in death.

Warning Signs and Symptoms:– unexplained fainting or seizures
– unusual shortness of breath or fatigue
– dizziness or lightheadedness during or after physical activity
– chest pain, discomfort, racing heartbeat
– family history of heart disease
– family history of unexplained sudden death of an otherwise healthy person under age 50

Cardiac Chain of Survival:– early recognition of sudden cardiac arrest
– early contact with 911
– early CPR
– early defibrillation
– early advanced care

Of the 220 students who were screened at Jessica’s school, they found 9 students who need to be monitored, and 2 students with potentially serious problems that needed immediate follow-up. Without the screenings, it is entirely possible that these conditions would have gone unnoticed and they would have become unfortunate statistics.

My thanks to the Nick of Time Foundation and to Jessica Manca-Koeller for their dedication to our community’s heart health. For further information, visit www.nickoftimefoundation.org

We Found Heaven in Hells Canyon

2011-03-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

Remote and wild, Hells Canyon is ruggedly striking. Skimming over the water on a jet boat river tour, we were awed with the canyon’s beauty and unbroken wilderness as the Snake River slices through steep canyon walls in broad, bending curves. I loved knowing that it looks much the same today as it did when Lewis and Clark made their way 100 miles up river during their expedition of 1806.

Nearly surrounded by national forests, Hells Canyon is bordered by three states: Idaho on its eastern rim, Oregon on the western border and Washington to the north.

Hells Canyon covers a 74-mile portion of the Snake River as it flows from Hells Canyon Dam to Cache Creek on the Oregon-Washington border. The Snake River’s 1,038-mile passage originates in northwest Wyoming and ends when it meets the Columbia River in southeast Washington.

Several outfits offer river tours of Hells Canyon and we chose a three-hour jet boat tour. After briefing us on the boat—a 26-passenger, 33-foot welded aluminum boat with twin inboard jet drives—the captain instructed us on safety procedures and we began our tour, entering on the Washington side. We first drew in close to Hells Canyon Dam which, as we fought the turbulent waters, proved what a powerful boat we rode. Then, with Idaho on our right and Oregon on our left, we began our journey down the Snake River.

Almost immediately on a bluff high above us, we saw a mother brown bear and her cub, rummaging for food. Around a bend, a bighorn sheep stood so still it looked as though he were posing to have his picture taken. Other wildlife commonly seen in the canyon are elk, cougar, mule deer and mountain goat. The area is a bird watchers’ favorite with many species of owls, hawks, eagles, falcons and songbirds of every description. The habitat is varied in Hells Canyon because of the extreme differences in elevation within a short distance, from 7,000 feet at Hat Point in Oregon, down to 1,500 feet on the Snake River, and back up to 9,393 feet in the Seven Devils Mountains in Idaho—all within a 10-mile horizontal distance.

Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America, has history dating back to prehistoric times. Geologists claim millions of years ago, lava or basalt formed bold cliffs, then later Hells Canyon was created by erosion as the Snake River cut its way through rocks of a rising mountain range. It is still being cut and is probably deeper and more rugged today than at any other time in its history. At the present time, the gorge measures up to a mile and a half from mountain top to river bottom.

Traces of human existence in Hells Canyon date back as far as 8,000 years, from prehistoric Native American tribes, to Chief Joseph’s band of the Nez Perce Indians, to the 1860s gold miners and late1800s homesteaders.

We stopped at one clearing on the Idaho side that was at one time a transient Native American camp. We viewed Indian pictographs with painted scenes, now a faded red but still visible, a cave believed to have sacred spirits, and the remains of a pithouse, a structure used before teepees.

In places along the river, traces of gold mining operations are evident where the miners sluiced water from the river over the ore.

Early homesteaders were as rugged as the surrounding terrain. Due to the difficulty in travel, most families left the homestead to make the journey back to civilization for supplies only every one to three years. Supplies reached them via floating river rafts. Mostly, they caught or grew everything they needed and traded with neighbors.

Jagged cliffs go straight up on either side. Some cliffs are basalt, many shiny with manganese, others, made of pillow lava, are lumpy. Where trees could grow, we saw sumac, a few pines and low-growing brush. At times the cliff flattened out to patches of meadow grass. The Forest Service maintains the Oregon side and some of the Idaho side; other parts on the Idaho side are private land. The Snake is the deepest river in North America and is popular for fishing sturgeon, small-mouth bass, steelhead, trout and catfish.

Hells Canyon—there’s nothing like it to get back to the basics of nature and unmatched scenic adventure.

Book Review: The White Cascade

2011-02-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

The White Cascade: The Great Northern Railway Disaster and America’s Deadliest Avalanche, by Gary Krist chronicles the events surrounding the killer storm of February, 1910 in the Northwest’s Cascade Mountains.

A record-breaking blizzard delays two Great Northern Railway trains as they cross the Cascades near Stevens Pass: a passenger train, the Seattle Express, and a mail train, the Fast Mail. At first it doesn’t seem so serious, but as time wears on, the storm’s intensity increases. Although Superintendent James H. O’Neill and his men work around the clock, they are unable to clear the way for the two trains to get through. Stranded near the tiny railroad town of Wellington, passengers can do little more than wait it out, hoping their various destinations and projects won’t be too inconvenienced by the delay.

But the storm doesn’t abate, it only gets worse. It leaves so much snow on the tracks that the equipment can’t carry it off fast enough. Passengers get edgy as the days pass without relief. Over a six day period enough snow has fallen to bury a two-story house, and still there’s no letup.

As the weather warms, conditions get more dangerous with the threat of avalanches. Forests surrounding the trains have been thinned from fire, making conditions for avalanche even more likely. Thunder and lightning heighten the danger as the snowfields disintegrate.

Gary Krist does a remarkable job keeping suspense high throughout the book. With skill and meticulous detail he weaves local history, the personal lives of passengers and workers, newspaper accounts and meteorological conditions culminating in a killer avalanche, and finally the inquest resulting from the tragedy. Steam railroad buffs will find this book fascinating with its vivid descriptions of the ins and outs of railroading in early twentieth century. But you don’t have to be a railroad enthusiast to enjoy this book–it’s a piece of history skillfully presented.

The Coast is Clear: Oregon Lighthouses Shine Through

2011-02-21T07:41:00.001-08:00

"Danger! Keep away!" For decades, ship captains have heeded warnings from lighthouses along Oregon's rugged coastline.

Lighthouses carry an image of by-gone days when ship captains depended on lighthouse guidance and trusted them for safety. Today, automated lighthouses still play an important part in coastal navigation, but with far less effort than in the past when safe shipping depended on an unerring light keeper and his light.

On a recent trip to Oregon's coast, we were "enlightened" with the stories behind these lighthouses that played such an important role in the state's history. While catching our breath after climbing the Yaquina Head Lighthouse tower's 114 steps, a volunteer guide explained the old-time light keeper's difficult job.

During the day, the keeper's main tasks were to trim the lamp wicks and clean soot, fuel and drippings from the lens. Keepers wore linen aprons so that they wouldn't scratch the lenses. Often times the keeper had an assistant, possibly a member of his family, and together they cleaned, polished and maintained the facilities.

When the light was lit at night and during foggy days, keepers made sure the lamp had sufficient fuel. This meant hauling fuel up the stairs to the top floor. Fuel varied ─ some lamps required lard, others whale or coal oil. The keeper’s duties also included winding the clock mechanism every four hours to ensure the light emitted its signature signal. On the occasions when the clockworks malfunctioned, the keeper on duty turned the lens by hand until dawn when repairs could be made.

The arrival of electricity in the 1930s marked the end of the need for many of the lighthouse keepers. Then, with automation in the 1960s, there was no longer a place, except in history, for the old-time light keeper.

The responsibility of Oregon's lighthouses eventually passed to the U.S. Coast Guard who became the caretaker of the properties and keeper of the lights. In the 1960s, after the installation of automated beacons, the Coast Guard began transferring their lighthouse holdings to other government agencies.

Today’s mariners still depend on these beacons for coastal navigation. The lighthouse serves more than just a warning of approaching land or rocks—each lighthouse's unique sequence of flashing lights is noted on navigation charts to enable the captain to determine the ship's position.

Oregon’s lighthouses provide unique destinations. Following are lighthouses open to the public, listed from north to south. Many are still in active use, others deactivated but worth a visit:

Cape Meares: Deactivated. A pretty little lighthouse with an unusual lens design.
Yaquina Head: Active. Tallest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast. Original Fresnel lens still in use.
Yaquina Bay: Deactivated. In service only 3 years. An unusual structure that combined lighthouse and living quarters.
Heceta Head: Active. Strongest light on Oregon coast. The keeper’s quarters is now a bed and breakfast.
Umpqua River: Active, with lens that emits distinctive red and white automated flashes. The first lighthouse in Oregon territory.
Coquille River: Deactivated. Last lighthouse built in Oregon.
Cape Blanco: Active. Has the longest continuously-operated beacon

Book Review: These is my Words by Nancy E. Turner

2011-02-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

These is My Words subtitled “The Diary of Sarah Anges Prine 1881 - 1901, Arizona Territories,” by Nancy E. Turner, was inspired by the Arizona author’s original family members. The novel is rich with authentic details about the early settlers of Arizona Territory.

As a sixteen year-old girl traveling to the southwest with her family, Sarah sees and endures enough harrowing action to last a lifetime, but it’s only the beginning of Sarah Prine’s amazing life. She loses beloved family members on the trail and by the time they reach their destination, exhausted, the diminished family struggles to carve out a life.

Sarah marries a neighboring homesteader and has a child, but is soon widowed. Army Captain Jack Elliott, who led the wagon train, occasionally weaves into their lives. Sarah, busy with a horse ranch her late husband started, is often overwhelmed with caring for her child, never-ending work and loneliness.

At first resisted, an enduring love eventually develops and Sarah’s life changes, though her responsibilities increase. A woman of true grit, humor and fierce determination, Sarah faces life challenges in surprising and creative ways.

The book is in the form of a journal and is a vivid historic account of Arizona pioneer life. It is the first of a three-book series and is followed by Sarah’s Quilt and The Star Garden. These is My Words, Winner in the Arizona Author Award and Finalist in the Willa Cather Literary Award, is an exceptional read.

Riding Muleback to a Forbidden Village: Kalaupapa’s Leper Colony

2011-02-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

.....Just before the plunge

It was probably one of the most difficult ventures I’d ever undertaken, riding a mule down a 1700-vertical foot, 26-switchback trail to the formerly forbidden village of Kalaupapa on the Island of Molokai, Hawaii.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park’s mission is to preserve the memories and experiences of the past in order that valuable lessons might be learned from them. Since no roads connect Kalaupapa with the rest of Molokai, the village can be approached only by flying in, hiking, or by mule. Visitors must come with a designated group, so arrangements must be made in advance.

When I was a high school junior, I wrote a report on leprosy, more properly called Hansen’s Disease, and learned about Father Damien. Elevated by the Catholic Church in October, 2009 to Saint Damien of Molokai, he dedicated his life to those who suffered that most terrible disease, leprosy. Since writing my school report, Father Damien and the leper colony has held great fascination for me.

The early days of the colony were bleak. In 1863 leprosy had spread to epidemic proportions, and in 1865 King Kamehameha V signed into law the Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy, which authorized isolating persons with the disease. The site chosen was the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the tip of the island of Molokai, Hawaii.

Those condemned were taken by schooner on the open sea to the colony’s shore. Often whole families came as some would not part with a loved one. The large ships couldn’t land in the rough waters, and because the disease was so contagious, the crew refused to take them to shore on small boats. The result was the crew threw the sick, terrified people into the ocean, followed by their belongings and limited supplies. The strong made it to shore where they found no shelter, no food, no medicine, and no hope of ever leaving.

Father Damien, a Roman Catholic priest originally from Belgium, came along in 1873 with strict orders from his superiors not to touch those he was going to serve. He was to administer to their spiritual needs but to keep his distance. He arrived in a stark land void of all amenities. Except for a small chapel, there were no buildings. The inhabitants lived in rock caves or shelters made of driftwood and leaves. Father Damien settled in under a pandanus tree until he could build a house.

Father Damien’s first project was to build a proper cemetery. Rather than follow the custom of dumping bodies into shallow graves for wild dogs and pigs to root out, he built coffins, obtaining materials from “topside,” the part of Molokai outside the quarantined area, or from Oahu. Each death was celebrated with a requiem Mass, proper funeral ceremonies, and a decent burial. He concentrated on restoring in each leper a sense of worth and dignity.

A skilled carpenter, Father Damien trained people to help construct buildings, adapting tools to fit their physical limitations. They built cottages, a hospital, a school, a rectory, and a home for orphaned children.

Soon after his arrival, Father Damien set aside his fear of contagion to give himself to his people. He no longer avoided touching the afflicted, he became one of them. He wrote to his brother, “This is my work in the world. Sooner or later I shall become a leper, but may it not be until I have exhausted my capabilities for good.” He died of the disease in 1889 at the age of forty-nine.

Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease, still affects 11 million people, 5,000 of whom are in the United States. It is considered a tropical disease and is still common in Africa, Asia and many of the Pacific Islands. Since the mid-1940s, leprosy can be treated and cured. With treatment, patients become non-infectious. Isolation is a thing of the past and most cases are treated on an outpatient basis.

With treatment, residents of Kalaupapa were free to leave, but many were so disfigured that they felt more comfortable living among their own in their peaceful, if isolated, community. A few elderly residents who have chosen to live out their lives on Kalaupapa still remain in the village.

As we approached the village, I wondered what we’d see. Mostly, I wondered if I would live to see it. My mule, Mr. Ed, seemed capable enough, and I knew that mules were sure-footed. Still, they have an irritating habit of swinging wide on switchbacks. The mistake is looking down. Oh, my! The heck with looking like a sissy–I gripped the saddle horn for dear life.

Our group of 12 finally arrived and met with a tour guide, himself a victim of leprosy. To assure privacy and respect for the remaining residents, visitors are not allowed to freely roam the park. Our delightful guide spent several hours with us, sharing facts about the leper colony, its people, incredible tales of struggle and human suffering, along with stories about courage and love. We ate lunch overlooking sea cliffs, waterfalls, dramatic ocean rock formations and a wild, crashing sea.

We again mounted our rested mules and rode them up the steep three-mile trail–actually easier for the rider than coming down, I found. I’m sure Mr. Ed would not agree. Kalaupapa National Historical Park was a highlight of my life, one I’ll never forget.

Pipes Get Cold, Too

2011-01-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

Brrrr. It’s that time of year when a major inconvenience can happen–like your home’s pipes freeing. Frozen pipes can be costly, messy...and avoidable.

Did you know that an eighth-inch crack in a pipe can allow 250 gallons of water to leak in a 24-hour period? That amount of water can do enormous damage to hardwood floors, carpets, furniture and appliances, and the possibility of health-threatening mold, to say nothing of the cost of cleanup and repairs.

Although most home insurance policies cover damage caused by burst pipes, it’s far better to avoid the hassle in the first place. Following are some steps to take to avoid frozen pipes:

– Cover exposed pipes with insulation. At risk areas include exposed pipes in your garage, in crawl spaces and in the attic. Tubular foam is efficient in most cases, or for colder weather, heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables may be necessary. Carefully follow manufacturers instructions.

– Cover outside valves with faucet protectors.

– Disconnect and drain hoses and lawn sprinklers during the winter months.

– Keep your house heated at a minimum 60F degrees.

– During extreme cold weather, allow your inside hot and cold faucets to slowly drip, allowing water to keep moving in the pipes.

– Seal air leaks, often found in the garage or under-sink cabinets, to prevent cold outside air from coming inside. Use caulk or insulation as a sealant.

– On very cold, windy nights, leave under-sink cabinet doors open at night.

When you discover a frozen pipe, leave the faucet open a bit to allow pressure to escape to protect the pipe from further damage. Also, close the valve leading to the pipe. Check the length of the pipe for holes, cracks or breaks.

If you find that the pipe has been compromised, you may be able to repair the pipe yourself if the damage is minimal. You may need to use a patch kit, following the manufacturer’s instructions for repair. Or, it may be necessary to have a professional plumber make repairs.

To thaw the pipe, use a hair dryer, a heat gun at a low setting, or a small electric heater. If you use an electrical implement, ensure that the cords are out of the water. Another method of thawing is wrapping the pipes with towels and pouring hot water over them.

If your home is water damaged, turn off the water at the source. Call your insurance company immediately. If you get the okay to begin repairs, take photos and keep all damaged items and repair receipts so that you can prove your losses. Remove wet carpeting as soon as possible so that the floors underneath aren’t further damaged. Avoid expensive repairs until an insurance adjuster has evaluated your damage.

Frozen pipes can seriously damage an RV, too. Take precautions to ensure your RV is winterized by draining the pipes and using RV antifreeze where applicable. Check with your RV dealer for recommendations for your specific rig.

The best plan to prevent damage by frozen pipes in your home, cabin or RV is by taking a few preventive measures. Prevention is better than having to make repairs once the damage happens.

Book Review: Right Now is Perfect

2011-01-24T06:56:00.000-08:00

When Carol Anita Ryan sets sail for the South Pacific, she expects adventure, romance and memories to last a lifetime. In Right Now is Perfect, Ryan vividly chronicles her life at sea with refreshing candor.

Setting sail with the one you love is special and unique. Carol and Bill have known one another for some time. Carol, a computer analyst, and Bill, an archaeologist, but mostly a free-spirit, have travel and adventure in common. They’ve shared dreams and goals and are ready to have an adventure of a lifetime together. Along with Bill’s sister and her husband, they embark on a journey to the South Pacific on a 36-foot sailboat, the Velela.

The joys of sailing are abundant and Ryan describes them with delight and clarity: “...shower of shooting stars...a festival of dancing dolphin...a day-glow of bioluminescence....” She clearly embraces all the beauty the sea offers. The story also shows the downside of living and sailing in cramped quarters and enduring interpersonal and sibling rivalries and resentments. There’s the drudgery of cooking on a rocking, pitching vessel and handling sails in rough seas. It’s tough being a good sport when your bed is wet from salty sea spray and you’re suffering from lack of sleep. Life at sea is a contradiction of paradise tempered with human and environmental elements. Finances are a concern every time you reach a landfall. Only the wind is free.

Ryan does a remarkable job of weaving South Pacific history with their explorations at landfalls. Colorful people, both native and fellow yachtsmen, become an important part of their journey.

Romantically, Carol and Bill are often led by different conceptions. At times Carol feels alone and at odds with their relationship. Bill often feels restrained by the desire to follow his own dreams. At times he’s oblivious to Carol’s needs.

Life after being at sea isn’t always smooth sailing, either, especially with the sting of betrayal to both heart and body. Ryan’s honest appraisal of her situation is unflinching and poignant.

Carol Anita Ryan’s bitter-sweet memoir is a fascinating read and shows how inner-strength and courage can change the course of one’s life. For more information about Right Now is Perfect, visit the author’s website, www.rightnowisperfect.com.

Man Overboard!

2011-01-17T07:12:00.001-08:00

When we sailed the South Pacific, many passages were ideal–good winds and calm seas. But a few weren’t so great. One of the worst, between the Kingdom of Tonga and Hawaii, was the most difficult of our 14-month trip.

This leg of the journey was known for its difficulty. For one thing, the 3,000 miles was against the wind. When “beating” against the wind, the boat climbs each wave–and some of those waves were very high–and then comes crashing down. Beating makes for a really uncomfortable ride. It’s tough to manage anything on a constantly pitching boat.

On day 28 of a 32-day passage, we were holding our own, tired, but making it. After almost 10,000 nautical miles at sea, standing watch 4 hours on, 4 hours off, we could operate on personal autopilot much of the time, just doing whatever it took to keep going north.

At noon Bruce was standing watch, but I was in the cockpit with him. A squall had just hit and we desperately needed to reduce sail. During the last three days, we had passed just west of a tropical depression, and were getting even rougher weather.

Bruce clipped on his life-line and went up on deck to put another reef in the mainsail; I stayed in the cockpit to sheet it in. I had just finished securing the line when I heard a loud BANG!

I started to ask Bruce what that noise was, but I couldn’t see him. Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something yellow float by. It was Bruce in his foul weather gear! Oh, God! This can’t be happening!

We had verbally and mentally rehearsed the man overboard procedures many times. My mind reeled with what I had to do:
– Throw the man overboard pole equipped with a strobe light and flotation ring to him.
– Keep track of him. That’s hard to do with only one person left on board.
– Start the engine. Make sure no lines are dragging that could get into the propeller.
– Drop the sails since they will now be working against the boat.
– Get the boat turned around, following the reciprocal course–the exact opposite of the direction we were now heading. (To calculate the reciprocal course, add 180 degrees to the current compass course.)

This sounds difficult, but really, it’s even worse. It’s a big ocean. A person in the water very soon becomes hidden by waves–eight foot seas can block the view of someone in the water in just seconds.

To be perfectly honest, I’d always thought that if one of us had to fall overboard, I hoped it would be me. I knew Bruce could find me, but I wasn’t that sure I’d be able to find him.

All this screamed through my mind. Even with the mainsail down and with only the jib up, we were still charging along at 7 knots. I ran toward the overboard pole as I scanned the sea for him. There he was, right alongside the boat! I couldn’t believe it! When I had seen him before, I had assumed his life-line had broken, but no, he was being dragged by his life-line. He was still attached!

To back up a bit.... While Bruce took a reef in the mainsail, the topping lift, a line attached from the top of the mast to the end of the boom, broke. The boom fell down against the railing (making that loud BANG) and Bruce went head-over-heals over the boom and into the water, his right leg tangling in the life-line.

Bruce, working against the boat’s forward motion, struggled to the surface. I leaned against the winch so that I wouldn’t be pulled into the water, and grabbed Bruce’s hands. His eyes flooded with relief. Fortunately, he fell from the side of the boat that was closer to the water since we were heeled over. I pulled him over to a lower part of the rail, where he could get a hold. He reached up to the rail as I grabbed his harness and pulled with all my might. He pulled too and slowly, slowly, he climbed over the rail. I untangled his leg from the life-line and helped him into the cockpit.

We clung to one another. Safe! He was safe! We couldn’t get over how fortunate we were.

Book Review: Lake of Fire

2011-01-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

Laura Fielding and Cord Sutton’s first meeting isn’t under ideal conditions. Laura, dressed as a boy, but really the daughter of a wealthy banker, is a passenger on a stage going to Yellowstone. She’s meeting her father who is traveling to Yellowstone to financially back the purchase of the Lake Hotel, an elegant resort on the lake shore in Yellowstone Park. She’s also meeting, for the first time, the man her father hopes she will marry, the man who plans to buy the hotel. The stage is waylaid by bandits and she barely escapes. Her rescuer, Cord Sutton, appears to be a rough mountain man, but in reality is wealthy and has the intention of buying the Lake Hotel as well.

During their three days of wilderness travel, neither reveals their true background. The trip, at first strained, becomes a delightful adventure for Laura, who has lived a pampered and sheltered life. Cord finds Laura a refreshing change from other women he’s known–she has spunk and an adventurous spirit. They both regret their trip coming to an end.

Arriving at the same destination, they learn the truth of their true identities. Laura learns that Cord is not only wealthy, but is one-quarter Nez Perce. Cord learns that Laura is the daughter of his opponent’s financial backer. Many factors complicate their budding relationship--betrayal, murder, jealousy, arson, bigotry. And a love that won’t be denied.

Linda Jacobs has done it again–produced yet another thrilling masterpiece in her Yellowstone Series. Although Lake of Fire takes place largely in the Yellowstone Park area, the three books are related through location, not as continuous stories. Lake of Fire takes place in 1900.

The author, herself a trained geologist, demonstrates her vast knowledge of the Yellowstone region’s geology. She weaves historically accurate facts with fiction, creating a believable, compelling story. Lake of Fire is a brilliant novel, with all the elements to create an engaging, satisfying read.

To learn more about Linda Jacobs and the other Yellowstone-series books, visit her website, http://www.readlindajacobs.com/

A Hero is....

2011-01-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
. . . . Christopher Reeve

Recently, I attended a most extraordinary event: the 2010 Real Heroes Breakfast, sponsored by the American Red Cross, Snohomish County Chapter, WA. This is an annual event, popular at venues around the country. This year about 1,000 people attended the breakfast in Marysville, WA. Because of their huge capacity conference rooms, the Tulalip Resort Casino hosted the event. The facility, recently built and equipped with all the amenities for handling large crowds, was perfect for the occasion. Rather than straining to see the podium, guests watched the program on one of many video screens mounted throughout the room.

The Real Heroes Breakfast grew out of a desire to develop an event that is closely related to the American Red Cross mission of responding in times of emergency. The event honors the longstanding tradition of heroism by recognizing local citizens who have made a difference through individual acts of courage.

Seated at 8-person tables, we were served a delightful breakfast. Just as we were finishing our meal, the emcee, Pat Cashman, a humorous, inspirational speaker, began an introduction and, as he launched into the actual reason for the gathering, I could see why this program has been so popular around the country.

Several Northwest people were nominated for the special Real Heroes award. Stories of those chosen were presented to us on pre-screened videos. Following are brief stories of those honored:

Real Heroes happened to be...

...on a mountain: Dr. Rick Thurmer, while descending from the summit of Mount Everest, with diminishing oxygen, severe fatigue, and facing inclement weather, risked his own life to save a fellow climber.

...on a ferry: Kingston D Watch, Washington State Ferries, while on a routine crossing, rescued two distressed divers, administering CPR on a “blue” and unresponsive woman, saving her life.

...at a store: Fred Meyer employees, Raquel Geisler, Chuck Kern and Brandi Scott, administered first aid to a woman suffering anaphylactic shock. Brandi Scott sprinted across the store to her purse which contained an epinephrine pen. The injection was administered just as the victim had stopped breathing, saving her life.

...at a golf course: William Byerley, Cabe Benedetto, Erik McCaughan and Tyler Mayerchak just happened to come together at the right time and stepped up to save a woman whose car drove into a golf-course pond.

...at an athletic club: Greg Boland, Eric Brunson, Kevin Kleya, Marc Lainhart and Dr. Duncan Riddell, employees and clients at the Harbor Square Athletic Club in Edmonds, WA, worked together to save the life of a man suffering from sudden cardiac arrest.

...at sea: Fishermen Glen Gobin, Tony Gobin and Steven Gobin came to the rescue of two other fishermen as they clung to an ice cooler and their lives when their boat took on water and sank in the frigid waters of Puget Sound.

...at school: Scott Justesen, Eric Lemus and EllRoy Oster, jumped into action when one of their fellow school district maintenance workers had a heart attack. They performed CPR to keep blood pumping to vital organs and oxygen to his brain until help arrived.

...on a country road: Priscilla Trivisonno and four other teens were trapped in a car that rolled over and subsequently caught on fire. All were injured, but managed to escape, except for the driver who remained trapped inside. Working alone, Priscilla, finding the driver’s door stuck closed, went to the passenger side and pulled the male driver, much larger than herself, a safe distance away. Although the driver suffered burns and massive injuries, Priscilla kept him calm until aid arrived.

...at a company party: Linda Coan, at a holiday function with fellow employees, noticed a manager coughing and bending over her plate. Linda asked the manager if she was having trouble breathing. The choking woman nodded “yes.” Linda performed the Heimlich maneuver, giving two quick upward thrusts, releasing the obstacle.

Also honored were Chris Isenberg, Josh Estes and David Herrera, employees at the Kimberly-Clark Everett Mill, who made a commitment and implemented a plan for safety and personal accountability. The Everett Mill reached the milestone of “one million hours safe,” a tribute to those who designed the plan that made a significant difference in personal safety.

We applaud these ordinary people who effectively responded to extraordinary emergency situations. More often than not, that’s the true definition of “hero.”

Book Review: Old World Murder

2010-12-27T09:51:00.001-08:00

Kathleen Ernst’s Old World Murder (Midnight Ink) is a splendid read with all the elements of a good, meaty mystery. An award winning author of children’s books, Ernst has made a successful debut in adult mystery with Old World Murder.

When Chloe Ellefson starts a new job as a collections curator at Old World Wisconsin, an outdoor ethnic museum, she finds herself embroiled in a missing artifact, an unexplained death, uncooperative co-workers, and a past she’d like to forget. To confuse the issue, she keeps running into this cop who insists she needs protecting.

Officer Roelke McKenna, all business and efficiency, is drawn to Chloe and, even though he can’t officially be involved in the case, finds himself immersed in the mysterious events which seem to get more complex each day.

Ernst, herself a former professional in the realm of outdoor living history museums, writes with knowledge of the complexities of a curator’s life. Suspense is maintained throughout the book, keeping the reader engrossed in the various story elements.

Old World Murder is the first of a series. It will be fun to follow Chloe Ellefson in The Heirloom Murders as she pursues a career discovering old-world history while working through her own past heartaches.

Old World Murder may be ordered through your favorite bookstore, Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com. For more information about Kathleen Ernst or for an autographed copy of Old World Murder visit www.kathleenernst.com

Have a Bright and Safe Christmas

2010-12-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

During the holidays, our homes are filled with family and friends, good food and festive decorations. Candles are among our favorite Christmas decorations, and therein lurks danger. Nationally, more than 15,000 residential fires are caused each year by careless or inappropriate use of candles. In fact, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are the top four days for fires due to candles.

A few years ago, we attended a lovely holiday dinner party. As we helped ourselves to beautifully prepared food, served buffet style, something caught my eye–a paper decoration had slipped onto a lighted tea candle. I gasped, then hollered “The decorations are on fire!” The situation was quickly under control, but had we all passed through the line and gone to the table to eat, that fire could have been disastrous.

This year, let’s observe candle safety by following these rules:

– Place candles on sturdy metal, glass or ceramic holders.

– Ensure that candles are not placed near flammable materials, such as Christmas greens or paper decorations.

– Use lighted candles only in a room with a responsible adult present and awake. Falling asleep is a factor in 12 percent of home fires caused by candles and 26 percent of associated deaths.

– Never use candles in a bedroom. Almost 40 percent of home candle fires begin in the bedroom.

– Keep candles out of reach of young children. Young children and older adults have the highest death rate from candles.

– Never leave burning candles unattended.

Hopefully, everyone knows better than to place lighted candles on a Christmas tree. But be aware that many Christmas fires begin at the tree. Be sure that your Christmas tree lights don’t have worn, broken or frayed cords or loose bulb connections. Always unplug your Christmas tree lights when you leave home or go to bed, and keep your tree moist by watering regularly.

Safe, Happy Holidays, everyone!

Farewell to American Red Cross DRO’s

2010-12-13T08:48:00.001-08:00

As of November, 2010 I have retired from serving as a volunteer on national American Red Cross (ARC) jobs. I’ll no longer be going on those two- to three-week disaster responses several times a year. But I’ll have memories to last a lifetime

Since 1995 I have responded to 41 Disaster Response Operations (DRO) in nineteen states and two American territories (St. Croix and Puerto Rico). Most of the jobs involved helping disaster victims’ initial recovery from floods, hurricanes, earthquake, tornadoes, tropical storms, fires, and the 9/11 acts of terrorism in both Washington, D.C. and New York. A few of the jobs involved working with staffing–helping out in our Nevada regional office with the huge job of staffing these big operations.

When a large disaster occurs, the local American Red Cross chapter responds. It is quickly determined whether they will need help managing the event. Many times, the local volunteers themselves are affected by the disaster and have their hands full working through their own disaster-related problems. In that case, the neighboring chapters respond, then, if needed, nearby states, and from there help comes from volunteers from all over the country, making it a “national” DRO.

Sixteen years ago, my first ARC job was in New Orleans, LA in response to a hurricane that left massive flooding in its wake. At first I worked at a Service Center, interviewing clients to determine their needs. Later, I called on individual clients in the field, in what we call Home Visits, often tramping through mud to get to their homes. Most assistance was in the form of vouchers for food, clothing, and cleaning supplies to help clients get their lives back to normal. In some cases, we helped with housing issues. I served with Client Services for several years, gradually rising in experience and responsibilities.

Later, my first job as Service Center Manager was in 2001 in Houston, TX where I managed about 150 people who responded to Tropical Storm Allison, which caused horrendous flood damage.

My administrative duties working at the headquarters of a Disaster Response Operation began with Hurricane Katrina in 2005. For years I’d never wanted to work at headquarters–I wanted to be where the action was. But much to my surprise, I loved working at headquarters. For one thing, it was such a pleasure working with people who were true professionals in their field–whether it be the logistics of getting huge trucks with supplies to where they needed to go, or with mass care, the people responsible for feeding and lodging hundreds, perhaps thousands of disaster victims.

At DRO headquarters, I continued to work with Client Services, but now my job consisted of working with managers of Client Casework, Mental Health, Health Services and Safe & Well, those folks who help reunite families scattered after a disaster.

Vivid memories include people expressing their tearful gratitude that someone cared enough about their problems to travel across the country to help. My time in New York for 9/11 is indelibly etched in my mind–the devastation itself, the brave firemen, police and other service organizations who gave so much. And Hurricane Katrina–I’ve seen a lot of mass destruction, but nothing to compare with Katrina’s unending miles of destroyed homes, businesses and dreams. The hardships endured are hard to fathom and heartbreaking to witness. In 2007 I saw the entire town of Greenville, Kansas after it had been ripped away by a tornado. The list goes on and on–I’m so thankful I could be a part of the recovery process and that I could make a difference.

My husband Bruce and I continue to be active with the local Red Cross. It’s a wonderful organization with whom we are proud to serve. I have an American Red Cross tee-shirt with a message I love: Help Can’t Wait. I’m grateful to be a part of the spirit and dedication of this fine humanitarian organization

Book Review: An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick

2010-12-06T08:07:00.001-08:00

Eighteen year-old Jessie Gaebele is making her way in a world obsessed with rigid propriety. Even at her young age, she’s made mistakes, has committed acts for which she must atone. Although she longs for her family, she remains miles away, working in her life’s vocation, photography.

The story weaves the lives of Jessie Gaebele and the married Fred Bauer, a former employer and the person responsible for her self-imposed exile. Jessie strives to overcome the obstacles of a woman achieving a business of her own in a man’s profession, all the while fighting the demon of forbidden love and an all-consuming longing for what can never be.

Jane Kirkpatrick breathes life into her characters, guiding the reader into another world, another time. In An Absence So Great and its prequel, A Flickering Light, Kirkpatrick draws on her own ancestry, skillfully blending actual details with creative situations resulting in a unique perspective of time and place.

Throughout the book, Kirkpatrick features actual historical photographs with vivid descriptions of the subjects and minute details of the photography process. These actual images bring even more awareness of early 19th century America.

I very much enjoyed yet another Jane Kirkpatrick novel. Her writing embodies the human spirit, its weaknesses, its power to overcome and its conquering faith. She is a superb storyteller.

For more information about the author and to sign up for her newsletter Story Sparks, visit www.jkbooks.com.

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK: FROM SEA TO SKI

2010-11-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

Mary by Sitka Spruce, 270 feet tall with a diameter of 12 ½ feet and estimated to be 500 to 550 years old.

The Olympic National Park’s 1,400 square miles situated in Washington’s northwest corner ranges from seashore to alpine wilderness. Ninety-five percent of the park is designated wilderness. This diverse national park with its wide scope of vistas and habitats is globally recognized as an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site.

Highway 101 encircles the park and several spur roads lead to mountains, forests and coastline. The center of the park, untouched by roads, offers incredible wilderness adventures. The park is split into two major areas with hundreds of square miles inland to the east and a strip of about 73 miles of wild coastline to the west.

Olympic’s Wild Coast
The expansive, diverse shorelines offer a constantly changing performance with crashing waves, tidal cycles and turning seasons. Most of the beaches along this stretch are wide and sandy with superb hiking and beach combing. One of the best, Rialto Beach, is a photographers heaven with spectacular sunsets, huge stone haystacks, a natural stone arch called “Hole-in-the-Wall” and sweeping beaches.

Olympic’s Rain Forests
You’ll want your rain gear for this part of the trip. Drenched with over 12 feet of rain a year, the forests are magical with curtains of moss hanging like shaggy winter fur from some of the world’s largest trees. Ferns, salal and a multitude of berries and other groundcover take up every inch of space. We saw a healthy fern growing 20 feet up on the branch of an old live cedar. The world is lush green here and the air heavy with moisture.

Olympic’s Sparkling Lakes
Popular Lake Crescent is located 19 miles west of Port Angeles on Highway 101. This shimmering, 624-foot deep jewel was carved out by a huge glacier thousands of years ago. The lake offers swimming, boating and fishing. Other noteworthy lakes include Lakes Quinault and Ozette.

A worthwhile photo stop is the short hike to Marymere Falls, a ribbon of water cascading 90 feet to a pool below. The hike is mostly level with only the last section a little steep.

Olympic’s Majestic Mountains
The most accessible alpine area is Hurricane Ridge, at 5,242 feet and 17 miles up a paved road from Port Angeles. Hurricane Ridge is the only area in Olympic National Park where you can drive from sea level, through lowland, montane, and subalpine forests to the park’s high alpine country. At the top, the stunning view of mountains and valleys makes this destination alone reason enough to visit the park. Miles of trails offer breath-taking views of glaciers, forests and wildlife. Deer, oblivious to humans, graze close to hiking trails. The visitor center is a worthwhile stop.

The Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area offers spectacular winter recreation for downhill and cross-country skiers, snowshoers and snowboarders.

Olympic’s Campgrounds
Olympic has 17 campgrounds with a total of 955 sites. Camprounds offer a variety of sites, some with ocean views, with varying degrees of privacy. Several private RV parks with all the amenities are located on the Olympic Peninsula, but not within the park itself.

For campground information and to see which campgrounds are open year-round, visit www.olympic.national-park.com/camping.htm.

Book Review: Where Gable Slept

2010-11-22T07:32:00.001-08:00

Irene Bennett Brown, well-known for her popular historical novels, has successfully crossed genres with the fun cozy mystery, Where Gable Slept. A gifted writer, she keeps readers turning the pages while trying to glean clues to solve the mystery.

Widowed Celia Landrey’s beloved town, Pass Creek, Oregon, is her life. She thrives on its history and does everything within her power to breathe life into what some call a has-been town. But one thing after another threatens her tranquil community. The owner of the locally famous Gable House, where actor Clark Gable stayed as a young man, mysteriously dies. The house’s new owner, a guest at Landrey’s Inn, threatens to demolish it, which would create a huge historical gap in the town’s tourism. One thing leads to another and Celia finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery, an arson, personal danger and, oh yes, romance with a handsome cowboy turned realtor.

While Celia digs herself deeper in a maze of clues, she manages to infuriate the local law authority, upsetting the on-going investigation as she puts herself in even more danger.

Where Gable Slept is the first of a series–I can hardly wait for the sequel!

Bookstores may order Where Gable Slept through Ingram Distributors. Or, the book may be ordered through Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com and numerous other on-line bookstores. For autographed copies, order through the Contact page on the author’s website, www.IreneBennettBrown.com

Know Your Insurance Coverage

2010-11-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

What kind of insurance coverage do you have, Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value? It’s important to know your coverage. Before you determine that, let’s briefly discuss a household inventory, which is valuable when making an insurance claim.

If you suffer a loss, whether it’s a burglary, fire, or other cause, an insurance company will need a detailed list of the household contents lost. It’s difficult enough to function after a disaster, and even more so if you have to come up information about specific items damaged or missing. You’ll need detailed information in order for the insurance company to pay your claim.

Making an inventory isn’t complicated or terribly time-consuming. Go through your home, room by room, creating a document that lists: Item — Original Cost — Purchase Date — Serial/I.D. Number — Current Value. Taking photos is a good idea, too. For each room, in addition to that room’s specific items, consider the draperies, lamps, clocks, area rugs, fine arts, collectibles, musical instruments.

Keep an extra copy of your inventory in a place other than in your house, perhaps at a relative’s home, in the event your home is totally destroyed.

If it becomes necessary to make a claim, you’ll want to know what to expect from your insurance company. It’s important to know what type of insurance you have for your household contents, Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value.

Replacement Cost: The insurance company will provide payment for the actual cost of purchasing a new, identical or similar item. The lost or damaged item will be replaced.

Exception: Most insurance companies have a specific item limit, such as jewelry, between $1,000 and $3,000. They will pay up to the limit and no more. If you have valuable items such as jewelry, camera or musical instrument, consider getting a rider on your policy to cover these special items.

You pay higher insurance premium for Replacement Cost, but you’ll be given the money to replace the item at their value today.

Actual Cash Value: Sometimes called “Fair Market Value,” this method takes depreciation into consideration. The amount covered will be based on the replacement cost less depreciation.

You pay a lower premium for Actual Cash Value, but may have to pay more out-of-pocket costs to replace lost items.

Be aware of which type of coverage you have: Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value. Knowing this information will save time and confusion when you need to know what you can expect from your insurance company.

There are several on-line resources for taking a home inventory. Search for “household inventory.” The internet is also a good place to shop for an insurance company.

Book Review: Stealing the Wild by Beth Hodder

2010-11-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

Beth Hodder’s Stealing the Wild (Grzzly Ridge Publishing) has all the ingredients of a good coming-of-age story–excitement, outdoor adventure, and a worthwhile lesson in the devastating act of poaching. In Montana’s Great Bear Wilderness, there’s not a telephone, cell phone, or Internet access within miles, as is still the case in many parts of the United States.

In the sequel to The Ghost of Schafer Meadows, Stealing the Wild finds twelve-year old Jessie Scott with her friends Will and Allie. While horseback riding, they come upon a deer carcass, an obvious case of poaching. Alarmed, the kids become obsessed with finding the perpetrator. As people pass through this section of wilderness–a group of four young people, obviously not experienced in wilderness travel; a lone horseman leading a mule; a hiker who has a knack for getting lost--the three friends are constantly exposed to clues and are drawn even deeper into the mystery. Jessie’s father, a wilderness ranger at Schafer Meadows Ranger Station, warns them about the danger of getting involved, but the three can’t ignore the intriguing clues.

Hodder’s real-life wilderness experience with the U.S. Forest Service for more than 25 years gives the story authenticity. She presents believable characters in this environment, while imparting the message that our wilderness is fragile. Further, Hodder handles the world-wide problem of poaching with finesse and without preaching, emphasizing the importance of putting a stop to this illegal trend.

Stealing the Wild is an exciting read, a story that both kids and adults will appreciate.

The book can be ordered through your favorite bookstore or through Grizzly Ridge Publishing, www.grizzlyridgepublishing.com

Authors Retreat to Rancho de los Caballeros

2010-11-01T17:44:00.001-07:00

Author Mary Trimble, standing on viewers’ platform, watches Heidi Thomas make friends with a ranch horse. Image by Linda Mocilnikar

Women Writing the West’s 16th Annual Conference was an opportunity to reconnect, re-inspire, rejuvenate and relax. A retreat in every sense of the word. What better place to accomplish all these things than at a guest ranch, namely Rancho de los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Arizona, in the High Sonoran Desert. Set in the graceful hacienda of the ranch, this year’s conference was the best of both worlds.

Rancho de los Caballeros was an extraordinary western setting for a group who writes about the American West. The Gant family has operated the 20,000 acre ranch for nearly 60 years. The ranch’s name implies “gentlemen on horseback” and horseback riding is just one of many recreational opportunities. An 18-hole golf course is another, or there’s tennis, hiking, biking, or swimming in an outdoor pool.

A guest doesn’t have to ride horseback to enjoy the horses. Each morning we watched the “Running of the Horses,” a twice-daily event when about 100 magnificent horses–manes flying, hoofs pounding--run from where they’re stabled at night to the large ranch coral. A group of us enjoyed dinner in town before returning to the ranch for a Board Meeting.

The next day, Friday, many of us braved a “Morning in the Desert” tour to Hassayampa River Preserve. An amazing array of wildlife exists in the wildly changeable desert and our knowledgeable guide shared fascinating information. The hike wasn’t too vigorous, but the heat around high noon encouraged us to seek the shelter of the scrubby Smoke Trees. Rather than the desert tour, some of the group visited the Desert Caballeros Museum, also worthwhile from all reports.

Friday afternoon brought a wide selection of presenters and workshops. A colleague, Joyce Lohse, and I shared the spotlight with “Adventures in Freelancing,” sharing tips on submissions and war stories about the freelancing process.

Friday night’s event was truly a highlight with a hay ride to a cookout a distance from the ranch buildings. Afterward we sat around a bonfire and listened to Caroline Markham’s remarkable singing while she accompanied herself on the guitar. A very special evening.

Saturday’s itinerary was chocked full with more inspiring sessions. The WILLA Finalist Awards Luncheon and WILLA Awards Banquet dinner were both marvelous, well thought-out events. The prestigious WILLA Awards, named after Pulitzer-Prize winning Willa Cather, honors the best in literature that features women’s or girls’ stories set in the West.

Sunday morning it was my pleasure to introduce our Marketing Specialist, Mara Purl, who spoke on the importance of newsletters. After her presentation we held our annual WWW meeting.

As usual, all during the conference a bookstore sold books written by WWW authors. Members and hotel guests had ample opportunities to browse the varied selection of books.

Also during the conference, publishers, a magazine editor and a marketing specialist were available for private appointments to discuss attendee writing projects. This year, I again coordinated that event. My mother used to say that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. I can vouch for that–it was again a pleasure to manage that part of the conference.

All in all, it was a marvelous conference with an amazing setting, inspirational presenters, and, most of all, comradery among a very special group of Women Writing the West members.

To learn more about Women Writing the West, visit www.womenwritingthewest.org

Book Review: Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, an African Childhood

2010-10-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Alexandra Fuller’s Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, an African Childhood (Random House) is a remarkable memoir about her family’s struggle for survival in southern and central Africa.

Spanning the period 1975 through the early 2000's, Bobo, as the author was nicknamed, makes unique observations about a life most people can’t even imagine. Born in England, Bobo moved with her family to what was then Rhodesia, later Zimbabwe, when she was three. Over the years the family eked out a living on a series of farms.

The author considers herself African and the story is told not from a visitor’s viewpoint, but from an African perspective. For a period of time, her father joins the side of the white government in the Rhodesion civil war, while her mother fights the battles at home–drought, wandering stock, reluctant crops and errant help. Her mother’s fierce love for her children isn’t shown with coddling, but rather as a model for hard work, self-reliance and dedication to managing their home. Her father seems fearless, determined to fight for what he believes, yet he’s quick with humor and wry wit. He throws himself wholeheartedly into whatever he’s doing at the moment, a profound example for his children.

Her family means everything to Bobo, yet at times it’s a tentative relationship–always with love, but often with shaky foundations

Fuller’s ability to show this unique lifestyle is extraordinary. With sly humor, she holds nothing back, but is always without judgement. Africa is a tough continent for anyone–the heat can be relentless, the mosquitoes deadly, tribal wars frequent, harsh terrain often unforgiving. Mere survival is a challenge.

At the beginning of each chapter, pictures of the family are shown, giving the reader a sense of being there (but without having to endure all the hardships). The first picture shown is Bobo as a very young girl loading a revolver.

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, an African Childhood is told with stark honesty and sensitivity. It’s hard not to be cynical, yet Fuller’s story is unflinching and captivating. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Safety Tips for Driving in the Rain

2010-10-19T08:56:00.001-07:00

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day...

Rain is a common cause of driving collisions. With winter just around the corner, it’s a good idea to review safe driving practices, especially for driving in the rain.

● Consult your car owner’s manual for specific safety instructions regarding brakes, cruise control and tires.

● Replace your windshield wipers at least once a year, ideally at the beginning of winter.

● Take time to defog your windows to improve visibility.

● Use extra caution for the first few hours after a long dry spell. Oil and grease accumulate on the road, making it extremely slick.

● Practice extra caution at intersections, on and off ramps, and parking lots. Road oil accumulates more in areas of slow traffic.

● Remember the rule: “Windshield wipers on, cruise control off.” Cruise control slows your ability to recognize changes in weather-related road conditions. Also, when there is less traction, cruise control is apt to malfunction.

● The deeper your tire tread, the more traction you have. Replace worn tires before winter.

● Avoid driving through standing water unless you know it is shallow.

● Vision is compromised in the rain. Another rule: “Windshield wipers on, headlights on.”

● Watch for pedestrians. They’re thinking about staying dry and may make a dash across the street to get out of the rain. Also, rain muffles road noises and they don’t always hear you.

● Posted speed signs are for ideal weather. Reduce speed for less than optimal conditions.

● When it’s raining, slow down. Reduced speed cuts your risk of hydroplaning and allows you more time to stop on slick roads.

● Allow more space than normal from the vehicle in front of you. For one thing, you avoid their spray; for another, it takes longer to stop in wet conditions.

Book Review: Follow the Dream by Heidi M. Thomas

2010-10-11T08:39:00.001-07:00

Follow the Dream by Heidi M. Thomas follows the life of Nettie Moser who finally has what she’s longed for–life on a horse ranch and the freedom to ride rodeo with her handsome cowboy husband, Jake Moser. Her dreams are coming true.

Then along comes an opportunity of a lifetime. Her friend, famous bronc rider Marie Gibson, offers Nettie an opportunity to go to London and ride with Tex Austin’s International Rodeo. It’s almost too good to be true. Riding rodeo in London!

But dreams don’t always come true. As family responsibilities become more of a reality, dreams sometimes have to take a back seat. Nettie still dreams, but the dreams become more distant. Survival occupies her time and energy now. Riding rodeo, let alone going to London, seems even farther away.

Life is hard in the late 1920s and 30s. Money is scarce and even the weather turns against them, leaving dust where once lush grass grew. It’s a constant struggle to find enough grass for the horses to graze. Although the Mosers own their stock, they don’t own the land. As the drought drags on, they decide to trail the herd of 50 horses to Idaho, 300 miles away. The drive, an exciting, pivotal adventure of the book involves excitement, hardship and many anxious moments.

Moving back to Montana, life changes. The need for horses in the work-a-day world is dwindling with tractors replacing plow-horses and engines replacing the need for horse-drawn logging equipment. Their treasure isn’t worth what it once was. Their home becomes what they can find for shelter–tents, tarpaper shacks, a run-down hotel, even a granary. Jake takes whatever work he can find. Enduring love make the hardships easier to bear and again Nettie watches their dreams shift and change.

Thomas weaves an exciting, strong, credible tale with this story of love, hardship and adventure that spans 14 years. Follow the Dream is a sequel to her previous novel, Cowgirl Dreams, but each book stands alone as strong and engaging.

Follow the Dream is available through your favorite bookstore, through publisher Treble Heart Books www.trebleheartbooks.com/sdheidithomas.html in both print and e-book formats and autographed copies from www.heidimthomas.com

Guest Blog: Reenacting for Writers

2010-10-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

It is my pleasure to have as my guest Kathleen Ernst. Welcome, Kathleen. I have found your experiences with reenacting fascinating and am delighted to have you tell our friends more about it.

I’m grateful to Mary for allowing me to be a guest today. And I’m grateful to readers! I love my work, and I’d be nowhere without you. Leave a comment here, and your name will go into a drawing for one free book. The winner can choose any of my sixteen titles. Old World Murder, one of my American Girl mysteries, a Civil War novel—the choice will be yours!

My husband, daughter Meg, and I reached Spring Hill, TN, in a driving rain. The temperature was dropping. The parking lot—a field intended to hold the vehicles of 10,000 or so Civil War reenactors and their gear—was a sea of mud. The actual camping areas were located well beyond the parking lot. The horses and wagons provided to help haul gear had trouble slogging through thick muck on the hilly terrain.

Fortunately, my family was traveling relatively light. Meg and I would be spending the weekend in a recreated refugee camp, helping visitors remember that soldiers weren’t the only people affected by military campaigns during the Civil War. After we hiked to the clearing where the refugee camp was being created, Scott helped Meg and me set up our little tent. We watched him tramp off to find his military comrades, the incessant rain darkening his wool coat and dripping from his hat brim.

Welcome to the wonderful world of reenacting.

That weekend was challenging, to be sure. It was also one of the best experiences I had during the decade plus I spent reenacting. The people organizing the refugee camp had done an amazing job of researching and presenting a bit of life as it might have been for some of the thousands of Southern civilians left destitute and homeless during the war.

It also provided me with an amazing opportunity to immerse myself into the 19th century for a few days. We talked with visitors as they came through, but at the end of “public time” each day, we ladies and children were alone in the clearing, with no modern intrusions in sight. I savored the richness of sensory details the experience provided. One evening we heard hoofbeats, and a column of Union cavalry emerged from the trees and rode past our camp. A woman ran to the lane, shouting “Give ‘em hell for East Tennessee!” Her portrayal provided a vivid reminder that the pocket of Union sympathizers in that area suffered terribly during the war. It was an unexpected and magical moment.

I knew before the weekend was over that I needed to channel the experience into a novel. The result was Hearts of Stone, about a young woman named Hannah Cameron from East Tennessee. After Hannah and her younger siblings were orphaned, they wandered through Tennessee and eventually took shelter in a refugee camp—much like the one I helped portray.

If you write historicals, there’s a good chance that someone—or many someones—reenact your period. Even if you don’t want to participate yourself, visiting a reenactment can transform a story from ho-hum to wow. Reenactments can provide a myriad of specific sensory details to bring your story to life. Learn what musket smoke smells like, listen to musicians playing period music, discover (with permission) what homespun linen feels like. If you get lucky you may experience one of those unexpected “bubble” moments, when—just for a split second—you forget that you live in modern times.

Many reenactors are passionate historians. They know a lot, and they love to share what they know. Some are also collectors. If you have questions about material culture during your era, you can likely find the answers.

One word of caution: attending a reenactment to do research is like searching the world wide web for information. You’ll find a lot, but you will need to use some filters. Don’t assume that everything you see and hear is accurate.

I don’t do much reenacting these days, but my experiences and memories will always help inform my work. In my new book, Old World Murder, protagonist Chloe Ellefson is a curator at the historic site where I was first introduced to the hobby of reenacting. I plan to get Chloe to other historic sites as the mystery series continues. Sooner or later she’ll experience a reenactment. She’ll encounter a mystery to solve. I’ll get to revisit some great memories.

Kathleen Ernst is celebrating the publication of her first adult mystery, Old World Murder (Midnight Ink). She has also written eight mysteries for young readers. Several have been finalists for Edgar or Agatha awards.

Bridging Oregon's Coast

2010-10-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

I began to think we were traveling in circles. Driving south on our way to Coos Bay, Oregon, we passed over an attractive bridge in Newport. It’s graceful arches spanned more than half a mile across the bay and, in the middle of the bridge, spires pointed to the sky, like miniature castles. Now, as we approached Waldport, we drove over another familiar-looking bridge. “Didn’t we just do this?”

What we were to discover is that along Highway 101, a stretch sometimes called the Oregon Coast Highway, a series of bridges look similar, and for very good reason. The same man, Conde B. McCullough (1887 - 1946) built most of the bridges linking the coastal highway. In the waterfront town of Waldport, we visited the historic Alsea Bay Bridge Interpretive Center to learn more about these fascinating structures.

Though McCullough designed hundreds of bridges in Oregon, it was not the quantity of bridges that made him famous, it was the quality and innovative graceful arches, pylons and spires.

Using the most advanced techniques of the day, McCullough built bridges with a combination of function, form and grace. He served Oregon’s State Highway Department from 1919 to 1946. Remember, in those days there were no design tools like computers or even calculators. Everything was done by hand. A display at the interpretive center shows a replica of McCullough’s office with its drafting table, wooden file drawers, a clunky typewriter and surveyor hand tools.

After World War I, the United States’ military encouraged the completion of the highway as a means of national security. With the popularity of automobile travel, the tourism industry added impetus to completing the highway. Up until that time, channels along the coast had to be crossed by ferry.

Many of McCullough’s bridges are eligible or have been listed on the National Register.

If you have a chance to visit Oregon’s spectacular coastline, be sure to take special notice of these inspiring structures.

Book Review: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

2010-09-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Jamie Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Ballantine Books) is a remarkable story of family dynamics, cultural clashes and bittersweet love that spans all chasms.

Toggling between the war years of mid-1940s and mid-1980s, Ford chronicles the life of Henry Lee, a Chinese American. In the mid-40s, at a time when many Americans were suspicious of all Japanese as the result of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Henry is torn between his loyalty to a school friend, Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American, and his father who has an ancestral hatred of the Japanese.

In the mid-80's, Henry, now widowed, is drawn to the Hotel Panama, an old boarded-up building where, it has recently been discovered, Japanese war-time household effects were stored. Old memories surface, memories that haven’t really been buried that deep.

Ford handles the cultural differences between Chinese and Japanese with honesty and skill. Old World Chinese prejudices leave no room for even a casual friendship with the Japanese, not even with an innocent girl whose family loses their home, their livelihood, their community status, during the Internment years.

Another special friend who ties many of the strings of this novel together is Sheldon, an African American, a saxophone jazz player who brings down-to-earth observations and genuine friendship over the 40-year span of the book.

War is ugly with its gruesome battle scenes, death and destruction, but, as Ford depicts in the story, the devastation goes deeper than that with cruel attitudes and inhumane treatment of innocent individuals caught up in the hatred of a few.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a satisfying story, told with historic detail and realism. It’s a book that lingers in the mind and heart.

The Loneliest Road in America

2010-09-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Fort Churchhill’s remaining buildings are in ruins, the adobe walls remaining in a state of arrested decay.

Highway 50, dubbed in 1986 by Life Magazine as “The Loneliest Road in America,” may be lonely but the sights are many.

On a sunny June day, with our truck and camper, we travel west on Highway 50 through north central Nevada, from California to the Utah border.

Carson City, the first major stop along Highway 50, is a wonderful introduction to what is yet to come. Crammed with history, Carson City, Nevada’s capital, was founded in 1858 and was indirectly named after the famed scout and frontiersman, Kit Carson.

We stop at the Nevada State Museum in the old U.S. Mint building to pick up brochures and walking tour information. From there we stroll down tree-lined streets and view beautifully preserved homes and churches, many with plaques describing their place in history. Colorful, quaint flower beds decorate the yards of these historic homes.

In Carson City we learn the story of the famous Pony Express riders. From April, 1860 to October, 1861, dozens of hardy young men braved the 1,800 miles between Sacramento, California and St. Joseph, Missouri. They faced extreme elements, Indians, desperadoes and sheer exhaustion to deliver their mail pouches in a mere 10 days time. Stopping at Pony Express stations along the way-–some still visible today--a rider could quickly dismount, grab a canteen of water and a fresh horse to resume his dangerous ride.

Even back then, this colorful chapter in Old West history fell victim to technology, when, just four days after the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph, the Pony Express was out of business, closing a short, but never to be forgotten chapter in the history of the Old West.

Fort Churchill State Historic Park offers a historical glimpse of Nevada’s first military post. The Visitor Center shows the story of Fort Churchill through interpretive boards, pictures and displays.

The desert environment appears to be devoid of life, but one of the exhibits at Fort Churchill demonstrates how many species of plants and desert wildlife flourish in that area alone, each dependent on certain conditions of moisture and soil.

Beginning at Silver Springs, the highway now takes us through Carson Desert and into the heartland of the Great Basin, the great interior sink of the western United States.

The city of Fallon, a community surrounded by farms and ranches, is also known for Naval Air Station Fallon, one of the premier training bases in the country and home to the famous Navy Fighter Weapons School, “Topgun.”

Back on the highway, we visit Grimes Point, one of the largest and most accessible petroglyph sites in northern Nevada. The petroglyphs cover 150 or so basalt boulders and date from between 5000 BC and 1500 AD.

Whoa! What’s that? As we round a bend in the highway, a 600-foot tall, 2.5-mile long, glistening sand dune looms, beckoning us to stop, look and listen. Sand Mountain changes its shape every day as the prevailing southwest winds deposit new sand while pushing and pulling the old. Did I say “listen?” Yes! This strange and wonderful mountain sings! The dry, polished sand particles produce low, booming sounds as they shift. It’s dry and hot at this wayside–we’re thankful to have a good water supply in our rig.

At Sand Springs we stop to look at a Pony Express station and walk the interpretive loop trail. This station was rediscovered by archaeologists in 1976, and subsequently excavated and stabilized. We walk through the station and its various rooms separated by thick stone walls.

Near Middlegate we see a silly sight–a large cottonwood tree draped with hundreds of pairs of shoes. Apparently a fight between lovers resulted in her shoes ending up in the tree and a tradition was born. We move on, our own shoes intact.

We pass a sign “Toiyabe National Forest” but there’s not a tree in sight, just big sagebrush and ricegrass. Our rig climbs to the 7,484-foot Austin summit. Almost the entire state of Nevada is in the Great Basin which also includes sections of California, Oregon and Utah. Although to me the word “basin” suggests lowlands, much of it is higher than 6,000 feet, even in the valleys. Daytime temperatures are high; nights are refreshingly cool.

Tonight we’ll camp at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) camp, Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area. Armed with an interpretive brochure, we view petroglyph panels along a cliff face. At an overlook we gaze at the Toquima Mountain Range to the left, the Big Smokey Valley straight ahead, and the Toiyabe Mountain Range to the right.

We pass through Eureka, one of the oldest mining towns in the state. This town has made a supreme effort to restore its buildings and, in fact, has won a prestigious award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for renewal of the Eureka Opera House.

Next comes Ely, another historic mining town with many interesting restored buildings and museums. Five miles east of town, the Ruth open pit copper mines show mounds where waste rock was removed to uncover ore. These mines produced nearly $1 billion in copper, gold and silver during the first half of the 20th century.

Great Basin National Park, created in 1986, is Nevada’s newest treasure and the last stop on Highway 50. Of the five campgrounds in the park, we choose Upper Lehman – it’s cool and comfortable in a forest of shimmering quaking aspen. While there we visit Lehman Caves. The Caves, at the base of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, are chilly and we’re glad we brought light coats. From our guide we learn about the fantastic display of geologic decorations, including an array of stalactite and stalagmites developed over hundreds of years.

True to its name, “The Loneliest Road in America” has very little traffic–at times we’ve traveled hours without encountering another vehicle. We’ve loved this leg of our Nevada journey. What an adventure!

BARNS: SYMBOLS OF OLD AMERICANA

2010-09-13T09:26:00.001-07:00

Image by Bruce Trimble: OK Quarter Circle Barn, Built in 1933

America’s barns provide a nostalgic link to yesteryear. Before the advent of gasoline powered tractors, when teams of horses provided the necessary energy to produce our country’s food, the barn was the hub of American farms.

It was in the barn where the farmer sheltered horses, stored hay and grain, fed livestock, milked cows, stored and mended harnesses and other tack. The barn provided warmth and protection needed for birthing farm animals. Our agricultural ancestors conducted much of their daily business in the family barn–it often provided space for dances, weddings, church services, community meetings and a spacious, exciting play arena for farm children.

In Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa Valley, a tour of America’s past is offered in the form of a self-guided barn tour. Following an excellent guide book, The Wallowa Valley Barn Tour II (see details at the end of this blog) visitors are given driving directions to several area barns.

The nostalgic barn tour involves barns of all sizes and shapes, many of which are being used today though rarely for the purpose for which they were originally built. The snow-capped peaks of the Wallowa Mountains tower over rolling fields of hay, peas, wheat and other crops, accenting the area’s spectacular variety of barns.

The flavors of country are bountiful here. In the early summer, fields of brilliant wildflowers--purple, yellow, white and orange--provide excellent photographic opportunities. Meadowlarks, barn swallows, magpies and owls are in generous supply and the air is filled with their melodious songs. Deer graze with little fear, as long as visitors keep their distance. Stock–horses, cattle and sheep–view newcomers with curiosity and it’s not unusual for horses to crane their necks over the fence to get a better look.

You can drive for miles before encountering another vehicle, and then it’s inevitably the locals’ vehicle of choice, a diesel, 4-wheel drive, flat-bed pick-up, sporting one or two border collies (the obvious dog of choice) scrambling to balance themselves on a tool box in the back. These are working dogs, by the way, not your fluffy city pooch. These no-nonsense dogs have real work to do in gathering, cutting, and generally keeping stock in line. Many of the dogs looked as though they would neither appreciate nor tolerate a pat on the head by a stranger.

Especially in the early days, many farm families lived in sub-standard housing while investing their money and labor in erecting a sturdy barn. The barn was the core of their existence, a necessary element from which their livelihood stemmed.

Barns often reflected builders’ ancestry with design characteristics of German, English and Scandinavian influences. Later, barn designs of New England, Pennsylvania and Kansas were transplanted and adapted to America’s West and built with materials at hand. Roof slopes, barn construction, the shape of windows, rain hoods, ventilating cupolas, lightning balls and weathervanes often indicate a barn’s cultural history. The sides of Pennsylvania Dutch barns often sport colorful geometric decorations known as hex signs, occasionally seen in western barns today.

Connected farm buildings, called rambling barns, evolved so that the farmer could avoid trips outdoors in harsh weather. At the same time, the configuration of a rambling barn blocks winter winds, providing a protected barnyard for the animals.

The color red is a common color for a barn and is traditionally the result of old-time farmers preserving their weatherboards with a mixture of materials at hand–red oxide from their soil, linseed oil from their flax crop and casein from cows’ milk. Or, to cut expenses, a farmer could sometimes get a free paint job by allowing a company to paint an advertisement on his barn.

Barns connect us to our past but the need for them has become functionally obsolete. Work horses once used for plowing, planting and harvesting have been largely replaced with high-powered machines. Today, specialty buildings have largely taken the place of the all-purpose barn.

Preserving barns is a noble endeavor which provides a link to our past. Caring for these structures is expensive and time-consuming. Even so, replacing or repairing a roof, painting, shoring up the side of a barn, buys communities time to cling to our country’s agricultural past, a chance to recognize and appreciate our heritage.

In some parts of the country efforts to preserve barns have gained popularity. While the individual family farm is slowly disappearing, there are still families whose livelihood depend on their land and what it can produce. Many of these families are investing time and money to preserve their barns. In some cases, community organizations have chipped in to save barns from their inevitable demise.

Touring Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa Valley barns, whether to photograph, sketch, paint or simply appreciate, is immensely rewarding. Viewing yesteryear’s barns gives us a rich appreciation of our rural heritage and of those people who today are preserving that heritage by lovingly caring for these relics of the past.

Acknowledgment: An excellent guide book, The Wallowa Valley Barn Tour II, provides pictures and historic information on the area’s barns. The book is available through The Bookloft, 107 East Main Street, Enterprise, OR 97828, or call (541) 426-3351.

A Light at the End of the Unemployment Tunnel

2010-09-02T09:50:00.001-07:00

Nineteen months is a long time to be unemployed, no matter how you look at it. My husband Bruce recently returned to the work force after 19 months of job searching. The company where he’d worked for 18 years moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, not a viable option for us. Bruce thought it wouldn’t be difficult to get another position, but when the economy took a dive, so did job opportunities. We had our anxious moments, but we survived.

We’re thrifty by nature. We’ve been married 32 years and many of those years were lean ones. First, Bruce went to college while I worked. Later, I went to college while he worked. During our years together, there have been other times with no appreciative income, namely when we served with the Peace Corps and when we sailed the South Pacific. We’ve learned to manage with little or no income.

One of our hard and fast rules has always been to stay out of debt. Except for our house, we’ve never purchased an item on credit. Oh, we use a credit card, but pay it off each month so we’re never charged interest.

Bruce received unemployment benefits, which were a tremendous help. Other than originally going into the Employment Security office, most of the job search was conducted on-line. He was required to make personal visits to the job security office three times during the 19 months–they understandably need to see hard-evidence of job seeking.

Looking for employment is hard work. In today’s job market, making cold-calls for managerial positions is almost unheard of. In fact, it’s usually impossible. The State’s Employment Security Department has an active on-line job listing, and there are several other job search engines available.

What Bruce found, however, is that most of the jobs listed are often not real positions, or they are positions that will be filled from within the company. In these hard-economic times, companies are just not hiring new people. An obvious flaw to this, however, is that people are often promoted to levels beyond their capabilities, and companies are falling behind in production. When massive lay-offs occur, the remaining workers are over-worked, creating an unhealthy environment. Or, companies are letting important elements of their business slide, also a risky trend. Some companies have the unfortunate policy of not hiring anyone currently unemployed, but rather seek those who are and entice them away from their current position.

Bruce diligently filled out applications, kept his resume current, tweaking it to fit the job description, and wrote cover letters. Many of the applications were long; most questions required narrative responses. Many applications were confusing and he’d click where told and all his work would disappear. He formally responded to 270 job openings, most of which took hours to complete. Rarely did he get a response; occasionally an automated acknowledgment of application received. He did get a few personal interviews and some of them went very well, but the result was often that the company eventually hired from within, they’d changed the job description, etc. Many times employers didn’t call when they’d promised and Bruce would follow up only to be disappointed again.

During this time, to save his sanity, Bruce expanded his interest in growing native plants. A neighbor who sells produce from his farm asked Bruce to start some plants by seed and he happily grew vegetable starts to be sold at the produce stand, along with northwest specialty plants, such as salal, flowering current, red osier dogwood, etc.

Bruce also has a keen interest in photography and he researched the possibility of pursuing this interest commercially, including real estate photography. Unfortunately, the economic climate for real estate wasn’t much better than the job market. But it was a way to productively keep busy and feel as though he was accomplishing something. My third novel, Tenderfoot, was released this past year and Bruce designed the book cover, and was invaluable in helping me with promotional material such as postcard design, press releases, posters, etc.

I was amazed with Bruce’s positive attitude and dedication to whatever he was doing–job search, gardening, photography or promoting my work. Also, I was appreciative of his respect for my time–my work, with the release of my new book, went on as before.

After all those 270 job applications, it wasn’t any of those that resulted in a job. It was a former colleague who works for a company that could use Bruce’s skills. The position was an obvious fit and within 2 days of the interview he had a job. Not only that, he is again working in the marine industry, where he has spent his working career. Perhaps this is another example of “it’s not what you know, but who you know” that is key to finding work in today’s marketplace.

Long saga with a happy ending. Let’s hope that all the many others who are diligently seeking work will soon find a satisfying and productive position. Being out of work is no fun, but it still can be productive.

Book Review: Steady Hedy: A Journey through Blindness & Guide Dog School

2010-08-16T10:06:00.001-07:00

Carolyn Wing Greenlee’s recently released book, Steady Hedy: A Journey through Blindness & Guide Dog School is a journey into another world, a world without the benefit of sight. Through Greenlee’s delightfully graphic writing, the reader is given glimpses of what she has suffered with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that leads to incurable blindness. At the time she attended Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) in San Rafael, California, her vision had dwindled to 4%. In her class of ten, three were totally blind; the others were in various stages of debilitating visual impairment.

For years, Greenlee chafed at the inconvenience of her deteriorating vision loss. Simple tasks took longer, going shopping, especially in a strange store, was a formidable task. Walking brought fear of bumping into something or falling into a hole. The worse part was giving up driving, which meant giving up much of her independence.

People who suffer from blindness feel isolated, no longer feeling that they are a part of the group. They require help which in turn make them feel guilty. They miss communication through body-language and, especially in a group, feel they’re missing out on the flow of conversation.

By a series of surprising connections, Greenlee finds herself surrounded by a community of support, individuals who help bridge this gap by providing counseling, technology, mobility skills, and a fresh prospective on blindness. They enable the disabled. The year-long preparation she receives from these many groups and individuals make Greenlee’s admission into guide dog school possible.

At the school, Greenlee launches into a world of unknowns–unfamiliar surroundings, challenging tasks, unknown fellow students, new routines. A third-generation Chinese American, Greenlee constantly battles feelings of insecurity, incompetency and inadequacy as the result of her Confucian background. She questions whether she will measure up to the task of learning the work and successfully bonding with a guide dog.

After three days of orientation, the students receive their dogs and Greenlee is given Hedy, a small black lab. She’s bitterly disappointed not to have the color of dog she hoped for–a yellow lab. For one, with Greenlee’s limited vision, the light color itself would allow her to see the dog more clearly. To Greenlee, Hedy seems small, smelly and indifferent. It is not love at first sight for the dog, either. It’s obvious Hedy longs for her previous trainer and shows Greenlee no fondness, only aloofness. Clearly, the dog is only there because she has to be. The staff assures Greenlee that with patience and consistency Hedy will come around. It’s a partnership: the handler directs the dog and the dog delivers its owner safely. But it takes patience, time and trust. Especially trust. With hard-headed Hedy, Greenlee worries. Will they ever become a truly interdependent team?

Greenlee chronicles the ambitious activities of the school. While at first she wonders what they could possibly find to do for 28 days, now it is a rush to get everything done. Along the way, the students have adventures, form close friendships, and have a surprisingly good time even though the schedule is grueling. Step by step they face the challenging obstacles placed before them. With the support of GDB, the students become courageous, adventurous, and full of hope, aspirations they hadn’t thought possible.

Stedy Hedy is an engaging, often funny, and thoroughly satisfying story of new found freedom in the face of catastrophic loss, where, as Greenlee says, “Your worse nightmare can become the source of your deepest healing.”

Steady Hedy: A Journey through Blindness & Guide Dog School can be ordered through your favorite bookstore, through the publisher Earthen Vessel Productions (www.earthen.com), Amazon.com, Kindle and iBooks.

Don't Be a Victim of Fraud

2010-08-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Fraud comes in many forms--telemarketing, mail scams, bunco schemes. If you're approached with a deal that's “too good to be true,” it probably is. If "you've gotta move on it now," you'd better take your time. Watch your step if you're approached by one of these "get rich quick" schemes:

The Bank Examiner A phony bank examiner, IRS agent, or policeman contacts you and asks your help in catching a dishonest employee. You're asked to withdraw funds from your account and give it to the "examiner" so serial numbers can be checked. Of course, the money vanishes, along with the "examiners." Banks, IRS, or the police never use this procedure.

The Pigeon Drop In this bunco scheme the victim is approached by someone saying they have found a large sum of money and will share it. The swindlers ask that you withdraw "good faith" money from your account. They take your "good faith" money and then make phony arrangements where you can pick up your share of the found money. It’s hard to believe so many people fall for this one, but it happens.

Telemarketing Fraud Many types of fraudulent businesses are promoted by telephone, such as travel scams, prizes offered by postcard whereby the victim is asked to call 900 number at a high fee, magazine promoters, charity solicitations. Not all telemarketing is fraudulent, but it's a good idea to ask the company for their offer in writing.

Pyramid Schemes An illegal pyramid scheme requires that you make an initial investment to become a member. Then you must recruit others into the investment who also pay a fee. For each person you bring into the program, you either receive money or bonuses. In an illegal pyramid scheme, making money depends not on how much merchandise is sold, but how many people you bring into the business.

Phony Repairs Auto, roof, and plumbing repairs account for many swindles. Sometimes the victim is charged an outrageous price for work done; sometimes no work was done at all but the victim has signed a "contract" and the swindlers claim money is owed. Or, the contractor may say he needs much of the money up front so that he can buy materials and that’s the last the buyer sees of him. Always get a written estimate before work begins. If you are unsure about the company, call your local Better Business Bureau. It’s also a good idea to ask for local references. Better yet, ask your friends if they know of a reputable repair company.

Work-at-Home schemes These endeavors rarely make money as claimed. By the time the victim has bought the kit or required supplies, the market for the finished product has disappeared and the company won't buy back the supplies.

Here are tips to avoid being a victim of fraud:
1) Be leery of "get rich quick" schemes. The quicker you say “yes,” the quicker the perpetrator gets rich.
2) Don't be pressured into making hasty decisions for offers made for "a limited time."
3) Never give your credit card or bank account information over the telephone to anyone other than a reputable company.
4) Beware of free prizes that require you to pay tax, shipping charges, or handling costs. Refuse a prize if you have to make a purchase to claim it.

DVD Review: Dirt! The Movie

2010-08-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Of all the planets, earth is the only one known to be covered with a thin layer of dirt. This dirt, or soil, is alive and capable of sustaining life. The video Dirt! The Movie is a documentary about the value of soil and its necessity for our survival.

Man’s existence is dependent upon healthy soil. Experts, naturalists, from all over the world recognize its importance to survival. Unfortunately, the quest for money gained through commercially exploiting natural resources has disrupted the natural cycles nature has provided. Tearing up the ground for mining, drilling for oil, cutting down forests, paving fertile ground, even short-sighted farming techniques have altered the natural use of soil and has adversely affected the lives of people all over the world.

The movie, directed by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow, and narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, also features experts who have experimented with returning the soil to doing what it’s supposed to do. In one instance, a Los Angeles school yard’s pavement was removed and in its place the children planted vegetables and other life-sustaining crops. Their thrill, plus the vivid demonstration of the power of soil, was a heart-warming reminder of the value of returning to natural earth.

In stark contrast were scenes of barren land, devoid of life because of excessive chemical use, over-planting, and misuse of the land. Sick, starving people are the victims of the misuse of soil. One of the most memorable quotations from the movie, “Drought, climate change, even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt,” is a dramatic statement of man’s mistreatment of our fragile planet.

We can take heart, however, by taking action. By doing a few small things correctly, each one of us can do a lot to restore dirt, to become aware of its value, of its life-giving qualities. “What we’ve destroyed, we can heal.”

I encourage everyone to see this memorable DVD documentary, Dirt! The Movie. For more information and to order the DVD, visit www.dirtthemovie.org.

Roy Lesher: Volunteer Extraordinaire

2010-07-19T05:26:00.001-07:00

Serving where needed is a way of life or Roy Lesher. He recently returned from ten days in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where he worked with a team dispensing free eyeglasses to 2,498 patients, people who couldn’t afford to buy glasses for themselves. Roy, a member of the Lions and VOSH (Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity) plans to return to Mexico within a year, though to another location. The team’s future plans also involve Jamaica and El Salvador. The common link to both the Lions and VOSH is Helen Keller who inspired both organizations to serve the blind and conserve sight.

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1939, Roy attended school and college in his home state. He served with the U.S. Air Force from 1962 through 1985 and retired as Lt Colonel. Most of his military career was oversees–Taiwan, Korea, Spain, Turkey, and almost all countries in the Far and Middle East. He also served in the U.S. in Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Virginia and Washington DC. While in Washington he served with the Pentagon and White House Communications Agency.

After leaving the military he received a Master’s Degree in International Studies and another Master’s in Business Administration. He worked for several years in the industrial pump field, and served as an International Tech Consultant. Finally, retiring a second time, Roy and his wife Sally moved to Camano Island, WA in 2004.

But “retired” isn’t exactly a fitting word for Roy. He continues to serve on numerous community organizations. Today he spends most of his volunteer time with the Stanwood Lions Club as Treasurer and Chairman of the Sight and Hearing Programs. Aha! So that’s the story behind Roy’s particular skill of sight screening! The Lions Club screens more than 2,100 school children throughout the district every year.

Roy Lesher is well known locally for his community on-line newsletter. I first heard of it when a friend e-mailed a copy to me. It has become the most reliable and timely way to learn about what’s going on in our community. Roy thoughtfully colors the new material in blue, but leaves the previous but still current news in black. Many organizations make their announcements through Roy Lesher’s newsletter.

When Roy isn’t serving the community, he spends time with family–he and Sally have five children and five grandchildren. He also follows his passion of genealogy, occasionally trekking to Salt Lake City, UT for research.

Our community is richer because of Roy Lesher. He serves for the love of it, for the love of his fellow man. When Roy says, “We’re always at our best when we’re helping people,” he really means it. He lives it.

To receive Roy’s newsletter, contact RoyLesher@aol.com to be placed on his distribution list.

Mount St. Helens: Rising from the Dead

2010-07-10T05:29:00.001-07:00

Much to everyone’s surprise, including scientists who have studied the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens extensively, a resurgence of life has returned to Mount St. Helens. The landscape has shifted dramatically from a gray, still and nearly barren panorama to an environment that is green, active and life-filled. The mountain’s return to vibrant life is a remarkable reminder of the power and beauty of nature.

When Mount St. Helens erupted thirty years ago, the landscape looked as though it would never support life again. The lateral blast left 234 square miles of standing-dead or blown-down forests, killing an estimated 10,000,000 trees. As the north face of the mountain collapsed, creating the largest landslide in U.S. history, wind and heat wiped out virtually all animal and plant life. An estimated 7,000 deer, elk and bear, and untold thousands of birds and small animals perished. The Toutle River grew so hot witnesses reported seeing fish jump out of the water to escape the heat.

Sparkling Spirt Lake, directly in the path of the blast, was pushed more than 800 feet up the side of a neighboring mountain by debris and came back down to rest several hundred feet higher than it was before, leaving all marine life eradicated.

Even outside the blast zone, a hot slurry of mud from the Toutle River churned over the land–taking with it huge trees, dozens of homes, and every living thing in its path.

How could this miracle of rebirth happen? The weight of wet snow packs and summer heat have effectively deteriorated the blown-down trees, making fertile ground for wind-blown seeds. The distinctive irregular surface of the landslide entraps runoff from rain and snow melt, forming new ponds and wetlands, spawning new life. The little pocket gophers survived the blast from their underground tunnels and continued feeding on roots, leaving droppings containing seeds along the way. Spiders blew in and birds followed to feast on the spiders. They, too, left rich droppings for future growth. Today, the downed forest in places is almost hidden by an assortment trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflowers and weeds, fodder for returning elk, deer and other animal life.

Even Spirit Lake has gone through a remarkable metamorphosis, returning to near pre-eruption conditions. The lake’s once cold, clear waters were transformed into a primordial soup, a rich broth of sediment and organic matter covered by a floating log mat. Bacteria populations exploded in these ideal conditions, cleansing the lake. Today, Spirit Lake hosts vibrant ecosystems and even trout, although scientists believe the fish were illegally introduced by visitors after the eruption.

Much of the recovery has been instigated by nature. However, employees of Weyerhaeuser, one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world, planted 18,400,000 trees by hand in an effort to rebuild some of the forest after the blast. It took workers four years to complete the project.

The effects of the 1980 eruption are still very evident–the enormous crater is stark evidence of the magnitude of the event. From Johnston Ridge, named after geologist Dave Johnston who lost his life in the blast, visitors can see a close-up of the lava dome, crater, pumice plain, and the landslide deposit.

Mount St. Helens is witness to and a lesson in nature’s remarkable evolution. From a colorless, barren landscape to an array of color and life, the mountain again beckons visitors to its wild beauty. When was the last time you visited Mount St. Helens?
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/

Guest: Paty Jager, Author of Doctor in Petticoats

2010-07-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

My guest today is Paty Jager, Award-winning Western Romance author. She’s joined us today to share insights of her latest novel, Doctor in Petticoats. At the end of the blog, Paty tells us about her contest being held during this blog tour.

Welcome, Paty. Tell us about your work.

All of my Halsey brother books have a heroine with an occupation that at the time was male dominated. Doctor in Petticoats is set in Oregon in 1889 which was fifty years after the first woman, Elizabeth Blackwell, earned a degree from a U.S. medical school, there were still lots of prejudice against women as doctors both from male doctors and patients.

My editor and my critique partner both made comments when my heroine is considering if she should forgo motherhood to be a doctor. I read several books written by some of the frontier women doctors and they felt if they had children it would 1) take up time they would need to start a practice and 2) the possibility that they could bring home a disease to their own children. Several waited until their practices were well established before they had children and then they would only do obstetrics or scale down their practice. It was also felt by the male doctors that female doctors were too weak to control any sexual urges they might have toward male patients. As we all know the male is much weaker when it comes to that than females. But it was one of the major concerns of the male instructors in colleges, that women had too frail a constitution to handle crisis situations and resist their desires. Mothers for centuries have been dealing with far more than men.

Here are a few more stats on women physicians:
♥The Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania was the first women's medical college and it opened in 1850 with 40 students.
♥By 1860 there were about 200 women medical doctors in the U.S.
♥ In 1864 Rebecca Lee Crumbler became the first African-American woman to earn an MD and Mary Walter became assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Army.
♥ In 1889 Susan La Flesche Picotte became the first Native-American
woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S.
♥In 1897 Eliza Ann Grier, an emancipated slave, became the first
African-American woman to practice medicine in Georgia.
.
Blurb for Doctor in Petticoats
After a life-altering accident and a failed relationship, Dr. Rachel Tarkiel gave up on love and settled for a life healing others as the physician at a School for the Blind. She's happy in her vocation--until handsome Clay Halsey shows up and inspires her to want more.

Blinded by a person he considered a friend, Clay curses his circumstances and his limitations. Intriguing Dr. Tarkiel shows him no pity, though. To her, he's as much a man as he ever was.

Can these two wounded souls conquer outside obstacles, as well as their own internal fears, and find love?

Excerpt
“I’m going to look in your other eye now.” She, again, placed a hand on his face and opened the eyelids, stilling her fluttering heart as she pressed close. His clean-shaven face had a couple small nicks on the edges of his angular cheeks. The spice of his shave soap lingered on his skin.

She resisted the urge to run her cheek against his. The heat of his face under her palm and his breath moving wisps of wayward hair caused her to close her eyes and pretend for a few seconds he could be her husband. A man who loved her and wouldn’t be threatened by her occupation or sickened by her hideous scar.

His breathing quickened. A hand settled on her waist, slid around to her back, and drew her forward. Her hand, holding the lens, dropped to his shoulder, and she opened her eyes. This behavior on both their parts was unconscionable, but her constricted throat wouldn’t allow her to utter the rebuke.

Clay sensed the moment the doctor slid from professional to aroused woman. The hand on his cheek caressed rather than held, her breathing quickened, and her scent invaded his senses like a warm summer rain.

Blog Tour Contest

This is my twelth blog on my fifteen blog/twelve day tour. Leave a comment and follow me to all the blogs on my tour and you could win an autographed copy of my June release, Doctor in Petticoats, a B&N gift card, and a summer tote filled with goodies. To find out all the places I'll be, go to my blog- http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com to find the list.

Paty Jager
Award- Winning Western Romance Author
Website: http://www.patyjager.net
Blog: http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com
Buy: http://www.thewildrosepress.com

Book Review: The Good Times are All Gone Now

2010-06-23T07:10:00.001-07:00

The Good Times are All Gone Now: Life, Death, and Rebirth in an Idaho Mining Town, by Julie Whitesel Weston takes a refreshingly frank look at the author’s hometown, Kellogg, Idaho.

Weston delves realistically into the gritty world of a town’s quest for lead, silver and zinc by Bunker Hill Mining Company, the community’s largest employer. Although the book begins with the author’s return to Kellogg to witness the 1996 demolition of the mining company’s smokestack, much of the book takes place in the fifties and sixties, during Weston’s years as a school girl. But she also reaches back to the nineteenth century of Kellogg’s founding and the townpeople’s involvement in this stark mining environment, as well as five generations of her family in Idaho.

Weston takes an honest look at her family’s dynamics–a supportive mother, an older brother and younger sister, and a well-respected father, much admired as a skilled physician, but who at home is feared for his drunken rages. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Weston thrives among the hard-working townspeople, is at the top of her class at school, and makes life-long friends.

Kellogg, known for its rich mines and notorious for its tough way of life, its brothels and gambling, is nevertheless Julie Whitesel Weston’s hometown and she mourns the demise of a way of life. Although the mines brought wealth to the community, they also brought sludge piles of contaminated waste, causing devastation to forests and rivers.

Toward the end of the book, the author recognizes a new Kellogg emerging, a town with a different focus, turning years of decay into new life, opportunity and jobs. The realization that her hometown has changed forever is mixed with the bitter-sweet memories of the past, but hope for the future.

The Good Times are All Gone Now: Life, Death, and Rebirth in an Idaho Mining Town is a funny, sad, touching and skillfully-told story of a town and its people, of a young girl influenced by all she saw and experienced. Weston does a remarkable job of putting the reader inside the heart of a town, giving a fresh viewpoint to otherwise casual observers of that unique way of life.

The book is available through the publisher, The University of Oklahoma Press, the author’s website www.julieweston.com/books.htm, and Amazon.com.

Tough Hombre: A Father's Day Story

2010-06-14T16:35:00.001-07:00

Five of us sat in the doctor's waiting room. To my right, a woman handed her little son a truck she'd selected from a toy box in the corner. The boy sat on the floor while he carefully examined the underside of the truck. With a cautious, pudgy finger he turned one wheel and studied the truck's rotating axle.

I opened my book, taking advantage of the wait to get in a little reading.

"That boy's going to be a mechanic," boomed the man sitting across from me.

Startled, all eyes darted his way. He was a large man, sixtyish with big square hands, a prominent nose, and a full head of curly, silver hair. He wore blue denim work clothes with "Len" embroidered on his shirt pocket, and heavy, black shoes. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, strong hands folded, watching the boy.

The mother nodded. "His dad's a mechanic and when he's home, the boy never leaves his side."

"I know what you mean," the big man said. "I've been a mechanic all my life. My four sons all are mechanical, but none do it for a living.

"Watching him, it takes me back." He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands on his round stomach. He radiated strength.

"When the boys were in their teens our place looked like an auto wrecking yard. At one time we had no fewer than six cars—my wife and I each had a car and each of our sons had one. Of course, there was usually another car or two—one getting fixed up to sell, or they were working on a friend's. And our house is right in the middle of a city block! My poor wife. She took such pride in her yard. But with all those cars, there was no hope. Our backyard was always a mess with cars parked on the lawn, parts strewn about.”

I lowered my book, captivated by the big man’s story.

"Well, what can you do? Kids, especially boys, need cars. They all had jobs and earned the money for their own cars and insurance. I was proud they could work on 'em themselves.

"You pay a price with kids," he said, nodding, remembering.

"Finally, one by one they left and took their cars with them. All but Nick, the youngest, he stayed on. I hate to say it, but it got irritating, having him still at home. Here he was, twenty-four, a college graduate and a C.P.A. and still living with Mom and Pop! My wife did all his laundry, still cleaned up after him. I'd complain to her, but she wasn't anxious for him to leave. He was her youngest and you know how mothers are.... Anyway, with only one at home, she'd fixed up her yard. She was happy."

He looked at each of us. He had our undivided attention. Even the little boy didn't move, but clutched the truck and listened to the big man's rumbling voice.

I will just die, I thought, if the nurse calls me and I can't hear the rest of this story.

"One night Nick didn’t show up for dinner. As usual, no call to his mother saying he would be late. When he did come home, he switched on the TV and plunked down in front of it. My wife scurried out to the kitchen, heated up his dinner, and brought it to him on a tray.

"For some reason, I went into orbit. `That's it!,' I yelled. `This is plain ridiculous. Nick, in one month you're on your own. You get your own apartment. Do you hear me?'"

The man leaned forward again, easing his back.

"If there's anything that infuriates me, it's that five-mile stare a kid gets when they think you're being absurd. All of them had better sense than to say it to me, but they would get that look in their eye.

"`Do you hear me?'

"`Sure Dad, I hear you.'

He shook his head and sighed. "Well, after two weeks I didn't see anything that looked like progress so I approached him again.

"`Nick, have you found an apartment, another place to live?'

"`No, were you serious?'

"`You bet I'm serious. Now you've got two weeks.'

"The day came and I was ready to throw all his stuff in the front yard. But a couple of his friends came with a van and helped him move in with them.

"I noticed he took with him some odds and ends of our furniture and I started to protest, but my wife stopped me. She had given him that stuff to get started, she said.

"He didn't say a word to me. At one point on moving day my wife went into his room and they talked, but he didn't say anything to me.

"For months.

"Then one day I heard my wife on the phone. `I want you to come on Father's Day. Your brothers are coming and I want you here, too. No excuses. Yes, you can bring a friend.'

"`He still living with those friends?' I asked her after she'd hung up.

"`No,' she said, `he borrowed $4,000 from me for a down payment on a house, a little fixer. He's paying me back $200 a month.'

"I fumed about that but figured at least he's doing something for himself. If he'd asked me for the money I probably couldn't have turned him down, either."

Oh, please, please don't call me now, I thought. I've got to hear the end of this.

"Father's Day came and my other three sons, their wives or whoever, and my three grandkids from the oldest two, arrived. I tried not to notice that Nick wasn't there, but my wife kept going to the dining room window. She was getting really steamed.

"Just as we were ready to eat, Nick came, with a girl, a nice girl. He kissed his mother and introduced his girlfriend to the family. We're sort of a noisy bunch and there was a lot of confusion. We sat around the table and with all the commotion I'd hardly noticed that Nick and I hadn't really spoken.

"Dinner was over and we were about to leave the table when Nick got up and came over to me.

"`Dad,' he said, `for a long time I really hated your guts for kicking me out. You are one tough hombre. But I want to thank you. It's the best thing you could have done for me. I really like my place, my home. I wouldn't have it if you hadn't kicked me out.'

"`I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day,' he said, and kissed me." The man tapped the spot on his forehead. "Right there. It had been years since one of my boys kissed me.

"I looked around the dinner table to see if the others had heard. Except for the grandkids, who didn't know what was going on, there wasn't a dry eye in the place."

"That's a wonderful story," I said, blinking. "Thanks for telling us."

He shrugged, a little embarrassed. "Sure."

"Leonard?," the nurse called.

The big man stood, nodded to us, and fell into step behind the nurse.

Book Review: Stronghold by Terri McIntyre

2010-06-07T08:31:00.001-07:00

When 13 year-old Joe Aberdeen’s world is ripped apart after his mother’s tragic death, he feels torn between his neighboring grandparents, whom he loves and in whose home he is always welcomed, and his father, divorced from his mother several years earlier and living 1,200 miles away. Although his father has visited him from time to time, Joe hardly knows his father’s new wife and their daughter–Joe’s step-sister. He admires his father, but feels a special closeness to his grandparents and to the area where he has been raised in Indiana. His grandparents want him to live with them and he wants to stay in the place where he is most familiar.

Joe’s father must take a stand and, to the objection of Joe and his grandparents, takes his son with him to Arizona. During the long drive, Joe mentally reaches back, back to what’s familiar and what he loves. He’s resistant to the new sights his father points out, resistant to the inevitable change that’s in store for him. He resists all attempts of affection shown to him.

Arriving in Arizona’s high-desert country and forced to be with a family he barely knows, Joe finds himself overwhelmed and homesick to the core. The only friend he makes is the family’s wolf-dog. Through the family’s patient efforts, Joe gradually thaws. His feeling of belonging is improved when he makes a friend, a boy his own age whose home is close by. Still, he branches out alone much of the time and begins exploring, finding relief in creating a fort, his own stronghold. In the process of building his stronghold, Joe finds buried items, which he soon learns to be ancient ruins.

At school, Joe finds he is a racial minority–a strange situation for him. All the other students and even the teachers are Native American. He finds himself accepted and becomes absorbed in a surprisingly interesting class–social studies. However, he soon finds himself embroiled in a dangerous situation involving Indian artifacts.

I found Stronghold an absorbing book, interesting for all ages, though it is primarily for young adults. The author speaks with authority having taught Navajo children and raising her own family in a multi-cultural environment.

Stronghold is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.com/Kindle, Barnsandnoble.com, and other on-line stores. For more information, visit the author's website http://www.terrimcintyre.net/

Ready, Set...Launch! Using hard-copy promotion to your advantage

2010-05-31T09:18:00.001-07:00

As soon as you’ve signed a contract, or if you’re self-published, as soon as you’ve established a publication date, it’s time to get serious about promotion. On May 23, 2010, I discussed electronic promotion and this week we’ll talk about hard-copy promotion.

Hard-copy Promotion

Business Cards: Business cards provide a professional image and are a valuable marketing tool. Have plenty of them printed and always have them with you. At a minimum, a business card should have name, address, phone number, e-mail address and website URL. Some writers have their book’s cover art on their cards; other writers have several writing interests and want to present a wider image.

Bookmarks: Have a stack of bookmarks handy at personal appearances. Slip a bookmark into books as you sell them, or hand them out as incentives. I’ve found that bookmarks measuring 1 ½ x 7 inches a practical size and allows 6 bookmarks across a page. Card stock of 110-pound weight is perfect for making a substantial bookmark. Include cover image, author’s name, a short synopsis, a reviewers blurb, where the book is available, the ISBN, and author’s website. Bookmarks can be printed on your own color printer. For sharp looking bookmarks, cut them with a paper cutter.

Postcards: Postcards involve a little more expense, but they are well worth it. I’ve had many book orders because of this promotional tool. By shopping on-line and designing the postcards myself, the cost was a little over $50 for 500 cards.

I saved and studied many book announcement postcards that I’ve received over the years to decide which features I liked and wanted to incorporate. On the picture side of the postcard is the book’s cover image. On the left of the reverse side is the book’s title and author, a synopsis, and a reviewer’s blurb. Include the ISBN, price, ordering information for personalized copies and where else the book is available, such as a favorite bookstore, the publisher, or Amazon.com.

Again, start assembling address lists early–don’t wait until you have the book in hand. I printed out address labels for the postcards and, once the book was available, sent them to about 400 people and have used the rest of them at events. Recently, I ordered another 500.

Press Release: Press Releases are used for media business contacts such as newspapers, professional reviewers (such as Midwest Book Review). A press release should be one full-page and include date of release, contact information, and a title that includes the purpose of the release. As an example, I’ll use my release: AS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOUNT ST. HELENS’ DRAMATIC ERUPTION APPROACHES, AUTHOR MARY E. TRIMBLE RELEASES HER TIMELY NOVEL, TENDERFOOT. The release continues with a one-paragraph synopsis, a reviewers blurb, a short bio, where the book is available, ISBN and price. Also included in my Press Release is the book’s cover image and an author image.

Save the Press Release file in PDF format so that it can be either e-mailed to media contacts or printed.

Posters: Posters are good event marketing tools and serve to validate a writer’s achievement. When I appear at fairs or speaking engagements, I have a poster at my table, along with my books. Usually, my poster is in a clear plastic stand-up 8 x 10 inch picture holder, though I’ve also had posters enlarged and made a stand for them.

It’s handy to have generic posters made, but for special events, it’s also a good idea to use the basic poster and add the date and time of the event. Title your posters; for example, “Coming Soon,” “Just Released,” “Meet the Author.” When you are scheduled for a presentation, booksigning, etc., deliver two or three posters well ahead of time so the host location can promote your appearance.

For poster art, my picture appears with a solid background, a barn, leaving space beside me to over-lay the book cover image. This half-page picture (5 ½ x 8 inch), can be seen from a distance. Under the picture is the book’s title, author, and a short reviewer’s blurb.

Marketing and promotion take time and involve a little expense. But, after writing the book, the next step is selling it and aids such as those I’ve mentioned will build momentum and will help launch your book into the hands of readers.

Ready, Set...Launch! Using the Internet to promote your work

2010-05-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Books don’t launch themselves–they need a big push. Most writers don’t have the luxury of having a big publishing house behind them to handle promotion. Except for really big names, most writers need to do most of their publicity. As soon as you’ve signed a contract with a publisher, it’s time to turn your attention toward promotion. Don’t wait until your book is published before creating your promotion–you’ll want to hit the ground running once you have your book in hand.

As a writer, your book is your product, but you are the brand. Success in selling involves promoting both the brand and the product.

It’s a good idea to start on promotion long before you have the book’s cover art. You’ll definitely want to include the cover image, so just leave a space for it and start working on text and layout.

Reviews

As soon as your book has been professionally edited, find at least two well-known writers to review your book. Reviews are vital for publicity and promotion in a competitive market. Don’t expect a full-length review, but rather a blurb, a 50 to 100 word description, such as you see on the back cover of books. You can use these blurbs in much of your promotional material. Most reviewers will give you permission to tailor their comments to suit your needs. Blurbs are valuable.

Also seek reviews from established review organizations, such as Midwest Book Review. In the early stages, however, all you can offer them are unbound galleys. Later, when you have your book, definitely seek reviews that will appear in publications.

Internet Promotion

E-Mail Signature: One of the simplest forms of self-promotion is an e-mail signature. On most e-mail programs, it can be set to append to every outgoing e-mail message. With many programs, you can have a selection of signatures, depending on the nature of your message. Keep it simple, and keep it short. Ideally, an e-mail signature should not be more than three lines, four at the most. An example might be: List your name, your latest book, publishers website, your website.

Website: Today, people turn to the Internet to learn details of persons or items of interest. A website should answers questions and supply information about you and your product. For several years, I had a webmaster and he was very good. But the day came when I needed to make quick changes or additions and it was more hassle to go through a middle man than maintain it myself. There are several good website building programs on the Internet that make creating a website quick and easy, and many are free. I used Microsoft Office Live (www.officelive.com) and have had many favorable comments. I can dash in and out in minutes to make a quick change, such as changing “Coming Soon” to “Just Released!.”

It’s important to have your own domain–mine is www.MaryTrimbleBooks.com. Website building programs assist you in creating your own domain. Keep your website simple, easy to navigate, and give it a name that makes sense. One resource to check domain availability is www.GoDaddy.com.

Blog: I did not jump on the blog wagon until a couple of years ago. Once I took the plunge, I was delighted to find I could talk about many issues–it’s my blog and I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. Sometimes I discuss writing, sometimes my involvement with the American Red Cross. I review books, interview people–whatever strikes my fancy. Setting up a blog is very easy, most often free, and there are a variety of blog-creation sites on-line to assist you every step of the way. I use www.blogger.com and have been very satisfied. My blog appears on my blog host, but it is also set up to automatically appear on my website.

E-mail Announcement: Start building groups of contacts to whom you’ll send an e-mail announcement when your book is released. I found it more efficient to create separate e-mail sub-groups in my address book. For easy access, I began each group with the name “Book Promo,” then added the specific group name. You’ll be surprised how many people you know–your writing associates, prior customers, your spouse’s work contacts, family, friends, etc.

Because e-mail programs and browsers display messages differently, make the entire announcement a .jpg file image. Further, at the top I had a statement “Having trouble viewing this e-mail? Click here.” and linked this directly to my website where a similar announcement exists. In your e-mail announcement, include the cover image, a two-paragraph synopsis, a review blurb, ISBN and price, where the book can be purchased, and an invitation to visit your website for autographed or personalized copies.

When e-mailing the announcement, send it “Blind Copy” for recipients’ privacy and so that people don’t have to wade through a long list of names to get to the message.

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, etc. might be excellent means of promotion, but at this point I’m not convinced the time spent is worth the gain. I personally need to study this further and would love to hear your input in the Comments section.

Next time I’ll discuss hard-copy promotion–something tangible to give to prospective customers.

Book Review: A Checklist: Making a Family Plan for Emergencies by Nancy Overton

2010-05-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

A Checklist: Making a Family Plan for Emergencies by Nancy Overton covers every possible aspect of preparedness. Its step-by-step approach makes preparing for disasters less overwhelming.

The book’s convenient 3½ X 8½-inch size allows the reader to slip it into a pocket or purse to take to the store for reference. You can set the book down and its spiral binding allows the book to lay flat and open.

The book’s format is a series of check-off items sorted under the appropriate possible disaster such as fire, earthquake, flood, hurricane, tornado. It delves into home safety features for utilities, safe water, adequate non-perishable food, personal comfort, sanitation, first aid supplies, etc.

Overton emphasizes that adequate preparedness won’t happen overnight–it’s a goal to work toward. Further, she suggests that people can help make preparedness more affordable by going in with neighbors and shopping in bulk for emergency food items. She suggests scouring garage sales and second-hand stores for items like tents and tools.

According to A Checklist, collecting items is only the beginning. Emergency items must be organized and accessible in the home, car and workplace. Lists should be made so that in an emergency supplies can be gathered quickly in the event the family needs to evacuate the home.

Besides purchased goods, other preparations are essential such as copies of important documents to use for personal identification, proof of ownership for car and home, copies of driver’s licenses and insurance.

Other important items are lists for children with family and out-of-area contact information; and lists for parents with the same contact information, plus attorney, insurance companies, etc.

By following the essential steps Overton suggests, you will increase your family’s self-reliance, be more knowledgeable about what you need to do in an emergency, feel confident about being prepared and know your family is safer because of your preparedness.

A Checklist: Making a Family Plan for Emergencies by Nancy Overton is available at Amazon.com and the author’s website, www.preparedness101.com.

Don’t Wait for the Big One: Prepare Now

2010-05-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

May is the 30th anniversary of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. For many, it’s notable as one of those events that you can remember just where you were when it occurred, whether or not you were affected. What lessons did we learn from this catastrophic event that took 57 lives, reduced hundreds of square miles to wasteland and caused over a billion dollars in damage? What could we do differently knowing what we know today to prepare for disaster?

Although most of us don’t live in the shadow of a mountain ready to erupt, we can still learn from this disaster. The obvious, of course, is to heed warnings about tempting fate. Scientists and local authorities repeatedly warned people to stay clear of the mountain, but still many people lost their lives as the result of the eruption. Some were scientists, some were people who had business there, primarily loggers and media people, but many were people curious about the activity, people who didn’t want to miss out, who lost their lives to satisfy their curiosity.

What lessons can we take from all of this? That major disasters happen. In our area, one of the most likely is earthquake. Haiti is a tragic example of total unreadiness. Their inability to cope was unfortunate, but understandable. Haiti had little infrastructure and was already an extremely poor country. Unbelievable suffering occurred before the world could get organized to help. Most Haitians were simply unable to help themselves. Hopefully, we’re better prepared.

A more realistic example for comparison to our situation is Chile when, in February 2010 they experienced a magnitude 8.8 earthquake. Chile is considered to be more the equivalent to the United States in terms of geological similarities, infrastructure and preparedness. Between the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis, at least 500,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, with an estimated death toll close to 500.

One of the newscasts we saw on the sixth day after the Chilean earthquake showed a large extended family living in a home not damaged by the earthquake, but who did not have enough food and water. Roads leading to their home were severely damaged and they couldn’t get to a store. In any event, many stores were closed. The lesson? Keep enough food and water on hand to last six or more days.

Because of lack of electricity, communication was seriously impacted. Chilean citizens grieved about relatives and friends in the hardest-hit areas. This always takes time, but often lines of emergency communication can be restored. Another lesson: Be prepared to listen for ways to communicate with loved ones. The American Red Cross offers their “Safe and Well” system as soon as communications can be set up.

In coastal areas, tsunamis were expected as a result of the Chilean earthquake. Lesson: Have in mind a place to retreat to higher ground. Discuss with your family where you would meet in the likely event you’re not together when you need to move quickly.

Chaos will always be a part of a disaster. Lesson: You can reduce your personal feelings of helplessness by being prepared.

Prepare a personal “Go-Kit” for every member of your family for your home, work and car. Inquire with your children’s school district to learn what emergency preparations they have made. Many school districts have made preparedness a priority.

The top eleven items that should be in your go-kits:

Food
Water
Clothes
Flashlight with spare batteries (or hand-crank)
Whistle
Duct Tape
Large Garbage Bags
Radio with spare batteries (or hand-crank)
First Aid Kit
Identification Papers
Personal Items (medication, eyeglasses, hearing aid)

Keep in mind that without electricity, ATM's will not be available; your credit cards and checks won't work either. During an emergency, banks and stores might be closed. If stores are open and electricity is off, much of their equipment will be inoperable. Have on hand a supply of cash in small denominations so that you can purchase necessary goods.

Many kinds of disaster can strike: earthquake, flood, terrorism, tsunami, even an erupting volcano. Assembling emergency supplies will give you confidence and peace of mind should disaster strike. If you need to evacuate your home, or be confined to home, you will have the basic supplies you need. Act now to protect your family.

Book Review: Walking Your Blues Away by Thom Hartmann

2010-04-27T08:20:00.001-07:00

Walking Your Blues Away, subtitled “How to Heal the Mind and Create Emotional Well-Being,” by Thom Hartmann is an enlightening read. Though we’ve heard time and again the physical benefits of walking, Hartmann’s approach gives walking a new slant by demonstrating how to enable the brain to restore mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

A psychotherapist, Hartmann has dealt with patients’ crippling trauma from various causes, most notably with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In World War I, postwar depression and anxiety was called shell shock; in World War II, it was called battle fatigue. PTSD, as it is now known, mysteriously haunts some veterans and not others. One reason, of course, is that some vets see harder combat than others. Still, there are many differing reactions between vets who have experienced the same event. Hartmann theorizes that individuals processes trauma differently.

Although Hartmann goes into some detail regarding how the brain reacts to traumatic events, a simplistic explanation is that the brain does not always integrate information properly. Information is sometimes “stuck” in an area called the hippocampus, known for its present-time memory, so that the event, or the trauma from it, always seems as though it is happening at the moment, rather than stored as past memory.

Bilateral intervention has been successful in treating PTSD. One such treatment is Eye Motion Therapy (EMT). Although the process is more complicated than I’ll go into here, it involves moving an object back and forth in front of the patient, who follows it only with his eyes, keeping his head still. The idea is to allow information, or the memory of a traumatic experience, into the rest of the brain to be processed, distributing the memory of an event from “present” to long-term memory.

EMT and its variations don’t always work to relieve severe trauma, but its successes do demonstrate how bilateral therapy can be applied to assist the brain in processing memories.

Hartmann goes into some detail about bilateral therapies and early therapists such as Josef Breuer, Sigmund Freud, Franz Anton Mesmer and their various theories falling into and out of favor. For me, the real meat of this book begins with the chapter, “Developing the Walking Your Blues Away Technique.”

The normal motion of walking where the right arm swings forward with the forward swing of the left leg, then the left arm swings forward at the same time as the right leg, in a back and forth motion, is bilateral rhythmic motion.

Capitalizing on this motion, Hartmann suggests consciously walking to get rid of anger, anxiety and other unwanted stresses. Consciously means to walk without distractions, such as radio, window shopping, talking with a walking partner about non-related subjects. Of course, we’re human and we must deal with some distractions. Often at the beginning of a walk we can acknowledge our surroundings and then settle into the walking session.

The book describes in detail the steps to take: Define the issue, Bring up the story, Walk with the issue, Notice how the issue changes, Anchor the new state. This method can be used in many areas of our lives, not just trauma or healing. Walking can be useful for creativity and problem solving, too.

I found Walking Your Blues Away (Park Street Press), a good, down-to-earth approach to vital mental health.

A Trip to the Forbidden: Seattle’s Skid Road

2010-04-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

After visiting the Seattle-King County Morgue, my 17 year-old curiosity was peaked about Skid Road, the place where they’d found the unidentified body I’d seen. My father, not wanting me to go there alone, offered to take me.

We set out early on a Saturday morning. Dad parked the car in a safe place, and we started our adventure. It was a whole new world. I was suddenly transported from a nicely manicured middle-class neighborhood to sleazy, dirty surroundings. People aimlessly roamed, or staggered around. Many people talked to themselves, some shouted to no one in particular. A fight broke out on a corner–my dad steered me clear of that. It was as much of an adventure for my dad as it was for me–he was a pretty straight fellow.

In subsequent years, they have cleaned up the area, now called Pioneer Square, but in the days of 1953 the Skid Road district was still very tough.

A bit of history: The area previously called Skid Road centers on Seattle’s Yesler Way. The road was said to have been a “skid road” in the literal sense, where they actually skidded logs to a saw mill owned by Henry Yesler. In the 1800s the term also referred to logging camps and saw mills. The term “Skid Road” was used in other parts of the country as well, but it is believed to have originated in Seattle.

So, there we were. What does one do on Skid Road? There were lots of taverns, which was out of the question for us. Not only was I underage, but my dad was a teetotaler–I’d never even seen a bottle of beer in our refrigerator. We came upon a pawn shop. We entered and got many curious stares from other customers and the pawn broker. My dad pretended to be looking for a watch...for me! I was mortified, but couldn’t come up with a better reason. I asked some questions and the pawn broker explained the purpose of pawn shops and how they worked.

Outside, we stopped at a theater. The pictures on the outside, though not as explicit as they would be now, definitely told us they were not our usual entertainment. The movie house did a brisk business though.

As we crossed a street, I saw a woman sort of hang into a car window at the intersection. I slowed down to hear what she was saying. My dad gently took my arm. “Just keep walking. Don’t slow down.”

“I wanted to hear what she was saying. Do you know?”

“She’s trying to line up her business, get a customer.”

“For what?”

“For herself. She’s selling herself.” His voice was so low I could hardly hear. He closed that conversation with “Let’s talk about it later.”

But I was beginning to get the picture. The recent lessons about VD at the Health Department began to fall into place.

We saw a drunk fellow in a doorway, passed out. I remembered the morgue and wondered if the man was dead. My dad shook his head. “No, I don’t think so–just drunk.”

“Why would anyone want to do that?”

“I don’t know–I don’t understand it either.”

We were fairly grossed out by the end of the day, but it was truly a worthwhile trip. I knew right then that the sleazy kind of life was not for me. That day was among the most valuable lessons I received from my dad. He didn’t judge anything we saw, he simply showed me one way of life and let me draw my own conclusions.