Ever wonder how an author writes a story? Sometimes I put down a book like Anne of Green Gables and try to imagine how Lucy Maud Montgomery created Anne. The little orphan girl jumps off the page as a living, breathing character. Let me give you an example. Here is the moment when Matthew Cuthbert first … Read moreLucia of Fatima
One late summer day I stood at the kitchen sink washing dishes, not knowing that I was in for a surprise. I glanced at the lilac bush growing near the side of our old New England farmhouse. Soap suds bubbled up on my hands as I paused in the midst of my chore. Lilac … Read moreLost in the Soap Suds
Perhaps you have been busy having fun in the sun and missed the big news. On August 3rd, a pilgrimage was organized by a gifted seminarian, Joseph Moreshead. Young and old alike walked along the Kennebec River to honor Father Sebastian Rale, a Jesuit missionary who lived among the Abenaki people for thirty years and … Read moreA Saint from Maine?
Twenty- six years have passed since natives of Maine have graciously accepted this Bostonian as one of them. They have been patient with me as I learned a new way of life. No longer did I live in a Boston suburb, complete with neatly mown lawns and neighbors who lived wicked close to you. We … Read moreYou can’t get there from here!
One fine day in 1876, Dr. Augustin Thompson entered his laboratory and shut the door behind him. It was time to think. It was time to experiment. It was time to invent a nerve tonic that would cure paralysis, softening of the brain, and nervousness. Dr. Thompson himself was nervous. Why? He had just sunk … Read moreIt Takes Moxie to Drink Moxie!
Yesterday I sat in the doctor’s office and perused magazines. A women’s issue caught my eye. I won’t tell you the actual name. Let’s just call it the Miracle Magazine. The cover alone was packed with miraculous remedies. Here is a sample: “Rinse away tiredness!” “The candle scent that will make your hair 30% thicker!” … Read moreNeed a Remedy? Read this!
We gave this book to our granddaughter for her third birthday and she is enthralled. Reportedly, her parents have read it to her 30 times since May 19th! Filled with vibrant colors and rollicking adventure, this book captures the beauty of the Maine coast. That is not a surprise. Chris Van Dusen lives in a … Read moreDown to the Sea with Mr. Magee!
Birdwatchers will instantly recognize this as a bird call. Yes, birdwatchers, you guessed it. This is the call of the chestnut-sided warbler. Ornithologists also identify the call as something like please, please to meetcha. My husband got a close look at the warbler while using our water closet. He saw the energetic bird hopping from … Read moreI wish to see Miss Beecher…
My latest book is now available on Amazon. The book Martyrs is about the courageous Jesuit priest Father Sebastian Rale who lived among the Wabanaki people of Maine almost three hundred years ago. It is a story of faith, courage and enduring friendship. This is book two in the Brave Hearts series that brings real … Read moreGood News!
Over the past year, one of my sisters -a person with advanced skills in genealogy-discovered that John Adams is our fourth cousin, four times removed. That sounds like a distant relation, but our family and the Adams’ clan trace back to John and Priscilla Alden of Mayflower fame. Ironically, we grew up in Quincy, not … Read moreA visit with cousin John Adams