Look It Up

Do you know what this is? Do you know what it looks like before it turns into that big puffy ball of fluff?

I'm not going to tell you. If you know the answer, good for you. I've met a lot of people who don't have any clue where that thing comes from. If you do not know the name of it, please look it up.


Do you know what those little bell-like flowers turn into? Blueberries--wild blueberries. These low shrubs grow all over New Jersey. In fact, blueberries are New Jersey's official state fruit. I photographed this little blueberry bush in Turkey Swamp Park.

What is this amazing plant? Daughter #1 took this photo on a hike. The people hiking with her did not know the name of this unusual plant although it grows in woodlands all over New Jersey in the spring. It is called a jack-in-the-pulpit.

Why should you care about the names of plants?

Because they are part of the world around you. If you are a writer, you just might get a story out of it. :-)

While walking around the block one day, I noticed a large plant with small, white flowers. I looked it up and discovered it was boneset. Native Americans used it for fevers. (Though you should not try this at home.) You can read an article about it HERE.

Boneset plays a big part in Patriot's Heart, my Revolutionary War historical which will be released in February. If I had not been intrigued by the plant and had not looked into the background of boneset, I suppose I could have come up with something else for my story--but boneset was perfect considering the historical time period and the availability of the plant in this area.

So look around you. If you see something and you don't know what it is, find out. You'll be amazed at what is in your own backyard.

You might get a story out of it.

My First Memories

Once upon a time, I was little. Yes, that pudgy, round face belongs to me. It's hard to believe but my mother labeled the photograph in her lovely flowing script so I know it's true.

I've changed considerably since I posed for that photograph. With another birthday looming ahead, I can look back and be grateful for all I've had--loving parents who made sure I had a good education, great siblings, a terrific husband, wonderful daughters, interesting work experiences, and fun friends. I had some tough times, but life has been rather interesting--and any of the bad parts I can always use in a book. :-)

Yes, that's the beauty of being a writer. Nothing goes to waste. All sorts of experiences can be recycled.

My first memories are not happy ones. I went into the hospital at the age of three and the doctors did not know what had caused my illness, but since polio was rampant back then they suspected it and put me in an isolation ward. I was there for along time. I remember sitting in a crib in a huge dark room, all alone. I remember the irritable nurse. I remember my father coming to visit me wearing a suit. (He always wore a suit to work.) He read me a story and gave me ice cream. He also lifted me up so I could look down and see my mother and brother far below on the pavement. Only--I could not see them. It was a long way down, and I was not sure where to look. My mother was not well and could not visit me. :-(

The doctors gave me antibiotics and I recovered. I did not have polio.

I remember leaving the hospital. Stepping out of the elevator in a beautiful party dress. (Yes, I knew it was a special dress even then.)

What's your first memory? Is it a good one or a bad one?

My Brother's Birthday

My brother would have been sixty-five years old today. Instead, he died nearly forty years ago in an F-111 fighter jet crash.

Happy Birthday in heaven, bro.

Buy This Book

I wish I had this book when my mother was in the hospital.

I found the book at the AAUW Book Sale last Saturday. I got it for $4, used. Whoever owned it underlined all the pertinent passages.

It's scary! But knowledge is power--and the information in this book could save your life or the life of a loved one.

Click on the Amazon link below:

If you don't have the money to buy it, borrow it at your library.

Bulletin Boards, A Tough Chore

School is back in session, but I'm home writing books. :-) I taught first grade for seven years. After our daughters were born, I did some substitute teaching, and then I spent eighteen years working as a pre-k teacher. I enjoyed teaching young children. I did not enjoy putting up bulletin boards. To me, creating bulletin boards was the toughest part of the job, but I had to do it.

I enjoy sketching and painting, but those are far different artistic disciplines. Plus bulletin boards have to be changed constantly. Some of my attempts were good, some--not so good. It was always a challenge. I liked displaying the kiddies' projects best. Below are a few of the bulletin boards I put together.

This is me about ten years ago standing in front of a rather simple bulletin board. The kiddies cut out the flowers, which was a difficult task for some of them. (One problem with pre-k is that some of the kiddies don't want to give away their flower once they've cut it out.)

Obviously, the class was working on the sound of the letter R. I liked the bright colors in the rainbows. The letters were made with sponge stamps.

I like snowflakes. I made paper snowflakes. The kiddies played with blue fingerpaint. When they were done sliding their fingers around, I dropped one of my paper snowflakes on their fingerpaint. Then I placed another sheet of paper over that. Voila! A print! This was fun. :-)

I put heart-shaped paper into a tray, added paint and marbles. The kiddies rolled the marbles around in the tray. They loved doing that. Some were a bit too enthusiastic and paint-covered marbles went rolling across the floor!

Teaching young children was exhausting but I got a huge dose of happy smiles every day. My arms got plenty of exercise tacking up those bulletin boards. :-)

My Special Toastmaster

That's Daughter #1 at the Toastmasters International Convention. One of her stories was included in an anthology, Heart of a Toastmaster. She went to Cincinnati for the convention and signed copies of the book. Toastmasters is a terrific organization. You can find their website HERE.

Toastmasters become better, more effective speakers. If you don't believe me, read Heart of a Toastmaster, which you can purchase HERE.