• Literary Pursuits

    Weevils in the Flour

    Awhile back I was reading some (way) back issues in the archives of the Altus Times-Democrat newspaper on Google News. Altus is the county seat of the little town where my mother grew up. I am working on a novel set in the area during the Dust Bowl days of the Great Depression. This was an ad for a local grocery store…

  • Literary Pursuits

    What I’m Reading This Spring

    My friend Sheila is participating in a blogging group that is sharing their reading lists and recommendations this week. While I’m not part of that group, I thought it would be fun to share my reading list anyway. I haven’t done any book reviews in a long time, so lately most of my reading has been library books. Our library…

  • Literary Pursuits

    Canyon of Danger – review

    Book 3 of Susan K. Marlow’s Goldtown Adventures series has just come out! Canyon of Danger continues the adventures of 12-year-old Jem Coulter and his sister Ellie during the waning days of the California gold rush. Pa has to be gone for a few days and leaves Jem in charge of the ranch. Jem is excited about this new responsibility……

  • Literary Pursuits

    The Workbasket – July 1953

    This installment from my collection of vintage Workbasket magazines comes to you from July 1953. I thought the cover doily was so pretty that I made it myself! That was a fun project. And while they got off to a good start with such a lovely crochet pattern, it must have been the month to recruit Christmas card salesmen… er,…

  • Literary Pursuits

    The Bargain – review

    The Bargain by Stephanie Reed is not your typical Amish romance story. The heroine of the novel, Betsie Troyer, is indeed a young Amish woman, but the setting is primarily outside of the Amish community… and the time period is 1971 (during the Vietnam War) which adds some historical interest to the story. I loved getting to know the characters,…

  • Literary Pursuits

    Writer’s Retreat

     This week a friend and I went “off the grid” for a mini writer’s retreat. We stayed in one of these cute little lakeside cabins. It was a productive time. We both worked on our books, brainstormed with each other, and enjoyed probably just a tad too much off-topic chit-chat. The weather was pretty blustery, though the sun was out…

  • Literary Pursuits

    On Distant Shores – review

    I have thoroughly been enjoying the World War II romances by Sarah Sundin. Her most recent book is On Distant Shores which is the second book in her Wings of the Nightingale series. The main characters of On Distant Shores are Georgie and Hutch, a flight nurse and a pharmacist, both working on the front lines of the war. It…

  • Literary Pursuits

    Quiet Times

    During the summer months I look forward to having my morning quiet times on the deck just outside the kitchen. It is shady and cool there early in the morning. The breeze rustles the aspen and fir trees along the fence. The chickens cluck contentedly. The dog sniffs around the yard to see if anything has changed overnight. The cat…

  • Literary Pursuits

    The Workbasket – June 1953

    Time for some more scans from my collection of vintage Workbasket magazines, this one from June 1953. (Which I guess I should have posted in June, huh?) Anyway, 60 years ago. “Here is a hat which will keep you looking cool on the warmest days and is a perfect match for those casual summer dresses.” So, I’m supposed to believe…

  • Literary Pursuits

    Anomaly – review

    Anomaly by Krista McGee is a fascinating sci-fi young adult novel. The publisher’s synopsis (below) drew me in, so I was happy to have an opportunity to review this book. Stories like this stretch my imagination with all sorts of “what if” scenarios. How would you share the gospel with someone who had never even heard of God? The plot…