The Ancestral Pen

  Earlier this week, I went on a beautiful three-mile walk with my daughter, daughter-in-law, my granddaughter, and two dogs around Lake Pend Orille.  ____ Weekly Question I had someone write in about last week’s question and share that she’s looking for uplifting, lighter reads. I completely understand, especially with today’s climate and all the tension. I’ll be digging deep to create something that fits that need. I do read your emails, and that one has me thinking. So this week's question ties into my share above. Where do you most love to read? Is it a favorite chair, in bed, outside? Tell me about your reading spot. I've got to admit that I do a lot of listening to audio books while in the garden or out for a walk. It's the only way I fit in excecise and reading into my non-stop schedule. Yours Truly Button Two timelines intertwine across war and memory. In 1918 Ukraine, a young pacifist risks everything to keep her pregnant sister alive as violence closes in. Decades...

  Most of you like historical fiction, but this book is a little different. This one is non-fiction with a little creative flair to make it enjoyable to read. This is another story where I reached my 2x great-grandparents Jerry and Rachel Roe and couldn't find records to grow my tree further back in time. I didn't even have any suspicions or ideas about where to find the information. So this one remained unsolved for more than fifteen years until my mother did a DNA test for me. It wasn't long before a lovely lady, Rhonda, contacted me to say she was a cousin. She asked me a strange question: "Did your mom speak Romani, and were your mom and dad both gypsy?" I really did not know how to answer that, other than, "No, why?" As it turns out, we were descended from a long line of Romani ancestors who came to America in the mid-1800s to escape persecution in England, only to suffer the same fate here. But this time the families began to systematically assimil...

  It's that time of year again. Though the nights are still cool and it's too early to plant in my garden, it's warm enough to start the remodel projects. I had a dear reader tell me that I shortchanged her on her Monday morning read, but after I showed her this picture and explained how full my weekend was, she understood. So today, while I should be working, I'm creating another newsletter to share what's going on with us. Remodel — need I say more? If you've ever lived in your home while remodeling, you'll get this. It's dust everywhere, constant trips to the hardware store, noise, piles of tools and supplies, and endless frustration. But don't despair. I won't forget about my loyal readers — I'll absolutely share the funny and horrifying moments with you so you can laugh or cry right along with me on this journey. Nothing will be predictable between now and fall, so be sure to open each email, because you never know what fun nugget will b...

  Hello friends, I need to talk about something that's been weighing on me lately. My search history. You know that moment when you're deep in research mode, frantically Googling things for your book, and suddenly you stop and think, "If anyone saw my browser history right now, I'd have some explaining to do"? Yeah. That's been my entire week. Exhibit A: Medical Emergencies of the 1780s "How long does it take to die from a musket wound" "Can you survive a musket ball to the shoulder" "Revolutionary War field medicine" "Amputation without anesthesia survival rate" "What does gangrene smell like" Look, I need to know these things! Edward Beeson got shot at multiple times. People died around him. I can't just write "and then he was injured" without understanding what that actually MEANT in 1781. There were no ambulances. No antibiotics. No "let's just pop down to urgent care." Exhibit B...