This story starts out being about me. Facebook reminded me this morning that it had been five years since my brother, Clay, and I went to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. It was quite inspiring for me, and probably more so for Clay, an artist who paints with oils. One of my favorite paintingsContinue reading “Toby, Elaine, and the Lord”
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1968 is calling…
I’ve been writing a series of books set beginning in the late 1960s. The first, Catch It Spinning, was published recently. One of the fun things for me in writing in this era is to remember some of the ways that world was different than the one we now inhabit. In 1968, in the middleContinue reading “1968 is calling…”
The Boy, the Painting & the Heirloom
The boy sat on a low iron stool, the youngest in the family portrait taken in 1909. Clifford Landon McCracken had six sisters, and two brothers living at the time of the photograph. His oldest sister was thirty. He was four years old: a little tow-headed tyke wearing a big collared two piece “wash suit”Continue reading “The Boy, the Painting & the Heirloom”
The Day After Infamy
December 8, 1941 Lincoln, Nebraska Maryellen McCracken woke up early on her twentieth birthday so she could have breakfast with her brother and sister. As was their tradition, she had candle on her pancake, and there was a rush of activity. Her sister, June, age sixteen, was headed to Lincoln High School, while her youngerContinue reading “The Day After Infamy”
The Era of the E.R.A.
I didn’t expect to like Mrs. America, the new miniseries on Hulu. What I remember about Phyllis Schlafly was that she was a thorn in the side of feminism. Honestly, I didn’t know much about her. But why would an actress of Cate Blanchett’s panache want to glorify her? So far, in the first fiveContinue reading “The Era of the E.R.A.”
It’s Census Time Again
I received my notice from the government to complete census information online, so I dutifully did so for my husband and me. As empty nesters, it was not very exciting, I must admit. I am used to looking at census forms on ancestry websites, where they are handwritten, a little torn at the edges, hardContinue reading “It’s Census Time Again”
Living in Snowbirdia
I’ve lived in Nebraska my whole life. Generally, I like the weather there, or the results of the weather at least. I like the first few flakes of snow that make the world look clean. I like the buds on the trees and flowers that burst into new life with excitement. I love the rainsContinue reading “Living in Snowbirdia”
What’s In Your DNA?
There are a number of DNA testing facilities available now, including Ancestry.com and 23andMe. My DNA profile tells me that I am mostly (58%) descended from ancestors from the British Isles. I was surprised when I first saw this as my ancestry tells me that I should be 25% Danish, as my grandmother’s parents wereContinue reading “What’s In Your DNA?”
Writing the Next Chapter 