On Sunday we had a little party for The Chiru of High Tibet at The Perfect Blend here in Mount Vernon. What's more fun than celebrating a new book with friends who love books? We were more than seventy who ate barley crackers and goat cheese, talked about books, about Tibet and the chiru, about the goodness of good … [Read more...] about Celebration! Celebration!
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Drama in the Carriage Shed
This week I have been with my mother at my sister Laura and her husband Bruce's place in Maine while Bruce and Laura are away on vacation. Their buildings include a remodeled 18th century farmhouse, carriage shed and barn. My mother likes to walk in the carriage shed for exercise. One afternoon we were out strolling and … [Read more...] about Drama in the Carriage Shed
Saving and Keeping
Last weekend we made a road trip to Decorah to walk the grounds and look at the gardens at Seed Savers Exchange. Seed Savers Exchange is devoted to saving the seeds of heirloom vegetables. According to their website, "Their collection started when Diane Ott Whealy's terminally-ill grandfather gave them the seeds of two … [Read more...] about Saving and Keeping
Saving Seeds, Growing Seeds
Ok, so this is the gorgeous tomato once again. It seemed too perfect to let go, so I did the whole thing--saved the seeds and the juice around the seeds, put it all in a jar with water, and let it sit while Rich and I went to Des Moines. The notion is that the liquid will ferment and the fermentation will break down … [Read more...] about Saving Seeds, Growing Seeds
A Good Place… Gone
Few things are sadder for writers and readers than empty bookshelves, especially bookshelves that used to be packed full. This week I was looking for the new picture book biography on Fibonacci-- Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci, written by Joseph D'Agnese and illustrated by John O'Brien (Henry Holt, 2010). I knew just … [Read more...] about A Good Place… Gone
Speaking About Voice, Writing Voice
What are these dogs doing on a blog about writing and chiru and endangered species? All will be revealed. And it's all related to writing and chiru. Today's writers of non-fiction use many of the tools of fiction to make their stories compelling and accessible to readers. One of the strongest tools we have is voice. … [Read more...] about Speaking About Voice, Writing Voice
