​A Mini Tale of Everyday Life
 
Daisy woke to the smell of homemade biscuits coming out of the oven. She dashed out of bed, pulling clothes from her dresser without bothering to make sure they matched. The first day of summer fun awaited her. She ran to the kitchen. “Hi mom,” she said, placing a biscuit on her plate before sitting down.
     “You’re up early. Do you want some scrambled eggs?”
     “Yes, please. Is Trudy up? We’re going exploring today.”
     “There she is now. Have a seat, Trudy. I’ll fix you some eggs.”
     “Thanks, mom. I need a lot of energy for our adventure.” She smiled at Daisy, grabbing a biscuit from the stack.
     "Energy booster coming up. What route is this epic adventure encompassing?"
     Trudy bolted upright in her chair. “We plan on following the path out back that winds around the fields.”
     “Well, you two be careful. Don’t go too far.”
     “We won’t, go too far I mean,” Daisy said giggling. The girls finished their breakfast, running to their rooms after to grab their adventure gear. Today’s adventure called for a candy bar, a magnifying glass, a small specimen jar and a stick. With all the items tucked away in their fanny packs, they rushed out the back door.
     Once on the path, the girls busied themselves examining the different life forms along the way. Daisy picked wildflowers while Trudy looked for interesting bugs for the specimen jar. At mid-morning, they sat under a tree whose trunk widened out onto part of the path. Daisy pulled out the candy bar, splitting it in half. She handed one-half to Trudy. “How many bugs did you get?”
     Trudy looked at the jar. “Only two,” she said, wrinkling her nose. She placed the jar on the ground next to her, taking a bite of her share of the candy bar. “Yum, this candy is the best.” She leaned back against the tree. The girls finished eating the rest of the candy in silence, staring out into the distance.
     After resting for twenty minutes, the girls stood up, getting ready to continue their journey. “Daisy, can we investigate that dry section?” Trudy pointed to a patchy field up the road.
     Daisy stared in the direction Trudy pointed, shifting her weight. “Well, I don’t know. We’re not supposed to wander around in someone else’s field.”
     “Please.” Trudy bounced up on her toes, looking up at Daisy. “Just a quick look. I think I see something.”
     “Okay, we’ll go see what’s there but stay next to me.”
     “Don’t worry, I will.” Trudy adjusted her fanny pack, positioning herself alongside her sister.
     Daisy giggled, taking a step forward. “Let’s go.” The field, fifty feet away, was full of tall dry weeds. Daisy scanned the area as they walked, looking for the best spot to enter. A narrow trail of downtrodden grass provided the best option. The girls turned into it, taking light steps as they walked. The trail wound around for three-quarters of a mile, the object ahead of them drawing ever closer.
     “What is it?” Trudy whispered.
     “Shush, I don’t know. We’re almost there. Stay close.”
     The girls crept closer until they stood a foot away. The white object lay on the ground in a bundle, covered with hair. Daisy raised her stick to poke it when the object sprung up. The girls screamed. The creature screamed. Both parties bolted in opposite directions in one swift motion. The girls kept running the entire distance home, not daring to look back. They burst through the back door, panting, faces pale. Their mother turned from the counter where she was preparing lunch. “Oh my, aren’t you two a frightful sight? What happened? Did you run into old Edmond’s billy goat? I keep telling him not to let that old thing run free.”
     “Billy goat?” The girls said in unison. They turned, staring at each other, recalling the odd scene from the viewpoint of an observer. Their mouths twitched then burst out into roaring laughter.
     “We’re okay mom. We’ll go wash up for lunch.” They hurried out of the kitchen. This adventure was going into their diaries.

My book is now available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback versions.

​Some of my favorite childhood memories are of my mother telling me stories about her life. She was a master of the oral tradition of storytelling. Her stories fascinated me. They gave me a better sense of where I came from and helped shape my identity. My mother passed away in 2006 but her stories remain a big part of my life.
 
Many people wonder about their own identity, their roots, later in life after they lose older family members, their anchors. Knowing about past generations helps ground our existence, connecting us to the world. My mother’s stories had a big impact on my life.
 
Imagine knowing the stories of all our ancestors. Ancestry programs and searches provide answers but often lead to more questions. Maybe those stories disappear forever but we still have the present. We can sit down with our children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews and share our stories. We can write those stories so they can share them with future posterity. What if we had personal family libraries, a genealogy of family stories, expanded on and passed down from one generation to the next.

My new book Evte is now available. The story grew out of a dream I had one night. I recorded the dream in my journal and set it aside thinking one day I might turn it into a story. One busy day after another turned into several years before I revisited the journal entry. With more time on my hands, I sat down and drafted the story. I thought up new ideas the further along I got, giving new meaning and depth to the story. After many Frappuccinos and numerous revisions, the original dream transformed into its current form. I enjoyed taking this journal and am excited to share the outcome with others.