The excitement of a twelve year old girl.

It was not too hard to think back to the days that I was the same age as Maryette, when her family left Nebraska for the Washington Territory.  Here is a small snippet of this 12 year old girl's excitement the  night before they leave Omaha on the train.

"The summer heat is still so warm through the walls of our little home. Why won’t a breeze blow through the window and cool my face? I want to toss back my blanket and see if it is cooler, but Mama would be angry with me for exposing my night shirt. She forgets how hot the quilt is. Who is going to see my bare legs? The boys see them whenever we swim in the Platte River. I don’t see that there is any difference, but Mama says I am old enough to be a lady now. Maybe if I don’t think about it, I will cool down."

Anna receives a hat.

Online newspaper archives are a wonderful source for information pertaining to your story.  I needed first person accounts of an incident that is an important part of Grass Widow Wives.  Google News Archives supplied an endless variety of accounts of the incident in question.  All for free.

Did you wonder what ladies hats looked like or sold for in 1894?  Guess where the answer is?  In the newspapers from that time.

Anna is receiving a new hat as a gift from her suitor.  Now I know what it might have looked like.

The two largest FREE sites available on the internet.

News Google -  https://news.google.com/newspapers?hl=en#S

Chronicling America - http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

I hope you are looking forward to hearing about the beautiful gift Anna receives and how it changes her attitude relating to this new man in her life.    .

Retirement?

     There are times in life when we are surprised by the turn of events in the direction we travel.  After working in the corporate and public world for many years I anticipated retirement as the time I would relax in a lawn chair, cool drink in my hand, and watching the world around me.
   

 Well, things do not always end up like we anticipate.  My lawn chair and beautiful scenery have been exchanged for a computer chair and monitor screen.  I am on a journey that does not include sand and sea.  Instead it includes piles of research papers and self reflection, to find within my soul the words to tell the story of two women in the 1890's.  Maryette and Anna happen to have both been married to Charles at different times.  His influence will be reflected in the remainder of their lives.
    I am hoping you will follow my blog as I am on the cusp of completing the creation of my first book.
    I could use words of encouragement a push now and then to let me know that my project is of interest to others.  My dream is that you will look forward to reading this story that sometimes leads you to believe it is fiction.  Trust me it is not.
     Hope to see you have been here to check in occasionally.     Sharon