My Sis’s Angel

I first met my “sis” when I was two years old. My family moved into our new house in Alhambra, California two doors away from Kathleen’s family. There were lots of kids in the neighborhood, so we always had playmates. Over the years, Kathleen and I remained good friends. 

Suzanne Van Clief, Diane Graham, Kathleen Murphy, Susie Tabulara, me, Carol Provinse

She was my maid-of-honor when I got married, and I was her matron-of-honor. 

1965 Wedding Kathleen, me, Larry, Virgil Thomas

On June 18, 2020, I received a message from Kathleen’s husband: “After a month-long illness, Kathleen entered eternity early this morning at Huntington Hospital. 75 years 9 months.”

She had been hospitalized after many months of physical difficulties. I got to speak with her a few days before this message. She was upbeat and talked a lot about going home and all the things she intended to do when she got there. She went home, but not to her earthly home.

We shared many interests, but one of them was our love of angels. We both had LOTS of them. Nearly every room in my home has angels in it somewhere. Many rooms have multiples. This is the secretary in the entrance. There are also more in the entry and the living room. One of my guest rooms is full of them.

A couple of these were gifts from my daughter. Most others were from friends. 

Two belonged to dear friends, now deceased.

We promised Kathleen we would spread a few of her ashes in Ireland. We plan to do it soon.

Yesterday, we met her widower to receive the ashes. In addition to those, he brought me some other items that were hers. Among them was an angel. “I know you also collected these and thought you might like to have this one.”

I was delighted to receive it. It now sits in my downstairs guest bath. This one is Baccarat crystal and sits on a lighted base. I love the way it looks, and I will always think of my own angel in Heaven every time I see it. What a thoughtful and precious gift.

 

Our Trip to the North Pole

Ever since I first heard about the Polar Express train in the Grand Canyon many years ago, I have wanted to go. (Yes, I am still a kid when it comes to Christmas!) However, adults were required to take a child with them to get on the train. We had no little ones in the family at the time. Besides, it would have required a long drive and an overnight stay.

This year, my brother-in-love and sister-in-love (Baba and Nana) have a four-year-old great-granddaughter…

I discovered the Polar Express Experience in Perris, California at the Railroad Museum—about a forty-five-minute drive away.

For quite a few years, we have tried to give gifts to create memories. We figured sharing a trip on the Polar Express train would create wonderful memories for all of us—especially four-year-old Everleigh (called “Evie”). So, I made reservations for the five of us for December 2 at 4:30 p.m.

We met Casey and Lucy at their son Shaun’s home in Orange, where they left their car. The drive was smooth and uneventful. However, locating the entrance proved a bit of a challenge. We met it, however!

Pajamas were suggested (not required), however nearly everyone on the train wore them. We did, too!

Uncle Larry, Auntie Lorna, Baba, Nana, Evie

After we checked in, we donned our jammies. (Masks were required the entire time on the train.) I wear children’s masks because the regular ones are just too large. I took an extra. It was pink. Evie loved it, so I gave it to her. (Her favorite colors are red and pink! A girl after my own heart.)

Outside, we took pictures before we entered the waiting area.

Everleigh

Nana, Everleigh, and Baba

At last, we entered the waiting “room” (a large tent), where more photo opportunities presented themselves.

Auntie Lorna, Everleigh, and Uncle Larry

Then we boarded the train.

During the ride, actors portrayed the story of The Polar Express and sang songs from the movie, including serving hot chocolate and Walker’s shortbread cookies.

They engaged the participants throughout the ride.

At one point, elves danced outside the windows, and the kids were encouraged to get near the large window to see them better. Evie took part with enthusiasm.

She also danced in the aisles when encouraged to do so by the cast members.

Near the end of the ride, a narrator read the actual story while the actors passed through the car showing pictures from the book. Evie wanted to get the book at the gift shop. Fortunately, they didn’t have any because I had already bought her one for Christmas. She settled on a little stuffed bear in a conductor’s outfit.

On the last part of the ride, Santa entered the car with his helper, who carried his large bag. He took lots of time with each of the kids and personally gifted them with a bell. The adults got them, too!

Here is Everleigh with her bell.

She would not stop ringing it!

After the ride, we went out for dinner, and she took it with her. She kept ringing it until her Nana threatened to take it—or her—to the car. She finally put it in her pocket.

Clearly, she had a wonderful time and so did we. What a wonderful Christmas memory we will all cherish forever.

Another Birthday!

 

Yes, I’m getting old. Next year I will reach the ¾ century mark. And you know what? I feel thrilled and blessed to have made it this far. Many in my family have not.

My father, Henry LaRay Lund, died at 37 when I was seven years old. He went to work one morning and never came home.

His mother, Margaret Imelda McNamara Lund, died at twenty-five when my dad was six. She left three children. My dad was the eldest. His sisters were three- and eighteen-months hold. Her children were raised by other relatives.

My maternal grandfather, David Methven, died at 54. He also went to work in the morning and never came home. Grandpa died in the old Broadway flagship store in downtown Los Angeles at closing time. Dad (his son-in-law) was with him. His last words were about me.

Dad died in the same store at opening time just over five years later.

My paternal great-grandmother died at 38 after giving birth to thirteen children. My grandfather was eight-years-old when his mother died. He was raised by an older sister—the same one who raised my dad after his mother died.

On the other hand, some of my ancestors lived a long time.

My mother lived to ninety-three, and her youngest sister will be ninety-seven on Friday. She is still sharp and a lot of fun.

 This year, with the pandemic going on, Larry still managed to plan a wonderful day. He invited two other couples over for dinner. He put up the awning in the back. It was the first time we had used this one. We haven’t done any in-person events since we bought it. Festooned with fairy lights, it looked magical after dark.

 We sat at separate tables spaced well apart. The canopy is ten feet square, so our chairs were close to the edges.

Larry ordered food from my favorite restaurant, The Harbor Grill, picked it up, and brought it home. Delicious!

He ordered beautiful flowers! They smell marvelous! He also got me a Chico’s gift card for when the pandemic is over.

Our Japanese son, Toshi, sent gorgeous flowers. I have both of them trained to go to my favorite florist. And they both know my taste.

 So, despite the situation this year, I had a marvelous celebration! And I celebrate my birthday all month, so the party continues.

Since I love giving presents to others on my birthday, the Kindle version of my book, Romance in the Time of Social Distancing, is FREE through the 28th 

 How do you feel about birthdays?

My Favorite Gift of 2019

This morning I am so excited. You see, this afternoon I get to pick up my very best Christmas gift for the year. Our great-niece, Savannah, is arriving for a ten-day stay!

She moved to Reno over a year ago to live with her father. We got to see her in August when we visited there, and her dad agreed to let her come during her winter break from school.

Savannah is the author of A Wolf’s Magic.

She wrote the book when she was ten and eleven! We published it on her twelfth birthday. And it is a really good young adult fantasy. She is a naturally gifted writer.

She has changed quite a bit since we took her “author” photo. She is now thirteen and still adorable. We continue to encourage her to write.

So, when we had the chance to spend time with her, we jumped at the opportunity. We simply adore this young lady.

We were happy to get to know her dad while we were in Reno. He is a wonderful man and a terrific father. She is in a good place, and we are grateful.

On Saturday, we are hosting a post-Christmas party for the whole family—ours and hers. The tables are set, the ham is in the refrigerator, everyone is bringing a dish to share, and we can’t wait!

Christmas is a bit like my birthday—I spread it out as long as possible!

What was your best gift this year?

Gift-Giving – Another Take

For Christmas the year I was five, Santa brought me a “mama” doll. She instantly became my favorite, and I named her Mary Ann. By my seventh birthday, I had loved her so hard I had worn off her hair and her once-blonde wig had fallen off. Her rosy cheeks had lost their color from many kisses. Mary Ann had an open mouth and two tiny teeth. My brother had pushed the teeth inside her mouth so I couldn't see them. He also bit off the tips of a couple of her fingers and pushed in her weighted eyes so they were nearly invisible and didn't open and close anymore.

I loved her anyway.

The morning of my seventh birthday, I woke to the sight of a new doll sitting on the foot of my bed. I rushed into the kitchen to tell my mother how much I loved my new doll.

Mom looked at me funny. "Don't you recognize her?"

I looked closely and noticed the tips of her fingers were bitten off and some of the color was missing from her cheeks. “Mary Ann.” I held her even tighter once I realized she had been restored. Her teeth were back in place. Her eyes, once again, opened and closed. Nothing could have been a better present

Later, I learned my dad had spent most of the night repairing her, adding a new (and completely inappropriate) wig, and dressing her in new clothes.

She was my best friend throughout my childhood, including the following spring when my father died.

When my daughter, Kim, was little, she was allowed to play and sleep with Mary Ann, but only when she was ill. Kim knew how much my doll had meant to me, so for Christmas one year when she was in her teens, she found a beautiful doll dress at the thrift shop and gave it to me—and Mary Ann.

Years later, I told this story to the kids in church and drew a parallel to God. Dad had given me what I really wanted. I just didn’t know it. He'd restored my beloved doll. I believe God, too, gives us what we really need, even though it might not look as we expect.

As I told the story, I passed Mary Ann around and let the kids hug her. (She still likes to be hugged, and sometimes children visiting our home are allowed to hold her.)

My mom was in the congregation the morning I told the story.

When I finished, I looked at her and saw tears in her eyes. She shook her head. "We had no money for anything extra that year."

My dad had been in the hospital for months earlier in the year. Today’s unemployment insurance and other programs either didn’t exist or didn’t provide nearly enough money to live on. By the time he was well enough to go back to work, their savings had been depleted for food and other necessities.

Dad worked at the main Broadway Department Store in downtown L.A., so he had gone through the discard pile at the store and found the wig and clothes. Fortunately, he was clever with his hands and figured out how to fix her eyes and teeth. (I thought my daddy could fix anything. Both my brother and I inherited this ability from him.)

"I have always felt so guilty because we couldn't get you a new doll." Mom wiped her eyes.

I hugged her. “I always considered it one of the best gifts I ever received.”

I believe sometimes God uses our perceived lack to provide for our needs... 

Do you have any stories about how lack brought about abundance? I truly believe it happens—and I have my doll to prove it.

Quick Reads

Almost time to celebrate! If you are ready for a quick read, then Larry and I each have one for you.

For many years, Larry and his friend walked around a lake at a neighborhood park every day at lunch. They saw many of the same people in their laps around the lake. As many of us do, Larry made up stories about who they were and what their lives were like. Unlike most of us, however, he wrote these stories down. The result is his book Lakeview Park: A Short Story Collection.

The book contains thirteen short stories, each with an illustration.

Many people enjoy Lakeview Park, and each one has a unique story. Between the pages, you’ll meet:

·     Clarence, who thinks he might have found a winning lottery ticket

·     Kuniko, a grandmother and widow who discovers that friendship can bloom anywhere

·     Wayne, a former guitarist who rediscovers the joy of music

·     Jenny, a mother whose husband is serving in Afghanistan

·     Carol, whose journalistic assignment teaches her more than she expects

·     Shirley, who discovers that some dreams are worth keeping

·     Alex, for whom friendship bridges age differences and soothes a broken heart

·     Gloria, who discovers her blessings and makes peace with her past

·     Alice, who loves to tell jokes, even though her memory is fading

·     Carl, who discovers that reality may hold more promise than long-held fantasy

·     Carolina, a ghost searching for her lost child

·     Tiffany, a teenager with hopes and dreams

·     George, whose life is ebbing, but not his love

·     Sheila, a young woman estranged from her family

·     Carlos, the groundskeeper who has devoted his career to the park

Lakeview Park is a collection of O. Henry-like slice-of-life stories about the people who frequent a fictitious park. These tales reveal folks of all ages, from a small child to the elderly.

Watch the video trailer for Lakeview Park here.

Lorna’s own solo work is a “beach read,” a fast-paced mystery/romance/ghost story, set in Laguna Beach California, called Ghost Writer.

This book contains my favorite character, the ghost, Max. The story is somewhat reminiscent of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, but without the paranormal romance. It features two stubborn and opinionated characters, who clash but eventually learn from each other.

When unemployed computer programmer Nan Burton inherits a California beach cottage from her great-grandaunt, she’s delighted. But she’s in for a huge surprise: The house is haunted by the ghost of famous romance writer Max Murdoch (pen name Maxine DuBois) who insists Nan complete his last novel, threatening to keep her from sleeping until she agrees. The ensuing clash pits youth against the long-dead but still egotistical author with humorous and moving results.

Watch the video trailer for Ghost Writer here.

So if you want to unwind from all the craziness of the holidays, here are a couple of suggestions. Escape in a book!

Remember, all of our books are available in Kindle and NOOK formats. No worries about delivery before the twenty-fifth.

Wishing one and all a terrific holiday season and a blessed New Year!

Another Gift Suggestion

Here is another suggestion for a book for holiday giving. Take a virtual trip to Japan. Find out what it was like to live there. Learn how we managed to do business with the Japanese. Discover the wonderful experiences we enjoyed during our stay there as well as some of the frustrations. 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park is part memoir, part business book, part travel, part theme park construction, and a lot of fun.

While we were in Japan, every two weeks or so, I wrote an essay on something we had seen or done or observed. (Today, they would probably be a blog.) By the end of our stay, I sent my pieces to over 150 people via email. I discovered some of them passed them on to other people.

When we got back, several friends said I should put them into a book. This seemed like an easy task—until I actually started to do it. I discovered the original stories didn’t translate well into a cohesive narrative. They became my source material, but with only a couple of exceptions, I ended up rewriting everything.

I finished the first couple of chapters, but then I realized I needed Larry’s input. I told him what I wanted. Then I waited. And waited. A couple of months later, he came back with something. Only his was very different from the book I had started. I couldn’t figure out any way to incorporate it into a cohesive narrative. I gave up on the project.

Fortunately, a good friend asked about the book. I told her our issue. She invited us to attend her critique group. “Bring what you have to a meeting. Maybe someone can help you figure out how to make it work.”

One of the other writers suggested we look at the material we wanted to include and see if we could identify each chapter by who wrote it. This made sense. So, we began again.

As we worked on the manuscript, we shared information. We also did two complete rewrites. During these, some of Larry made its way into my chapters, and some of me made its way into his. Yet, our unique points of view remained.

We finished the first draft after two years. We did a great deal of fact-checking with our colleagues to be sure we accurately conveyed the events.

We began to look for an agent. The one we found loved the book, but he couldn’t figure out how to market it. It was about Japan, but it wasn’t a travel guide. It was about doing business with the Japanese, but it wasn’t specifically a business book. (Although, it was on the Forbes 500 list of recommended books for several years. It might still be, as far as I know.) It was about the expat experience, but it wasn’t exclusively about it. And it was about building the theme park (Universal Studios Japan), but it wasn’t limited to the construction, either. After several months, the agent returned our manuscript to us.

By this time, the park had been completed nearly four years earlier, and public interest was waning. We decided to subsidy publish the book ourselves. I researched all the available companies and chose the one with the best reputation. They also were running a special. (This was right after the holidays, a slow period for them.)

We submitted the manuscript. The editorial review gave us several items to address—including the need to reduce the size of the book by at least 100 pages. We also faced a deadline. If the book was submitted for publication by April 1, we would receive an additional thirty copies of the paperback. We had only one weekend to complete the edit.

I stayed up for seventy-two hours straight cutting the manuscript. Larry worked for several hours, too. In the end, we made the required publication size, and the book was even better with the cuts.

We had originally intended to use a photo showing us in the park for the cover, but the publisher said it didn’t have good enough resolution. Again, we were up against a deadline. Larry made a couple of pencil sketches of the five-story pagoda in Kyoto and the entrance arch for Universal. He faxed them to me. He said he would draft them when we got home that evening.

However, I loved them just the way they were. I am a fan of Japanese sumei painting. I like its lack of precision. I showed the sketches to several of my colleagues, and they agreed with me.

When we got home, I mocked up the cover design, with the text and blue-green ombre background. We sent it to the publisher, and they approved it.

We met our deadline.

The book is still sold around the world on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Surprisingly, the hardbound version sold well on the Amazon UK website. We know it has been recommended by word-of-mouth to expats teaching English in Japan.

We returned to Japan in 2011 for the tenth anniversary of park opening. We remain very proud of the world-class park we helped create.

The Aspen Grove Anthologies

When the cold weather arrives, I often think of sitting, covered in a warm quilt, reading a book. My favorites are romance anthologies. I got the idea for our Aspen Grove Romance Anthologies on just such a cold night.

I wrote the prologue for the first book and sent it to an author friend, Sherry Derr-Wille. I knew her work, and I felt it would be perfect for the project. She immediately agreed. I asked a mutual friend and another author friend, Christie Shary, to join us. Snowflake Secrets was born.

Unfortunately, our mutual friend became very ill and was unable to continue with the project, so I asked another of my author friends. She agreed, but a week or so later, decided she wouldn’t have the time. Another friend, Luanna Rugh, overheard our discussion and asked me about the project. By the time we finished our conversation, she had already written the first chapter in her head.

One of Sherry’s publishers, Oak Tree Press (now owned by Start Publishing), loved romance anthologies. We had a contract for this book even before we finished it.

We decided to create a fictional town, Aspen Grove, Colorado, as our setting. I had lived in Colorado for a year, Christie’s brother lived there, Luanna had driven through the state several times, and Sherry lived in Wisconsin, so she knew all about seasonal weather. I chose Idaho Springs and Georgetown as the inspirations, but Aspen Grove is wholly fictional.

We had so much fun with Snowflake Secrets, we all decided to do a second. For this one, each of us took a different season and wrote a novella—all of them set in Aspen Grove. In our first book, each of the novellas was written in the first-person voice of the character. For this one, Seasons of Love, we wrote in third-person. (It is the only one of the anthologies written in third-person.) My novella in this one, “Winter’s Song,” is based on a real couple, Dan and Amy. I even play a role in the story. Can you guess who I am?

We liked writing together, and our publisher asked for another. For this one, we each chose a compass direction. I set mine, “Finding Love in Paradise,” in Hawaii and Japan, both places I know well. This book, Directions of Love, won the 2012 EPIC eBook Award for best romance anthology.

I had already written about Christmas, but I felt we needed an anthology dedicated to the season. For this book, An Aspen Grove Christmas, we added Cheryl Gardarian. This was her debut as a published author. This book is Luanna’s husband’s favorite, and Larry has read it many times because he enjoys it, too.

Christie decided not to join us for the next anthology, The Art of Love, so we were back to four authors. We each took an art form, and crafted a story around it. The inspiration for my story was the last name of a friend from work: Amalfatano. It sounded as though it could have been the name of a winery. This novella, “A Shot at Love,” is set in Aspen Grove and the wine country of California and features a photographer.

Number six in the series, and probably the last, came about one day when Luanna and I were talking about the old rhyme: Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, and Something blue. I mentioned that you don’t often hear the last line: …And a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe. We called Sherry and Cheryl. Each of us had one stanza we liked best. I took “Something Old,” inspired by my mother’s wedding dress. When the cover artist couldn’t find a photo of exactly the right dress, I sent her a picture of my mother in hers. It is now on the cover of the book.

So, if you are looking for a sweet romance to warm a cold, winter night, or you know someone who enjoys romances, please consider one of these as a gift.

The Cookbooks in My Life

With the holidays approaching, you may be looking for gifts. Since The Cooking Channel and cooking shows have become so popular, cookbooks have become prized gifts. I have been involved with three of these.

My first venture into the world of cookbooks occurred in 1996 when Community Presbyterian Church of San Juan Capistrano decided to collect members’ favorite recipes as a fundraiser for the Friends of Music. The result was The Gift of Christmas.

A friend and I edited the recipes, and then Larry did the layout. The completed book was copied at a local copy shop and spiral bound. A church member designed the cover. This book contains not only some of my recipes, but also those of my mother, grandmother, and mother-in-love. Many of them were favorites at church dinners and potlucks.

In 2015, a friend asked if we had an extra copy. We decided to re-publish it in both Kindle and print form as a fundraiser for the church preschool and kindergarten. So, it is available once again.

The second cookbook in my life came about when my friend and fellow author, Ilene Schneider, suggested creating a cookbook of the recipes featured in our books, to be published by Oak Tree Press. The book was to include author photos and information about our books. I did the layout for publication, but the book was put on the back burner because of health issues of the publisher.

It languished for a couple of years until we decided it was time to get it out. Another Oak Tree author, Mary Montague Sikes, allowed us to use her beautiful artwork for the cover, and Recipes by the Book: Oak Tree Authors Cook became a reality.

This one is also available for Kindle and as a print book.

The most recent one I have been involved with is the resurrection of Marilyn Meredith’s Cooking for a Big Family and Large Groups.

This one was published so long ago, even Marilyn had forgotten about it. I ran across an old copy on Amazon, or I wouldn’t have known about it. The only copy she had was a three-hole punched copy typed on a typewriter.

I scanned the old one and converted to an electronic file, then edited and formatted it for publication. The cover is a photo of our dining room table.

Larry produced the covers for all of these.

So if you are considering a cookbook as a holiday gift, take a look at these. All of them contain great recipes and much more.