Happy Birthday, Mom! If I Had One More Day…

Today would have been my mother’s 93rd birthday. It’s been over a decade since she passed, but if I could have just one more day with her, I know exactly how we’d spend it. First, we’d pile all four of my grandchildren into the car and head straight to the Townhouse Diner in Hamden, CT. […]

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Tech We Grew Up With (That My Grandkids Will Never Understand)

This month’s topic for my writing group was to write an essay about our youth. I decided to focus on technology. I hope you enjoy my ramblings about eons past. The year was probably 1993. Our 4-year-old daughter, Caitlin, was busy doing something at our mid-century modern teak wall unit (which we still have, of […]

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Teaching History: A Grandmother’s Holocaust Remembrance Journey

Today, January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day—the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Last year, at this time, my novel Nothing Really Bad Will Happen had yet to be released. This year, I marked the day (a few days early) by bringing my 9-year-old granddaughter, Paisley, to the Woodbury Public […]

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Reflections on 2024: A Year of Storytelling, Family, and Milestones

As I look back on 2024, I am filled with gratitude for the experiences that have enriched my life. This year has been a tapestry of storytelling, family connections, and personal achievements. Each project and experience has been deeply connected to my passions, and I’m profoundly grateful for the journey this year has taken me […]

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Scott W. Holman, PFC Army – 1971- 1974

This is an edited version of the post I wrote for Memorial Day, 2018. It was also our 35th wedding anniversary! I will warn you: This is a very long post. I wanted to capture Scott’s story, much of it in his own words, for our children and grandchildren. Scott is a man of few […]

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Fun Conversations with AI: A Writer’s Perspective

Note: This is cross-posted to both my blogs! Some of my best stories are inspired by things I do when I am bored… also known as “What can I do when I want to procrastinate?” Recently, I had the following inspired conversation with ChatGPT. I hope you enjoy it! Me: What can you tell me […]

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IAJGS Day 5 – The Last Day!

Thank you for following my adventure at the 44th IAJGS conference this week. I almost thought about skipping some of my planned sessions today as my brain is on overload. But, I stuck it out and I’m so glad I did. Here’s a summary of my last day in Philly European Holocaust Research Infrastructure Project […]

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IAJGS – Day 4 (Wednesday)

I’m tired. My brain is moosh. I slept in and skipped my 8:30 session. Therefore, the first session I attended today was Adina Newman’s hands-on computer workshop about using Holocaust resources. Yes, I have used many, many resources during my research for the book, but there is always something new to learn, right? What I […]

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IAJGS Day 3 (Tuesday)

I played hookey this morning! We met Peri and her husband in the hotel lobby and uber-ed to a great little place for breakfast called Sabrina’s. After fortifying ourselves with a huge breakfast, Scott and I headed off to do the tourist thing. We planned on doing a double-decker tour bus, but then saw these […]

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IAJGS – Part Two

I’m baaaaaack! Today was a full day and I am finally able, at 10 pm., to resume my blog about yesterday! Arolsen archives- history, exploring, and online access I attended three sessions in the afternoon. This one was presented by Serifima Velkovich, who began by sharing the history of the Arolsen Archives. The AA was […]

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