Although the sun hadn’t yet risen at 6:00 this morning, there was enough light for me to see the back patio through the sliding glass door. It was wet. I couldn’t detect any rain coming down, so when I stepped outside with my little dog, I was surprised to feel the soft drizzle on my … Continue reading Wet Paws and Morning Magic: Walking in the Rain
Memoir
The Last Train to London
Someone posted an enticing picture of London on social media the other day with the caption: “What is keeping you from visiting?” Maybe it was meant to be a gentle nudge to get you to go there. However, most of the comments expressed fear of falling prey to criminals. Others observed that they would not … Continue reading The Last Train to London
Footsteps Through Time: A London Diary of Discovery and Dust
September 21-22, 2019: Traveling After my flight from California landed in Salt Lake City, I had a 2-1/2 hour layover. Then I boarded the red-eye to Heathrow. We arrived about 11:00 a.m. on the 22nd. Jet-lagged and bleary-eyed, I checked into my Bloomsbury hotel—too drained for more than a foggy scout for supper. I had … Continue reading Footsteps Through Time: A London Diary of Discovery and Dust
A Changing World: Last Day in London
Less than a week after I returned home from London in March 2020, the covid travel restrictions hit. It had been strange to see my fellow readers in the National Archives slinking around, warily keeping their distance from one another. Women in the public restroom peered over their masks with glazed eyes, as they washed … Continue reading A Changing World: Last Day in London
Rubber Soles and Traveling Shoes
You can buy shoes with memory foam inserts, but other sorts of memories may be attached to our foot apparel. During the years I spent as a citizen lobbyist, I got to know my Congressman’s District Director. One afternoon, I had gone to lunch with her and another friend. As we were leaving the restaurant, … Continue reading Rubber Soles and Traveling Shoes
Too Clever: Art, Memories, and Life’s Surprises
Something happened during my 17th summer that was not on my bingo card. I already knew better than to trust my mother’s judgment, but I wasn’t yet even dimly cognizant of how much growing up I needed to do, before I could safely rely upon my own. I had been away since I graduated from … Continue reading Too Clever: Art, Memories, and Life’s Surprises
The Legacy Continues
When I am working on a novel, I have no time for recreational reading. Since I write historical fiction, I burn up many hours poring through source materials: newspaper archives, biographies, letters, memoirs, military records, insurance policies, genealogy charts, maps, history books, etc. My mornings and afternoons are consumed doing research and crafting prose, and … Continue reading The Legacy Continues
The Housewarming Gift
My house had only been on the market for a few days, when my realtor called and told me we had received multiple offers. A couple of them were over the asking price, and he made a recommendation that I accept one in particular. Before we had listed the property, I had done a thorough … Continue reading The Housewarming Gift
The Tacky Tie
The medical receptionist at the other end of the phone did not want to schedule an appointment for me. She insisted that I needed to see a specialist. “But it was the specialist who referred me to Dr. X,” I pointed out. “Yes, sweetie, I know that. But you need to see the specialist.” This … Continue reading The Tacky Tie
The Mandala
The temperature was forecast to rise to 104℉. I can tolerate heat better than my dog, but I have my limits too. We set out for our walk earlier than usual, while the sun was low on the horizon, and a Delta breeze was still having its cooling effect in the valley. A patch of … Continue reading The Mandala
Roxane Gilbert 