Category Archives: Telling Stories
Brent and Lorelle VanFossen sold just about everything they owned and hit the road in December 1996 with their cameras and computers to explore, photograph, and have adventure. And they did. These are the stories of their adventures on the road.
I Hate It When He’s Right
Twenty years ago, I told Brent that I didn’t think I could ever be happier or more in love. I was terrified that the love wouldn’t last, that no one should have the right to be so happy for very long. It’s a rule in my family. There are no equal parts love and joy […]
Still Alive. Can’t Think of Anything Else to Write.
The email was titled “STILL ALIVE” in capital letters. The email consisted of this single message: Can’t think of anything else to write. Earlier reports from my best friend in Israel described the two, one 90 and the other almost 80 years old and still active, getting short notice to get out of their buildings […]
September 11 – Twelve Years After
It’s incredible to think that it has been 12 years since I published my experience of what has become known as 9/11, the day the World Trade Center towers and Pentagon was attacked by terrorist in the United States. Three weeks after the attack, I wrote of the hope we all had for our future, […]
Visiting the Doctor Who Shop Vicariously
My new friend, Janet of Janet’s Notebook’s, visited The Isle of Wight and the Doctor Who store there recently and sent me scrapbook virtual postcards of her trip. Please forgive the indulgence as I share them with you and preserve them here so I can look at them forever! As a major Doctor Who fan, […]
My Father Helps Me Fill in the Blanks of Our Story
In going through stacks of papers from my father’s home more than a year after his death, I found a manila envelope with my name on it. Inside were printed copies of emails I’d sent out in 1996 onward before we had an easily-updated website. When we left my father’s driveway in Marysville, Washington, I […]
Example of File Gallery WordPress Plugin
The following is a demonstration post for the PDX WordPress Meetup Plugin Ignite Presentation. I will be demonstrating the File Gallery WordPress Plugin. The lorem ipsum text is courtesty of Fillerama: A Filler Text Generator, the Doctor Who version. This post is a tribute, in its own twisted way, to the 50th Anniversary of Doctor […]
My Not-So Secret Passon for Tea
I’ve always been a tea nut. Not just any old tea, but exploring all parts of tea – my own way of tea. I first explored tea through the herbals, seeking improvements in health and energy. Along the way I ran into the legends of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and other history, recipes, and ceremonies around […]
Time Counts
I’ve been helping Noah Weiss with his WordPress.com site and found his article on countdowns triggered a memory for me. There are many forms of countdowns in our lives. Counting down as a warning, to prepare for launch, to time a game. There are also many ways to count up, counting to ten to control […]
Love Letters of Wood
A text and a chat alerted me to Brent getting way to excited about sharing something with me. I was driving, so it had to wait until I was in a safe place. The alerts on my phone instructed me to check my email for a love letter. This is what I got. Lorelle: I […]
The Mystery of the Stargate Coasters and the Pears
This is a story about the mystery of the Stargate Coasters and the pears. The story begins with Stargate episodes on Amazon.com. It probably begins further back, but that is where I will start. I’ve been having trouble sleeping for the first time in my life. My mother, once a chronic insomniac, continues to be […]
Snow on the Road
I love driving in the snow. Yeah, I know that most people freak out, but I’ve always been calm and cool when driving in winter conditions, even extreme. I know what I’m doing and I have total confidence in my abilities. What I don’t have confidence in are the other people. I was thrilled when […]
Aerial Cat Babysitting
In the fall of 2010, I showed up in Dallas for OpenCamp having slept only a few hours a night for the past week. I told my friends that I had been an aerial cat babysitter, hosting the neighbor’s young cat 150 feet up in a tree in my “yard.” They didn’t believe I owned […]
First Stray Sock Dolls
Walking through an Asian bookstore, I feel in love with Stray Sock Sewing: Making One of a Kind Creatures from Socks. What a delight! I’ve made dolls on and off through the years but these were adorable. Above are my first attempts at making the stray sock dolls. It didn’t take long before I found […]
Southern Girl T-shirts, Mobile, Alabama
Wandering through a swap meet market in Mobile, Alabama, area, I found a whole wall of southern girl and southern themed t-shirts. I didn’t buy one, but I loved the representation.
The Story of the Magical Mystery Door
Originally published on Google+ Shashi Bellamkonda took this amazing photograph of my magical mystery door when he was visiting our home outside of Portland, Oregon. Here’s the story of the door. The crossing of the Cascade Mountains from the luscious greens of Western Washington to the dry, harsh desert side of the mountains to visit […]