See the review of "Fair Game" from the Duluth Budgeteer News

The days go so fast -- the years closing in on us. My mother, in her nineties said it gets worse. Oh joy? I'm a deeply grateful I still hear from many of you out there via email & snail mail. Thanks EVER SO MUCH FOR KEEPING IN TOUCH! Sorry I've been so lax on my “BP” news.

We were enjoying really lovely fall weather until the winter storm of 11/27. A humdinger out of the Northwest - I guess much of the Duluth Lake walk was washed away. I cant believe people congregate near the lake to watch the waves during storms! I actually got to work, the 40 mph wind at my back and no plows in sight! :O) By the time I was halfway there I realized how bad it was, but too far to turn back. Half the KMart staff didn't show! All younger than me. :O) On the way home, going into the wind, my hood blew off and headed west toward Billings Park. I expect its holed up somewhere in West Duluth by now! ahahaa The wind blew and it snowed for two days -- the neighbor snow-blew all my paths, thanks be. Now, a week later, most all has melted and the winter tourist people are crying in their beer.

I spent Thanksgiving at my nephew’s. Good food, but lacking in lively conversation as the majority (6) were teenagers. Oh yah -- no booze either! RATS! Sis. Day was at her other son’s in Maryland. She caught a cold on the plane and was sick for the full 2 weeks there. Overdosed on cough syrup, fell and banged her head. Oh yah, a tooth fell out one day. After all that I was a nervous wreck knowing she was heading back the day of the big storm. THAT was the only thing that worked out right -- the plane even came through the storm and landed on time! Glad she's home! I enjoy my own generation/and older so much more than any other of late.

I finally took the bull by the horns exactly one week ago today and got the house in order. Did a room at a time -- had to wash all the windows/curtains. Then put up the tree and decorated. I got my baking done as of this a.m. Fattigmann, Krumkake, Rosettes, Sandbakkels, “Sandies” (a/k/a Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cakes), Almond mini-tarts, Fruit mini-tarts, & Bourbon Balls! I could open a bakery at this rate! I'm not entertaining -- but like to pass the goodies around. I used to “do” Christmas Eve, but haven't for two years as my relatives kids made me too crazy! :O) I guess we're going to my nephew’s down the street. I have been assigned meatballs & cocktail weenies. This year will do the sweet sour version with fried rice.

I took a job with the Sons of Norway lodge -- which I may regret. Vice President! I knew the guy real well (a former grade school teacher of mine), who was on the nominating committee and felt sorry for him because its been so hard to get people to fill jobs. I basically have nothing to do but show up at meetings once a month and sit at my “station.” Hopefully the Pres. wont take any days off! Then Id have to lead the meeting. YIKES! I do not start until Jan. thanks be. Our Dec. meeting was canceled -- it was the second day of the storm and the Sr. Center, where we meet, was closed down. Otherwise I think those hearty Norsemen would have met anyway! :O) I was kind of miffed, as I recently bought myself a new Norse sweater and though. I wanted to show it off. Will wear it to the Christmas party at The Shack on 12/27.

A gal at work said the other day, “What did you write in that second book of yours? My dad keeps asking about you and wanting to meet you!” Mmmm....

Speaking of which - The sis’s horny cat stayed with me while she was away. He’s been fixed, but every once in a while humps the blankets. YIKES!

I guess I wasn't as recovered as I thought. I inadvertently called my friend CLIFF HORN, CARL! YIKES - CLIFF HORN is a high school classmate. Carl Horn was a Norse ancestor from Larvik, Norway, circa 1803!!!

I'm watching "Antiques Road Show" -- on the local PBS station tonight. One of the sponsors is ME! - I was SO surprised/pleased to see my book advertised at the beginning. Brag brag... It's prob. just locally I suppose?

I guess I should add some notes, now that my head's on straight again. So much excitement of late. I, like millions of others, was shocked/saddened/traumatized by the events of 9/11. Took me 2-3 weeks to recover, what with being glued to the TV and unable to sleep. My old friend Barbara Johnson Turner (former So. Superiorite) arrived the end of the month and stayed until 10/3. We did a lot of gadding, which was great fun. Took a spin out Billings Drive - well, we started out from Billings Park and took a wrong turn, so ended up back on 28th and Elmira! Then we raced out to Borea to visit Barb's old uncle Alton Johnson on the family farm and on the way home returned to the So. End entrance to the drive -- so we DID get a chance to go all the way through that lovely area. Lots of duck hunters out! The drive itself is now newly blacktopped from Billings Park, halfway through the drive, with a bicycle/walking path alongside. It's amazing how much the drive has become overgrown over the years. Tons of cattail expanses on the Pokegema River, making it almost unrecognizable from "our day." 
On our return home (it was a Sunday) and in the midst of my machinations whipping up a "Strong Man's Quiche," my grand niece and her brother came screaming into my house, she dripping wet and wrapped in a towel, having been pulled out of the tub by her mother. Their house was on fire! YIKES! Needless to say, there was a lot of commotion, comings and goings, et al. The upshot was that the top floor is totaled, but the house itself still stands and will be livable once it gets cleaned up. Since then the cleaning crew has been back and forth daily for coffee/eats etc...
While Barb was here we (with sis Maizie) took a ride out to the "Amnicon Inn" for their famous chicken dinner. Another side trip was to Greenwood Cem., where I FINALLY got the location of my Great-grandparent's, Grandma O's and Aunt Ethel's lots. Have been out there off and on over the years wandering around like a lost lamb! Barb and I visited several of both of our other relatives. I always enjoy visits with those who've gone before. We ate out a few times -- with my good friend Muriel Lee Viggiano and the sister. Barb headed back to Milwaukee early on 10/3.

The month before my nephew Mike Marro was in for the weekend, having traveled up from near Baltimore, MD. where he's now stationed. He and I did the Duluth thing -- breakfast at Perkin's and a stroll through the beautiful Leif Erickson Rose Garden on the Lake across from the old Armory. A week or so later I read they captured a young male bear lurking in the berry patches there! YIKES!

Had a visit with Carl Horn, though now I can't remember the date? Needless to say it was BEFORE 9/11. He was up at Moose Lake fishing, picked me up and we drove out to Solon Springs for lunch with Bonnie Andrews Drake. The gabbing/ memories were flying that day too! 

Did a lot of note comparing during the aforementioned book signing at Beecroft's, with old classmates from Central's class of '53. SUCH FUN reliving old times...

Hope everyone's adjusting to the frosty mornings! There's more to come, I'm sure! ENJOY! LIFE IS SHORT!

October 5, 2001

I was at Barnes & Noble in Duluth, MN. last night on a panel. It was billed as "World's Largest Writing Workshop" and there were five us on the panel. Three females and two males. There was a pretty large audience - I'd say at least 25. Ended up answering lots of questions for an hour! Anyway, I did enjoy myself immensely. Afterwards we sat and signed books before the group did their writing exercises. Two fans bought my book. Females. One - a liberal, wild looking young woman from Minneapolis (the kind I attract more often than not) said she liked me best because I "took charge" when I wanted to be published. (By self-publishing.) I guess instead of sitting around waiting for "the call?" She also made her own book - I think on the computer. A collection of poems -- which, she GAVE me!? The other -- a young wispy girl (which surprised me) wanted me to inscribe the book to "Dorothy" or something, then I called her by that name and she blushed and said that it was for her GRANDMOTHER, age 60 - ahahaa. She DID say, "But I'll read it first!" The other panelists (the two guys anyway) were very friendly, good  lookin and nice. The females were flighty -- they're children's story writers (those people are all a little flaky) -- who LOVE to yak. The one is fairly well known in MN. She wrote a book about trolls, and though she's Norwegian I didn't feel any compulsion to talk to her. The young (40ish?) fellow who wrote a book about canoeing and lives in Cloquet, MN. and I chatted outside   when I was smoking. I asked him if he had women throwing themselves at him (I've observed that elsewhere -- in Chgo/Iowa City) - He blushed and said, "Not really, unless YOU want to?" ahahaa. Cute. While we stood there some guy (from the audience) passed by and I said goodnight. He went a few more steps then stopped like he was thinking, and then he came back and shoved a manuscript or something in my hand. "See what you think of this," he said. At home I noted it was a long (two page, single-spaced) poem ... with his name on it, but no address etc. Hmmm? Poor Mike Savage (who drove me over there to Duluth) had to stand around for 2 hrs. I knew he went over to Cub Foods, but didn't know he had a slice of pizza! SO - we didn't go eat. He was tired too, I think. He brought along the book Julie Ross Thompson wanted me to "personally inscribe" -- also, had two pictures he took at Beecroft's Books & Coffee, where I was on Saturday, 9/29. One of Carole Forslund Herubin and me and one of Carole, Nancy Christianson, Doris Lido Glonak & I. Sold 8 or 9 books that day!

August 25, 2001

The notices went out this week for the new book, "Fair Game." You should all have yours by now. I haven't started a new one ... have it in my head but really don't want to go through this HASSLE anymore ... may try for the "regular" market, or just print a few copies for my closest friends/family. We had a HORRIBLE heat wave this month -- unheard of up here. Like 4 days in a row of 90 plus -- one day it was actually 103 on Tower and 12th. I DID survive, of course, but HATED every second ... now fall is in the air and I feel MUCH better about that. Health-wise, I'm a-okay. "Passed" my last two doc sessions -- mammogram/pap test. I guess my kidneys are okay anyway - that doc. scheduled me for next year! :O) I did A LOT of reading during the heat siege - no ambition for anything else, and more or less stuck inside. I read: "She's Come Undone," by Wally Lamb; "Midnight In The Garden of Good And Evil," by John Berendt; "The Last Picture Show," by Larry McMurtry; "Waiting To Exhale," by Terry McMillan and "One For The Money," by Janet Evanovich. Evanovich is a mystery writer, who has done 5 books total so far - they're kind of sequeled. My sister found all four of the rest of them the other day at Goodwill, for . 49 cents each! SO - have my work cut out for me. Meanwhile, I sent for a couple books at Amazon.com. They're memoirs by an Irish woman named Nuala O'Faolain... saw an interview with her on "Out of Ireland," on PBS. Titles: "Are You Somebody" and "My Dream Of You." She's apparently the female Frank McCourt. Did you notice Eudora Welty died at age 92 or so? She's one of my favorite female writers. Also a favorite of one of my Iowa Writer's Workshop teachers, Mr. Koon. I think of him often and wonder where the hell he IS! One of my nephew's moved into a place 3 doors south of me. It's nice to have them nearby, but the youngest girl has been getting a bit pesky ... visiting daily. I'm going to have to set down some rules I guess. :O) I've never had any youngsters that close to me before. Spoiled I guess (me). The book flier is being sent out in advance of publication, and though it sez the book will be published in November, it probably will be more like October. It's a sort of "teaser" (the flier). Savage Press's staff has all kinds of new hoopla planned, some of which I'm not exactly in agreement with. (Like the money-back guarantee.) I have a book signing date on 9/29 - so I would think the book will be ready by then? Also a 10/8 date to be on some panel in Duluth regarding the publishing industry. Like I KNOW anything about THAT? Bonnie Andrews Drake came over on Thurs. around 1 p.m. and stayed until 3:45 p.m. as she was going to meet her daughter (at the Telegram) after work, then they were going to a friend's in Duluth for dinner. We had a fantabulous yak attack! :O) I had a "date" with my friend Muriel for later in the day. Had promised to go out to the woods with her to pick up some fresh veggies from a couple who are S/N members -- had to make two stops first. To the sis Maizie's and to the niece, Fran's. Maizie had picked up lotto tickets for me and my Chgo g.f. and was in a tither because she was SURE she'd bought the wrong ones!? - They WERE okay -- so I popped them in an envelope and sent them off to Chicago. I had to drop a gift at Fran's for her son Ryan's birthday. Their two big dogs were out in the yard (usually are in a pen) but I took a chance and went into the yard past the gate. WELL - they were like rollicking kids -- jumping on me and kissing me...blah blah. I had to SCREAM for Fran to save me. ahahaa - The dumb dogs never knew me and never let out one bark. Now what the hell kind of watch dogs are THEY good for??? I do think one of them was trying to throw me to the ground though as he got a good grip on my arm. Luckily I had a jacket on... Highway 2 is under construction all the way to the turnoff, where you go either to Solon or to Iron River... two lane all the way, with cones down the center. Muriel got so distracted she missed OUR turnoff TWICE and had to cut back. Muriel got two shopping bags of cukes and zucchini and shared. YUMMY veggies. Afterwards we took county road "A" (I think) -- or was it "Z?" -- ends up by the creosol plant... then we took 58th to Tower and went and ate at Fuller's. I didn't get home until after 7 p.m!!! The night before it was 9 p.m. as I went to lodge. Only because I figure I'd better become visible again if I want to sell books. :O) Yesterday a.m. after breakfast I rode along to the cake lady past Pattison and Four Corners with Muriel. YIKES - I was shot all day yesterday from all this unusual activity. ahahaa I lolled around, read and napped off and on. What a waste. Not that I have anything urgent on my agenda. My cousin Pat Mockler was down from Silver Bay this month. We toured Greenwood Cemetery, visiting all our mutual relatives -- about seven or so -- his and my brothers/his Mom and dad/my dad/ plus two other uncles. Pat and his wife are heading back to Casa Grande, AZ this week. Rats. His sister Rosemary Mockler Stone is heading to Mass. to visit her daughter and family. I'm expecting my g.f. Barbara Johnson Turner (from Milwaukee) in September. Hope everyone's fine and dandy? Thanks to all the emailers for keeping in touch, as well as the snail mailers. I DO owe the latter mail, but promise I'll get to that ASAP! ENJOY THE FALL! I LOVE IT!