New Vocations in Retirement

Bird watching and photography have been joys in my life for most of my life. Then I began writing my first book in 2001 when I retired from many years of training people how to work together more effectively in profit and non-profit organizations. The first book I wrote, The Facilitative Way, was published in 2003. It is is being used in leadership training situations in the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Belgium, Nigeria, Australia, and China. My second book, A Pioneer Love Story, first sold in January 2009 and in April won the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation Best Non-fiction Book Award, 2009. As a member of the Kansas City Writer’s Group, I constantly learn new aspects of this business.

A Pioneer Love Story

A living history of the Texas Panhandle was disclosed when we examined letters our grandmother had written to her mother in Vermont about life in Texas. Spanning the years 1888-1908, the letters were filled with stories of family and community. A Pioneer Love Story: The Letters of Minnie Hobart shares the stories of my grandmother's life. It received a warm welcome at the White Deer Land Museum in Pampa, Texas when the town celebrated the opening of the new Museum Annex. The trip to Canyon, Texas for a Panhandle Plains Historical Museum book signing culminated with fun hiking in the Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Curious Cooper's

Spring is in the air and Cooper's Hawks build a nest across the street and then raise three young hawks in my back yard. Papa hawk appears at first, but then leaves Mama to guide her young to use their wings to leave the nest. She then trains them in the hunting skills necessary to be successful hawks. Catching them being reprimanded by Mama as they periodically pause for naptime like kindergarten kids adds humor to the story. By mid-summer they explore the wonders of their broader territory. Curious Cooper’s Hawks, a non-fiction children’s book is intended for readers ages 9-12. My next step is to find a publisher for these hawks.