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Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

A Lesson in Storytelling

August 21, 2019 By D'Ann Mateer

Our two-week respite from travel just happened to coincide with Alfred Hitchcock week at the annual Summer Classic Film series in town. We ended up seeing four Hitchcock films in four days—two of which we saw back-to-back in a double feature! Watching several Hitchcock films in such a short amount of time really drove home his storytelling style. As I talked through the things that struck me in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Movies & TV, Writing

Summer Reading

August 7, 2019 By D'Ann Mateer

Can you believe it’s already August? Although I don’t technically have kids going back to school, I do have two who still live by the school calendar—one as a teacher, the other as a grad student. Still, August seems to mark the end of long summer days, even if they haven’t been lazy ones. And while the situation of having a book in my hand doesn’t change from season to season, it is sometimes fun … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reading

Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and Presidential Library

July 17, 2019 By D'Ann Mateer

What do you do when, while driving from a major airport to a remote meeting site for hubby’s business meetings, you pass a sign that reads “Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and Presidential Library”? You make plans to stop on your way back to the airport, of course! So we did. And how glad we were that we made the time. If you’ve been around here long, you know that my husband and I love … [Read more...]

Filed Under: History

My Favorite Fourth of July

July 3, 2019 By D'Ann Mateer

When you read this, we will be on our way to spend the Fourth of July weekend with our granddaughter, Ivy. (And her parents, too, of course!) I bought her a darling little Fourth of July outfit, complete with a bow. In my anticipation of this very special Fourth of July, I got to thinking about other memories of the holiday, the most special of which was July 4, 1985. I had graduated … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Faith, Family

Small vs Insignificant

June 19, 2019 By D'Ann Mateer

I feel like I lead such a small life these days. My small condo in a small city. A small group of friends. Working on small writing projects, small crochet projects. So much smallness that I often think I have nothing worthwhile to say to y’all. But is that true? Do we have to have a big life, do big things, in order to earn the right to speak? Our culture tends to tell us yes. We have to have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Faith

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