Janet Morrison's Blog, page 31

#OnThisDay: San Francisco Earthquake, 1906

Before daylight on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the northern coast of California, including the city of San Francisco, was rocked by an earthquake of historic proportions. In retrospect, it was estimated to have been on the magnitude of 7.9. The earthquake and its resulting fires destroyed 500 city blocks – approximately 28,000 buildings. The fires … Continue reading #OnThisDay: San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 →

Where do you stand on cursive writing?

Not being able to read handwritten primary sources will definitely be a drawback. There’s no substitute for primary sources in historical or genealogical research.

Two Books Read in March 2022

I finished reading three books last month. Each of them gave me a lot to think about, and I hope my comments will prompt you to read one of them. I had so much I wanted to write about two of the books, that I thought everyone would get tired reading about them; therefore, I’ll … Continue reading Two Books Read in March 2022 →

#OnThisDay: Three Mile Island, 1979

I’ve had two relatively close encounters with Three Mile Island. Both were unexpected. While on vacation in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country in the early 1980s, my sister and I sought out a unique restaurant, Alfred’s Victorian Restaurant, for dinner one night in Middletown. It was only upon arriving that we realized that Middletown was actually … Continue reading #OnThisDay: Three Mile Island, 1979 →

How much do you value your public library?

When I planned today’s topic, the war had not begun in Ukraine. When I wrote the rough draft, the people of Ukraine were not fleeing for their lives. What has happened in the last month put the topic of public libraries in a whole new light. National Public Radio (NPR) here in the United States … Continue reading How much do you value your public library? →

Using ALL your senses in your writing

One of my favorite quotes about writing is this one from Russian playwright and short story writer, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass.” I included that quote when I touched on the topic of writing all the senses in my February 14, … Continue reading Using ALL your senses in your writing →

Three Books Read in February 2022

If you’ve been following my blog lately, you know February was not an easy month for me. Various events cut into my reading time, but today I’m writing about the books I read during that short month of 28 days. They represent three different genres. That’s appropriate because my reading interests are all over the … Continue reading Three Books Read in February 2022 →

#OnThisDay: Explosion Aboard Steamship, 1844

Sometimes it angers me that the history classes I sat through as a child and teen didn’t include little bits of information like I’m sharing with you today. Instead of memorizing names of general and battles and dates, how much more interesting class would have been if we’d been told stories like this one. Knowing … Continue reading #OnThisDay: Explosion Aboard Steamship, 1844 →

My Little White Dog

My little white dog died last Monday. He was the perfect dog for my sister and me, and we will forever miss him. It’s been a difficult week, but each day gets a little bit easier as we deal with our loss. Those of you who are “dog people” understand. Those of you who aren’t, … Continue reading My Little White Dog →

Can Movies Help You Write?

This is a blog topic I’ve postponed numerous times since first reading about the theory more than three years ago. It’s time to address it, although I still have more questions than answers. Can a movie help you write? Kathryn Ramsperger wrote an article for the Southern Writers: Suite T blog on November 9, 2018: … Continue reading Can Movies Help You Write? →